The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has named Stan Jones as its Government Leader of the Year for 2009.

Jones is the former commissioner of higher education and is cited for reforming the system, particularly the creation of Ivy Tech Community College.  It is an unusual choice both because the Chamber usually selects an elected official (last year’s choice of Joe Kernan and Randall Shepard for their work on government reform was the first exception) and because Jones has left the state for a job in Washington, DC.

Jones will be honored at a dinner tonight.