INDIANAPOLIS (July 29, 2015) – Nominations are currently being accepted for the Charles L. Whistler Award, the most prestigious award given annually to a community volunteer in Indianapolis. The award recognizes an individual who has brought together the Indianapolis public and private sectors for civic improvement. A subcommittee of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) selects each recipient, and the Mayor of Indianapolis personally presents the award. The deadline for nominations is 5:00 PM on Monday, August 24, 2015.

A lawyer and community leader in the grand tradition, Whistler gave his time and extraordinary abilities to the Indianapolis community without asking for power or position in return. At the time of his death in 1981, he was a senior partner at Baker & Daniels and chairman of both the GIPC’s Urban Growth and Revitalization Task Force and the White River State Park Citizens’ Advisory Committee.

This is the 30th year for the award in Whistler’s honor. Mayor Greg Ballard and the board of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee invite community members to nominate a current leader who exemplifies this vital Indianapolis tradition. Award nominations are open to anyone, except currently appointed government employees and elected officials. Candidates should reflect the passion and the skill that Whistler displayed for making the public-private partnership work for the overall betterment of the community. It is also expected that many of each nominee’s efforts, like Whistler’s, have occurred in volunteer roles that far exceed what is simply expected of an individual through his or her employment. The recipient of the award will be recognized at a reception later this fall. The award recipient’s name will be added to a limestone and granite monument located in the Charles L. Whistler Memorial Plaza at the City Market.

Electronic nomination forms are available online at www.indygipc.org. Completed forms must be submitted online by 5:00 PM on Monday, August 24, 2015. Additional letters of support can be emailed to info@indygipc.org.

Founded in 1965, GIPC is a private, non-profit and non-partisan organization focused on strengthening Indianapolis through strategic community initiatives.

Past Whistler Award Recipients:

  • 1983: Thomas H. Lake
  • 1984: Thomas W. Binford & David R. Frick
  • 1985: Frank P. Lloyd
  • 1986: Phillip R. Duke & Thomas W. Moses
  • 1987: Mattie M. Coney
  • 1988: Donald W. Tanselle
  • 1989: Ramon L. Humke & Henry C. Ryder
  • 1990: Richard O. Morris
  • 1991: Eldon Campbell
  • 1992: Michael A. Carroll
  • 1993: William W. Mays & James T. Morris
  • 1994: Fred C. Tucker, Jr.
  • 1995: Robert H. Reynolds
  • 1996: Thomas M. Miller & Sam H. Jones
  • 1997: Dr. Gene Sease
  • 1998: Jack Shaw & Dan & Lori Efroymson
  • 1999: Andrew Paine & Yvonne Shaheen
  • 2000: Rev. T. Garrott Benjamin & Michael Maurer
  • 2001: Jerry Semler & Fay Williams
  • 2003: Alex Carroll & Rev. Charles Williams
  • 2004: Dr. Beurt Servaas & Gerald Bepko
  • 2005: Joseph D. Barnette, Jr. & G. Frederick Glass
  • 2007: P.E. MacAllister & Marge Tarplee
  • 2008: Patrick J. Early
  • 2009: John T. Neighbours & Sallie W. Rowland
  • 2010: Michael Browning
  • 2011: Samuel L. Odle
  • 2012: David Shane
  • 2013: John Mutz
  • 2014: Martha Lamkin

More about Charles L. Whistler:
As an Indianapolis Star editorial noted shortly after his death in 1981, “Charles L. Whistler was a visionary, talented and energetic prime mover who had a leading role in shaping the Indianapolis of today and its modern political structure. He loved the capital city and the Hoosier state, town and county, urban scenes with beauty and character, and the great outdoors. He had the persuasive ability often associated with the authors of constitutions, and used it to win strong support and positive contributions from others, often representing diverse interests, for the array of projects and programs that he helped conceive and bring to fruition. He wrote much of the legislation consolidating city and county governments under UniGov. He also had a leading role in the modernization and beautification of downtown Indianapolis and the creation of the City Center on Monument Circle, the adaptive reuse of the Indiana Theater, the downtown retailing mall concept, and the planning of the White River State Park.”

2015 Charles L. Whistler Award Eligibility Criteria:

  • Nominee demonstrates visionary and enthusiastic leadership in serving the community
  • Nominee provides outstanding service in bringing together the public and private sectors for civic improvement, while serving in volunteer roles that far exceed what is simply expected of the individual through his or her employment
  • Current appointed government employees and elected officials are not eligible
  • Past elected officials are only eligible for the award when their leadership goes beyond that of public service

Nominations:

  • Nominations must be submitted online at indygipc.org by 5:00 PM on Monday, August 24, 2015.
  • Additional letters of support may be emailed to info@indygipc.org
  • For questions about nominations, call (219) 928-8178 or email info@indygipc.org.