Recognizing the Best of the Indiana Uplands

The Indiana Uplands Regional Innovation Awards highlight the amazing people, groups, and organizations working to make the region a terrific place to work, live, learn, and play! Award winners are recognized at the ROI Annual Report to the Region to deserving people, groups, and organizations that have made meaningful improvements to education, workforce, economic development, and/or quality of place within the 11 counties of the Uplands region.

Becky Skillman Regional Leadership Award

The Becky Skillman Regional Leadership Award recognizes an individual or organization that has shown uncommon dedication to bringing the Indiana Uplands region together in pursuit of regional success and prosperity.

  • 2026: Jeff Quyle
  • 2025: Denny Spinner
  • 2023: Steve Ferguson
  • 2020: Dr. Laura Hammack
  • 2019: Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane
  • 2018: Becky Skillman

Regional Collaboration Award

The Regional Collaboration Award recognizes two or more organizations that have worked collaboratively to advance prosperity for residents of the Uplands region through education, economic, or quality of place efforts.

  • 2026: Fire Science Academy (Ivy Tech, Bloomington Fire Department, Monroe Fire Protection District)
  • 2025: Federal Lab Technology Transfer for Beginners
  • 2023: Daviess Advances Recovery Access Consortium
  • 2020: White River Military Coordination Alliance
  • 2019: The Collaboration of Mitchell, Orleans, and Shoals Community Schools (COSMOS)
  • 2018: The Ready Schools collaboration of Dubois County Schools (Greater Jasper, Northeast Dubois, Southeast Dubois, and Southwest Dubois school corporations)

Employer Innovation Award

The Employer Innovation Award recognizes an Indiana Uplands employer who seeks creative solutions to talent and workforce development challenges, supports the success of regional key sectors, and exemplifies meaningful partnerships with K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, and/or other employers.

  • 2026: Crafted by OFS and Hub 19
  • 2025: PRD, Inc.
  • 2023: JSI

Quality of Place Innovation Award

The Quality of Place Innovation Award recognizes projects and meaningful community improvements that enhance the Indiana Uplands as an inventive, industrious, and friendly place to live, work, and play.

  • 2026: Court Street Commons
  • 2025: The Owen News
  • 2023: Possibilities in Paoli
  • 2020: School-Based Telehealth Program (White River Valley Schools & Greene County Hospital)
  • 2019: City of Huntingburg Market Street Park

Talent Innovation Award

The Talent Innovation Award recognizes an entity that has designed and deployed an innovative strategy for improving our regional workforce through training, skill advancement, or talent attraction to the Indiana Uplands.

  • 2026: WestGate@Crane Summer Intern Program
  • 2025: INvets
  • 2023: SAIC
  • 2020: Lawrence County Workforce Coalition
  • 2019: Lion Manufacturing at Loogootee Community Schools & Loughmiller Machine, Tool and Design
  • 2018: Cook Medical My Cook Pathway Program

Regional Welcoming Award

The Regional Welcoming Award honors individuals or organizations that have implemented innovative strategies to attract and/or retain diversity or newcomers in the regional workforce.

  • 2026: Southwest Dubois County Schools Dual Language Immersion
  • 2025: Asociación Latinoamericana del Sur de Indiana (ALASI)
  • 2023: General Motors African Ancestry Network – Bedford Chapter
  • 2020: Boston Scientific

STEM Innovation Award

The STEM Innovation Award recognizes a program or organization that has made meaningful and novel contributions to STEM education or training in the Indiana Uplands.

  • 2025: Southridge High School Aviation Program
  • 2023: Richland-Bean Blossom School Corporation & Shoals Jug Rox Robotix Program
  • 2020: NSWC Crane STEM Team
  • 2019: Paoli High School Agriculture Department

The Quality of Place Attraction Award

The Quality of Place Attraction Award recognized a community, organization, or group that coalesced around a project or program to welcome both residents and visitors to enjoy the arts, cultural, and natural beauty found only in the Indiana Uplands.

  • 2025: City of Washington: The Commons
  • 2023: City of Jasper & Thyen-Clark Cultural Center

Uplands Regional Resiliency Award

The Uplands Regional Resiliency Award recognized an organization in the Uplands that persevered through COVID-19 by pivoting successfully to adapt to change. This award honored those who rose to the challenge and, by doing so, advanced resilience in their community and the Uplands region.

  • 2020: Project Hope (IU Kelley School of Business MSIS program, Ivy Tech Community College, and the Small Business Development Center, Bloomington Office)

Pathway Innovation Award

The Pathway Innovation Award recognized a K-12 or post-secondary pathway in advanced manufacturing, defense, healthcare, life sciences, or technology that aligned student learning with the Uplands region’s employment ecosystem.

  • 2019: White River Valley High School Precision Machining Program

Workforce Development Award

  • 2018: Artisan Electronics