South Shore CVA Hosts LCEA for Annual Dinner Event

South Shore CVA Hosts LCEA for Annual Dinner Event

The Lake County Economic Alliance (LCEA) held its annual dinner at the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority in Hammond. The dinner was held to discuss achievements for the year and prospects for the coming year.

To see more photos from this event, please click here!

The purpose of the alliance is to strengthen the economic base of Lake County by supporting the growth of business and attracting quality investments, therefore creating greater employment opportunities in Northwest Indiana.

In their first full year of operation, the LCEA was able to bring in close to $75 million and 1,000 jobs to Lake County. The LCEA brings the public and private sectors together in a consolation of efforts.

“We’re branding today’s event “Collaborations are the Keys to Success”, says Don Koliboski, Vice President of Economic Development. “We work very closely with our surrounding communities and our surrounding counties. So if we don’t have a suitable site, we know our surrounding counties, so we know who they can contact. So that is a regional collaboration as well.”

As President and CEO of the SSCVA Speros A. Batistatos introduced the evening’s speakers, spoke of the importance of friends, and how that importance can move communities forward, while recognizing members of the audience.

“As many of you know, it’s almost impossible to get anything done in Northwest Indiana without the cooperation and support of people in elected office. We count on those people, in various levels of the government, whether its zoning laws, or incentives, or whatever it might be to make a deal happen. We can’t get it done without you and that’s part of what friends are all about,” Batistatos said while recognizing and thanking Congressman Peter J. Visclosky, who was represented by his Chief of Staff Mark Lopez at the dinner.

As Karen Lauerman, President, and CEO of LCEA concluded the evening, she thanked her team and all that have helped her in the past year.

Encouraged for the future of the region she stated: “We have been able to bring, at minimum, six hundred and fifty jobs to Northwest Indiana, specifically to Lake County. This is what we are designed to do! After all of that hard work, there’s more to come. All of our partners are here tonight because this is what we believe in. This is our goal, our objective; to drive jobs and investments to Lake County, Indiana. It doesn’t matter about the borders. Borders are not important in Lake County anymore. It’s a coordinated effort, it’s a collaborated effort.”

Craft beer was donated to this event by Byway Brewery. 

 photos by Andrew Rowe