Conexus Indiana Archives - The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership

Conexus Indiana honors Mark DeFabis, Former CEO of IDS Fulfillment, with 2025 Andre B. Lacy Vanguard Award

Courtney Kerr2025-11-11T09:59:17-05:00November 11, 2025|

INDIANAPOLIS – November 11, 2025 – Mark DeFabis, former chief executive officer of IDS Fulfillment, has been named the 2025 Andre B. Lacy Vanguard Award recipient, joining an esteemed group of leaders recognized for their extraordinary impact in Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries. Conexus Indiana presents the Vanguard Award annually to a Hoosier leader who champions these industries, models civic leadership and challenges the status quo. The award is named in honor of Andre B. Lacy, a philanthropist and business leader with a lasting impact on Indiana as the third-generation leader of Lacy Diversified Industries Ltd. (LDI). Previous honorees include Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech Community College; Eric Holcomb, the 51st Governor of Indiana; Thomas V. Easterday, retired senior executive vice president of Subaru of Indiana Automotive; F. Joseph Loughrey, former president of Cummins Inc.; Cathy [...]

Conexus Indiana opens nominations for Rising 30 2026

Courtney Kerr2025-11-11T10:00:31-05:00October 27, 2025|

Annual awards program celebrates cohort of emerging leaders shaping the future of Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics industries INDIANAPOLIS – October 27, 2025 – Conexus Indiana has opened nominations for the Rising 30 Class of 2026. The sixth annual Rising 30 awards program highlights young leaders who are making a significant impact on Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics (AML) sector and shaping the future of the industry.As part of Conexus Indiana’s mission to position Indiana as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and logistics, the Rising 30 program was designed to celebrate the next generation of innovators, change-makers and leaders who are advancing the state’s AML ecosystem. The program also encourages pathways to success in these vital industries, which employ more than 800,000 Hoosiers and represent a third of the state’s gross domestic product.“Indiana’s young professionals are already reshaping our manufacturing [...]

Ascend Indiana Adds Three New Members to its Board of Directors

Courtney Kerr2025-09-09T13:37:59-04:00September 9, 2025|

Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), announced today three new members to its Board of Directors. The new board members include Mike Schroyer, president of Baptist Health Floyd and Tony Waterson, president and CEO of Southern Indiana Works. Jason Bearce, vice president of the Strada Education Foundation, also joins as an ex officio member. “We are fortunate to have Jason, Mike and Tony join the Ascend board, which continues to expand in both geographic reach and thought leadership,” said Brad Rhorer, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana. “These three new members bring expertise in the areas of workforce development, community development and nonprofit excellence, all of which are key ingredients to delivering our mission to ensure all Hoosiers and all employers are equipped to thrive in Indiana’s evolving economy.” Jason [...]

Conexus Indiana names two to Board of Directors and promotes Snellenberger to Vice President of Partnerships

Courtney Kerr2025-11-17T14:20:50-05:00September 5, 2025|

Marty Brown, President of Kem Krest and Jeffrey Rhoads, Vice President for Research at the University of Notre Dame, have joined the 22-member Conexus Indiana Board of Directors. “These appointments bring valuable expertise and fresh perspectives to our board at a critical time for Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics sectors,” said Jay Wirts, Conexus Indiana president and CEO. “Marty and Jeff are insightful leaders with proven track records in their respective fields. I look forward to seeing how they work alongside our existing board members to help the industry achieve its aggressive goals.” New Board Members Marty Brown brings substantial commercial leadership and strategic experience to his role as President at Kem Krest, a certified minority-owned supply chain optimization firm headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. Appointed President in January 2025, he leads the company’s growth strategy, talent development and operational oversight. His [...]

Conexus Indiana releases “Future Ready” report identifying the critical manufacturing subsectors and roles driving Indiana’s economic growth

Courtney Kerr2025-08-06T15:54:24-04:00August 6, 2025|

New data reveals aerospace, automotive, life sciences and microelectronics as key drivers of innovation and productivity. Conexus Indiana today released "Future Ready: Advancing Indiana's Productivity Through Critical Manufacturing Subsectors," a comprehensive report identifying the advanced manufacturing subsectors and roles that hold the greatest potential to drive Indiana's future productivity and competitiveness. The report zeroes in on four critical subsectors—aerospace, automotive, life sciences and microelectronics manufacturing—and the high-impact roles that will be essential to their success. These subsectors make up more than 45% of Indiana's manufacturing GDP and 31% of industry jobs, underscoring their outsized role in shaping the economic future of the industry. "Future Ready analyzes the subsectors that are especially well positioned to shape Indiana's global competitiveness in manufacturing," said Jay Wirts, CEO and President of Conexus Indiana. "By focusing on these high impact subsectors—and within them, accelerating technology [...]

Nearly $13 million awarded for statewide career apprenticeship initiative

Courtney Kerr2025-07-09T09:55:23-04:00July 9, 2025|

FuFunds for Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway support regional implementation, Industry Talent Associations, and employer and student engagement The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation has awarded nearly $13 million in funding to eight Indiana organizations working to develop a new pathway for high school and adult students to learn about and train for in-demand careers and help Indiana businesses find and train employees. The first cohort of high school students will begin apprenticeship programs in the new Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) in the fall of 2026. They will split their time between the workplace and the classroom, with at least 50% of their training taking place on the job to help ensure they are gaining in-demand skills and employers are realizing a return on investment. The students will be paid by their employers and work year-round. Programs for adults will be available [...]

AV Freight Readiness Assessment: How Indiana can lead in automated freight transportation

Courtney Kerr2025-08-20T09:14:34-04:00June 17, 2025|

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Conexus Indiana names 2025 Rising 30 cohort of emerging industry leaders

Courtney Kerr2025-05-16T09:42:50-04:00May 15, 2025|

Conexus Indiana today announced its fifth annual Rising 30 class, recognizing outstanding young professionals making significant early-career contributions to Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics (AML) sectors. The Rising 30 program, presented by Purdue University, continues Conexus Indiana’s commitment to strengthening and promoting Indiana’s vital manufacturing and logistics ecosystem. These honorees represent exceptional talent under the age of 30 who are already reshaping Indiana’s largest industry sector and will lead it into the next era of innovation. Selected for their remarkable achievements and forward-thinking approaches, this year’s cohort embodies the bright future of Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics industries. “When I visit our manufacturing facilities across Indiana, I’m always struck by the ingenuity of our young talent,” said Jay Wirts, President and CEO of Conexus Indiana. “These Rising 30 honorees aren’t just building products—they’re building the future of Hoosier manufacturing and ensuring [...]

Conexus Indiana welcomes Jay Wirts as President and CEO

Courtney Kerr2025-04-03T11:35:06-04:00March 28, 2025|

Following a national search, Conexus Indiana, a statewide organization dedicated to strengthening Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries, today announced the appointment of Jay Wirts as its new president and CEO. Wirts brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in the advanced manufacturing sector, with a track record of driving business growth and operational excellence. Wirts most recently served as executive vice president of Smart Infrastructure Solutions at Belden, where he managed a $1.2 billion global business that designs and manufactures broadband and network infrastructure. Throughout his career, Wirts has demonstrated exceptional leadership in developing innovative customer solutions, strengthening supply chains and fostering talent pipelines. “Jay’s extensive experience and passion for advancing industrial innovation make him an ideal leader for Conexus Indiana,” said Scott Brand, chair of the Conexus Indiana Board of Directors and president and COO [...]

Conexus Indiana presents Manufacturing Innovation Award at TechPoint’s 26th annual Mira Awards

Courtney Kerr2025-02-28T11:22:20-05:00February 28, 2025|

Conexus Indiana, in partnership with TechPoint, has named Arcamed of Indianapolis as the recipient of the second annual Manufacturing Innovation Award. The award was announced at the 26th annual Mira Awards gala, commonly known as “The Oscars of Indiana Tech,” at the Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts on February 27. The Conexus Indiana Manufacturing Innovation Award recognizes industrial firms that have taken an exceptional leap into the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) through cutting-edge technology adoption. The 2025 finalists were selected from a group of statewide applicants operating in and serving diverse manufacturing subsectors, including precision parts, fasteners, furniture, medical devices, aerospace and automotive. Collectively, the six firms deployed a broad range of advanced manufacturing technologies like robotics, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), industrial internet of things and machine vision to [...]

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