Recognizing the Best of the Indiana Uplands
The Indiana Uplands Regional Innovation Awards recognize deserving people, organizations, and projects that have made meaningful improvements to education, workforce, economic development, and/or quality of place within the 11 counties of the Uplands region.
Award winners are recognized annually at the ROI Annual Report to the Region. The following is a list of winners since awards were first presented in 2018.
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.
2023 Winner
Steve Ferguson
2020 Winner
Dr. Laura Hammack
2019 Winner
Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane
2018 Winner
Becky Skillman
Diversity Innovation Award
The Diversity Innovation Award will honor individuals or organizations that have implemented innovative strategies for attracting and/or retaining diversity in the regional workforce.
2023 Winner
General Motors African Ancestry Network – Bedford Chapter
2020 Winner
Boston Scientific
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.
2023 Winner
SAIC
2020 Winner
Lawrence County Workforce Coalition
2019 Winners
Loogootee Community Schools & Loughmiller Machine, Tool and Design
2018 Winner
Cook Medical’s My Cook Pathway Program
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.
2023 Winners
JSI
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.
2023 Winners
Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation
Shoals Jug Rox Robotix Program
2020 Winner
NSWC Crane STEM Team
2019 Winners
Paoli High School Agriculture Department
Collaboration Award
The 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.
2023 Winner
Daviess Advances Recovery Access Consortium
2020 Winner
White River Military Coordination Alliance
2019 Winners
The Collaboration of Mitchell, Orleans and Shoals Community Schools
2018 Winners
The Ready Schools collaboration of Dubois County Schools: Greater Jasper, Northeast Dubois, Southeast Dubois, and Southwest Dubois school corporations
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.
2023 Winner
Possibilities in Paoli
2020 Winner
School-Based Telehealth Program White River Valley Schools and Greene County General Hospital
2019 Winner
City of Huntingburg Market Street Park
Uplands Regional Resiliency Award
The Uplands Regional Resiliency Award recognized an organization in the Uplands that persevered through a crisis that was unforeseen and beyond their control, pivoting successfully by adapting to change. This award honored those who have risen to a challenge and by doing so advanced resilience in their community and the Uplands region.
2020 Winner
Project Hope IU Kelley School of Business MSIS program, Ivy Tech, and the Small Business Development Center, Bloomington Office
Pathway Innovation of the Year
The Pathway Innovation of the Year was awarded for a K-12 or post-secondary pathway in advanced manufacturing, defense, healthcare, life sciences, or technology that aligned student learning with the employment ecosystem of the Uplands region.
2019 Winner
White River Valley High School Precision Machining Program
Workforce Development Award
2018 Winner
Artisan Electronics