Accounting
Munster-based McMahon and Associates CPAs added two staff members: Maritsa Franco-Rodriguez as a payroll processing clerk and Bojana Pavic as a senior tax preparer.
Michigan City-based CLH, CPAs & Consultants announced the promotion of Edward Simokaitis, Alexia Perez and Katherine Dibkey to management positions.
Banking
Matt Reed was promoted to vice president of IT at West Lafayette-based Purdue Federal Credit Union. James Whelan was promoted to vice president of accounting and finance. The credit union has service centers throughout the Region and branches in Crown Point and La Porte.
Carin Sassatelli was made the branch manager of Centier Bank’s second location in Indianapolis. Nicole Birmingham was promoted to bank officer at the South Lake branch in Merrillville.
Michele Samuels, senior vice president, general auditor and compliance officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Brian Walker, retired president, CEO and director of Herman Miller (now MillerKnoll), joined the board of Horizon Bank as independent directors.
Muncie-based First Merchants Bank and First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors hired Doug Miltenberger as a regional manager based in Indianapolis. It has locations throughout the Region.
South Bend-based 1st Source Bank promoted three of its private bankers who serve its east region: Shelly Babcock to officer; Angela Daly to assistant vice president; and Jim Story to vice president of the bank. 1st Source Bank’s specialty finance group was recognized as one of Monitor’s Best Companies in Equipment Finance.
Notre Dame Federal Credit Union hired Mariana Reyes as a junior mortgage loan originator. Namrata Mathur was promoted to director of business intelligence. She joined the team in 2022 as a data analyst. John Page was hired as a business development representative.
Karin Birchel became Burns Harbor-based Allegius Credit Union’s new president and chief executive officer on Sept. 5.
Lance Murray is Cincinnati, Ohio-based First Financial Bank’s new chief information security officer. The bank has eight locations in the Region.
Alan Hibshman joined Goshen-based Interra Credit Union’s mortgage department as an analyst and mortgage loan originator.
Construction
St. Louis, Missouri-based Marcone restructured its HVAC leadership team. Hobart is home to one of its 200 locations in the U.S. and Canada. The leaders are Mike Henderschott, senior vice president of product management; Adam Slusher, senior director of product management; Ben Merritt, vice president of sales optimization; Brian Klaus, vice president of omni-channel engagement; Chris Alonso, vice president of HVAC strategic accounts; Hector Jimenez, regional vice president of Northern New England; Ed Doherty, regional vice president in Southern New England; Steve Raimondi, regional vice president in the Upper Midwest; and Jennie Bryan, regional vice president in the Lower Midwest.
Economic development
Five Region companies were named to the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., including: No. 510: REsimpli, Highland; No. 948: WeCreate Media, Valparaiso; No. 2,227: Platinum Speakers Agency, St. John; No. 3,595: Erosion Construction Services, Merrillville; and No. 4,789: Ayr Custom Cabinetry, Nappanee.
Six participants graduated June 25 from the seventh South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership HustleSBE cohort: Elizabeth Coleman, Beauty King; Rhonda Davis, Rhonda’s Tasty Treats; Nicky Foust, Chefs for Seniors; Benita Pfeifer, D’Marie Boutique; Marcella Taylor, Arkie Enterprises; and Gregory Williams, Fitzgerald’s Smokehouse BBQ.
The Duneland Chamber of Commerce honored the winners of its annual Community Awards: Putting Duneland on the Map Award: Joseph Pete; Business Renovation Award: Wise Guys Liquors; Ruff Luxury Inn at the Dunes; New Construction Award: Duneland School Corp.; Humanitarian of the Year: Jim Trout; Ben and Sonya Welton; Volunteer of the Year: Barbara Black and Jane Delligatti; IAFF Local 4600; Golden Achievement Award: Bradley Sweet; Serviceperson of the Year: Cpl. Alexias DeJesus and Tom Felter Jr.; Duneland Distinguished Woman: Dr. Mary Jane Eisenhauer.
Education
Indiana University Northwest’s Ryan Shelton was named 2023-2024 Athletics Director of the Year by the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Elgis Streeter joined the advancement and external affairs team as director of alumni engagement.
Indiana University South Bend Chancellor Susan Elrod plans to retire in December.
The South Bend Alumni Association inducted new members during its 37th annual Hall of Fame Induction and Award Banquet: Magistrate Andre Gammage, Gary Gilot, Charlie Hayes, Greg Humnicky, Vickie McIntire, Judith Overmeyer and Seabe Gavin Sr. (in memorium).
The Gary Community School Corp. board of trustees approved the hiring of Linda Zaborowski as chief financial officer. Hank Kilander was promoted to athletic director. Jovanka Cvitkovich was named the director of human resources.
Valparaiso University’s College of Business was named to The Princeton Review’s list of the top 50 online MBA programs for 2024. Valparaiso University was recognized by Phi Theta Kappa for the fifth year in a row as one of the most transfer-friendly schools in the nation. Faculty members were honored during the convocation ceremony in August: Excellence in Teaching Award: Daniel Maguire; Valparaiso University Alumni Association Distinguished Teacher Award: Caroline Ban; Richard P. Baepler Distinguished Professorship in the Humanities: Martin Buinicki; Frederick F. Jenny Jr. Professor of Emerging Technology: Jesse Sestito; and the Dixon and Herta E. Benz Professorship: Lara Pudwell. Robert Wichlinski, lecturer of computing and information sciences, was inducted into The Circle of Corydon by Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Madalyn Martin, winner of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition, will have her painting of a store in Hammond displayed in the U.S. Capitol.
Art historian and College of Arts and Letters Associate Dean for the Arts Michael Schreffler was named director of the University of Notre Dame’s new Arts Initiative emerging from “Notre Dame 2033: A Strategic Framework.”
Energy
Northwest Indiana’s Mammoth Solar project received a North American Agrivoltaics Award for pairing solar with sustainable agriculture practices.
Engineering
Tim Hadders of Hammond-based Advanced Engineering Services took home the trophy at Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable’s cook off in Crown Point.
Indianapolis-based VS Engineering plans to open a new office in Merrillville.
Government
Scott Miller, superintendent of the School City of Hammond, is Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.’s new chief of staff. Miller was superintendent for five years.
Health care
Franciscan Health opened an office in La Porte that serves orthopedic patients and provides WorkingWell and HEALTHeACCESS locations. Interventional Cardiologist Asad Torabi joined the Franciscan Physician Network in Dyer and Crown Point. Family medicine physician Narayan Prabhakar joined the Dyer office.
Atlanta-based Aveanna Healthcare, a home health care service, plans to open a new location in Merrillville.
Powers Health and Northwest Cancer Centers are working together to open a new cancer center in Crown Point in summer 2025. Powers Health is expanding services for patients seeking emergency care by opening a new emergency department in Valparaiso later this year.
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers opened its 22nd location in Indiana at 1946 45th St. in Munster.
Sacred Dunes Integrative Health moved to 130 Commerce Square in Michigan City.
Jon and Katrina Lawson opened a Right at Home office in South Bend.
Regional Health Systems opened a new Crisis C.A.R.E. Unit at its Merrillville location.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana named Lynn Scott president of its Medicaid health plan.
NorthShore Health Centers opened a new Crown Point facility at 310 W. 112th St.
Insurance
South Bend-based Gibson promoted several employees to leadership positions: David Walters to president, Nicole Fallowfield to chief people officer and Patrick Harpenau to employee benefits growth officer.
Law
South Bend-based Barnes & Thornburg hired Christopher Lenz, a paralegal, and Drew Morgan, an immigration coordinator. Both will be based in the South Bend office.
Best Lawyers released the 31st edition of The Best Lawyers in America list, which includes the following legal professionals in the Region: Chesterton: Kenneth Allen, Allen Law Group; Bryan Bradley, Allen Law Group; Robert Brown, Allen Law Group; Otto Shragal, Allen Law Group; Elkhart: Michael Fenech, Barnes & Thornburg; Andrew Helfrich, Barnes & Thornburg; Timothy Weaver, Barnes & Thornburg; Merrillville: Timothy S Schafer, Schafer & Schafer; Mishawaka: Jennifer VanderVeen, VanderVeen Elder and Special Needs Law; Schererville: Patrick Devine, Hinshaw & Culbertson; and Jennifer Kalas, Hinshaw & Culbertson; South Bend: Brian Casey, Barnes & Thornburg; Timothy Curran, SouthBank Legal; Janilyn Brouwer Daub, Barnes & Thornburg; Robert Devetski, Barnes & Thornburg; Timothy Emerick, Barnes & Thornburg; Philip Faccenda Jr., Barnes & Thornburg; Jeanine Gozdecki, Barnes & Thornburg; Thomas Hall, THK Law; Erin Linder Hanig, SouthBank Legal; Michael Hays, THK Law; Michael Knight, Barnes & Thornburg; Tracy Knox, Barnes & Thornburg; John LaDue, SouthBank Legal; Greta Roemer Lewis, THK Law; James Lewis, THK Law; Teresa Maginn, Barnes & Thornburg; Timothy Maher, Barnes & Thornburg; Richard Morgan, Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak; Edward Murphy Jr., Foley & Murphy; Michael Palmer, Barnes & Thornburg; Randolph Rompola, Barnes & Thornburg; Jason Schultz, Barnes & Thornburg; Eric Seigel, THK Law; Laura Seng, Barnes & Thornburg; John Smarrella, Barnes & Thornburg; Jeffrey Stesiak, Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak; James Tuesley, Barnes & Thornburg; Malcolm Tuesley, THK Law; Eric von Deck, THK Law. Lawyers from the Ones to Watch list: Kahlyn Ashcraft, THK Law; Sarah Brown, Barnes & Thornburg; Justin Dance, Barnes & Thornburg; Chisara Ezie-Boncoeur, Barnes & Thornburg; Alexander Gordon, Barnes & Thornburg; Elizabeth Klesmith, THK Law; Amber Neal, Barnes & Thornburg; Benjamin Perry, Barnes & Thornburg; Christopher Rubey, Barnes & Thornburg; Casey also is on the Ones to Watch list. Daub was named Lawyer of the Year in employment law — management. Devetski was named Lawyer of the Year for insurance law. Emerick was named Lawyer of the Year for corporate law. Palmer was named Lawyer of the Year for litigation — labor and employment.
Logistics
Ports of Indiana hired Autumne Mahone as vice president of marketing, Stephanie Vale as director of grants and sustainability, and Jeron Satterfield as staff accountant. The statewide port authority also promoted Erica Jackson to chief financial officer, Mark Keen to controller, and Michelle Keen to billing and office coordinator.
St. John-based Schillings relocated its Valparaiso showroom to 2202 Laporte Ave.
Manufacturing
Michael Hrosik was named senior vice president of commercial at Cleveland, Ohio-based Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Michael Cooney will succeed Hrosik as enterprise director, flat-rolled steel sales. The steel producer has a location in Burns Harbor.
Nonprofit
Merrillville-based Legacy Foundation honored its 2024 Heart of Lake County awards recipients, including: Gold Key Award: Tory Prasco, partner with Burke Costanza & Carberry in Merrillville; Corporate Philanthropy Award: Tolbert & Tolbert in Gary; Excellence in Nonprofit Board Leadership Award: Ken Schoon, founding board member at Dunes Learning Center; Community Spirit Award: Elena De Jesus, nurse case manager at Methodist Hospital; The YMCA of Greater Michiana opened its new facility in South Bend.
Olatunji Ajani became the new executive director of 1 Million Cups and Kauffman FastTrac entrepreneurial programs.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Christina Gilkey of Lighthouse Autism Center was recognized as a “Compassionate Care Champion.”
Rich Bugajski joined Opportunities Enterprises in Valparaiso as the new chief business operations officer. Kacie Ensign was promoted to chief strategy officer, and Jen Hogan was promoted to human resources director. Rachel Engel, is the new Thrive director; Tianna Hertl, the new transportation director; and Laura Ingram is the associate director of annual giving.
Retail
Ross Dress for Less opened a new 20,500-square-foot store in Valparaiso at the southeast corner of La Porte Avenue and Silhavy Road.
South Carolina-based Mattress By Appointment opened their newest location on Summit Street in Crown Point.
Transportation
Levin Tire & Service Center opened a Crown Point location at 275 S. Superior Drive.
Read more stories from the current issue of Northwest Indiana Business Magazine.
In this issue
Professional advancement
Audacity over adversity
Trailblazers of transformation
Young & an accountant
Generational shift
East Chicago–Diamond in the rough
‘Thoughtful’ leadership
Unlocking potential
Grateful for leadership
Dreams of homeownership
Coaching for Asher
Scientific endeavors
