Pratt Industries donates 100 alarms
Pratt Industries’ Mill Division in Valparaiso has donated 100 carbon monoxide alarms to the Valparaiso Fire Department to support fire safety efforts, according to a release.
The donated alarms will be distributed through the Valparaiso Fire Department’s Out to Alarm Valpo program to ensure residents have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their homes. Through the program, VFD provides and installs smoke and CO alarms free of charge for any resident within the City of Valparaiso or Center Township during home safety visits, the release said. Residents interested in scheduling a free home safety visit can sign up at ValparaisoFire.org by clicking “Request Smoke Alarm.”
Influential Women nominations open
Nominations are now open for the 15th Influential Women awards, a release said.
Sponsored by the Northwest Indiana Influential Women Association, the area’s most influential women will be recognized during the annual banquet and awards ceremony. Nomination deadline is Feb. 16.
Nominations are welcomed by individuals themselves or from members of the public. From the nominations, a list of finalists will be announced, the release said. During the organization’s Sept. 24 banquet, finalists will be honored with a medallion. In 2025, 258 finalists were selected from 517 nominees across 13 industries, including: Arts, Business, Construction/Manufacturing, Economic Development/Government, Education, Finance, Healthcare, Law, Marketing/Media, Nonprofit, Real Estate, Service/Tourism, and STEM, the release said.
At the banquet, two winners from the list of finalists, one Up-and-Coming and one Influential Women, will be named in each of the 13 industries. Nominations are free and can be made by visiting NWIIWA.org.
Franciscan leader to head state association
The Indiana Hospital Association has named Dr. Jim Callaghan its board chair for 2026. Callaghan serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Franciscan Alliance Inc., a not-for-profit organization operating 12 hospitals in Indiana and south suburban Chicago.
Callaghan becomes the first physician to serve as IHA board chair in 80 years, a release said. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Callaghan, the release said, has been with Franciscan for more than 25 years.
Construction Safety award nominations open
An annual awards banquet to celebrate construction excellence and safety is returning to Merrillville, where builders and project owners will gather in May to recognize last year’s achievements, according to a release.
The Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable and the Construction Advancement Foundation partner each year to honor the region’s top performers during the event. NWIBRT’s awards focus on safety performances, while the CAF awards highlight the best in contractor and project outcomes, the release said.
Those who would like to review criteria, fill out an application and submit entries for all awards at this year’s event can do so on the NWIBRT’s Awards Banquet page. Applications are open through Feb. 16. Visit NWIBRT.org.
Chesterton alumni honored
The Chesterton High School Alumni Association has announced the recipients of the 2025 CHS Alumni Association Hall of Fame award. The recipients were recently recognized and presented with plaques by the
CHS Alumni Association, a release said.
The 2025 Alumni Association Hall of Fame recipients are: Jack Campbell, retired Chesterton teacher and coach; Fotini Pahos, retired CHS instructional aide; Jeff Van Drie, retired Chesterton High School principal; and Katie Thomas, CHS Class of 2016, a current Duneland teacher and assistant girls soccer coach.
PNW announces new College of Business dean
Purdue University Northwest has announced that after a national search David G. Taylor will serve as the Teddy Jacobi Dean of the PNW Collegeof Business, effective July 1, according to a release.
Taylor currently serves as dean of the Jack Welch College of Business and Technology at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he also holds a faculty appointment as a professor of Marketing.
In his role at PNW, Taylor will oversee academic programs, faculty and operations in Managerial Studies, Quantitative Business Studies and the White Lodging School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the
release said.
New hires join accounting firm
CLH, CPAs & Consultants in Michigan City recently added two new staffers, according to a release.
Seth Stemper was hired as a staff accountant and Rowan Pruim came on board as an associate to the firm, the release said.
Stemper brings a background in retail customer service to CLH, applying that experience to support the firm’s clients in the areas of service, sales, inventory management and business operations. Pruim brings her prior experience in public accounting to CLH. In her new role, she offers a detail-oriented approach to accounting support for clients, including updating records, reconciling accounts and preparing documents and reports, the release said.
Stemper earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Purdue University Northwest and is a member of the Indiana CPA Society. Pruim is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Purdue University Northwest.
