Times Staff Report

MERRILLLVILLE |The Times BusINess magazine, for the third consecutive year, honored 20 of Northwest Indiana's best and brightest business and community leaders under the age of 40 during a program at Gamba Ristorante this week,

Nominations for inclusion in the special edition of the magazine come from business and community representatives and members of the public.

Bill Masterson Jr., publisher of BusINess and The Times, presented plaques to the honorees. Masterson praised the varied professions of the guests and talked about how difficult it can be for younger people to make the right decisions in the minds of older, more experienced colleagues.

"You show maturity that transcends your years." He also pointed out how honorees credited their supervisors, and families for support and guidance.

"You are consistent. You show drive, determination and professionalism. The future of the country and of Northwest Indiana is in good hands."

Keynote speaker was Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., one of the honorees.

McDermott, 38, told the approximately 90 guests that being younger has helped him in his work, but that gaining respect can be tough.

"Most mayors no longer have to deal with the challenges of having a young family. In doing so, I can bring different things to the table and help make Hammond more family friendly."

He pointed to the city's collegebound scholarship program, that offers $7,500 annually to qualified students who attend Indiana colleges and whose families are homeowners.

He urges Hammond residents and supporters to "dig in, fight and don't leave Hammond."

Besides McDermott, the honorees included:

* Mike Anderson, Mike Anderson Chevrolet, Merrillville.

* Chris Bauman, Chordcraft Music Co., Crown Point.

* Shelby Curry, Horseshoe Casino, Hammond.

* Brett Dines, Brogan Pharmaceuticals LLC, Crown Point.

* Scott Fech, Bishop Noll Institute, Hammond.

* Joe Gambril, Source One Real Estate, Crown Point.

* Brandon Griffin, BLG Publishing, Merrillville.

* Blaine Hilton, Blaine's Business Services Inc., Highland.

* Brett Homann, Homann Karate Do, Crown Point.

* Todd Kleven, Hawk Development and Captiva Development, Crown Point.

* Jana Maric and Lisa Wilson, Mama I Beba, Highland.

* Mellonie Mendoza, Mendoza's Mexican Mix, Merrillville.

* Andy Moore, AJP Custom Homes, Dyer.

* Jay O'Brien, www.choppers157, Merrillville.

* April Rodriguez, Premiere Dance Studio, Schererville.

* Todd Scheub, Peoples Bank, Munster.

* Chris Stidham, Portage Economic Development Corp., Portage.

* Mike Sur, Paul Sur Pontiac-GMC, Valparaiso.

Guests also included honorees from the previous 20 Under 40 editions.

BusINess, first published in September 2004. is direct-mailed to some 12,000 executives and civic leaders in the Northwest Indiana, south suburban Chicago areas.