INDIANAPOLIS (December 4, 2019) – The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) and Mayor Joe Hogsett presented Bill Shrewsberry with the 2019 Charles L. Whistler Award during a breakfast ceremony today, December 4, 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.
Bill Shrewsberry served for 17 years as President and CEO of Shrewsberry & Associates, LLC, an engineering consulting firm he founded in 2001. He envisioned and built a company that would not only provide quality engineering and environmental solutions but also create opportunities for a diverse group of professionals to be trained and mentored. He has been instrumental in the development of several major projects in Indianapolis, including the new Indianapolis International Airport midfield terminal, Eskenazi Hospital, and the Indianapolis/Marion County Community Justice Campus.
Prior to founding Shrewsberry & Associates, Mr. Shrewsberry retired from Ameritech after more than 20 years in engineering and management. After four terms on the Jeffersonville City Council, he served as a member of Governor Evan Bayh’s senior staff, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Administration, Deputy Mayor of Public Policy for Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, and Executive Director of the White River State Park. Mr. Shrewsberry was appointed the first chair of the Mayor’s Charter School Board, a role he held under Mayor Peterson and Mayor Greg Ballard. He has served on the boards of The Mind Trust, IUPUI, IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IU Methodist Health Foundation, Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Indiana Sports Corp, and GIPC. He has also served as a Hanover College Trustee, the 2012 Super Bowl Operations Division Chairman, and Plan 2020 Work Committee Co-Chair.
“Bill Shrewsberry’s commitment to Indianapolis and generosity of spirit are apparent to all who have had the opportunity to work with him,” said GIPC Board Chair Mary Chandler, Vice President of Community Relations at Cummins and CEO of The Cummins Foundation. “His quiet integrity, love for our city, and willingness to share his extensive experience across many sectors have helped Indianapolis in immeasurable ways. Bill Shrewsberry is a shining example of Charles Whistler’s legacy.”
“For decades, the Whistler Award has been given to someone who has made a lasting impact on the very fabric of our city,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Today we celebrate Bill Shrewsberry, whose commitment to our community epitomizes Charles Whistler’s vision, talent, and energy. In every aspect of his life, he has demonstrated a passionate enthusiasm and deep caring, not just for our city’s future but also for the people who call Indianapolis home.”
This year’s event was made possible by the generosity of its many sponsors. Faegre Baker Daniels continued to support the event as Title Sponsor, while Partner Sponsors were Shiel Sexton Company, Inc., and Yvonne Shaheen. Associate Sponsors were Glick Philanthropies, IUPUI, and The Mind Trust.
Additional biographical information:
Bill Shrewsberry has received the following awards and recognition: 2019 IU Southeast Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters; 2015 Junior Achievement Central Indiana Business Hall of Fame Laureate; 2004, 1999, and 1997 Sagamore of the Wabash (awarded by Governors Joseph Kernan, Frank O’Bannon, and Evan Bayh, respectively); 1998 IU Southeast Distinguished Alumni Award; and 1996 IU Southeast Chancellor’s Medallion. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, he received a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management from Indiana University and later earned a Master’s Degree in Business Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. Mr. Shrewsberry is a Sunday school teacher and active member of Eastern Star Church. He and his wife Brenda have been married for 55 years and have 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.
About the Charles L. Whistler Award:
Charles L. Whistler understood working for the future. To ensure Whistler’s legacy lives on, GIPC instituted The Charles L. Whistler Award – the most prestigious award given annually to a community volunteer. The Charles L. Whistler Award continues to honor the legacy of Whistler, a lawyer and community leader in the grand tradition, who 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 Faegre Baker Daniels and chair of both the GIPC’s Urban Growth and Revitalization Task Force and the White River State Park Citizen’s Advisory Committee.
Mr. Shrewsberry’s name will be added to a limestone and granite monument containing past award recipients’ names located in the Charles L. Whistler Memorial Plaza at the City Market in downtown Indianapolis.