Patoka Lake Marina and Winery owners honored with state tourism award
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Two of the owners of the Patoka Lake Marina and Winery in Dubois County are this year’s honorees of the Will Koch Indiana Tourism Leadership Award, the Indiana Destination Development Corporation announced Monday.
The award is the highest tourism honor in the state and is named after Will Koch, who was the long-time owner and president of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari.
“Tourism is an integral part of Indiana’s economy,” Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch said in a news release. “Indiana is fortunate to have so many tourism venues like Patoka Lake Marina and Winery providing great opportunities to play and stay. Places and spaces are key parts of ‘quality of place,’ but it is our people that truly make Indiana a more attractive destination.”
Stephen Bartels and Heather Setser have operated the Birdseye, Indiana destination since 1998 and have continued to expand their operations ever since. They opened the winery in 2016 and the brewery in September. Their offerings include floating cabins, which that state said is the first of its kind in the state. They also plan to open a 28-room hotel and break ground on a distillery.
“Our goal is to make this area year-round,” Setser said in the release. “That’s been our goal since we first started. Everybody comes here to have a good time, and we want to help them with that and make memories, family memories.”
The award was presented Monday during an event at the Eiteljorg Museum in downtown Indianapolis. Additionally, the Indiana Destination Development Corp. presented the Visit Indiana Leadership Award to Hamilton County Tourism CEO Brenda Myers.
The IDDC touted Myers’ 30-year career, particularly her time in Hamilton County, where she organized the agency’s first tourism product development grant and technical assistance program.
Myers is slated to retire in 2024.
A number of people within Indiana’s tourism industry also received the 2023 Hoosier Hospitality Award, given to individuals “for their high level of service in tourism-related jobs at hotels, restaurants, attractions and other destinations.”
This year’s honorees are:
- Viridiana Amaya, Breakfast Server, The Inn at St. Mary’s
- Tracy Bohler, Owner, Farm Girl Mercantile
- Beth Breymier, Sales and Events Manager, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
- Maria Dejesus, Housekeeper, Hampton Inn & Suites Valparaiso
- Danielle Dempsey, Events Sales Representative, Luke Family of Brands
- Dull Family, Owning Family, Dull’s Tree Farm
- Brian Eckstein, Guest Services Manager, Indianapolis Airport Authority
- Cody Flagler-Lee, Guest Services Supervisor, Honeywell Arts & Entertainment
- Jay Harkness, Guest Services Representative and Guide, Eiteljorg Museum
- Tyler Ingram, Director of Events, Dunes Pavilion Restaurant
- Jerry Paul, President, Howard County Memorial Corporation
- Lindsey Skeen, Former Executive Director, Indiana Foodways Alliance
- Lupe Troyer, Information Specialist, Visit Shipshewana/LaGrange County CVB
- Sarah Withrow, Historical Interpreter, Conner Prairie Museum
- Ashley Wright, Director of Sales, Courtyard by Mariott
“Hoosier hospitality is at the core of this ceremony,” IDDC Secretary and CEO Elaine Bedel said in the release. ” We see it and feel it every day in Indiana. In hospitality and tourism, we take great pride in our communities and recognize the importance of going the extra mile and how much it makes a difference.”