Tobias Leadership Center creates, appoints new Fellows Advisory Board

INDIANAPOLIS – The Tobias Leadership Center is proud to announce the formation of the Tobias Fellows Advisory Board to provide guidance to and identify annual objectives for the yearlong, interactive program that brings together seasoned leaders from diverse sectors and industries to form a peer-learning cohort.

“Establishing the Tobias Fellows Advisory Board is a significant step for the Fellows Program,” said Julie Manning Magid, executive and academic director of the Tobias Leadership Center and vice dean of the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. “The board members embody the essence of what it means to be a leader, and their experience will drive innovation and strategic insights that benefit future Tobias Fellows, their organizations, and their communities.”

The advisory board’s main role will be to advise on program strategies, offer recommendations and feedback based on their personal experiences, and support the continued growth and expansion of the Fellows Program. The board will meet quarterly with their initial meeting planned for Friday, Nov. 10.

Comprised exclusively of Fellows alumni, the inaugural Tobias Fellows Advisory Board includes:

• Mark Ashworth, director of business systems support at the Indiana Department of Revenue;
• Jon Barada, vice president of engagement at IU Ventures;
• Jess Carter, vice president of client experience and delivery operations at Resultant;
• Robin Fleming, fractional executive/advisor at Evolv Tech and the Tobias Leadership Center’s Executive in Residence;
• Joel Hungate, director of Hancock well-being at Hancock Health;
• Cinthya Kauffman, vice president of finance and administration at Central Indiana Corporate Partnership;
• Jennifer Kerr, president at Cook Research Inc.;
• Almera Mahmood, chief financial officer at Prolific;
• Anne Murray, director of development at Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Indiana;
• Neal Rothermel, principal officer at VMS BioMarketing;
• Angela Smith, senior executive advisor at the Indiana University Office of the Vice President for Student Success;
• Matt Smorch, president and CEO at Country Mark Cooperative;
• Laura Treanor, provost and senior vice president at Vincennes University;
• Michelle Williams, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Firefly Children and Family Alliance;
• Chevelle Williams, director of IT applications at Wabash Valley Power Alliance;
• Corey Wilson, vice president of community engagement at Pacers Sports & Entertainment; and
• Nikki Woodson, superintendent of schools at the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township.

To learn more about the board members and their respective backgrounds, click here.

The advisory board will serve as a foundational pillar, enhancing the Fellows Program’s trajectory through the collective wisdom of its members. This diverse, strategic assembly ensures that the program benefits from the experience of its alumni. Board members will serve either two- or four-year terms, with a limit of three consecutive terms.

The Tobias Fellows is a prestigious program designed for experienced leaders to engage in transformative leadership experiences to create empowered leaders who are ready for 21st-century challenges. For more information on the Tobias Leadership Center, click here.

About the Randall L. Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence
The Randall L. Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence at Indiana University Indianapolis was established in 2004 by a generous endowment from Ambassador Randall Tobias. The Tobias Leadership Center is explicitly cross-sectoral in its study of leadership and was created as a collaboration of the Kelley School of Business, O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the IU School of Education, and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The center prepares leaders for 21st-century challenges. By bridging the gap between knowledge and practice, it empowers leaders to develop people, organizations, and communities to solve complex problems. The center values impact, inclusion, integrity, and innovation, and its focus on leadership across all sectors—business, public service, education, religion, medicine, and nonprofit—makes it unique among leadership programs nationwide.