NORTH WEBSTER — State Rep. Craig Snow was honored with the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation's Community Catalyst Award Wednesday at its 2023 Annual Meeting and Recognition Program at The Owl's Nest, North Webster.
Snow was not present to receive the award as he was in Indianapolis working on U.S. 30 issues.
Due to his absence, Alan Tio, KEDCO CEO, had a short video created to present Snow.
The award recognizes a difference-maker as an entrepreneur and as a public and community servant. As a catalyst for the community, this person makes positive change happen where people live and work.
Tio said, “Each of us have our own examples, stories, experiences alongside our work with Craig. I have worked alongside Craig as a leader throughout Kosciusko County. I want to recognize two things. He's a strong voice in the statehouse. Only in his third year in the legislature, he is already on the house ways and means committee … budget discussions. He is able to really help state our story and elevate what's happening in Kosciusko County at a state level and we look for him in partnerships … create success stories …
“He already was recognized as statewide leader with the 2022 Public Policy Champion of Philanthropy award for his work on a new law helping to expand childcare options. … working on very specific issues, creating very specific success stories … working diligently to make sure that we are seen on a state level … helping to investing state dollars, private dollars. Craig helps create partnerships that we're looking for to help transform what’s possible in this community, and beyond all that Craig is a business executive, stays involved … councilman, past council member, involved in the chamber of commerce, KEDCO … his church. There's so many ways he's been involved, so many ways he's really worked along side so many of us,” said Tio. He concluded by saying it was easy decision in choosing the 2023 Catalyst Award recipient.
There were 19 other awards presented ranging from the Rising Leader Awards to the Business and Community Impact awards.
Suzie Light, KEDCO leadership partner, presented the awards, reading brief biographies of each individual or business.
Rising Leader Awards were presented to Jessica Camarena, Live Well Kosciusko; Jeremy Dewell, Zimmer Biomet; Craig Isabel, Stonehinge Golf Course; Cori Humes, Kosciusko County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Lauren Klusman, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce; Heather Lardino, 1st Source Bank; Hannah Ogden, Medartis US; Tyler Ostrom, SYM Financial Advisors; Lauren Slagle, Precision Medical Technologies; and Luke White, Priority Medical LLC.
Business Impact Awards went to Aluminum Insights, DMMG, Mentor Media, Team FaB, YouTheFan and Zimmer Biomet.
Community Impact Awards were presented to Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital and Zimmer Biomet; town of Silver Lake and Urban Retrend.
Community Highlights
As part of the evening, Tio presented community highlights on some of the things KEDCO has worked on during the past year. The review focused on entrepreneurship, housing and talent.
He spoke of the social events every other month for entrepreneurs that brings together 40-60 people and its Downtown Business Studio providing a place for pop-up businesses and The Workspace for workers who do not have an office location.
Regarding housing, Tio noted there were a number of projects being worked on over the past three to four years. He noted the Eastfield project in Milford, and the building of a pipeline of single-family housing, mixed-use development in the downtown area and more.
The third area was the talent area, noting The Clearly Kosciusko podcast where diverse stories are told about their experiences in Kosciusko County and other tools showing what Kosciusko County has to offer, including joining with the Indiana-based MakeMyMove to recruit remote workers.
Information was also provided on how businesses could help KEDCO move forward and pledges and investments.
“There are really cool things ahead for Kosciusko County,” stated Tio.
Another part of the evening was a fireside chat with Fred Cartwright and Andrew Kossack titled “Major Moves in Indiana.”
Cartwright is president and CEO of Conexus Indiana, one of six non-profit branded initiatives under the umbrella of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnerships.
Kossack is executive vice president of partnerships and general counsel at the Applied Research Institute, an Indiana nonprofit with a mission of catalyzing opportunities that enhance national security and drive economic prosperity.
The fireside chat covered a variety of areas, including what they took away with them following a visit to Polywood and Zimmer Biomet.
There was brief business discussed, which included the election of Drew Flamm, Mike Kissane, Lynn Mergen, Don Robinson-Gay and Ryan Zimmerman to the board for 2024. There was also the election of officers for the coming year that included Blaine Conley as chair, Aubrey Rife as treasurer, Jan Orban as past chair, along with Tim Early, Emily Illingworth Kosnik and Lynn Mergen.
Outgoing board members included Allyn Decker, Scott Tucker, Chris Wiggins, Doug Rassi and Joe Thallemer.