Sherri Ziller, President and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, has been named one of Indiana’s 250 most influential leaders by IBJ Media for the second year in a row.
Launched in 2022, IBJ’s Indiana 250 list honors the state’s most influential and impactful business and community leaders, representing public and private companies, law firms, universities, not-for-profits, government and community organizations. The list was compiled by the executives, editors and newsroom staffs at IBJ Media’s three news brands — Indianapolis Business Journal, Inside INdiana Business and Indiana Lawyer — after a monthslong process that included reviewing nominations, researching Indiana organizations and talking with community leaders across the state.
“I am again very grateful to be among the honorees,” Ziller said. “It’s really a reflection of the progress we are making in Northwest Indiana as a whole. Just two months ago RDA celebrated the completion of the South Shore Double Track project, and next year will see service start on the new West Lake extension. These projects are already driving hundreds of millions of dollars in development and attracting new residents and business to The Region.”
“Creating this list is always inspiring because the people on it have so much passion for our communities and our state,” IBJ Media CEO Nate Feltman said. “One of our goals with the list is to make sure that we recognize people from across Indiana and from diverse industries and then make connections among them for the betterment of all Hoosiers.”
Among other CEOs returning to the list are those of some of the state’s largest public and private companies, including David Ricks of Eli Lilly and Co., Gail Boudreaux of Elevance Health, Jennifer Rumsey of Cummins Inc., Dan Starr of Do it Best Corp., Kimberly Ryan of Hillenbrand, Chuck Magro of Corteva, Scott Davison of OneAmerica, Mark Millett of Steel Dynamics and Brent Yeagy of Wabash.
IBJ Media added a number of additional executives this year, including Curt Begle of Berry Global, Ellen Crabb of United Animal Health, Brad Moore of Roche Diagnostics, R. Scott Brand of Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Brandi Davis-Handy of AES Indiana and Dave Bailey of OrthoPediatrics.
Indiana 250 Editor Lesley Weidenbener, who is also editor and assistant publisher of IBJ, said the list also recognizes leaders at not-for-profit organizations, industry groups, government agencies and smaller companies that have an outsized influence in Indiana. The list includes Hoosiers who are making an impact through health care, law, philanthropy, not-for-profit leadership and the arts.
Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark—who is drawing tens of thousands more fans to the WNBA—made the 2024 list, for example, even though she’s been in Indiana only a few months. So did Dennis Bland, president of the Center for Leadership Development which helps prepare Black youth for careers and college. And the Indiana 250 includes Kalen Jackson, a vice chair and co-owner of the Indianapolis Colts who is spearheading the team’s efforts to remove the stigma associated with mental health problems.
“We love welcoming people to the Indiana 250 who are impacting the state in non-corporate ways,” Weidenbener said. “We are a media company focused on business, and so of course our list is heavy on corporate executives. But the arts, philanthropy and charitable work are key parts of our larger community.”
Elected officials are not eligible for the list.
The Indiana 250 will be celebrated at an exclusive reception featuring remarks by Vice President Mike Pence on July 17. Additional information and a full list of honorees can be found online at Indiana250.com.
