Businesses and organizations share news
about new hires and locations, promotions, accolades
Accounting
CPA Daniel Hamstra, audit manager at Munster-based McMahon & Associates CPAs, earned a Not-for-Profit Certificate II from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Agribusiness
South Bend-based Ceres Partners, an investment manager, appointed Nick Schupbach to managing director and Justin Lott to director of private equity. Both were co-founders of Appia Capital Partners, an investment firm that focused on agriculture, water and water rights.
Banking
Karolina Dragulski joined Merrillville-based Centier Bank as assistant vice president and business banker in the Highland branch. Dijana Hrncic was hired as branch manager of the new Fort Wayne location. Sylvia Magallanez was hired as the mortgage loan officer of the Gary (Miller) branch, and Paige Conquest was promoted to mortgage loan officer for Glen Park and Merrillville branches.
Rich Shields was named vice president of marketing for Crown Point-based Tech Credit Union. Shields has 20 years of executive marketing experience.
Martin Alwin, senior analyst at PL Capital Advisors; Jennifer Evans, former executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of PrivateBancorp; and Carolyn Burke, chief financial officer of Exron Capital Inc.; were appointed to the Finward Bancorp and Peoples Bank boards. Finward is the holding company for Peoples Bank.
West Lafayette-based Purdue Federal Credit Union is changing its organizational structure at the executive level. The restructuring includes the promotion of Sam Burns to senior vice president and chief lending officer. Other titles of senior executives will change: Jackie Hofman as senior vice president and chief administrative officer; Matt Lerzak as senior vice president and chief experience officer/chief information officer; Evelyn Royer as senior vice president and chief operations officer; and Brian Musser as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Board member David Kish won the 2024 Leadership Achievement Award from theIndiana Credit Union League.
Steve Bohn replaced Don Harleon American Community Bank
Muncie-based First Merchants Bank hired Justin Karvaskyas senior vice president and corporate controller.
Michigan City-based Horizon Bank appointed Kevin Gould vice president, branch manager of the La Porte branch. The bank honored advisers Krysta Loucks, operational risk specialist; Jennifer Shoup, vice president and district manager; Donna Willis, assistant vice president and branch manager; and Jennifer Wilson, assistant vice president and branch manager; with the Go Beyond Community Service Award. Horizon Bank also honored advisors Brian Balmer, vice president, district manager; Steve Hawkins, VP, commercial loan workout officer; Karen Stemley, branch manager in Merrillville; and Mahendra Verma, VP, network engineering manager; with the Beyond Ordinary Leadership Award. Megan Laird, who has 23 years of retail banking experience, was named manager of the Valparaiso branch on Lincolnway.
David Neeser joined Notre Dame Federal Credit Union as a senior commercial loan officer. Annalyn Winkler was hired as a data analytics specialist.
Goshen-based Interra Credit Union received the Dora Maxwell Award during the Indiana Credit Union League’s annual convention for its hometown giving holiday project, which raised $47,000 in its 30th year. Darren De Witt was named assistant vice president, manager retail branch, at Interra’s main office in Goshen. Britney Dominguez was promoted to associate, agribusiness lender.
Construction
Wightman, a surveying firm throughout Michigan and Indiana, grew to 11 locations after acquiring South Haven-based Mitchell & Morse Land Surveying.
Matt Evans was named the vice president of operations for Hammond-based Korellis, which offers exterior options.
CertaPro Painters of NWI, based in Crown Point, welcomed Chris Blaylock as a commercial sales consultant after 30 years in the food and beverage industry.
Thomas Liguori joined Omaha, Nebraska-based Valmont Industries as executive vice president and chief financial officer. The company has a location in Elkhart.
Ricardo Lopez of Hobart was named the 2024 Indiana Mixer Driver Competition winner by the Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association. He has been driving for Valparaiso-based Smith Ready Mix for eight years.
Economic development
The Northwest Indiana Forum named Olivia Allen membership and marketing events coordinator.
The Lake County Indiana Economic Alliance, based in Merrillville, named Chris Salatas
The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership made the following promotions: Liz Folkerts director of marketing and communications; Lauren Thomas to director of talent initiatives; Martin Mechtenberg to senior director of entrepreneurship and industry innovation; and Lori Flotow to manager of operations and executive assistant. New hires include Stephanie Hamsher as the manager of DEI programs; Alayna Wort as the new manager for talent development programs, and Angela Workman as READI finance manager.
Kay Nelson of the Northwest Indiana Forum and Jody Peacock from the Ports of Indiana received the Distinguished Hoosier Award. They are members of the Great Lakes Commission.
Erin Meisner was appointed the Economic Development Corp. Michigan City’s community development manager. Dave Sisk, director of community engagement for the United Way of La Porte County, was named the Ambassador of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2024.
Hobart Chamber of CommerceDirector Jay Harrigan retired. Harrigan worked in the real estate business for over 40 years in Hobart.
Education
Doug Marsh, vice president for facilities design and operations and University of Notre Dame architect, will retire May 31, 2025, after a 30-year career. Kirk Doran, an associate professor in the department of economics, won the 2024 Adam Smith Panmure House Prize. The department of psychology hired six assistant professors: Ryan Carpenter, Haya Fatimah, Kaylin Hill, Matthew Robison, Elizabeth Shewark and Ivan Vargas. Mike Seamon was named vice president for university operations, events and safety. Kate Biberdorf, popularly known as “Kate the Chemist,” was appointed the College of Science’s professor for the public understanding of science, a new position.
Matthew Yee, a 2024 Valparaiso University graduate, was named a Tau Beta Pi Laureate, a national distinction honoring students in engineering.
Cynthia Treadwell was appointed chief academic officer of the Gary Community School Corp. Chelsea Whittington was appointed chief of public and community relations.
Purdue University Northwest Professor of Physics Neeti Parashar was elected a 2024 Fellow of the American Physical Society. PNW announced the members of the inaugural Alumni Advisory Board: Connie Adams; Kelly Anoe, Legacy Foundation president and CEO; John Freyek, Horizon Bank market president; Ken Giden, Microsoft sales executive; Niyah Hall, Amazon WFS business specialist; Dakita Jones, Centier Bank vice president of community relations; Carl Kurek, Lakeshore Public Media vice president of development; Calvin-Charles Mead, Rolls Royce controls system software engineer; Sandra Patino, NWI Tax LLC tax associate; Jahaira Perez, PNW employee relations manager; Spencer Summers, NWI Forum director of economic development; Darien Thompson, PNW director of student success and urban engagement; Jasmin Zamora, Everwise Credit Union director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; and Sherri Ziller, NWI Regional Development Authority president and CEO.
Indiana University Northwest hired Erin Zak as director of admissions.
Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, Michigan City Area Schools superintendent since July 2010, was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest civilian honor in the state of Indiana.
Donald Fortner, the social studies department chair and speech and debate coach at School Town of Munster, was honored for 45 years of service by the Indiana Schools Speech and Debate Association.
Energy
Zelestra, which is building a solar farm in Jasper County, appointed Phillip North as CEO of its United States business unit. .
Engineering
Dan Delgado was promoted from senior civil engineer of transportation to director of the transportation department at South Bend-based Lawson-Fisher Associates.
Government
Firefighter Casey McClusky was promoted to battalion chief of the Hammond Fire Department.
Health care
The Franciscan Physician Network announced several new staff members: Ellen Elzinga, a nurse practitioner in Schererville; Dr. Mohammad Arfeen, an internal medicine physician in Chesterton; Holly Myles, a nurse practitioner at the Rensselaer Medical Center; Dr. Alicia Boykin, a pediatrician in Munster, Dr. Adam Sergiwa, a pediatrician in Michigan City; Dr. Patrick Albert, a vascular and general surgeon in Michigan City; Dr. Padmaja Sanaka, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Winfield; Dr. David Villafuerte Martinez, a pulmonary and critical care physician in Michigan City; Selena Roggeveen, a family medicine nurse practitioner in Winfield; and Dr. Cristina Tumacder, a pediatrician in Dyer.
Danielle Hohman, a certified genetic counselor, joined the Franciscan Health Cancer Center Lafayette, serving Lafayette, Crawfordsville and Rensselaer.
Northwest Medical Group welcomed new staff: Dr. Artemii Lazarev as an internal medicine physician in Chesterton; Kristi McCormick as a family medicine nurse practitioner in New Carlisle; Dr. David Kraklau as a urologist in La Porte; and Dr. Jamario Skeete as a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist in La Porte.
Mishawaka-based Lighthouse Autism Center signed a lease to open a new location in La Porte.
Senior1Care, a provider of in-home care services based in South Bend, promoted nurse Jane Francis
Dr. Keith Ramsey joined Marram Health Center and specializes in obstetrics and gynecology at its Gary location. Porter-Starke Servicesoperates the Federally Qualified Health Center.
Hospitality
Kurt Janowsky, CEO of the Navarre Hospitality Group, opened Cascade, a steak and seafood restaurant at 320 E. Colfax Ave. in South Bend.
Information technology
Grace Hong Duffin was named vice president of external and government affairs for Comcast’s greater Chicago region, which spans Illinois, Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan.
Insurance
Chicago-based Proper Title opened an office in Valparaiso at 175 W. Lincolnway. Natalie Coros and Miranda Malone were hired as escrow coordinators.
Law
Porter County Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer was appointed to the Indiana Court of Appeals. She replaces retiring Judge Patricia Riley
Marshall County Deputy Prosecutor Matthew Aldridge was appointed to the Marshall County Superior Court No. 2. Aldridge replaces Judge Dean Colvin
Indianapolis-based Krieg DeVault will merge with Fuchs & Roselli
Gary-based Attorneys Michael and Shelice Tolbert were named to the Top 100 National Black Lawyers list.
Logistics
Luke Messer, a former Indiana Congressman, was appointed to the Ports of Indiana Commission, and Chairman Micah Vincent along with Commissioners Kari Pfau Estes and David Fagan were reappointed.
Manufacturing
Mark McGinnis was hired as the account manager of West Coast machinery sales for Merrillville-based Haire Group.
Marketing
Merrillville-based VIA Marketing welcomed back Ryan Thiele and promoted Sarah Aurelio, both account executives.
Media
Access Imprinted Sportswear opened in South Bend under the ownership of Kristopher Priemer, who started screen printing over 20 years ago.
Nonprofit
Sarah Rotas was promoted to vocational education director at Valparaiso-based Opportunity Enterprises.
Merrillville-based TradeWinds Services Inc. named Purdue University Northwest’s White Lodging School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the College of Business as a Business Partner of the Year.
Barbara Cerwinske of St. John, Abigail Gidley of Crown Point, Karen Hill of Crown Point, Jaquelyn Mojica of Hammond and Quiana Scott of Merrillville were appointed Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults through Franciscan Health’s partnership with the Lake County Courts.
Delaware-based Cinnaire Senior Vice President Keith Broadnax was honored with the Indiana Affordable Housing Council award for leadership in affordable housing.
Real Estate
Lori Tubbs started Lori Tubbs Development Consulting after six years at McColly Bennett Commercial Advantagein Schererville.
Nicholas Smith, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty and a member of the Nancy Frigo team, was appointed Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.’s Bigger and Better Business state of Indiana champion. He is the director of the local chapter.
Mary Cossey, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, earned a National Association of Real Estate Brokers Top 100 Awards, which recognize the top 100 African American real estate professionals nationwide.
Retail
Joe Molosky opened a Play It Again Sports in Merrillville across from Southlake Mall.
Read more stories from the current issue of Northwest Indiana Business Magazine.
