Marty Vanags assumed the position of Vice President for Regional Economic Development and Executive Director of the Indy Partnership in February 2013. Vanags leads a group of professional economic development staff whose mission is to market and promote the nine-county Indianapolis region as a place to invest and grow business. The Indy Partnership is a business unit of the Indy Chamber.

Vanags is a graduate of Illinois State University and Northern Illinois University (MPA) and has over 25 years of experience in community and economic development, private commercial real estate development and business management. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He has served as Chairman of the Illinois Development Council, Chair of International Economic Development Council Public Policy Advisory Committee, and member of the same organization's Economic Development Research Partners (EDRP). He is an active alumnus of Illinois State University serving on their Alumni Board, and the Board of Advisors for the Means Center for Entrepreneurship at ISU's College of Business. Vanags also is a co-founder and creator of the Center for Emerging Entrepreneurs, a business incubation and development program at Illinois State University.

He is a co-founder and on the Board of the @Midwest Social Media Conference, and speaks and provides seminars on social media and its impact on economic development and non-profits. Vanags has spoken at various venues and conferences on topics ranging from communication, leadership, change management, and data-use in economic development and community development. Under Vanags' leadership, the Bloomington Normal EDC received numerous accolades and awards for marketing, communication and economic development best practices.