Innovate North Central - South Bend - Elkhart

Dr. Theresa Cruthird, B.A., M.S., M.D. is a Virginia native whose career spans medicine,

entrepreneurship, authorship, and community leadership. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in

Religious Studies from the University of Virginia, a Master’s in Biotechnology from Johns

Hopkins University, and a Doctor of Medicine from Eastern Virginia Medical School, completing

her anesthesiology training at the University of Virginia before relocating to Michiana as a

partner in an anesthesiology practice at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Cruthird is the Founder and Managing Member of Generations AdventurePlex LLC, a family

entertainment center in Northwest Indiana, and Managing Partner of Hanei Developments, a

real estate development firm. She created the Chasing Squirrels™ system, a multi-project and

business management framework, and is the author of a children’s book. Her leadership

extends to serving on the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce Board, the board of

Nafsi Za Badae in Tanzania, as a youth ministry leader and trustee at Christian Life Center,

previously on the St. Joseph County Judicial Nominating Commission and the St. Joseph

County Board of Health, and most recently as a mentor for the Notre Dame SEAP Program.She

continues to create impact through faith, innovation, and service in every area of her work.

Mike Daigle joined South Bend International Airport (SBN) in 2012 as the CEO and Executive Director. With over 45 years of aviation experience, Mike is an accredited member of the American Association of Airport Executives, the largest professional organization for airport employees. He began his aviation career in the US Army as an airplane mechanic, then went on to be a helicopter pilot, flight instructor, and examiner with his last assignment flying Blackhawk helicopters and being the Airfield Commander at Ft. Carson, Colorado.

After retiring, he became the Airport Director in La Crosse, Wisconsin and then Glacier Park International in Kalispell, Montana. Prior to leading SBN, he served as the Deputy Executive Director at Capital Region International Airport in Lansing, Michigan. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation. Mike and the Teams’ major accomplishments at SBN include improving and working to continuously improvethe travel experience for the community and increasing business activity. Recently completing a multi-year $105 million taxiway reconstruction and realignment project; construction of a General Aviation Facility and a Federal Inspection Station allowing for international operations; the opening of SkyWest Airlines maintenance base creating over 90 jobs; bringing Breeze airlines to town – SBN’s fifth airline; terminal modernization; and the annual Bears in the Air program which has provided over 25,000 teddy bears to children in local area hospitals and over $116,000 to the Robert L. Miller Sr. Veteran’s Center.

20+ years in private equity, executive search, and Fortune 500 operations. Board Chair, South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership. Vanderbilt and London School of Economics graduate.

Bethany Hartley serves as the President and CEO of the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, overseeing economic development efforts across 47 communities in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. Under her leadership, the organization focuses on advancing regional economic opportunities through collaboration, communication, and convening. The Regional Partnership has been instrumental in securing major funding, including $95 million from Indiana’s READI program, driving transformative projects in quality of place, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. The Regional Partnership is on a mission to make the South Bend – Elkhart region the most prosperous region in the Midwest, prioritizing spurring job creation, executing and supporting strategic initiatives aligned with the Smart, Connected Communities 2030 regional economic development plan, and identifying and securing capital investment through collaboration.

Bethany holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and is currently a Global Executive MBA candidate at the University of Notre Dame. Her work has earned her recognition in Michiana’s 40 Under 40 (2021) and the IBJ’s 250 Most Influential Leaders in Indiana (2024). She is also a recipient of the YWCA Woman of the Year award (2024). Beyond her professional achievements, Bethany is deeply involved in civic engagement, serving on the boards of Startup Moxie Elkhart County, Memorial Hospital, the Indiana Economic Development Association, and other regional organizations. She resides in the South Bend – Elkhart region with her husband, Jim, and their dog, Molly. When they’re not discovering more about the place they call home, they can be found traveling the globe, riding bikes, and scuba diving.

Jeff Rea, CCE, IOM, is the current president and CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce, a role that he has held since September 2010. In his position, Rea represents the interests of more than 1,000 member businesses that employ over 60,000 people in the region. Rea guides the Chamber efforts in their three strategic areas of focus: economic development, public policy/advocacy and destination marketing. Under his leadership, the Chamber has been recognized as the Indiana Chamber of the Year, was a two-time runner-up for National Chamber of the Year, and has achieved 5-Star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an honor achieved by only 105 of the 7,022 chambers of commerce in the country.

Rea is a frequent speaker, trainer, facilitator and commentator. He is the host of WNIT Television’s Economic Outlook show, a weekly program that explores the stories, companies and people helping to drive the regional economy, and is a columnist in the business section of the South Bend Tribune.

Prior to coming to the Chamber, Rea served as mayor of the City of Mishawaka, Indiana for 6-1/2 years. During his time as mayor, Rea guided Mishawaka to record economic growth, all while reducing the size of the city budget and the number of city employees. His focus on the efficiency of operations, process improvement and elimination of waste put the city in a strong financial position during difficult economic times. Prior to his time as mayor, Rea served as economic development director and city planner for Mishawaka, working to create the right environment for private investment and growth through a business-friendly approach.

Rea comes from a family of small business owners, owning the Tribe-O-Rea Drug Store in Mishawaka (53 years) and the Cumberland Pharmacy in Bourbon, Indiana (55 years). It is there where Rea learned at a very young age the value of small business and its importance to the success of the local economy.