Indianapolis Prize Executive Committee 2012

The Honorable Gregory A. Ballard
Mayor, City of Indianapolis
Raised on the east side of Indianapolis, Gregory A. Ballard was elected as the 48th Mayor of Indianapolis in 2007 and re-elected to his second term in 2011.  After earning his undergraduate degree in Economics from Indiana University, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps. Mayor Ballard met Winnie, his wife of 29 years, while stationed near San Diego. They have two adult children, Erica and Greg Jr. As a Marine, Mayor Ballard served in the Persian Gulf War and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 23 years of service. He successfully transitioned to the corporate world, including several years as North American Operations Manager for Bayer in Indianapolis.  As Mayor, Ballard has focused on fiscal responsibility and sound financial management in city government – passing four years of balanced budgets and eliminating a projected $170 million budget deficit for 2012.

Mary Clare Broadbent
Civic Volunteer
Mary Clare Broadbent is currently Chair of the 500 Festival Foundation Board of Directors, and she serves on the Board of Governors of the Indianapolis Art Museum, the Foundation Board of St. Vincent's Hospital, and the Advisory Board of the Indianapolis Women's Magazine.  Extremely active in the community, Ms. Broadbent has also served on the boards of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Park Tudor School, the Junior League of Indianapolis, the Civic Theatre, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Christamore Aid Society.  She co-chaired the inaugural Zoobilation event at the Indianapolis Zoo and the National Figure Skating Championships, as well as chairing the opening and closing ceremonies of the Pan American Games, all in Indianapolis. 

Brian W. Casey, Ph.D.
President, DePauw University
Brian W. Casey became DePauw University's 19th president in 2008. Previously, he served as associate dean for academic affairs in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. As an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame, he earned a B.A. in philosophy and economics, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and was graduated summa cum laude, receiving the Economics Award for his class. He went on to earn his J.D. from Stanford University Law School in 1988, graduating with honors.  After pursuing a career in law, he earned his Ph.D. in the history of American civilization from Harvard University.  At DePauw, Dr. Casey has focused on personal involvement on all levels of the university experience for the more than 2,400 students at this distinguished liberal arts college.  In October 2010, he was honored with the Harvey G. Foster Award from Notre Dame for “his distinguished involvement in civic and university initiatives” – an embodiment of his mission to make DePauw a living and learning community of unmatched intellectual and creative energy, excitement, and relevance.   

Margot L. Eccles
Vice President, LDI, Ltd.
Margot Lacy Eccles officially began her career with her family's company in 1951, and since 1976, she has helped develop one of the nation's most outstanding executive leadership programs – the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series (SKL). Her commitment to Central Indiana also can be seen in her leadership roles in several organizations. Mrs. Eccles is Chair of The Lacy Foundation and serves as a Director for the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Franklin College Board of Trustees, Indiana Symphony Society and Cultural Trail, Inc.  She serves as Director of LDI, Ltd., LLC.  She is also a member of the Music Crossroads Steering Committee, Eiteljorg Museum Advisory Board,  Heartland Film Festival Board of Governors, and the Race Relations Leadership Network Committee. Mrs. Eccles attended Tufts University and is a graduate of the American Theater Wing of New York City. She also pursued advanced studies at the University of Paris, France.

Lori Efroymson-Aguilera
Philanthropist
In 1998, Lori Efroymson-Aguilera and her late husband, Dan, established the Efroymson Family Fund with a $90 million gift. Since Dan’s death in 1999, Lori and their two children, Jeremy and Elissa, have continued the family’s philanthropic tradition by providing support to charitable organizations throughout Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, and across the U.S. The Efroymson Family Fund, part of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, is one of the largest donor-advised funds in the United States, awarding more than $60 million to not-for-profit organizations. The Fund continues a long legacy of charitable commitment by the Efroymson family in Central Indiana. For 80 years, three generations – Gustave, Robert and Dan – served without interruption on The Indianapolis Foundation Board of Trustees. The family’s grantmaking focus has been to improve the viability of Indianapolis and provide funds for the welfare of the disadvantaged; the natural environment; historic preservation; and the well-being of the Jewish people.  Lori continues the tradition alongside her husband, the former Mexican Consul to Indianapolis, Sergio Aguilera.  Lori Efroymson-Aguilera received her Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education from Florida State University.

Suzanne M. Fehsenfeld
Founder and Chairman, The Globe Foundation
Suzanne Fehsenfeld is the President and Founder of Globe Foundation, a private foundation that strives to create partnerships with organizations that address global concerns, with a primary focus on conservation of wildlife and the environment.  Known for her passion for conservation, Ms. Fehsenfeld’s volunteerism includes serving on the board of such organizations as The Nature Conservancy and Lewa USA as well as holding a life-time board membership as a Founder Member of the Indianapolis Zoo.  Her charitable work has involved working in partnership with such organizations as National Geographic, the Northern Rangelands Trust, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Save the Elephants, the IU-Kenya Partnership, Indiana University, Purdue University, Christel House and the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute. Ms. Fehsenfeld received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Indiana University and attended Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the Masters Degree of Education Program. 

Anton H. (Tony) George
Owner, Vision Investments, LLC
Tony George has had the privilege of serving many of Indiana’s great institutions in the past 25 years.  In addition to serving as President and CEO, he has been a member of the board of Hulman & Company and its subsidiaries, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  He serves on the boards of Vectren Corporation, First Financial Corporation, Deep Vein Coal Company, Princeton Mining Company, and R.J. Oil Company.  A native of Terre Haute, he serves on the Foundation Board of his Alma Mater, Indiana State University, and the Board of Trustees of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, as well as on the boards of the Riley Children’s Foundation and the United States Auto Club.  Mr. George has been honored with a Sagamore of the Wabash, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leader of the Year Award, the Autosport Pioneering & Innovation Award, and the Formula One Constructors Association Award.  He and his wife Laura live in Indianapolis.  They have three children and three grandchildren.

Jo Ann M. Gora, Ph.D.
President, Ball State University
Ball State University’s 14th president since 2004, Dr. Jo Ann Gora has led an update of Ball State’s strategic plan and has increased its commitment to emerging media, campus diversity, and developing nationally ranked academic programs. Among many honors, on May 2009, Gora received the Mira Trailblazer Award from Techpoint for her significant and lasting contributions to technology innovation in Indiana. She was one of the charter signatories to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, and in May 2009, Gora and other officials broke ground on the largest geothermal district energy system  in the United States, which will eventually allow the University to reduce its carbon footprint by nearly half. President Gora began serving a four-year term on the American Council on Education's Board of Directors in 2011. She is a member of the Association of Governing Boards' Council of Presidents, chairs the Mid-American Conference Presidents' Council, co-chairs the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, and serves on the boards of First Merchants Bank, Ball Memorial Hospital, and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. She also received a Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana's highest civilian honor, in 2005. Gora came to Ball State from the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she had been chancellor since 2001.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Vassar College and master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from Rutgers University.

Jim Irsay
Owner and Chief Executive Officer, Indianapolis Colts
Jim Irsay has been a key figure in the Indianapolis Colts' front office since they arrived in the Hoosier capital in 1984. Since 1996, when Irsay assumed control, the Colts have won eight division championships and the Super Bowl.  An active and participating owner, Irsay serves as the chairman of the NFL’s Legislative Committee and on the Super Bowl Advisory Committee and the Finance Committee.  Currently, Jim Irsay serves on the boards of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, United Way of Central Indiana, and The Indy Partnership.  In addition to supporting the arts and environment, Jim and his family joined with the Colts to fund a research program at the Indiana University Cancer Center and a 10-year program with Noble of Indiana to help children with disabilities.  He received his bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas in 1982. 

Scott A. Jones
Chairman & CEO, ChaCha
An entrepreneur, inventor, strategist and venture capitalist for over 20 years, Scott Jones co-founded his first company at the age of 25, where he obtained patents for technologies that now enable telephone companies worldwide to offer voice mail on a massive scale to over two billion people. Subsequently, he founded the Internet-based music service company Gracenote (later sold to Sony in 2008), whose services are accessed globally at the rate of 24 billion times per year by applications such as iTunes.  Currently, he serves as chairman, CEO and co-founder of ChaCha, the leading free, real-time answers service. Since the launch of its unique “ask-a-smart-friend” platform that Jones developed, ChaCha has answered more than a billion questions from more than 32 million unique users per month.  Scott Jones is passionately focused on making the world a better place.  An active leader in his community, Scott serves on numerous boards, and in 1994, he established the Scott A. Jones Foundation. Its goal is providing a cross-section of all children with the tools to reach their full potential through educational and cultural activities. An additional focus is the advancement of technology through support of educational and research organizations that seek advances in information technology, communications, transportation, and medical/life sciences.

Catherine A. Langham
President and CEO, Langham Logistics, Inc.
Cathy Langham co-founded Langham Logistics, Inc. in 1988 and functions as its President and Chief Executive Officer.  Ms. Langham, a graduate of Indiana University, focuses on business strategy, development, and critical projects.  With over 25 years of logistics expertise, Langham works with business leaders in a wide spectrum of industries including pharmaceutical, food & beverage, and automotive, as well as other industries with complex supply chains.  Langham also serves on the boards of Directors of HHGregg Inc., Celadon Group Inc., the Finish Line Inc., as well as the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the Superbowl 2012 Host Committee, and the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.  Cathy is married to Rick Kocerha, and they have a 12-year-old son, Stephen.

Michael A. McRobbie, D.Sc.
President, Indiana University
Michael A. McRobbie became Indiana University’s eighteenth president on July 1, 2007, and is responsible for IU’s eight-campus system, which has a total budget of around $2.7 billion and over 5,000 faculty, 11,000 staff, and 100,000 students. As president, McRobbie has set out a vision for IU that stresses and reaffirms IU's fundamental mission of excellence in research and teaching.  In addition to serving as IU’s top administrator, President McRobbie is a professor of computer science and holds appointments in a variety of other areas in departments on both the IU Bloomington and Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis campuses. He has been an active researcher in computer science and logic over his career. He has been principal investigator on numerous large grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, has published a number of books, and has served on editorial boards and conference committees. In 1996, he co-founded the Asian Pacific Advanced Network, a high-performance computer network for the research and education community in the Asia-Pacific region. More recently he was appointed as an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia, one of that nation’s highest honors, and elected an honorary member of the Australian Academy of Humanities.

Michael S. (Mickey) Maurer, J.D.
Chairman of the Board, The National Bank of Indianapolis
Mickey’s career as an attorney and entrepreneur has included cable television, film production, radio broadcasting, newspaper publishing and banking.  An Indianapolis native, Mickey attended the University of Colorado and was graduated with a B.S. in accounting.  He serves on the Board of Visitors of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado.  Mickey attended Indiana University School of Law where he received a J.D. in 1967.  In 2008, the school was renamed Indiana University Maurer School of Law.  He is admitted to both the New York and the Indiana Bars.  Mickey serves as Chairman of the Board of IBJ Media, which owns the Indianapolis Business Journal, Court and Commercial Record, and The Indiana Lawyer.  Mickey serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The National Bank of Indianapolis, a financial institution he founded in 1993.  In 2001, Mickey established “Mickey’s Camp,” a charitable endeavor that has raised more than $1,000,000 for Central Indiana charities.  In 2005, Mickey was named President of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., and in 2006, Mickey served as Indiana Secretary of Commerce.  Mickey enjoys leadership through active participation as a director of numerous businesses, civic, education and philanthropic organizations.

Samuel L. Odle, FACHE
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Indiana University Health
Samuel L. Odle, FACHE, is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Indiana University Health.  Mr. Odle also serves as CEO for IU Health Methodist Hospital and IU Health University Hospital.  These adult hospitals serve as the primary teaching hospitals for IU School of Medicine and are the referral hospitals for IU Health's medical and surgical subspecialty programs. He is a past chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of 30,000 healthcare executives who lead our nation's hospitals, healthcare systems, and other health care organizations.  Mr. Odle received his master's degree in hospital administration and his bachelor's degree in allied health education from Indiana University, Indianapolis.  Board certified in healthcare management and an ACHE Fellow, Mr. Odle serves as a member of the board for ITT Educational Services, Inc., United Way of Central Indiana, Jordan Foundation, Crossroads of America Boy Scouts Council, and the Methodist Health Foundation.

Jeffrey H. Smulyan, J.D.
Chairman of the Board, EMMIS Communications Corporation
Jeffrey H. Smulyan serves as Chairman of the Board of Emmis Communications Corporation, an Indianapolis–based radio, TV and magazine publishing company. A cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California with a B.A. in History and Telecommunications, Smulyan earned a Juris Doctor degree from USC School of Law. Smulyan formed and became principal shareholder of Emmis in 1980. A public company since 1994, Emmis owns and operates 20 FM and 2 AM radio stations in the nation’s largest markets; six local, regional and national magazine operations; and radio stations in Slovakia and Bulgaria. A former director of the National Association of Broadcasters and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Radio Advertising Bureau, Mr. Smulyan sits on the Board of Trustees of the University of Southern California. He is a member of numerous civic boards and committees. He received the American Women in Radio and Television's Star Award in 1994 and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Ernst & Young the following year. In 1994, Smulyan was named by The White House to head the U.S. Delegation to the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications Union. As a United States Ambassador, he represented the U.S. in various bilateral meetings, negotiating a landmark agreement between Israel and the PLO.  In 2004, he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. Among many other honors, Smulyan has received the State of Indiana’s “Sagamore of the Wabash” and was inducted into the Indiana Business Hall of Fame.