Partnership seeks to retain grads

Two organizations will work together in an effort to keep college graduates in Indiana.

Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) on Friday announced a partnership with Independent Colleges of Indiana to provide $3 million to increase efforts to recruit and retain engineering and nursing graduates.

The grant funding will be provided to nursing and engineering programs for scholarships and grants. They will be offered to students whose permanent residence is outside of Indiana but who accept employment in Indiana following graduation.

“Indiana, like all states, is facing a critical shortage of skilled labor — including engineers and nurses,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers in a press release. “The entire health profession experienced enormous stress on their workforce during COVID, and since we have some of the best programs for both engineering and health care in the nation, we want to increase the number of graduates who choose to stay in Indiana after graduation. This program aims to do just that by supporting these young professionals and letting them know that the state has incredible opportunities for them right here.”

For more information, visit iedc.in.gov.



Ribbon-cutting set

Jay County Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday for Bryant Truck Repair.

The event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday at 302 N. Hendricks St., Bryant.



McDonnell joins

Lis McDonnell will become the newest member of the Ivy Tech Muncie-Henry County Campus board.

McDonnell, a New Castle resident, is taking over the board seat from Eugene Whitehead. She represents the agricultural community for Delaware and Henry counties. Her focus is on providing rural students the opportunity to continue their education locally while continuing to live and work on the family farm.

“We are excited to have Lis join the Campus Board of Trustees,” said Ivy Tech chancellor Jeffrey D. Scott in a press release. “We believe it very valuable for us to have an additional Henry County presence and viewpoint. Her knowledge, experience and passion for education and community will help provide insightful guidance as we build strategies to achieve our mission and purpose.”



Chamber searching

Indiana Chamber of Commerce has started looking for its next president and CEO.

The chamber announced Friday that it has started its search for its next leader. Medallion Partners of Carmel will lead the search and present a slate of candidates to a committee.

Kevin Brinegar, the current president and CEO, is retiring in January after 21 years at the helm.

“Finding an individual to replace someone of Kevin’s caliber and intellect is somewhat like trying to find a unicorn, but I — along with the rest of our board of directors — am confident that our collaboration with Medallion Partners will find exactly the right person to lead the Indiana Chamber into the next phase of its remarkable journey,” said chamber chair Paul Perkins.



Airport awarded

Indianapolis International Airport was named Best Airport in North America by Airports Council International-North America.

The award is part of the airports council’s Airport Service Quality Awards, which recognize the best airports worldwide. The best airport designation is based on passenger surveys.

“The Indy airport is more than just a place where aircraft take off and land — it’s very much like a city within a city,” said Indianapolis Airport Authority executive director Mario Rodriguez in a press release. “It takes a breadth of dedicated employees from across a broad spectrum of professional backgrounds — even beyond that of aviation — to deliver a world-class customer experience.”



IU opens

Indiana University on Thursday opened the Irsay Institute.

It was established following a $3 million gift in 2021 from the Irsay family. Its goal is “a leading national center for addressing the stigma surrounding mental illness and other health issues such as HIV, epilepsy, cancer, dementia and addiction.”

“The transformative research taking place at the Irsay Institute will allow IU to strengthen interdisciplinary research addressing stigma and other key health issues, while bringing several impactful campus-wide efforts under one umbrella,” said IU president Pamela Whitten said in a press release. “We are thankful to the Irsay family for their generous donation and commitment to equipping IU researchers to confront these pressing issues.”