Downtown Indy CEO Inc. to Step Down

Downtown Indy Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Sherry Seiwert is planning to resign at the end of the month. Bob Schultz, who currently serves as DII’s senior vice president of marketing and events, will take over as interim president.

Seiwert has been with the nonprofit since 2012 as the organization’s second president.

“I feel like the time is right,” said Seiwert. “Recently, I’ve been contemplating what is next for me and what is best for this organization. I couldn’t in good conscience leave this organization during a global health crisis and I felt that the continuity of leadership would be helpful through the pandemic and what became a recovery of our ultimate devastation of Downtown. Now, though, I feel we are recovering and it’s time for me to consider my next chapter more fully.”

During her time with the organization, Seiwert is credited with the completion of the Velocity plan, a strategic plan that gave way to the Market East Cultural District and a downtown playground along the canal, along with initial branding and placemaking efforts for Georgia Street, Canal Walk and Monument Circle.

“I hope all of Indianapolis would join me in expressing our appreciation for Sherry’s leadership and steadfastness,” said DII Board Chairperson Bill Browne, owner and founder of RATIO Architects. “The past two years especially have been difficult for everyone, but Downtown has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Fortunately, we are a resilient city and there have been great successes these past 10 years. We entered the pandemic from a position of strength and now, we are seeing positive signs of a healthy return every day.”

Browne and DII board member Krista Skidmore are forming a search committee to find the organization’s next CEO.