Commission Members

Dan Peterson is Vice President, Industry & Government Affairs, for Cook Group, Inc., based in Bloomington, Indiana. Since joining Cook Group in 1989, Dan has held a variety of leadership roles in the areas of operations, finance/accounting, and human resources. His current responsibilities involve industry, government, and external affairs, with a focus on healthcare delivery, education, and workforce development. Dan sits on many boards including the Indiana Bioscience Research Institute (IBRI); BioCrossroads; Indiana Health Industry Forum; Bloomington Economic Development Corp.; and Indiana University Health South Central Region. Mr. Peterson holds a B.S. in Biology (1984) and an MBA in Finance (1989), both from Indiana University. Since 1963, Cook Group medical companies have been committed to creating innovative medical solutions that benefit millions of patients worldwide.

Nancy Jordan serves as Vice President, Operations and Process Improvement at Hexure. In January 2020, Nancy joined Bulldog Consulting Services, providing executive expertise for the insurance industry and other business clients. Prior to joining Bulldog, Nancy stepped down from her role as Senior Vice President at Lincoln Financial Group to serve on Indiana Governor Holcomb’s Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission. At Lincoln, she served as SVP, Head of Individual Annuity Operations, responsible for the care of over 1 million annuity contracts and $130 billion in assets. She was a member of the company’s Corporate Leadership Group and site leader for the Fort Wayne operations. She served on the Lincoln Financial Foundation grant committee and also as the founding Executive Chair of Lincoln’s People with Disabilities Business Resource Group, leading Lincoln to 4 consecutive 100% scores on the Disability Equity Index Benchmarking. Active in community affairs, Jordan serves on the Indiana State Museum Foundation Board and the AWS Foundation Board. Her service includes the boards of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, Greater Fort Wayne Inc. and she is past President of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Board. Jordan holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue University Fort Wayne and was named Outstanding Alumni by The Doermer School of Business. She is a CPA, and a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and held FINRA registrations Series 6, 26, and 27.

Kent Kramer is the Chief Operating Officer of Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana. He leads a team of 5,000 employees to provide direct services to more than 3,000 low-income Hoosier families. In 2019, Kramer was elected to serve on the Goodwill International Board of Directors. He also graduated from the Goodwill Industries International Executive Development Program. Kramer came to Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana in 2002, originally serving as the Vice President of Retail Operations. Active in Indiana’s higher education landscape, Kramer serves on the Indiana State’s foundation board. He also is on the School of Business and Information Technology Advisory Board for Purdue University Global. Kramer earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and a master’s degree from Anderson University.

Ava Armbrecht of Madison serves as the Commission's student representative. She is a second-year accounting student in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a member of the Hutton Honors College.

Ava recently completed an accounting internship with Grote Industries, where she gained experience in manufacturing accounting, financial workflows, and cross-functional collaboration. She is also involved on campus through SALT Company, CHAARG, and the Business in Cosmetics Club.

In her hometown of Madison, Ava co-founded Growing Minds Farm Stop, a student-run nonprofit organization that connects local producers with students through a consignment-based storefront. She is also a member of Wirt Baptist Church and provides softball pitching lessons to local youth.

Dennis Bland serves as President of the Center for Leadership Development, a non-profit Indianapolis organization dedicated to preparing African American youth for academic, college, and career success. Founded in 1977, CLD offers 11 curriculum-based youth development programs that nurture over 1,200 teens and parents per year. CLD’s five core values are Character, Education, Leadership, Service and Career. Prior to joining CLD, Mr. Bland practiced law for nine years specializing in medical malpractice litigation and insurance law.

His many accomplishments include the President’s Medal of Distinction from Ball State University in 2008 in recognition of his dedication to empowering African-American youth for academic, college, and career achievement; the Distinguished Alumni Service award for Humanities from DePauw University; the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis; the Distinguished Alumni Award from Broad Ripple High School; and the Distinguished Community Service Award from the Black Nurses Association of Indianapolis. In addition, he was chosen as one of the “Top Forty Under 40” by the Indianapolis Business Journal in February 2004.

Edward Castronova has been a Professor of Media at Indiana University-Bloomington since 2004. He has a PhD in Economics (Wisconsin, 1985) and specializes in the economics of video games. Castronova has written four books and numerous papers on the subject. In recent years, his studies have expanded to include technology, society, and religion. He has designed several board games, and is currently writing a novel about the future of AI, virtual reality, and human society. He serves as a volunteer teacher at a Catholic homeschool co-op in Ellettsville, Indiana. Castronova is a Catholic and is married, with two children and a beagle.

Donald is President and Chief Executive Officer of Powers Health, which is comprised of Community Hospital in Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart and Powers Health Rehabilitation Center in Crown Point, along with Hartsfield Village, Fitness Pointe and the Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster.

In 2009, Donald achieved Fellow status and board certification from the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). Donald was honored with the Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award as the 2012 Young Healthcare Executive of the Year by the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the 2014 American College of Healthcare Executives Regent’s Award for the state of Indiana. 

In 2013, Donald was appointed as Chairman of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority and currently remains in this position. He serves on the Indiana Hospital Association Board of Directors and is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a member of the Hospice of the Calumet Area Board of Directors and is President of Powers Health Cancer Research Foundation, Inc., Munster, IN.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Purdue University, a Doctorate in Optometry from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Indiana University Northwest.

A Michigan native, Michael Justin (Jud) Fisher is a graduate of DePauw University and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He joined Ball Brothers Foundation in 2003 after working in administration for Old National Bancorp. In addition to his duties as president and chief operating officer of BBF, he serves on the boards of several regional and statewide organizations including the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation, Delaware Advancement Corporation, and The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. He is the grandson of John W. Fisher and Janice Ball Fisher (1916-2010), the youngest daughter of BBF founder E. B. Ball. Fisher grew up in Leland, Michigan, and graduated from Leland High School. He worked in a horse stable, on charter fishing boats, in the cherry orchards, as a sailing instructor, and at several other jobs while growing up in Leelanau County. He loves to hunt, fish, sail, hike, and generally be outdoors.

Larry Garatoni has owned and operated many businesses since his graduation from Purdue University in 1961. Most recently, Garatoni founded the Garatoni-Smith Family Foundation with his wife. This foundation donated $2.5 million to Ivy Tech, which is naming its Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Automation in South Bend for him and his wife. He also founded HQ Investments, a company that manages various publicly traded and private investments. Prior to this, he built and operated long-term-care facilities as a part of Health Quest Group. After selling those companies, he acquired software and internet sales companies Achieve Healthcare Technology, FurnitureFind.com, and Winesource.com. He sold these companies in 2007. Garatoni is a staunch advocate for charter schools. He founded both the Career Academy and the Success Academy charter schools in South Bend where he serves as board chair.

Bill Hanna is the Executive Director of the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation.  The foundation’s goal is to work with key partners to transform communities through sustainable legacy investments that enhance quality of life, promote health and wellness, stimulate economic development, increase access to high-quality education, and promote broad collaboration. Hanna is the former President and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA). Hanna joined the RDA and the state of Indiana in 2009 and has served under the RDA board of directors and the administrations of Indiana Governors Mitch Daniels, Mike Pence, and current Governor, Eric Holcomb.  Prior to his time at the RDA, Hanna was the City Manager and Deputy Mayor for the City of Valparaiso, the Economic Development Director for Valparaiso, and Vice President of the Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation. His military career in the U.S. Army as an airborne qualified light infantryman (paratrooper) from 1995 to 1999 included membership in the Army’s Official Presidential Escort and service as a Sentinel (guard) and Head Trainer/Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C. Hanna earned his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University, his MBA from National-Louis University in Chicago, and his Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management and Human Resources from Colorado Christian University.

Molly Kitchell spent the last decade occupying several philanthropic and public service roles. Currently, Kitchell serves on the Judicial Nominating / Qualifying Commission. She was first appointed by Gov. Mitch Daniels and subsequently reappointed by Govs. Mike Pence and Eric Holcomb. In this role, Kitchell is tasked with slating judicial candidates for vacancies in the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and tax court. In 2021, she was named chair of the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. In addition to her work in Indiana’s court system, Kitchell served on multiple philanthropic boards including the Interagency Coordinating Council for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities, the Indiana Real Estate Commission, the Junior League of Indianapolis board of directors, the Children’s Museum Guild, the Zionsville Parent Teacher Organization, and the Zionsville Educational Foundation’s Grant Committee. Kitchell holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and a master’s degree from the University of Indianapolis.

Pepper Mulherin is the Director of External Affairs at AT&T, having joined AT&T in 1995 after careers in consumer finance, insurance, and technical education recruiting. Pepper is a past president of the Rotary Club of Evansville and serves on numerous boards including The Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series, Evansville Rotary Club, Southwest Indiana Chamber, Warrick Chamber of Commerce, Evansville Industrial Foundation, Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville, Lawrence County Growth Council and is presently president of Vanderburgh Industrial Park, InTRAC Indiana, and Assistant District Governor 6580. Pepper holds a Master's of Public Service Administration from the University of Evansville and holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Southern Indiana.

Amber R. Van Til is president and CEO of the Indiana Bankers Association. Additionally, she is a trustee of the IBA Group Insurance Trust. Van Til joined the Association in 2002 as a lobbyist and has served the IBA as vice president-government relations, senior vice president-government relations, executive vice president and president before being named president and CEO in 2017.

She is a trustee of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin and of the Herbert V. Prochnow Educational Foundation; on the governance and industry committees of iLab, an organization helping establish youth apprenticeship programs across the state; and a member of the American Bankers Association's State Association Alliance, Independent Community Bankers of America Federal Delegate Board, Friends of Traditional Banking board of directors, Governmental Affairs Society of Indiana, The Columbia Club and the Indiana Society of Association Executives. Past engagement includes the boards of the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute and Indiana Legal Foundation, the Interim Study Committee on Mortgage Lending Practices and Home Loan Foreclosures, Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network, Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund and the Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation.

She was honored by the Indiana Society of Association Executives in 2023 as Association Executive of the Year and in 2015 as Association Professional of the Year. In 2008 she won in the category of Banking & Financial Services for the Best & Brightest awards, sponsored by Junior Achievement of Central Indiana Inc.

Van Til is a graduate of the University of Indianapolis and of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, has completed the Lacy Leadership LEAD program and the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has earned a certificate of executive leadership from the UW School of Business.