Each year, the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly recognizes professionals throughout Northeast Indiana who have made a difference both on the job and within the community. With help from a panel of judges, the Forty Under 40 Class of 2024 is chosen. This year, we have the honor of recognizing Kelly Rentschler, Distribution Work Plan manager, as a 2024 award recipient.

"I am honored to be among this year's Forty Under 40 class, which features a group of distinguished leaders, doing incredible things throughout our local community, Rentschler said. "Each member comes from a different background, with different professional responsibilities, but we all share a similar passion for the community we call home, and that motivates us every day."

Within her role at I&M, Rentschler uses critical strategizing and problem solving to oversee district level work execution, crew scheduling and budget management. Aside from the reward she sees within her position, she focuses on the bigger picture of working in an industry that provides essential service to the communities we serve as. But the contribution to essential service can be beyond utilities.

In what she deemed, "a major lift," AEP's Empowered Parents and Caregivers Employee Resource Group became official in July 2023. This group seeks to support, encourage and uplift families across the organization who are balancing careers and caring for loved ones through advocacy, education and community. The group is working to grow membership and formalize chapters in each of the 11 states where AEP operates.

Rentschler, a wife and mom, credits not perfecting "work-life balance" but instead, breaking down critical vs. non-critical items on one's plate to determine where your focus and energy should go. For her, this allows room to pursue professional goals, like obtaining her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and grow through engaging across the organization, diving into best practices and keeping up on industry trends through various media.

"I value the work I do every day for our organization, but also within the community," Rentschler concluded. "Through each stop on my professional journey here, I have learned something new, and a lot of that is thanks to the team around me."