The Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest's 50th Leadership Northwest Indiana cohort was the largest cohort on record.
The program celebrated both milestones with a ceremony April 10 at the Great Hall Events & Conference Center on the PNW Westville campus.
Founded in 1982 under a national model for community leadership programs, the initiative grew into the South Shore Leadership Center. In 2019, the organization was restructured and rebooted as the Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest.
“We are so proud to continue the rich legacy of leadership development the LNI program has provided for so many years,” said Mekisha Richardson, director of professional education of the Leadership Institute at Purdue University Northwest, in a press release. “We are happy to serve the professional community in the NWI Region and positioning ourselves as the ‘go-to' organization for professional development.”
The cohort of 41 members lasted eight months, with programming once a month led by PNW professors in the College of Business and other regional leaders. Cohort members also received a 360 leadership assessment and custom coaching.
“The participants of Leadership Northwest Indiana are changing the communities and the businesses they serve — from health care to education to construction to counseling — and through their own entrepreneurial ventures,” said Jane Thomas, academic director of the Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest and associate professor of human resource management and organizational behavior. “They are innovators; they are change-makers; and they are already leading to make a difference in Northwest Indiana.”
Graduates of the 50th LNI cohort include:
- Gladiola Alvarez, HealthVision Midwest, bilingual program coordinator
- Susana Batres, NIPSCO, public affairs specialist
- Allison Beebe, Tonn and Blank Construction, accounts receivable coordinator
- Tony Boren, Total Roofing and Construction, sales manager
- Mark Borst, J.S. Held, director
- Michelle Bush, Purdue University Northwest, lead academic and student success advisor
- Heather Castle, Lake County Public Library, branch head
- Nicholas Christian, Crisis Center, program director
- Fernando Cruz, Hammond Group Inc., production manager
- Tiffany Cummings, Paladin Care, human resources director
- Helen Curtis, Purdue University Northwest, business manager
- Tammi Davis, Chase Bank, vice president and community manager
- Kia Dawson, Gary City Court, court administrator
- Halie Gonlag, Highland Police Department, police social worker
- Juan Gonzales, Hammond Group Inc., maintenance Mmanager
- Tinisha Greenwell, City of Hammond, deputy controller of operations
- Kristy Hahn, Family Advocates, community outreach and volunteer services coordinator
- Elaine Hardy, St. John’s College of Nursing, dean of academic affairs
- Evelyn Harris, United Way Northwest Indiana, volunteer resources director
- Eric Haverstock, Urschel Laboratories, Inc., strategic sourcing manager
- Anne Hoover, Hammond Group Inc., senior quality analyst
- Shairay Jones, Geminus Corp., prevention assistant
- Andria Lewis, United Neighborhoods Inc., executive director
- Jasmine Marquez, Purdue University Northwest, business manager
- Dorette McNeary, Geminus Corporation/Recovery Matters Stark, therapist II/clinician
- Winoska Medina, HealthVisions Midwest, community health worker
- Sarah Moore, Cedar Lake Police Department, administrative assistant to the chief of police
- Adrienne Mordica, Liberty House Recovery Café, certified peer recovery coach
- Reid Mosson, Purdue University Northwest, academic advisor
- Natalia Nacovski, Tonn and Blank Construction, project engineer
- Nicole Otis, Community Advocates of Northern Indiana, outreach director
- Kelly Peck, Hope Alliance of NWI, founder and executive director
- Ingrid Rais, Lake County criminal probation department, supervisor/probation officer
- Daniel Rivera, Restoration House Ministries Inc., director and pastor
- Katie Sannito, The Gourmet Goddess, owner and chef; Munster Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the board
- Surbhi Saxena, Regional Health Systems/Geminus Corp., prevention coordinator
- Cara Schmitt, Chesterton Art Center, education director
- Jasmine Smith, Jubilee Worship Center, Librarian
- Jamia Steele, NIPSCO, clerical payroll representative
- Aleesha Thirkles-Williams, Ivy Tech Community College, director of K12 initiatives
- Darrell White, City of Hammond, community development specialist
Registration for the 2026-2027 cohort will open in May. Programming begins in September through April at the PNW Hammond campus.
Learn more about the Leadership Institute at PNW in a story celebrating LNI's 50th cohort in Northwest Indiana Business Magazine's August/September issue.
