Occupation: Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Visit Indy
College Majors: Broadcast Journalism
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

Chris Gahl ’00 says he’s always loved exploring Indianapolis. Since graduating from Butler—the only college he applied to—he’s been in the business of promoting cities. From 2000–2005, his focus was Honolulu. Since then, it’s been Indianapolis. Nearly every week, he takes an outing to a new restaurant, music venue, or some other location so that he can advocate for his hometown.

“When you’re in the business of marketing a city, it’s your responsibility to be on the pulse of the city—what’s new, what’s changing, what’s in the pipeline,” he says. “This means constantly exploring neighborhoods, tasting new restaurants, and experiencing new art exhibits. Promoting Indy means always investigating the culture of Indy, uncovering new offerings so that you can turn around and talk more intelligently and enthusiastically with someone who is considering visiting our city.”