HAMMOND – Dave Ryan has been named an Innovator of the Month by the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana.

Continuing the path-breaking collaboration of more than a decade ago that led to the Lakeshore Chamber, Ryan is working to forge a larger economic alliance to benefit Lake County and all of Northwest Indiana.

Leading the way to bring the Hammond Chamber together with the East Chicago Chamber in 2001, Ryan is joining with other leaders to build momentum for the Lake County Economic Alliance (LCEA). Already, with the help of NIPSCO, the Northwest Indiana Forum, and the Indiana Economic Development Corp., the president of Lakeshore Chamber has partnered with Sue Reed, the president of the Crossroads Chamber, itself a merger of the Merrillville and Crown Point Chambers.

This new alliance promotes economic development for East Chicago, Hammond, Crown Point, and Merrillville. The focus is on business retention, attraction, and expansion efforts.

In contrast to today’s climate of cooperation, it was far different a decade ago when Ryan broached to his board the possibility of a merger between the two chambers. “When it was brought up, it was like I threw the devil in the middle of the table,” he said. “But leaders rose to the opportunity, just as leaders are doing today.”