2024 Indy’s Best and Brightest finalists unveiled
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Junior Achievement of Central Indiana on Wednesday announced the finalists for the 2024 Indy’s Best and Brightest event. The program honors 100 of “central Indiana’s most outstanding young professionals in 10 different industries.”
Ten finalists were chosen among 10 categories. Junior Achievement said each finalist is judged on professional accomplishments, civic contributions, character, and leadership qualities.
The categories are Accounting; Banking & Financial Services; Education & Nonprofit; Government, Tourism, & Arts; Health & Life Sciences; Law; Manufacturing, Retail & Services; Media, Entertainment & Sports; Real Estate, Development & Construction; and Technology.
All 100 finalists will receive an award and the winners of each category will be announced at a ceremony on March 21 in downtown Indianapolis.
You can learn more about the Indy’s Best and Brightest program by clicking here.
This year’s finalists for Indy’s Best and Brightest are:
Accounting
- Kingsley Agho, Assistant Controller, Craftmark Bakery LLC
- Jose Castro, CPA, CIA, Senior Manager, Protiviti
- Jeremy Davis, Managing Director, CBIZ Somerset
- Eric W. Flueckiger, Partner, FORVIS LLP
- Kyla M. Greenhoe, CPA, Principal, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)
- Annie Hagan, Manager, BGBC Advisory, LLC
- Madeline Kurcz, Assistant Professor of Accounting, Marian University
- Zee Malik, CPA, Partner, Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP
- India Newkirk, Director, Accounting, Ambrose Property Group
- Alyson Severson, Accounting Manager, Republic Airways
Banking & Financial Services
- Josh Daugherty, Senior Client Advisor, VP, Huntington Private Bank
- David Goldberg, Actuarial Associate, OneAmerica
- Lindsay Graham, AVP, Retirement Plan Services Manager, Capital Group Companies
- Derek Grimmer, CFP®, CPFA®, Financial Advisor, Hurlow Wealth Management Group
- Monique Jackson, Vice President, Treasury Management Officer, JPMorgan Chase & Co
- Suzie Kovatch, CFA, Executive Director, Head of Investments & Advice – Indiana, J.P. Morgan Private
Bank - Jared Luegers, CFA, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Valeo Financial Advisors & President, CFA Society
Indianapolis - Owen Riley, FP&A Analyst, The Heritage Group
- Ryan Thompson, Vice President, Syndications and Investor Relations, Merchants Capital
- Keia Walker, VP Community Development Lender, First Internet Bank
Education & Nonprofit
- Jonathan (Coffin) Coffington, Associate Vice President for University Communications, Indiana
- University Beth Bowling, Director, K-12 Programs, EmployIndy
- Samantha Burke, Executive Director, Pass the Torch for Women Foundation
- Porsche Chisley, CEO, Chisley Consulting Group & Design Thinking Coach, Teach Indy
- Willie Eaton, Operations Director, Indy Black Chamber of Commerce
- Corey Emery, Regional Director, Goodwill Education Initiatives
- Riley Hill-Kartel, Director of Advancement, Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick
- Christina Huffines, Founder, President, Executive Director, Indy Hygiene Hub
- Rob Panos, Chief of Staff, Sagamore Institute
- Brad Sever, Assistant Principal, Carmel High School, Carmel Clay Schools
Government, Tourism, & Arts
- Vincent Ash Jr., Chief of Staff, Indiana Economic Development Corporation
- Kyleigh Cramer, Public Relations Director, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
- Annie Dixon, Senior Planner I, Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Sasha Higgins, Owner & Operating Partner, Drybar Indianapolis
- Alison Keefer, Owner, Gallery Pastry Group (Gallery Pastry Shop, Gallery Bistro & Bar, Gallery on 16th)
- Matt Lewis, Deputy Sr. Director, Operations and Maintenance, Indianapolis Airport Authority
- José Medina, Director of Workforce Initiatives, Indiana Commission for Higher Education
- William Robinson, Soloist, Indianapolis Ballet
- Blake Roebuck, Vice President of Corporate Relations, Indy Chamber
- Ryu Teramoto, Director of Culture, Won’t Stop Hospitality
Health & Life Science
- Dr. Nicole Colόn Carriόn, Scientist and Educator, Corteva Agriscience
- Dr. Amber R. Comer, Professor of Health Sciences and Medicine, Indiana University & Director of Ethics Policy, American Medical Association
- Chunia Graves, Equity Catalyst, Mental Health Perspectives, VOICES Corp.
- Jalysa King, Program Outreach Manager, Indiana Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Indiana
University School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine - Darryl Lockett, Director of Whole Health & Health Equity, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield
- Justin Miller, MD, Spine Surgeon, Indiana Spine Group
- Morgan Leigh Miller, President, Miller Co Medical Devices LLC
- William Saddler, Clinic Director, We Grow Hair Indy
- Derik Wittenberg, Sr. Director – Global R&D Operations & Transformation Strategy, Elanco Animal
Health - Ashley Zappia, Lead Regional Systems Support Engineer, Roche Diagnostics
Law
- Benjamin Blair, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
- Matthew T. Ciulla, Shareholder, MacGill PC
- Kimberly S. DalSanto, Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP
- Katie Jackson-Lindsay, Attorney and CEO, Jackson Legal Services, P.C.
- Sarah Jones, Partner, Krieg DeVault LLP
- Zechariah Lee Banks, Commercial Litigation Associate, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP
- Keith Mundrick, Partner, Amundsen Davis LLC
- Joanne R. Sommers, Partner, Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP
- R. Alexander Swider, Corporate Attorney, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
- Rachel Vilensky, Director of Direct Representation Program, Child Advocates, Inc.
Manufacturing, Retail & Services
- Stephanie Bothun, Principal, Avalon Talent Strategies LLC
- Marcela Cabello, Managing Director, Research & Policy, Cabello Associates, Inc.
- Morgan Donnelly, Communications Manager – Digital Brand Reputation, Cummins Inc.
- LaMar Holliday, CEO, The Holliday Collaborative Agency
- Alex Jacobsen, CFO, Tube Processing Corporation
- Consuelo P. Lockhart, Executive Director & Founder, Latinas Welding Guild Inc.
- Andrianna Moehle, Director of Governmental Affairs, Indiana Manufacturers Association
- Jaelin Roseman, Consultant, netlogx
- Brad Westerfield, CFO, Bath Experts LLC
- Melissa Wonser, Vice President of Marketing, Lucas Oil
Media, Entertainment & Sports
- Leslie Bailey, cofounder + CEO, Indy Maven + Maven Space
- Michael Cioroianu, Director of Executive Affairs, National Collegiate Athletic Association “NCAA”
- Anna Heiny, Co-Founder and SVP of Operations at Dreamfuel
- Greg Hurt II, Founder of More Than Productions & Executive Assistant for Enthralld Branding
- Lauryn Keegan, Vice President of Business Development, Dittoe Public Relations
- Kylie Kinder, Director of Community & Partnership Activation, Indianapolis Indians
- Luisa Macer, Community Outreach and Fan Engagement Manager, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Matt Rhinesmith, Senior Manager, Partnerships, Arrow McLaren INDYCAR Team / McLaren Racing
- Shayna Sangster, Director of Marketing, Indiana Fever, Pacers Sports & Entertainment
- Alexander Westrick, Owner, Foxwind Films LLC
Real Estate, Development & Construction
- Clarke Arnold, Executive Vice President, Operations, Birge & Held Asset Management
- Isaac Bamgbose, Founder & CEO, New City Development
- Matthew Dodson, Owner, Business Development, Roberts Glass and Service
- Jade Dugger, Director of Talent and Culture, Compass Commercial Construction
- Aletha Dunston, AICP, Director of Indianapolis Economic Development, Develop Indy
- Andrew Eckrich, EIT, LEED AP ID+C, Mechanical Engineering Graduate, Schmidt Associates
- Danny Scheidler, Executive Vice President, JLL
- Dylan Seesman, Principal, Director of Structural Engineering, JQOL Global
- Amy Tharp, Vice President, Veritas Realty
- Marlon Webb, Senior Director, Regional Economic Development, Indy Chamber
Technology
- Cassandra Bautista, Software Engineer, Preventia Group
- Corey Callahan, Senior Instructional Designer, IU Health
- Grant Chapman, CEO, Glassboard Product Development
- Donnell Dwayne Duncan, Principal, Data Driven Growth, Duncan Diversity Group
- Darcy Lee, CEO & Founder, Vita Nova Consulting and Board Member, Women & Hi Tech
- Mallory Marrs, Senior Managing Consultant, Beacon Hill Technologies
- Lindsay McGuire, Associate Director of Content & Campaigns, Goldcast
- Cory Nation, President & Chief Architect – Embark EMR & Scrum Master, Digital Thread – Rolls-Royce
- Aaron Pierce, CEO, Pierce Aerospace
- Ariel A. Relf, Corporate Digital Communication Specialist, Cummins, Inc (Diesel Engine)
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