Winners will be announced on May 21 at Awards Dinner
50 local leaders have been selected as finalists for the 2025 Champions of Change Awards. The awards celebrate those who mentor and empower women in Allen County. Winners will be announced May 21 at a Greater Fort Wayne (GFW) Inc. Champions of Change event.
The 2025 Champions of Change awards will recognize a winner in four categories: corporate, education, nonprofit, and public service.
The finalists in the corporate category are:
- Stephen J. Bailey, Stephen J. Bailey, LLC
- Dawn Clopton, WesBanco
- Gail Doran, Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana
- Ashley Gilbert, Grace and Goods
- Beth Goldsmith, Sold by the Gold at North Eastern Group Realty
- Ashley Green, Kaans Designs
- Kerry Hasselbach, Do it Best
- Vanessa Hayden, Partly Whimsical LLC
- Prachi Hoffmeister, Chick-fil-A Supply
- Chelby Husidic, The Ari Event Studio
- Priyanka Koratpallikar, General Motors
- Morgan Lewis, JH Specialty
- Kyla Madison, STAR Financial Bank
- Bradly McKee, Velocity
- Erin Petty, Sweetwater Sound, Inc.
- Savannah Robinson, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
- Abeer Saeed, Do it Best
- Kourtney Teegardin, Elevatus
- Lyndsey Williams, Select Medical Rehabilitation Hospital
The finalists in the education category are:
- Alex Backer, Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Karen Gillie, FWCS Career Academy
- Dr. MarTeze Hammonds, Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Marsi Lawson, Retired
- Sarah LeBlanc, Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Marie Macher, Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Scott Storm, Concordia Lutheran High School
- Krissy Surface, Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Dr. Debra Faye Williams-Robbins, Fort Wayne Community Schools
The finalists in the nonprofit category are:
- Patty Dunn, Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne
- Lisa Eicher, Indiana Youth Services Association
- Leslie Friedel, Stillwater Hospice
- Bruce Haines, PBS Fort Wayne
- Colleen Huddleson, Fort Wayne Museum of Art
- Erica Hyatt, Breastie Boxes Inc.
- Joshua King, NeighborLink Fort Wayne
- Dusty Krause, Fort Wayne Rescue Mission
- Lindsay Lott, Fort Wayne Tech Inc.
- Heather Miller, School Care Team
- Tricia Neary, Lutheran Life Villages
- Luz Ostrognai, Catholic Charities
- Jama Ross, Blessings in a Backpack
- Kristina Scherer, Parkview Cancer Institute
- Jami Thomas, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center
- Jarred White, Fort Wayne 22, Inc.
- Marshall White, Unity Performing Arts Foundation Inc.
The finalists in the public service category are:
- Rohli Booker, Fort Wayne City Council
- Andrea Burton, Fort Wayne Fire Department
- Casey Claypool, Fort Wayne Citilink
- Megan Flohr, City of Fort Wayne
- Erica Sorenson, City of Fort Wayne
This year, a record number of nominations were submitted online by members of the Allen County community. Each nomination was carefully reviewed and scored anonymously by a panel of respected local leaders, ensuring a fair and impartial selection process.
“We are proud to celebrate those who have impacted women in Allen County through their mentorship and advocacy,” said Meghan Short, director of investor programs at GFW Inc. “Their dedication serves as an example of support and inspiration as they foster growth and create opportunities for women to succeed. GFW Inc. is delighted to honor their substantial impact and the positive changes they bring to our community.”
Now in its seventh year, previous winners include:
- 2019 – Wendy Moyle and John Dortch
- 2020 – Corinna Ladd and Marty Pastura
- 2021 – Leslee Hill and Rachel Tobin-Smith
- 2022 – Alison Gerardot, Jeanné Wickens, and Jeff Roberts
- 2023 – Flora Barrón, Daniel Boylan, Lori Morgan, and Sharon Pohly
- 2024 – Whitney Bandemer, Lisa D. Givan, Denita Washington, Stephanie Crandall
The GFW Inc. Women’s Network will present the 2025 Champions of Change Awards at a dinner scheduled for May 21 at Parkview Mirro Event & Conference Center. Tables and individual tickets are available through May 12. To register, visit champions.gfwinc.com..
