2017 Charles L. Whistler Award

Andre B. Lacy receives highly esteemed Whistler Award

The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) and Mayor Joe Hogsett presented Andre B. Lacy with the 2017 Charles L. Whistler Award during a breakfast and ceremony on November 14, 2017, at the Ivy Tech Community College Culinary and Conference Center.

The annual award recognizes individuals who, outside the regular duties of their chosen professions, have brought together the public and private sectors for civic improvement in Indianapolis. Lacy was the former CEO and Chairman of the Board of LDI, Ltd. (formerly Lacy Diversified Industries), one of Indiana’s largest private companies, which operates as a family office that funds middle-market enterprises.

Lacy served Indianapolis as both a civic and corporate leader for over half a century. Following graduation from Denison University, Lacy started his career at LDI’s founding enterprise, U.S. Corrugated Fiber Box Co., where he worked his way through the corporate ranks. After the sale of U.S. Corrugated, he was named executive vice president and COO of the newly created Lacy Diversified Industries, the holding company that would become LDI. He was elected CEO of LDI in 1983 and Chairman of the Board in 1991; he served as Chairman for 26 years, continuing to lead the Board even after his retirement in 2006. A strong advocate of civic progress, especially in economic development, agriculture, and education, Lacy was co-chair of the Cultural Trail fundraising committee, a co-creator of Conexus, and an advisor for the Lacy School of Business at Butler University. In 2009, Governor Mitch Daniels appointed Lacy chairman of the Indiana State Fair Commission, where he served for 8 years. As Commission Chair, he was a driving force behind the State Fair Coliseum restoration.

Lacy provided leadership for several boards, including the United Way of Central Indiana, Indianapolis 500 Festival, Indianapolis Public School Board, and Economic Club of Indianapolis, among others. An alumnus of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series (SKL), he served as moderator of Class XV. He was active on numerous corporate boards and served as chairman of the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors.

“Andre Lacy has devoted much of his remarkable life to making Indianapolis a more prosperous and interesting place to live,” said Jeff Gaither, GIPC board chair and managing partner of Bose, McKinney and Evans, before the November 14th ceremony. “He is a terrific addition to GIPC’s list of outstanding men and women who have received this extraordinary award and established a culture of private-public collaboration so vital to this city’s success.”

In presenting the Charles L. Whistler Award, Mayor Hogsett said, “Andre Lacy has acted as a pioneer, helping to strengthen Indianapolis’ legacy of progress through public-private partnerships – the kind of leader who set aside personal interests for the greater good. And so it is only fitting that today, we celebrate him with the Charles L. Whistler Award.”

Governors Roger Branigan, Robert Orr, and Mitch Daniels each recognized Lacy as a Sagamore of the Wabash. His leadership in business and community was matched by an abounding sense of adventure as a motorcycle rider and former pilot. Lacy passed away on November 30, 2017. He and his late wife Julia were married for 53 years; they had three sons and nine grandchildren.

To view a recording of the award presentation, please click here. To see photos of the event, please visit our Facebook page.