INDIANAPOLIS—April 19, 2020—The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation announces its 2020-21 Fellows class of 23 outstanding Hoosiers. The Fellows represent a diverse cross-section of Indiana. They reside in Gary, Evansville, Carmel, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Westfield, Speedway, Bloomington, and Hammond. 

Fellows were selected using an application process that asked for their ideas and vision to drive change in the state of Indiana and beyond. MDLF Chairman Scott Kraege said, “This year we received a record number of applications from an outstanding group of Hoosier leaders. The number and high caliber of applicants we received was humbling - it’s impressive to know there are hundreds of ambitious Hoosiers willing to drive change. We are incredibly excited to work closely with this class to inspire and enable progress for Indiana.”

This year’s class consists of the following individuals:

• William Godwin - Owner, Godwin Realty Company

• Audrie Burkett - VP & COO, Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana

• Amanda Schmitt - Foundation Manager, Vectren

• Lindsay Gramlich - Director, Annual Fund, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

• Kevin Hunter - Captain, Fort Wayne Police Department

• Kristin Srour - Senior Director, Global Health Programs, Special Olympics International

• Jackson Troxel - Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Multiply Technology

• Jon Renbarger - Director of Strategy - Corporate Real Estate, IU Health

• Charles McKinney, Jr. - Associate Consultant - Promotions Manager, Eli Lilly and Company

• Alex Moseman - Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition, Indianapolis Public Schools

• Sarah Hammond - Director, Business Advisory Group, Katz, Sapper & Miller

• Sara Fichtner - Director of Grants and Special Projects, The Oaks Academy

• Jacob Blasdel - Clerk-Treasurer, Town of Speedway

• Michael Aft - Co-Founder, Co-CEO, The New Paper

• Dr. Laura Merrifield Wilson - Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Gender Center, University of Indianapolis

• Alexander Barnes - President, WF Meyers Co., Inc.

• Katie Ellis - Marketing Director, RJE

• Heath Murray - Information Technology / Cyber Manager, Business Development, Artisan Electronics, Inc

• Christopher Harris - Project Manager, Graycor Construction, Inc.

• Pat Adams - Brand Manager - Global Oncology, Eli Lilly and Company

• Kathryn Loheide - VP, Marketing, Formstack

• Tony Katz - Radio Host, Emmis Communications

• Gregory Stowers - Key Club International Director, Kiwanis International - Kiwanis Children's Fund 

MDLF Fellows will participate in a year-long program designed to teach them about Indiana’s strengths and opportunities, followed by a second year focused on implementing new initiatives inspired by what they learned. The curriculum and events will center around core topics of the economy, education, health and civic engagement.

This is great! How can I help?
If you're interested in helping us grow this next generation of Hoosier leadership, there are three ways we could use your help:

1. If you know of someone who might make a great fit for next year's class, share this "I'm interested" form with them. We'll notify them when the next round of applications opens up.

2. If you know someone who would be interested in mentoring a Fellow, please use the contact form to let us know.

3. This year's class comes to us from many different cities throughout our state. If you'd like to support our efforts to expand MDLF in your community, consider making a tax-deductible donation at this link.

We are deeply appreciative of our entire community's support during the recruitment process and thrilled to welcome these new faces to our group. Thank you all!

About the Foundation

The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and is focused on enabling leaders to drive change in Indiana. For more information, contact us, or follow us on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.