State Unveils Inaugural ‘Hoosiers by Choice’ Class

Tamika Catchings

Indiana Fever General Manager and basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings is one of four people named in the inaugural class of Hoosiers by Choice, an initiative created by the Indiana Destination Development Corp.

The program highlights people who have moved to the Hoosier State and chose to make Indiana their permanent home.

The IDDC says the campaign and its website will display authentic Hoosier stories of people living in northern, central and southern Indiana in the form of short videos.

“We are extremely proud to launch a campaign that will clearly demonstrate Indiana’s strong quality of life and show what makes living in Indiana so special,” said Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch. “The website will not only serve as the main hub for our Hoosiers by Choice stories but also as a great resource for people considering moving to Indiana.”

Tamika Catchings was drafted by the Indiana Fever. She retired as a player in 2016. Catchings joined the Fever executive staff in 2019. She currently serves as general manager.

Last summer, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Also named to the Hoosiers by Choice program are:

• Ayse Mathies lives in Evansville. She moved to Indiana from Turkey.
• Chelesa Boulrisse moved to Wabash for a job. She was born and raised in Massachusetts.
• Neelay Bhatt worked for the Disney Co. in Orlando but applied for a job in Indiana and has remained.

“As Hoosiers, we know we have incredible stories to tell, and the Hoosiers by Choice campaign will allow us to be intentional about sharing those stories,” said Elaine Bedel, Secretary and CEO of IDDC. “We are hopeful that the campaign will instill a sense of pride in current Hoosiers and show perspective Hoosiers what makes Indiana a great place for anyone to call home.”

IDDC says the campaign will run throughout 2021.

Click here to learn more about the program.