Jay and Jan Brill recently received a rare honor.
The Carmel couple received the Range Line Pioneer Award. Jay said they were told very few, if any, couples receive the community service award at the same time.
The award, which was established in 1992, was presented to the couple Nov. 30 during a private ceremony at the Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard’s office.
“According to the mayor, only about 100 citizens have received this honor, which he said is Carmel’s equivalent of the Sagamore of the Wabash,” Jay said.
Jay, 72, met Brainard in his first year in office when Jay was chair of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra.
“We started talking about a performing arts center for the Carmel Symphony and the community,” Jay said. “He’s always been supportive of the arts. We’re very grateful. That was the genesis of focusing on all arts organizations in Carmel. He saw it as an asset to the community. This is an honor to us because we’ve always been part of the community since we’ve been here since 1978. It was doubly nice we received it together.”
The Brills’ daughter, Zionsville resident Catherine Moser, attended the ceremony.
Jan, 71, is an original and organizing member of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and one of two remaining original members. In 2025, the cellist will celebrate her 50th year with CSO.
“We’ve seen it grow and prosper and become a major asset of the community,” Jay said of CSO. “I was on the board for 15 years and chair for a couple of years.”
Jan retired from Westfield Washington schools in 2018. She is active with the Carmel Clay Historical Society giving tours to Carmel elementary students. She performs with the St. Luke’s United Methodist Orchestra and participates in various programs within the church.
Jay retired from the National Bank of Indianapolis in 2017. He is vice president of the Carmel Redevelopment Authority, finance chair of St. Luke’s UMC finance committee and a governing board member. He is a member of the Ball State University Alumni Council and board member and past development chair for the Salvation Army.
