On January 24, Prosperity Indiana announced the winners of its annual leadership and program awards. The Prosperity Indiana Summit, held on January 24, 2018, was an occasion to celebrate the leaders and innovators in the community economic development field. The 2018 award winners come from a pool of committed community leaders and innovative programs across Indiana.
Prosperity Indiana Executive Director Andy Fraizer said, “It is my honor to congratulate the 2018 award winners and thank them for their work to strengthen Indiana’s communities.”
“Community economic development is executed and supported by nonprofit, private and public organizations. Impactful work is only possible because of the energy, passion and leadership of practitioners and local neighbors. It is their civic service that makes Indiana prosper.”
Award winners include: Building Better Neighborhoods, Muncie; Mark Gould, 1st Source Bank, South Bend; Larry Gautsche, LaCasa, Goshen; Pat Gamble-Moore, PNC Bank, Indianapolis.
Key Award for Program of the Year
Sponsored by Ice Miller, LLP
Presented to Building Better Neighborhoods, Muncie
The Program of the Year Award honors excellence and innovation in a service-oriented community development initiative. This award recognizes a unique program model that leads in the area of service provision and/or volunteerism.
Building Better Neighborhoods, a program of Ball State University’s Office of Community Engagement, works to empower Muncie residents to identify and solve community challenges. The program acts as a bridge between the resources of Ball State University and the needs of Muncie neighborhood associations.
Over the past four years, the program has resulted in multiple immersive learning partnerships, customized training programs for neighborhood leaders, an online resource guide and an annual conference tailored to neighborhood associations. In the last academic year, Building Better Neighborhoods supported nine projects in seven neighborhoods, impacting over 12,000 residents and engaging 99 university students.
Other Key Award Nominees:
- 12 Steps to Financial Success, Old National Bank, Evansville
- Bankable, Anderson
- CreatINg Places, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority
- Felege Hiywot Center, Indianapolis
- Indy Reads Community Classrooms
- Kids Matter Camp, Norwood Neighborhood Association, Indianapolis
- Miller Spotlight, Gary
- Vincent Village, Fort Wayne
Robert O. Zdenek Staff Member of the Year Award
Sponsored by Brightpoint
Presented to Mark Gould, 1st Source Bank, South Bend
The Staff Member of the Year Award honors an extraordinary individual who contributes to his or her organization and to the community economic development field as a whole. This person shows leadership, personal initiative and is a public servant.
Mark Gould has spent more than 20 years supporting community organizations and initiatives. He has been active and committed to numerous civic and professional organizations in Indiana where his experience and leadership have earned him the respect of many across the state. His extensive relationships with community economic development and nonprofit organizations throughout Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan, along with his passion and deep knowledge of the area, have raised the bar and set an example for his colleagues. Gould’s passion and tenacity for the field of economic development are apparent in his leadership of community development efforts.
Other Staff Member of the Year Award Nominees:
- Jacquelyn Dodyk, Affordable Housing Corporation of Marion
- Craig Graybeal, ecoREHAB of Muncie, Inc.
- Andrew Hoffman, NeighborLink Fort Wayne
- Stephanie Roland, Old National Bank, Evansville
- Jennifer Sandlin, Ohio Valley Opportunities, Madison
- Stephanie TenBarge, ECHO Housing Corporation, Evansville
John Niederman Rural Development Leadership Award
Sponsored by Merchants Bank of Indiana
Presented to Larry Gautsche, LaCasa, Inc., Goshen
The Rural Development Leadership Award honors an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in improving the quality of life, influencing the policies, and fostering opportunities for growth and development for the betterment of rural Indiana.
Larry Gautsche has spent his career serving the needs of disadvantaged and disabled individuals and families. During his tenure at LaCasa, the agency has grown exponentially from a small, local agency that primarily focused on improving one property at a time to a highly respected, financially resilient community development corporation that operates 324 units of affordable housing. Gautsche will retire in August, leaving behind a lasting legacy of economic vitality and hope in the communities where he has provided dedicated service.
Other Rural Development Leadership Award Nominees:
- Dale Bliss, Advantage Housing, Inc.
- Sharon Reed Colbert, Esther’s Boutique
- Natalie Westbrook, God’s Grace Community Church
Michael Carroll Community Economic Development Leadership Award
Sponsored by PNC Bank
Presented to Pat Gamble-Moore, PNC Bank
This Leadership Award, jointly presented by Prosperity Indiana and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, honors an individual who has exhibited exceptional advocacy to further support the community economic development field.
Over the course of the last 30 years, Gamble-Moore has become known for her professionalism, wide range of skills, dedication to quality, commitment to excellence, and, above all, commitment to communities and to the people she serves. With her broad experience ranging from corporate to nonprofit sectors, she displays the strengths of dynamic leadership with an exceptional ability to adapt to changing and challenging circumstances. She brings thoughtful and insightful contributions to any endeavor she joins, and her enthusiasm and expertise are highly valued.
Fraizer said, “Pat’s leadership distinguishes a commitment to community-led revitalization efforts across Indiana. Her advocacy for community economic development and understanding of adaptive change and transactional expertise are distinguishing factors for her award.”
Other Leadership Award Nominees:
- Ben Joergens, Old National Bank, Evansville
- Janet Katz, Northeast Indiana Local Food Network
- Nathan Kring, Tipton Main Street
- Mayor Christopher McBarnes, City of Frankfort
