Businesses and organizations share good news about new hires, locations, promotions, accolades
Accounting
Kruggel Lawton CPAs welcomed CPA Brandon Gritton as director of its state and local tax practice, and Aaliyah McKinney as marketing coordinator, both in the South Bend office; and Shannon Sanders as a staff accountant in the Portage, Michigan, office. Cody Newport, CPA, was selected one of the 2025 Michiana Forty Under 40 honorees, which is organized by the South Bend Regional Chamber and Young Professionals Network South Bend. CPA Michael Varner, who was elected partner in 2007, is leaving the firm. He started as a senior manager in 2005 and led the Goshen office when it opened in 2019. He also has been instrumental in planning and hosting the firm’s annual CFO Summit since 2008. CPAs Barry Hall and Kate Leichty were listed on Forbes’ inaugural Best-in-State CPAs list.
Munster-based McMahon & Associates CPAs welcomed new staff members: Stephanie Hack, staff accountant; Kayli Cinko, staff accountant and enrolled agent, specializing in individual tax returns; Casey Benko, staff accountant; Brian Gilhooly, staff accountant; and Jovana Vranic, tax administrative assistant and payroll processing clerk.
Adam Lange, staff accountant at Michigan City-based CLH, CPAs & Consultants, earned the Certified Valuation Analyst credential from the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts.
Banking
Centier Bank, which has headquarters in Merrillville, welcomed Kelly Garrett as vice president, treasury management sales officer, to the Carmel office, and Kim Pines as community lender and officer in Indianapolis. Diana Wirtz was promoted to treasury management sales officer, serving the Greater Lafayette and West Lafayette areas, and Laura Richter to branch manager of the West Lafayette Meijer location.
Diane Barenthin was promoted to assistant vice president and digital media manager at Michigan city-based Horizon Bank. She joined the bank in 2012 from Upside Marketing where she was an account executive. Megan Osborne was promoted to assistant vice president and senior marketing manager. She joined the bank in 2019. Lora Hixon, SPHR, was promoted to assistant vice president, human resources officer. Amy Phares was promoted to assistant vice president, public relations and social media manager. She joined the bank in 2015. Karin DeVries was promoted to vice president, commercial loan officer, after two years as a commercial lender. Adam Treibic was appointed market president of the west central Indiana region.
Caitlyn Chase was promoted to executive vice president of human resources at Notre Dame Federal Credit Union. She joined the credit union in 2016. Allen Stenberg was promoted to vice president of marketing. Mireya Olvera was promoted to vice president, regional area manager. She joined the credit union in 2012. John Wingfield was hired as senior vice president of commercial lending, based in the Michiana region.
Frida Farrera Velasco of Goshen was named assistant vice president and manager at Interra Credit Union’s Ligonier branch. She recently celebrated 10 years at Interra, starting as an intern. Angie Daly was hired as a private banker. Interra Credit Union was recognized for 30 years of its Hometown Giving program with a Diamond Award at this year’s America’s Credit Unions’ annual Marketing & Business Development Council conference in Austin, Texas.
Commercial real estate
Matt Evans of Re/Max Lifestyles is the 2025 recipient of Commercial In-Sites’ Co-Broker of the Year Award. Commercial In-Sites is based in Merrillville.
Construction
Derek Crews was promoted to director of safety at Hammond-based Korellis. He joined the contractor in 2024 as a project safety manager.
Wightman, based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, a full-service architecture, civil engineering and surveying firm, announced staff changes, including new shareholders in the firm: associates Mike Lewallen, surveying; Maria Benz-Weeden, a licensed professional engineer; Derek Miller, a licensed professional engineer, and Fred Peters, a licensed professional Michigan surveyor. Team members Samuel Leatch, Dan Yerks, Ryan Miller and Mike Freeman were promoted to the senior associate level. Phil Doorlag was elevated to principal associate from senior associate.
American Structurepoint Chief Executive Officer Rick Conner received the 2025 Legacy Award from ENR Midwest. Conner became the Indianapolis-based company’s president in 1990. It has offices in South Bend and Merrillville.
Josh Kackos launched the 1-800-STRIPER franchise in Northwest Indiana and the Chicago area. Kackos is the president and founder of several businesses, including Kast Capital.
Economic development
Spencer Summers, economic development director at the NWI Forum, received the Rising Star Award at the Crossroads Chamber Business Excellence Awards.
Lauren Sedillo, a resident of downtown Elkhart since 2015, received Vibrant Communities Block Grant funding to create a tool library, an area for the safe storage of lawn, yard and home tools that residents can share for lawn maintenance and upkeep, neighborhood beautification and additional household projects.
Education
José Sánchez joined Purdue University Northwest as dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences after a national search. The PNW college offers 19 undergraduate and master’s programs. He also leads PNW’s ABET-accredited School of Engineering. Sánchez most recently served at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. Richard Sévère will join the university as dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, effective July 1, after a nationwide search. Sévère most recently served as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Valparaiso University.
PNW also honored faculty and staff during its Founders Day celebration in March. Award winners were: Outstanding Faculty Awards: Meden Isaac-Lam, professor of chemistry, scholarship; Omeed Ilchi, assistant professor of criminal justice, teaching; Nicky Ali Jackson, professor of criminal justice and executive director of the Center for Justice and Post-Exoneration Assistance, engagement. Outstanding Academic Administrative Leadership Award: Rebecca Stankowski, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. Outstanding Administrative Leadership Award (staff): Scott Parsons, senior director of facilities and grounds. Outstanding Clerical Staff Award: Barbara Phillips, customer service representative, registrar, and Caren Thomas, administrative assistant, facilities. Outstanding Service Staff Award: Joshua Miller, custodian, building services, and Michael Prater, grounds foreman, grounds. Outstanding Management and Administrative Professional Award: Marla Ropp-Funk, procurement and auxiliary services administrator, and Britt Hudson, interim dean of students. Pitparnee Stompor, clinical professor of hospitality and tourism management, received the 2025 Purdue Focus Award, which honors those who further disability accessibility.
Elizabeth Gmitter was appointed the dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Valparaiso University. Gmitter most recently served as dean of the School of Health Sciences and Career Programs at Malcolm X College in Chicago. Courtney Boyd was named the ninth head coach of the university women’s basketball program. She also led teams at Quincy University and Clarke University.
Indiana University South Bend appointed Bethany Burgun, longtime educator, as director of development. Professor Mohammad Merhi received the Frederic Bachman Lieber Memorial Award, the oldest teaching award at IU. Honorees are recognized for their dedication to helping students reach and expand. Merhi is a professor of decision sciences and coordinator of graduate programs and assessment for IU South Bend’s Judd Leighton School for Business and Economics.
Martin Pollio, a superintendent at Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, will be the 10th president of Ivy Tech Community College starting July 1. Pollio will succeed former Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann, who will retire after almost a decade in the role.
Six University of Notre Dame students and alumni earned spots on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2025: seniors Zachary Brown and Liam Redmond, and alumni Royce Branning, Kevin Mekulu, Krystal McLeod and Brandon Wimbush. Brown and Redmond were recognized in the “youngest” and “transportation and mobility” categories for co-founding Yelo, a social ride network for students. Branning, a 2018 alumni, is a co-founder of the app Clearspace, which helps users reduce time on social media. McLeod earned her degree from Notre Dame Law School in 2021. She was included in the education category for her work as director of New York University’s Center on Violence and Recovery. Wimbush, former Notre Dame quarterback and 2018 alumni, was included in the sports category for co-founding MOGL, a marketplace that helps businesses connect with college athletes. Kerry Alys Robinson, the president and chief executive officer of Catholic Charities USA, has been selected to receive the 2025 Laetare Medal at Notre Dame’s 180th University Commencement Ceremony on May 18. Lee Gettler, the Rev. John A. O’Brien College Professor of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Letters, was named to the 2024 Class of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows. Brandon Roach was appointed vice president and Robert K. Johnson General Counsel, effective June 1. Roach’s appointment follows an extensive national search.
Finance
Ross Miller joined Michigan City-based Harbour Trust & Investment Management Co. He is a chartered financial analyst and chartered alternative investment analyst. Reginald Lawson was hired as a junior wealth adviser.
Albert Miller, of Raymond James & Associates in Valparaiso, landed No. 14 on the Financial Planning list of Top 40 Regional Brokers Under 40 in 2025 for producing $2.5 million in annual revenue.
Government
Ladies First, a celebration of women hosted by Gary’s First Lady Crystal Melton, honored seven women leaders: Angela Hambley Blakely, a teacher at West Side Leadership Academy, where she also coaches the girls’ basketball team, senior pastor of Christ Is King Church Ministries and a former WNBA player; Catisha Toney, founder and executive director of COATES Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to educational equity; Freida Graves, more than 30 years in the nursing field and 10 years as a master gardener; Kiarica Law, an 8th-grade math teacher at 21st Century Middle School in Gary, owner of Legendary Cheesesteaks, a food truck, and organizer at Role Mommies, a nonprofit; Markeysha Coleman, co-pastor of New Divine Truth Apostolic Church, and teacher at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy; Dr. Janet Seabrook, the CEO and founder of Community HealthNet a federally qualified health center; and Ashley Stewart, who was promoted to chief medic of the Gary Fire Department in July 2024.
The La Porte County Democratic Party elected its new leadership: Julie Sinclair as county chair; Greg Coulter as vice chair; Debra Dale as secretary, and Corey Campbell, who was re-elected as treasurer.
Jaclyn Cavillo, a nursing student at Indiana University Northwest, was named the 2024-2025 recipient of the Syd Garner Scholarship. The scholarship provides funds to students at IUN who are Lake County government employees or their children. Employees must have worked for the county for five years.
State Rep. Chuck Moseley (D-Portage) presented a resolution honoring Indiana State Police Officer Nedal Nabhan for his heroic actions during a terrorist attack Jan. 1 while he was on vacation in New Orleans.
Health care
The Franciscan Physician Network welcomed new staff, including family medicine provider Dr. Kumari Singh at the Glendale Health Center in Valparaiso; Dr. Constanze Rayhrer at the Franciscan Physician Network Breast Surgery Lafayette; Dr. Lynn Vattathara, family medicine physician, in Cedar Lake; Crown Point OB/GYN Drs. Nicole Cataldi and Mary Eileen McCormack, and nurse practitioners Amy Marciniak and Abigail Reardon; and Dr. John Dougherty, an infectious disease physician, in Michigan City.
Rachael Ferrero, an obstetrics and gynecology nurse practitioner and midwife, joined Northwest Medical Group women’s health offices in La Porte and Michigan City. Family nurse practitioner Amanpreet Kaur joined the primary care office in Michigan City.
Hospitality
Michael Wozniak and Tim Turbett joined Journeyman Distillery, which has a location at The American Factory in Valparaiso. Wozniak is the chief operating officer, a new position, and Turbett is director of marketing.
Information technology
Todd Weeks joined Surf Internet, with headquarters in Elkhart, as vice president of field operations, a new position. Most recently, he was lead data analyst for AT&T’s east regional staff, supporting field operations across 22 states.
Pulse Technology, which has an office in Merrillville, rewarded its President’s Club top-performing employees in 2024 with a Dominican Republic beach resort trip. Recipients included Edgar Williams, service technician; Jolee Allerding, senior project designer; Jill Westberg, promotional/marketing; Matt Leake, furniture sales executive; Andy Nielsen, business analyst; Brett Hill, delivery driver; Steve Zamiar, service technician; Vince Miceli, VP of technology; Kerri Joshua, dispatcher; Pete Grebener, install technician; and Tim Walsh, service technician.
Law
The Indiana Super Lawyers list for 2025 included Michael and Shelice Tolbert of Tolbert & Tolbert in Gary; and Alexandra Martinez and Alfredo Estrada of Burke Costanza and Carberry. Shelice Tolbert also was recognized by the Gary Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. as a “Sisterhood Month: Sorors in Business.”
Logistics
Doug Caylor joined Ports of Indiana as business development director. Caylor has worked in maritime sales and operations for 30 years as vice president of business development for Castlen Terminals & Marine, sales director for American Commercial Barge Lines, transload and terminal operations manager for Arrow Material Services and international steamship line sales for MID-SHIP Group.
Ryan Strauss, chief information officer of Griffith-based Bulkmatic Transport Co., was promoted to president. He succeeds Chris Kravas, who retired this spring. Kravas had been president since 2017. Strauss joined Bulkmatic in 2018 after serving in leadership roles at Hub Group in Downers Grove, Illinois, and Reinhart Food Service in Chicago.
Manufacturing
Jay Wirts was appointed Conexus Indiana’s president and CEO. He most recently served as executive vice president of smart infrastructure solutions at Belden, which has locations around the world.
El Popular Inc., an East Chicago manufacturer, was named the SBA Great Lakes Exporter of the Year. Edward Garza is the third-generation owner.
Media
Rick Bella of Bella Photography in Valparaiso won gold and silver at the 2025 MUSE Photography Awards, an international competition that featured entries from over 40 countries.
Patricia Szpekowski, president of PR Strategies & Communications/PmS advertising Inc., earned nine awards in the 84th Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest presented by the Illinois Woman’s Press Association, an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women. Two stories were published in Northwest Indiana Business Magazine: first place for “Marketing: Simple Client Engagement” in the August/September 2024 issue, and second place for “Financial Planning: Early Fiscal Lessons” in the June/July 2024 issue.
Philanthropy
Two new members were elected to three-year terms on the board of directors of Shirley Heinze Land Trust: Andrew Moats, of Valparaiso and markets leader at Shive-Hattery; and Zack Wellsand, of Chesterton and founder and vice president of Wellsand Landscaping and Hardscapes. Sean Hay’s term ended, serving on the board from 2019 to 2024.
Tourism
Three Region tourism agencies earned awards during the Indiana Tourism Association’s annual conference March 4 in Fort Wayne: Best Advocacy Initiative (Marketing Budgets over $300,000) — Indiana Dunes Tourism; Best Cooperative Partnership (Marketing Budgets over $300,000) — Downtown Elkhart promotion; and Best Digital Marketing Campaign (DMO) — Visit South Bend Mishawaka.
Workforce
Kim Olesker joined Susan Ibitz’s NWI Training Center as chief business officer. Olesker was the president and CEO of the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. •
Do you have good news about new hires, promotions and other company announcements? Share them with our editor who will consider publishing them in Around the Region and on our websites: NWIndianaBusiness.com and MichianaBusinessNews.com. Email notices and photos to news@nwindianabusiness.com.
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