“I want to spend time with people and organizations and companies and learn how to create partnerships. I feel like if we slow down a little and listen, we can grow the Indianapolis community and city and work well together.”

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Age: 35

Director of Community Relations, CityWay

Becca Manolov left Indiana 10 years ago to try something new. Now she’s back to promote something new—CityWay, the apartment/hotel/retail/YMCA complex downtown.

“Whatever it takes to help educate people about what’s happening in our neighborhood, I have my hands in,” said Manolov, CityWay’s director of community relations.

Manolov grew up in the southern Indiana town of Grandview and earned her bachelor’s degree from Ball State University. An internship with The Indianapolis Star’s marketing and advertising team led to a job with a now-defunct Carmel company for which Manolov traveled all over the country handling events, trade shows and client hospitality.

The travel spurred her to want to see more of the world, so she packed up and moved to San Diego. Manolov managed to find a position in hospitality at an Indian gambling resort and lectured in San Diego State University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program.

“I love teaching, I love being around customer service, I love non-stop action with hotels and events, as well as the economic impact that tourism brings to cities,” she said.

She then moved to Los Angeles, where she worked for what is now called Discover Los Angeles, which markets the city.

“Here I was,” she said, “a farm girl from Indiana, representing and bringing visitors to the second-most-visited city in the country.”

After four years there, Manolov, who got married in September 2012, decided she wanted to come home. She connected with Buckingham Cos., the developers of CityWay, and joined the firm on Dec. 27, 2011.•