Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed Ryan Kitchell in April to chair the Governor‘s Workforce Cabinet, which seeks to address Indiana‘s education and employment needs. In 2020, Holcomb appointed him to the pandemic-focused Indiana Economic Relief & Recovery Team. Kitchell is a minority owner in Circle Beverage and SCP Ltd. He previously served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Indiana University Health and as director of the Indiana Office of Management and Budget. He serves on the boards of Indiana Sports Corp., Old National Bancorp, Cancer Treatment Centers of America and OneAmerica Financial Partners.
Reading: “my Bible, The Wall Street Journal and board packets”
Admires most: “my dad, the greatest guy I‘ll ever know”
Listening to: “my wife”
A better Indiana: “We should encourage more risk taking.”
Jason Kloth joined the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership in 2015 to serve as the first CEO of Ascend Indiana, CICP‘s talent and workforce development program. Kloth, who previously served as Mayor Greg Ballard‘s deputy mayor of education, led development of Ascend‘s job-matching platform, workforce research and employer consulting services. Last year, Ascend committed nearly $24 million to revamping its online job platform and expanding it statewide, with the goal of partnering with 550 Indiana employers. Kloth starting his career teaching sixth grade and later was founding executive director of Teach for America‘s Indianapolis office.
Advice for young people: “Work hard. Be smart. Be kind. Have courage. Use wisdom.”
Listening to: “Music is a central part of my life, and I listen to divergent genres that speak to me in different ways. During a given week, I listen to classical, alternative, indie and hip-hop—sometimes all in the same day. Right now, I have Outkast‘s ‘ATLiens‘ 25th anniversary edition in heavy rotation.”
Mickey Maurer is an entrepreneur, attorney, philanthropist and investor who has been involved with some of the city‘s most iconic companies. With a cousin, Maurer founded The National Bank of Indianapolis to ensure central Indiana companies could do business with local bankers; he continues to serve on the board. In 1990, with another partner, he purchased IBJ Media, parent company of Indianapolis Business Journal and Indiana Lawyer, and remains a minority shareholder. Maurer, for whom the IU Maurer School of Law is named, also served as Indiana commerce secretary and is founder of “Mickey‘s Camp,” an event for corporate and community leaders that raises money for local organizations.
New hobby: “I am writing medical science fiction. My first effort, ‘The Methuselah Gene,‘ was published at the end of last year. My wife, Janie, was quoted as saying … ‘Sex, mayhem and medical mysteries—where did my husband come up with all of that?‘”
Something surprising: “I test out in the Myers-Briggs indicators as a strong introvert. I am comfortable speaking to large groups, but I try to opt out of small gatherings among strangers.”
Pat Miller and her friend, Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, founded bag and accessories maker Vera Bradley in an effort to make better-looking luggage. They started the company in 1982, each investing $250, out of their homes and took the company public in 1990. Miller left her leadership role with the company in 2005 to serve for one year as then-Gov. Mitch Daniels‘ commerce secretary and president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. She then returned to Vera Bradley, retiring in 2012. Miller co-founded the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer and the Indiana University Women‘s Philanthropy Council.
Hobbies: golf and hiking
Favorite part of being a leader: “Building a team and working together to reach goals.”
Advice for young people: “Do what you love, love what you do.”
Walk-up song: “We are the Champions,” by Queen
Jim Morris, now vice chairman of the Pacers Sports & Entertainment, has been one of central Indiana‘s most influential leaders, starting with his work to help usher in Unigov during his six years as chief of staff for then-Mayor Richard Lugar, create IUPUI and develop Market Square Arena. He served as president of Lilly Endowment Inc., where he earmarked $25 million to help build the Hoosier Dome, and helped establish the Indiana Sports Corp. From 1989-2002, Morris was chairman and CEO of Indianapolis Water Co./IWC Resources. From 2002-2005, he served as executive director of the World Food Programme. “I have a special interest and personal commitment to addressing the issue of child hunger around the world,” he told IBJ. He returned to Indianapolis to join the Indiana Pacers as president before moving into the role of vice chairman of PS&E in 2014. Earlier this year, he retired from the Indiana University board, where he served on and off for several decades, twice as chair. IU President Pamela Whitten called Morris “an icon.”
Phil Newbold served as CEO of Beacon Health System—a not-for-profit that owns Elkhart General Hospital, Memorial Health System of South Bend and a 350-member physician group—from 2011 to 2017, when he became the organization‘s CEO emeritus. Before a merger created Beacon, Newbold led Memorial Hospital in South Bend for 23 years. As CEO of Beacon, Newbold developed northern Indiana‘s first Level II trauma center and built a regional 80-bed children‘s hospital that serves 14 counties. Newbold led Beacon to become the first Indiana hospital to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network and introduce the region‘s first MedFlight service. He is chair of the Indiana University of South Bend Advisory Council and serves on the board for the Center for the Homeless in South Bend. He has been active throughout the years with organizations at the University of Notre Dame (including the Gigot Center and Innovation Park) and has served area chambers and economic development organizations.
Fred Payne joined United Way in July, replacing longtime president and CEO Ann Murtlow. Before that, he had been commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, a post Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed him to in 2017. Under Payne‘s leadership, DWD increased industry focused job training programs, apprenticeships and earn-and-learn opportunities. Payne served on the Governor‘s Workforce Cabinet and chaired the Governor‘s Health Workforce Council. Payne came to DWD from Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, where he had various roles, including chief administrator and general counsel. He serves on the boards of the Indianapolis Urban League, Indy Eleven Soccer Foundation and Honda Federal Credit Union.
Something surprising: “I am a Western show/movie fanatic.”
Listening to: “Come to the Table (The Family Room Sessions),” by Sidewalk Prophets, and “The Guardians,” by John Grisham
Toughest challenge: “A battle with cancer.”
Mike Pence served as the nation‘s 48th vice president from 2017-2021 after winning on a ticket with Republican Donald Trump. He chaired the National Space Council and the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Pence was in his first term as governor of Indiana when Trump picked him to be his running mate. A Columbus native, Pence was elected governor in 2012—where he implemented one of the state‘s largest tax cuts and increased funding for private-education initiatives—after serving six terms in the U.S. House representing first Indiana‘s 2nd District and then the 6th District. He chaired the Republican Study Committee from 2005 to 2007 and served as chair of the House Republican Conference from 2009 to 2011, the third-highest position in the House Republican leadership. Last year, Pence founded Advancing American Freedom, a policy and advocacy organization “established to promote pro-freedom policies.
Since 2010, Jeff Rea has led the South Bend Regional Chamber as well as its partner, the Greater Niles Chamber in neighboring Michigan. As the area‘s chief advocate for regional collaboration and co-founder of the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership, Rea has helped the area nab a $42 million state regional cities award, a $42 million Lilly Endowment grant, and a $50 million state READI grant. Before joining the chamber, Rea served as Mishawaka mayor for more than six years. He is host of a public TV program about the region‘s economy.
Listening to: “I‘ve found ‘Business Movers‘ and ‘Business Wars‘ to be two great podcasts with some unique insight into the companies we all know and the leaders that lead them.”
Sabbatical topic: “I‘d love to have some time to write about my experiences in government. That inside look and perspective as to what‘s happening in ‘Any Town, Indiana‘ I think would be interesting, and I‘d love to offer some insights on how I think things could be improved.”
Walk-up song: “My Town,” by Montgomery Gentry
Mario Rodriguez has led the Indianapolis Airport Authority—which operates Indianapolis International Airport, four small area airports and the downtown heliport—since 2014. The organization has 450 employees, annual revenue of more than $200 million, and a five-year capital budget of more than $1 billion. He has been appointed by three presidents to serve on the U.S. Transportation Department‘s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee and served on President Joe Biden‘s transition team. He is co-founder of the Hispanic Leadership Circle and serves on the boards of Ivy Tech Community College and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.
Something surprising: “I grew up with very (very) limited means and worked hard at various jobs to pay for college. One job was as a mate on a tour boat called the Island Queen, located in Miami. Eventually, I even captained that boat and many others, starting at the ripe age of about 20. It definitely was an interesting way to pay for college.”
Reading: “Cuba: An American History,” by Ada Ferrer
