For 15 years, the Influential Women Awards have recognized women whose leadership, accomplishments and community impact are helping shape Northwest Indiana and beyond. The milestone anniversary of the Influential Women Awards Banquet on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Avalon Manor in Merrillville marked another chapter for the longest-running awards program honoring women in Indiana.
Organized by the Northwest Indiana Influential Women Association (NWIIWA), the 15th annual banquet brought together over 1,000 attendees from dozens of companies and organizations to celebrate the finalists and the 30 award winners announced during the event.
Each year, peers and members of the public can nominate women they feel have made significant contributions in their industries and communities. There were nearly 500 nominees for this year’s program. From that pool of nominees, 186 finalists were selected and were honored during the banquet with a special medallion.
From the list of finalists, two winners, one Influential and one Up and Coming, were chosen in each of the 13 industry categories, resulting in 26 category winners. Four additional awards recognized the Overall Influential Woman of the Year, Overall Up and Coming Woman of the Year, Supporter of the Year and Community Leader of the Year.
“Fifteen years of the Influential Women Awards is an incredible milestone, but what stands out most is the continued strength and diversity of the women being recognized,” said Andrea Pearman, Executive Director of NWIIWA. “This anniversary gives us an opportunity to not only celebrate how far the program has come, but also to recognize the women who are helping shape what comes next.”
Since its inception, the Influential Women Awards have grown into a signature annual celebration of achievement and leadership throughout Northwest Indiana. The program brings together established leaders and emerging talent from across the region, providing an opportunity to recognize accomplishments, celebrate community impact and spotlight the next generation of leaders.
The 15th anniversary banquet continued that tradition, honoring every finalist while celebrating this year’s 30 award winners.
The 2026 Influential Women of Northwest Indiana winners are:
Arts:
Up and Coming: Nicole Krygsheld, Owner/Lead Designer, Sweet Pea Designs
Influential: Aruna Chaubal, Owner, ABCLLC
Business:
Up and Coming: Jennifer Castillo, Sr. Manager, Merchandising Operations, US Foods
Influential: Lisa Human, Partner, CLH, CPAs & Consultants
Construction/Manufacturing:
Up and Coming: Wendy Peterson, Vice President Strategic Growth, Michuda Construction
Influential: Melissa Griffin, Founder, Indigo Ink Interiors
Economic Development/Government:
Up and Coming: Jocelyn Colburn, Police Social Worker, Michigan City Police Department
Influential: Kara Mackey, Assistant Superintendent of Special Facilities and Recreation, Lake County Parks and Recreation
Education:
Up and Coming: Kayla Vasilko, Assistant Professor of Communication and Communication Department Chair; Communication Assistant; Founder and Publisher, Ivy Tech Community College
Influential: Deborah Bachmann, Administrator of Honors Student Leadership and Programming, Purdue University Northwest
Finance:
Up and Coming: Angela Rodriguez, Work Planning and Forecasting Manager, NiSource
Influential: Amanda McKenzie, Loan Originator/Production Manager, First Community Mortgage - The Amanda McKenzie Team
Healthcare:
Up and Coming: Stephanie Gordon, Owner, Sacred Dunes Integrative Health
Influential: Michelle Arnold, Deputy Administrator, Lake County Health Department
Law:
Up and Coming: Kayleen Teufel, Attorney, Langer & Langer
Influential: Angelica Schultis, Managing Partner, Blachly, Tabor, Bozik & Hartman, LLC
Marketing/Media:
Up and Coming: : LeeAnn Hall, President, Compass Marketing
Influential: Lisa Fronek, Owner, Generate
Nonprofit:
Up and Coming: Nicole Gladstone, President and CEO, MAAC Foundation
Influential: Aja Hill, Founder & CEO, Free Your Wings Youth Mentoring, Inc.
Real Estate:
Up and Coming: Angela Andrews, Realtor, Listing Leaders
Influential: Jennifer Parham, Broker/Owner, Lighthouse Realty
Service/Tourism:
Up and Coming: Wendy Gasior, Talent Acquisition Manager, Luke Family of Brands
Influential: Melissa Villanueva, President/Owner Operator, SweetFrog Premium Frozen Yogurt
STEM:
Up and Coming: Wadzanai Nyabeze, Commercial Process Engineer, bp
Influential: Vanessa Perez, Program Manager, Cleveland Cliffs
Overall Up and Coming Woman of the Year:
Nicole Pomeroy, Manufacturing Engineer, Hitachi Global Air Power
Overall Influential Woman of the Year:
Jessica Corral, Executive Director, Valparaiso Creative Council, Inc.
Community Leader of the Year:
Renee Connelly, Consultant, Gary SouthShore RailCats
Supporter of the Year:
Jennifer Young, Executive Officer, Home Builders Association of Northwest Indiana
A complete list of the 2026 finalists is available online here. For more information about nominations for the 2027 Influential Awards, visit the nomination page here. Photos highlighting some of the memorable moments from this year’s banquet can be viewed at NWIIWA's Facebook page.
