By Dr. Jeff Bird—
MUNCIE, IN—I had the pleasure of interviewing two outstanding leaders from the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce. Ashley Williams is the vice president of talent development and Gina Caravaglia serves the Chamber as the coordinator of the Delaware County Redevelopment Alliance of Muncie-Delaware County.
Williams has been at the Chamber since 2024 in her role after spending several years as part of the senior management team at the Youth Opportunity Center. She also has worked at Eastern Indiana Works. After graduating high school in Francisco, IN she matriculated to Ball State University to study then pursued a Masters in Public Administration from Indiana Wesleyan. She describes her role at the Chamber as a “Convener and Connector.” She works daily with local businesses to better understand their talent needs and then acts as a liaison and partner to fill those needs. She meets regularly with local high schools including the Muncie Area Career Center, Ivy Tech, and Ball State. She is often able to connect local businesses with talent and people who can help address their businesses needs.
Caravaglia grew up in Richmond Virginia. She was interested in athletic participation in high school, and came to Ball State after being impressed by both the academic opportunities for her and her desire to play college field hockey, which she did at BSU for all 4 years of her undergraduate experience.
After graduation with a BS in Psychological Science she then pursued a Master in Public Administration at Ball State. She joined the Chamber in June of 2025.
In her role with the Chamber, Caravaglia oversees the operations of the Redevelopment Commission including project management, planning and execution of redevelopment activities, and administration of the County’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts.
She said, “Economic development is like a puzzle, and the big picture is a result of many pieces coming together with purpose. Redevelopment is a vital piece of the puzzle that allows us to reinvest, transform, and shape the Muncie-Delaware County community into the place we want it to become.”
The talent of Williams and Caravaglia serve our economic development activities with great passion and skill.
We are fortunate to have them leading the efforts in Muncie and Delaware County.
The post Dr. Jeff Bird: Chamber of Commerce Leaders Impacting Our Local Economy appeared first on Muncie Journal.
