Fred Payne became president and CEO of the United Way of Central Indiana in July 2022 with a goal of helping 10,000 central Indiana households escape from poverty within five years. He has launched a strategy focusing on the leading indicators of poverty for residents of central Indiana: basic needs (food, transportation, shelter, etc.); early child care and learning; safe and affordable housing; and economic mobility. Payne previously served as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and led Indiana’s response to the extreme unemployment brought on by the pandemic. Under his tenure, thousands of Hoosiers were enrolled in job training and credential programs, including work-based learning and apprenticeships.
Something surprising: “I enjoy riding motorcycles and the feeling of speed and freedom on a sport bike. I also enjoy the study of horology. Time pieces and the art of watchmaking fascinate me.”
Walk-up song: “Good Day” by Forrest Frank
Jose Padilla is president of Valparaiso University, a private Lutheran school with about 2,800 students, 846 faculty and staff, a budget of about $110 million and an endowment of about $300 million. He took the job in December 2020, becoming the university’s 19th president. He manages an academic enterprise that has five colleges offering liberal arts and sciences and professional programs such as engineering, social work and nursing and physician assistant programs. Padilla created the Access College, which provides an associate’s degree to first-generation, low-income college students, and led the development of a five-year strategic plan and a review of all current academic and operational programs. He also manages a NCAA Division I athletics program with 19 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. He previously served as vice president, university counsel and secretary of the University of Colorado system.
First job: Dishwasher. “It showed me the strength of the working men and women of our nation.”
Surprising: “I’m an avid weightlifter.”
Walkup music: “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC.
Kent A. Kramer joined Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana in 2002 as vice president of retail operations and later served as chief operating officer. In 2015, he was named president and CEO. He leads nearly 5,000 employees (two-thirds of whom have a significant employment barrier) in an organization that brings in $240 million in annual revenue, educates more than 5,000 students in 17 high schools and provides services to more than 3,000 low-income families. Under his leadership, Goodwill Commercial Services, which provides contract manufacturing and packaging solutions, has grown from one to six locations. In April, the Goodwill Industries International Board of Directors awarded Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana the growth and development rights for Puerto Rico.
Something surprising: He loves alternative ’80s music. “Play The Cure, The Smiths, Pixies, Depeche Mode, New Order, R.E.M., Violent Femmes, etc., at a wedding and my foot tapping will soon lead to full-on craziness on the dance floor.”
Daniel Elsener became the eighth president of what was then Marian College in 2001 and has devoted himself to growing Marian University in both scope and magnitude. In 2023, Marian launched the E. S. Witchger School of Engineering. The university also launched the Klipsch Educators College seven years ago. The college’s Center for Vibrant Schools has partnered with K-12 schools to improve education for more than 50,000 students with a special focus in literacy and in implementing the City Connects program that helps schools address out-of-school challenges that affect student achievement. Prior to Marian, Elsener was executive director of the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation and Project E Indiana.
Favorite thing about about leading: “I get a chance to use my gifts and talents to improve individual lives and advance the common good.”
Advice for a young person: “Give a generous effort in your concern for others and be a learner throughout your life!”
C. Todd Richardson has served as the chief human resources officer and vice president at his alma mater, Indiana University, for two years. There, he is responsible for overseeing the talent acquisition, talent development and overall people strategies related to roughly 50,000 employees across nine campuses. Previously, he was CEO of EDGE Mentoring, executive vice president of Salesforce/ExactTarget, executive vice president of CP Morgan, and an attorney at Hall Render.
First job: Ritz Charles doorman. “In engaging with thousands of guests each day, it taught me early what love, common decency and compassion for people looks like (and does not). Treat ALL of those you encounter with respect and compassion.”
Lesson learned: “I fail literally every day and have worked to ensure that it doesn’t derail me.”
Worries about: “That everyone has lost their minds and cannot maintain proper decorum in engaging with those that think, believe, love, worship, etc., differently than themselves. Life is not a zero-sum game.”
Latha Ramchand is the first chancellor of Indiana University Indianapolis. Her goal is “to provide relevant, rigorous and affordable education that meets the state’s most pressing workforce needs. This includes graduating more students that are tech- and industry-ready, especially in the bio- and life-science areas and upskilling our current workforce in Indiana by offering adult learner certification programs.” Ramchand was born and raised in India and was a first-generation college student. She started her higher-education career at the University of Houston and ultimately served as dean of the College of Business. In 2018, she became executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of Missouri.
Leadership lesson: “Leadership is not a title; rather, it is a privilege that has to be earned every day. As a wise person said, ‘Your title makes you a manager and your people make you a leader.'”
Advice for a young person: “Embrace the opportunities and the challenges. Your challenges make you stronger and lead you to your next big assignment.”
Pamela Whitten serves as Indiana University’s 19th president and is the first woman to lead the university. Her focus is on three core areas: student success, transformative research, and service to the state of Indiana. Since she took office in July 2021, applications to IU increased by 6.75% for 2022-23 and 7.44% for 2023-24, and a focus on research has yielded $772 million in total sponsored research awards in 2023. IU also unveiled IU Innovates, a university-wide program that expands the expertise, mentorship, connections and other resources needed to cultivate successful startups and propel economic growth. She’s led the split of IUPUI into IU Indianapolis and Purdue in Indianapolis, which officially takes effect July 1.
Walkup music: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Career advice: “Continuous learning is paramount. Seek out opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge, whether through online courses, workshops, or independent exploration.”
Karen Plaut oversees Purdue University’s Office of Research, which brings together researchers and resources to drive discoveries designed to improve health outcomes, protect the environment while finding efficient energy sources, strengthen national defense, support infrastructure, enhance the digital economy through artificial intelligence and ensure food security. Its active research portfolio is $2.8 billion. Previously, Plaut led mammary gland biology and breast cancer research at the University of Vermont. She then joined NASA and served as lead scientist for International Space Station biological research building life sciences habitats for zero gravity. She joined Purdue in 2010 as associate dean of research in the College of Agriculture.
Advice for a young person: Take advantage of opportunities when they come, even if they’re not part of your career trajectory. “I had the rare opportunity to send animals up on the space shuttle with NASA to experience microgravity. It was not something I expected to do, but it sounded like fun. It led to many additional opportunities.”
N. Clay Robbins joined Lilly Endowment’s staff in January 1993 as vice president for community development to supervise that division’s grant-making activities. In 1994, he was elected president, and in 1999 he was elected to the board. In 2012, he was named CEO, and in September 2015, he was elected chair, president and CEO. Since February 2022, he has served as the endowment’s chair and CEO. Before joining the endowment, Robbins was a partner at Baker & Daniels. In 2021, IBJ named him one of 40 persons who have significantly influenced the central Indiana region in the past 40 years.
First job: William H. Block department store. “I was working when leisure suits for men first became available in the early 1970s. They were so popular that I had to referee conflicts between customers who were fighting over who got to them first. This experience taught me never to buy a leisure suit, and I never have.”
James Danko was named Butler University’s 21st president in 2011, stressing a focus on innovation and expansion that included developing new programs and enhancing the university’s facilities. Under his leadership, the university opened the 110,000-square-foot Lacy School of Business building in the summer of 2019 and completed a $100 million expansion of its sciences complex in 2023. In August 2025, Butler will open Founder’s College, which will allow students from historically underserved backgrounds to earn an associate degree with minimal financial burden and to pursue a Butler bachelor’s degree for approximately $10,000.
First job: Substitute newspaper carrier at age 10. “I was eager to have my own route, but you needed to be 12. I befriended the carriers near my home and positioned myself to take over when I reached the eligible age.”
Advice to students: “Strive to do your best at every step, but don’t be afraid to explore the less traveled paths.”
Pets: a Bernedoodle named Daisy and a rock dove named Snow
