GOVERNOR ERIC HOLCOMB CELEBRATED AS INTERNATIONAL CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
Dr. Rachel Vreeman (far left) Named First Global Impression Award Recipient
The International Centered presented its prestigious International Citizen of the Year (ICY) Award to Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb during their annual award dinner at the Indiana Roof Ballroom on August 23, 2018. The Center’s Board of Directors selected Governor Holcomb as this year’s recipient in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the globalization of Indiana.
This year’s event also honored Dr. Rachel Vreeman of the IU Center for Global Health, as she received the inaugural Global Impression Award, an honor designed to celebrate emerging leaders throughout Indiana whose work is directly impacting the globalization of the state.
Dr. Vreeman is Director of Research for the IU Center for Global Health and Indiana-led AMPATH Consortium, and she is honored for her work to advance global health research and Indiana’s reputation in global health. The award was presented by Shash Goyal of Salesforce, a Board member of The International Center.
Former Governor Mitch Daniels, President of Purdue University and a former ICY award recipient, and Melissa Proffitt, an International Center Board Member and Indianapolis Office Managing Partner at Ice Miller, served as co-chairs of the event.
“Governor Holcomb has demonstrated a bold commitment to taking Indiana to the Next Level in many regards, but in particular through global engagement. His unprecedented efforts to attract foreign direct investment and to support Hoosier exports are already bringing successes to Indiana and are laying the foundations for Indiana to increasingly succeed in our global economy,” said Board Chair Marsha Stone, Senior Director of Enterprise for the Indianapolis Airport Authority.
“Being introduced to the caliber of the three Global Impression Award finalists, and the accomplishments of Dr. Vreeman in particular, gave all 600 guests assembled for the ICY event a glimpse into the future of Indiana, which shows great promise of being a bright one, indeed,” added Ms. Stone.
The other Global Impression Award finalists were Dr. Brooke Kandel-Cisco, a fellow with the Desmond Tutu Center for Peace, Reconciliation and Global Justice, and Jennifer pearl, Director of International programs at the Indy Chamber.
Call for nominations for the 2019 Global Impression Award will be available on The International
Center’s website in the spring of 2019.
(Appearing in photo: Dr. Rachel Vreeman; Melissa Proffitt; Gerry Dick, emcee; Shash Goyal, Global Impression Award presenter; Governor Eric Holcomb; First Lady Janet Holcomb; Martin Baier, Int’l Center President and CEO; Marsha Stone; Int’l Center Board Chair; Roger Reeves, ICY Award presenter.)
