INDIANAPOLIS – The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) and Mayor Joe Hogsett presented the 2024 Charles L. Whistler Award to two esteemed recipients—Tamika Catchings and Jeff Smulyan—at a breakfast ceremony this morning at Ivy Tech Community College Culinary and Conference Center. This marks a special year for the award, as it is one of the rare occasions where two individuals are honored together. The award recognizes those who, outside their professional responsibilities, have fostered collaboration between the public and private sectors to advance civic improvement in Indianapolis.

“The Charles L. Whistler Award is the pinnacle of civic recognition in Indianapolis, celebrating individuals who bring people together to make our city stronger,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Tamika Catchings and Jeff Smulyan are two civic leaders who truly embody this description. Through storied careers and service to our community, they have helped to uplift Indianapolis residents in innumerable ways. I am proud to honor them with this award.”

Tamika Catchings is a Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer and one of the most decorated women’s basketball players in history. Beyond her unparalleled achievements on the court, including four Olympic gold medals and a WNBA championship with the Indiana Fever, Catchings has made a profound impact on the Indianapolis community. She founded the Catch the Stars Foundation, which has empowered over 15,000 local youth, and is the owner of Tea’s Me Café, a neighborhood staple that provides community programming. Tamika has also taken on leadership roles with the Indianapolis Airport Authority and the NBA and WNBA All-Star Committees, contributing to the city’s reputation as a premier sports destination.

Jeff Smulyan, founder and Chairman of the Board of Emmis Corporation, revolutionized the broadcasting industry while remaining deeply committed to Indianapolis. A nationally recognized innovator, Smulyan brought the headquarters of Emmis Corporation to Monument Circle, bolstering downtown revitalization efforts. His leadership extended to helping secure the 2012 Super Bowl for Indianapolis and mentoring emerging business leaders. Jeff’s extensive civic contributions include serving as Board Chair of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and fostering collaboration across sectors to drive regional growth.

“This year’s Whistler Award recipients reflect the incredible breadth of talent and leadership Indianapolis offers,” said GIPC Board Chair Heather Wilson. “Both Tamika Catchings and Jeff Smulyan have elevated our city, bringing people together through sports, business, and community service. It is a privilege to honor not one, but two giants who have shaped the story of Indianapolis.”

This year’s event was made possible through the generous support of its sponsors, including Faegre Drinker as Title Sponsor and Pacers Sports & Entertainment as Legacy Sponsor. Visionary Sponsors included Bose McKinney & Evans, CICP, Citizens Energy Group, Emmis Corporation, Frost Brown Todd, IU Indianapolis, RepuCare, Taft, and The Shaheen Family Foundation. Loyalty Sponsors included AES Indiana, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP), Eli Lilly & Co., First Merchants Bank, Indianapolis Indians, Key Bank, Old National Bank, and Visit Indy.

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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 Whistler Award continues to honor the legacy of its namesake, 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, Whistler was a senior partner at Faegre Drinker (then Baker and Daniels) and chair of both GIPC’s Urban Growth and Revitalization Task Force and the White River State Park Citizen’s Advisory Committee.

Tamika Catchings’ and Jeff Smulyan’s names 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.

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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 G. Browning
2011: Samuel L. Odle
2012: David Shane
2013: John M. Mutz
2014: Martha Lamkin
2015: Thomas A. King
2016: Sarah & John Lechleiter
2017: Andre B. Lacy
2018: Marianne Glick
2019: Bill Shrewsberry
2020: Milton O. Thompson
2021: J. Murray Clark 2022: David L. Johnson
2023: J. Albert Smith Jr.

About GIPC:
Founded in 1965, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) is a non-partisan organization that partners with leaders of the public and private sectors of Indianapolis to study, discuss, and address issues of concern and areas of opportunity to advance the progress of the City.