IBJ Media released today (July 20) its second annual Indiana 250, a list of 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. For the second consecutive year, Chamber President and CEO Jeff Rea has been selected to the list. “I am honored to be included once again on this prestigious list. I respect so many of the honorees, many of them I call friends and partners for whom I’ve had the opportunity to work with,” he said.

Rea's team of 15 works with nearly 1,300 member businesses that employ more than 85,000 people. Rea recently has been focused on driving regional economic growth in the South Bend Region and school improvement. He and the Chamber team played a key role in landing the $3.5 billion GM Samsung SDI EV battery project just west of South Bend near New Carlisle. A former mayor of Mishawaka, Rea helped form the North Central Indiana Regional Development Authority, and he is a founding member of the South Bend Empowerment Zone, a school turnaround effort in the South Bend schools. 

The list, available at Indiana250.com, 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.

“Our 2023 Indiana 250 list is chock full of private- and public-sector leaders who are making big impacts
in their communities, in our state and even in our nation,” said IBJ Media CEO Nate Feltman. “We chose
these leaders because they are doing inspiring work, and we want to share their stories so others can be
inspired, too.”

IBJ Media launched the Indiana 250 program last year, with plans to update it annually. Feltman said
developing this year’s list was even more difficult than putting together the inaugural Indiana 250 last
year.

“There are so many talented, generous people in the state who are making a difference that narrowing
the list to 250 is hard,” Feltman said. “But we think that makes it special. We truly believe the people on
this list are worthy of the honor.”

About two-thirds of the people on the 2023 list were also on the inaugural Indiana 250. They include
CEOs of some of the state’s largest public and private companies, including Gail Boudreaux of Elevance
Health, David Ricks of Eli Lilly and Co., Tom Salmon of Berry Global, Jeff Simmons of Elanco Animal
Health, Kimberly Ryan of Hillenbrand, and Jennifer Rumsey of Cummins Inc.

IBJ Media added a number of additional executives this year, including Mark Millett, CEO of Steel
Dynamics, Chuck Magro, CEO of Corteva, Amy Romain Barron, CEO of United Cos., and Tom Kelley,
president and chairman of Kelley Automotive Group.

Indiana 250 Editor Lesley Weidenbener, who is also editor of IBJ, said inclusion on the list isn’t
determined simply by title. The list includes leaders who are making an impact through health care, law,
philanthropy, not-for-profit leadership and the arts.

Ashley Flowers, who founded podcast giant Audiochuck; Alan Bacon, co-founder of cultural startup
GangGang; Claire Fiddian-Green, CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation; Emil Ekiyor, CEO of the
diversity-focused not-for-profit InnoPower, and Alice Watson, CEO of Indiana Black Expo, are among
those on the list.

“We are excited to have so many new names on the list this year and to have representation from all
types of industries and areas of the state,” Weidenbener said. “There are many ways to have an impact on your community and your state, and our goal is to represent leadership in all of those ways.”

Elected officials were not eligible for the list.