Fellow Award Winners
Driving Change Award Winners
Purpose & Criteria:
The Driving Change Award recognizes a Fellow who has successfully completed the first year curriculum who has made significant advancements and impact as they “Drive Change” through their MDLF Capstone.
Dan Kozlowski
2024 Driving Change Award Winner, Class VI
“The impact this program had on me over the past year, including the meaningful topics, classes, speakers, and discussions, helped me to drive our organization forward with soliciting and securing the largest gift in the history of Catholic primary education. With the excellent partnership of the Diocese of Gary at our side, this gift will transform the education landscape in Northwest Indiana to positively impact our communities for generations.”
Dan Kozlowski serves as Executive Director of the Big Shoulders Fund of Northwest Indiana and was selected by the MDLF Executive Committee because of his advancement and impact through his Capstone “Fostering Educational Excellence” (more information here).
Dan recently secured a ten year, $150 million donation from the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation to continue the work of Big Shoulders Fund. This will allow the organization to carry out its mission to educate students, strengthen families, and preserve communities by providing all children with access to a quality, values-based education in Northwest Indiana.
In his community, Dan was recognized as a 2021 Northwest Indiana Times “20 Under 40” honoree highlighting his impact in the region. Additionally, Dan is a distinguished StrOsacker (Str-Oh-sacker) Early Learning Fellow, showcasing his dedication to continuous personal and professional development.
Dan graduated from Valparaiso University with both his undergraduate degree in Business and Accounting and his Master of Business Administration. He resides in Crown Point with his wife Stephanie, and their daughters, Madison and Mackenzie.
Stephanie Bothun
Inaugural 2024 Driving Change Award Winner Class II
“The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Fellowship program provided me with the incredible opportunity to learn from and be inspired by trailblazers who deeply believe in our potential to make Indiana the best place to live and work,” said Stephanie Bothun, vice president and co-founder of Ascend Indiana. “These lessons, coupled with the feedback and friendship of talented leaders in my cohort, equipped and empowered me to lead a modern youth apprenticeship effort that currently opens doors to economic opportunity for hundreds of young people and aims to provide these opportunities for thousands of high school students in the coming years.”
Stephanie Bothun is the Vice President and Co-Founder of Ascend Indiana, a non-profit striving to make Indiana a place of economic opportunity for all by connecting talent to internships, modern youth apprenticeships and jobs, and by building talent pipelines between employers and educational institutions (more information here).
Previously, Bothun served as the Director of Education Initiatives for the City of Indianapolis leading forward early childhood, STEM, and workforce efforts. Prior to joining the Mayor’s office, Bothun served as a Human Capital Analyst with Deloitte Consulting LLP in Chicago and as a Teach for America Indianapolis charter corps member, where she was named Teach For America’s Indianapolis Teacher of the Year.
In 2019, Bothun was selected to participate in the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Fellowship program. In 2020, Bothun was named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s (IBJ) prestigious Forty Under 40 list. In 2023, Bothun was named one of 60 Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS). PLS serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and create meaningful change in the United States and around the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson and their administrations.
Bothun received her Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a Master of Arts in Education from Marian University. Bothun lives in Indianapolis with her husband and twins, Caleb and Charlotte.
MDLF Outstanding Fellows
Purpose & Criteria:
The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Outstanding Fellow Award is designed to recognize an outstanding MDLF Fellow who is in Year 2 of the program and who has demonstrated a breadth of excellence amongst his/her meaningful participation in the program and intentional engagement with peer Fellows. Consideration may also be considered for his/her demonstrated leadership in the community, participation outside of Fellowship Class Days and development and advancement of his/her MDLF Capstone. The award is presented yearly at MDLF’s Annual Event.
Ewelina Connolly
Class VI Outstanding Fellow
"I am deeply grateful for the Foundation's investment in me. This leadership development opportunity has not only inspired me to dream bigger but has also equipped me with the essential tools, support, and networks needed to take concrete steps toward making these dreams a reality and improving Indiana's future".
Ewelina is the Chief Executive Officer for Amani Family Services, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing social services, support, and advocacy to immigrants, refugees, and non-English speakers in Allen County.
Ewelina was selected by her peers because of her meaningful participation in the program and intentional engagement with her classmates. She demonstrated community leadership, involvement outside of Class Days and development of her Capstone “All IN For Economic Prosperity” (more information here), a strategic initiative focused on enhancing Indiana's economic vitality by integrating immigrants and refugees into our state's workforce.
Originally from Poland, Ewelina has lived and worked in Fort Wayne for the past 25 years. While living in Poland, she earned her Bachelor's degree in Law and Administration, and upon immigrating to the states, earned a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University.
Outside of MDLF, Ewelina is a active member in her community leading the implementation efforts for the Welcoming Plan of Fort Wayne / Allen County and serves on the steering committee for Women's Fund of Greater Fort Wayne, the Language Roadmap Governing Board for the State of Indiana and is also a part of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Ewelina was recognized as a 2024 Champions of Change Award Finalist by Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
When she is not working, Ewelina enjoys spending time and traveling with her husband, children and grandchildren.
Amanda Schmitt, MPA
Class III Outstanding Fellow
“The MDLF Fellowship program increased my passion for the Hoosier state and helped me build relationships to impact Hoosier children all across the state. The experience also built my confidence in my own leadership capacity which lead to increased responsibilities in my role as Foundation President at CenterPoint Energy”
Amanda Schmitt is the Foundation President for CenterPoint Energy. In her role, she manages charitable giving and Foundation management throughout a six-state footprint. She has her dream job and loves getting to see measurable impact happen through the work funded by the Foundation. She and her husband live in Evansville, IN on a budding hobby farm complete with goats, pigs, sheep, a duck, cats, and their amazing three kids. In her spare time, she loves to sew clothing for herself and her daughter. She still has the voicemail saved on her phone notifying her she was a Mitch Daniels Fellow. Through the program, she has realized how much Indiana has to offer and has been able to step into greater leadership roles due to confidence gained during the fellowship. Her favorite memory was traveling across the state with two other fellows announcing the expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to four new counties due to the pitch of one fellow and funding secured through the CenterPoint Energy Foundation. Today over 8,000 kids are receiving books monthly because of MDLF.
Matt Whiteside
Class I Outstanding Fellow
"MDLF led to many of the relationships and resources that caused me to start a business and establish my family in Indiana. This organization is a fundamental part of why I've decided to make Indiana home after having lived in 9 cities over the course of my life and I am forever grateful for that."
Matt has a background with organizations of varying sizes, having served in capacities as a corporate leader, consultant, and entrepreneur. He is a health & wellness fanatic that was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 3, which ultimately inspired his creation of Circle Beverage, a beverage manufacturer that specializes in healthy and functional products.
Matt has relocated nine times in his life, both domestically and internationally, and he selected Indiana as the foundation for his business & young, growing family. His community involvement spans several fitness, charitable, and leadership organizations, including the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, the Penrod Society and the Naptown Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy.
George Gemelas
Class V Outstanding Fellow
“MDLF has opened a whole new world of possibility for me. It has pushed me to be more principled, quicker to act, and much more informed of the challenges affecting our state. I hope to be able to live up to MDLF’s ideals, helping lift the arc of progress here in Indiana over the course of my career.”
George Gemelas is a Central Indiana native and the Chief Operating Officer of the Climate Solutions Action Fund. He is working to tackle the climate challenge by advancing market-based solutions (more information here). He is a 2021 graduate of Yale University, with a bachelor’s degree in Ethics, Politics, and Economics and a master’s in energy and environmental policy.
Cara Putman, JD, MBA
Class IV Outstanding Fellow
“After living in Indiana for 20 years, I decided it was time to call it home and learn more about my adopted state. The MDLF Fellowship has allowed me to go deep with what’s working and not…with an eye to helping Indiana live up to its possibility. I want to be a change agent, and through the fellowship I’ve met incredible people from around the state who share that vision and are doing amazing work in so many different areas. It’s been an incredible experience.”
Broadcast Journalism. Non-Profit Program Developer. Workshop Facilitator. Corporate Fundraiser. Adjunct Faculty in Legal Research & Writing. Lawyer. Author. Big Ten Clinical Professor in Law, Communications, and Ethics. Director of new and established school programs. Cara's career has taken many, varied paths. The super-powers that connect each stop are compelling communication, visionary strategy, and effective implementation.
A gifted communicator, Cara is the award-winning, best-selling author of more than 35 novels and 1 nonfiction title. She also serves on the full-time faculty at the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University as a Clinical Assistant Professor teaching undergraduate and graduate business law and ethics courses. She has taught or led five study abroad programs and is currently serving as the Director of the Brock Wilson Center for Women in Management in addition to her teaching responsibilities. In that role Cara creates the strategy and works across silos with groups and individuals on and off campus including students, faculty, alumni, donors, and other interested groups. In addition, Cara often speaks to various organizations on and off campus including student organizations, alumni and community groups, and writer's conferences. An attorney who specializes in adoptions, employment law, and business formation, Cara is licensed in Virginia and Indiana.
Chris Moorman
Class II Outstanding Fellow
“The MDLF Fellowship program increased my passion for the Hoosier state and helped me build relationships to impact Hoosier children all across the state. The experience also built my confidence in my own leadership capacity which lead to increased responsibilities in my role as Foundation President at CenterPoint Energy”
Chris Moorman is Chief Commercial Officer of ReElement Technologies. ReElement commercialized chromatography technology developed at Purdue University to purely rare earth and battery elements from end-of-life materials, creating a circular domestic supply chain for the electrified economy.
Prior to ReElement, Moorman founded and sold several companies in Indiana in a variety of industries from advanced agriculture, mission-critical data center development, and botanical extraction. Before returning to Indiana, Moorman started his career as an options market maker in the trading pits of New York and Chicago under the badge IND.
A native Hoosier, Moorman grew up in Bedford, Indiana, and earned a degree in Economics from Purdue University. In the community, he is a board member for the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library as well as Fishing’s Future, a nationally recognized angler education program utilizing fishing as the “hook” for outdoor family recreation. In his spare time, Moorman is an avid skier (water and snow) as well as writing about his extensive global travel on his blog, The Moorman Conquest. He and his wife Kit are members of Tabernacle Presbyterian Church and reside in Indianapolis.