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2006 Gala: An International Evening

October 18, 2006 — 5:30 p.m.

The Annual Gala was held at Indian American Cultural Center in Merrillville, Indiana. The International Evening featured:

• Food
• Wine
• Entertainment
• International Guests
• Cash bar

Businesses and organizations sponsored the international students who attended the 2006 Gala. Our thanks go to our sponsors!

Award Recipients

Yahya R. Kamalipour, Ph.D.

The Jim Hartung Award

For lifetime achievement in promoting international awareness and understanding in Northwest Indiana

An internationally noted scholar, Professor Yahya R. Kamalipour is head of the Department of Communication and Creative Arts and Director of the Center for Global Studies at Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, Indiana, U.S.A. He has 10 published books, including Global Communication (2nd Ed., 2007), Bring ‘Em On: Media and Politics in the Iraq War (with L. Artz, 2005); and War, Media, and Propaganda: A Global Perspective (with N. Snow, 2004). He is founder and managing editor of Global Media Journal with 10 established editions throughout the world, and the co-editor of Journal Globalization for the Common Good. He is editor of two web portals Global Media Monitor, My Global Village, and also co-editor of the Global Media Studies Book Series for the State University of New York Press.

A recipient of many awards, Dr. Kamalipour has given presentations in Egypt, Canada, China, India, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Slovenia, United States, and has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and broadcast media, including BBC, Reuters, ABC, VOA, RFL/RL, WBEZ-NPR, NileTV, Turkish TV, Iranian TV, Metro Networks, Detroit Free Press, Indianapolis Star, Quill Magazine, Philadelphia Inquire, The Pittsburgh Tribune, The Times, and Post-Tribune. He has taught courses at universities in Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Iran, and Oxford (England). His articles have appeared in professional and mainstream publications in the U.S. and abroad, including the Chicago Tribune.

Dr. Kamalipour earned his Ph.D. degree in Communication (Radio-TV-Film) from University of Missouri-Columbia, M.A. degree in Mass Media from University of Wisconsin-Superior, and B.A. degree in Mass Communication (Public Relations) from Minnesota State University.  He has been at Purdue University Calumet since 1986.

Karen Scheeringa
Hearts in Motion

The Bridges to Business Award

For humanitarian activities, building bridges between Northwest Indiana and the world

International Speaker, founder and Executive Director of Hearts In Motion, Karen Scheeringa, is a woman of faith, of passion for the disadvantaged, and a woman of seemingly unlimited energy. She is the mother of ten children, nine of whom were adopted from the Philippines, Korea, Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States. In 1982, while picking up her adopted daughter from Korea, Karen met the director of an organization which specialized in providing needed surgeries for children from all over the world, and immediately became involved as a volunteer in that work. She did so as part of her personal desire to follow Jesus Christ in loving service to others.

By 1986, however, Ms. Scheeringa realized that the number of children in developing countries needing medical attention required a more aggressive approach. Additionally, she observed that removing small children from their families and homes was traumatic for all involved. In 1990, Ms. Scheeringa incorporated Hearts In Motion (H.I.M) and began taking medical teams to children in need.

By the time of the incorporation, Karen’s efforts were becoming concentrated on Central America, especially Guatemala. She has worked effectively with medical specialists and other volunteers to establish a significant "presence", in the Department of Zacapa, Guatemala. Through her efforts, H.I.M. has gained the trust of families in this poverty stricken area. Karen has also developed and maintained important contacts with medical and political leaders in Central America and throughout the United States. She has received Honarary Doctorates and numerous awards from countries around the world.

Gary Kriadis
Coil Tran Corporation

The Exporter of the Year Award

For continuing success in exporting and conducting international business

Gary Kriadis, a 30 year resident of Northwest Indiana, is President of Coil-Tran Corporation located in Hobart. During his tenure as President he started their Mexico Maquiladora operation and established a partnership with a key Asia based company for the supply of his product. Gary’s experience in the international market is in importing and exporting goods.

Coil-Tran Corporation is a locally owned company with facilities in Hobart and Mexico with a total of 120 people between the two facilities. Coil-Tran is a designer and producer of small transformers which are used in industries such as medical equipment, industrial controls, computer and automotive. Their partnership with a factory in China creates low cost production to serve both the Asian and domestic markets.

Gary grew up in Merrillville, graduating from Merrillville High in 1981 and attended college at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana. Right after college he went to work at Coil-Tran and shortly thereafter he was married and has been for 20 years.

Miche Grant

The Tai-Pan Award

For service, enthusiasm and effort in contributing connections and business to Northwest Indiana with a business presence

Since 1999 Miche has worked as a contractor with Indiana Department of Workforce Development, and U.S. Department of Labor. She has served on projects in Macedonia, Ukraine, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and South America with other worldwide consultants on community renewal and workforce development. Miche is a National Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award Examiner and has involvement with various local community organizations.

Miche entered the world of community service after five years of managing a resort in northern Wisconsin and completing a Bachelors Degree at Indiana University. From these early beginnings Miche held positions as a Child Protection caseworker, Employment and Training Specialist, and the COO/Vice President of Kankakee Valley Workforce Development Services. Currently she is the Vice President of Quality Assurance for the Center of Workforce Innovations.

Miche holds a Masters Degree in Workforce and Organizational Development from Valparaiso University with additional coursework from the University of Chicago and Tulane. Miche is a Certified Training Consultant through Ball State University, has a graduate certificate in Distance Learning from Indiana University, and was awarded the Governor’s Voluntary Action/Community Service Award, the United Way Volunteer Award, and selected to run the Olympic Torch prior to the 1996 games.

Timothy Sutherland

The Lund Ambassador Award

For long commitment and significant contribution to the Northwest Indiana World Trade Council

Tim Sutherland has served as an Executive Board Member and committee Chair for over ten years at the NWI World Trade Council. Tim has enjoyed serving the organization because it has a cross section/diversity of people from large and small businesses, service and consulting organizations, academia, and ethnic associations, with connections reaching people statewide and in the Chicagoland region which is truly amazing. His work on building an exporter database and providing services to members has been a constant and dedicated effort.

Tim is the Interim Director of Library Services, and Director of Library Data Center, for Indiana University Northwest. He has served as Interim Director of the Center for Sustainable Regional Vitality at IUN and been an IUN Library faculty since 1982. Tim has co-authored with Library Data Center staff demographic reports, needs assessments, evaluation studies, manuals and guides, content for Web sites, GIS maps, etc. for several area organizations and businesses. His current service involvements: IUN Nonprofit Institute, Northern Indiana Consortium for the Environment, "Region Reads" Planning Group, and Valparaiso Ethics Commission.

Tim received a MS degree in Library and Information Science from Western Michigan University, and an MS in Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University Northwest. Tim is married to Katherine and has two college age daughters, Anne, studying at the University of Notre Dame, and Grace, studying at Loyola University Chicago.