BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
‘Never-Ending Energy’
With retirement coming, Ray Simmons is honored by his peers.
By John Martin
Ray Simmons has been with the University of Southern Indiana for 37 of the institution’s 61 years, working in sports information and communications as Screaming Eagles teams have won conference and national titles, risen from NCAA Division II to Division I athletics, and built a new arena. Peers are saluting USI’s director of athletic communications as he prepares to retire in June. In January, College Sports Communicators bestowed Simmons with a Lifetime Achievement Award. “It’s nice to be recognized and know they appreciate the breadth of your work over almost four decades,” he says.
Simmons cherishes the relationships he’s maintained with USI student-athletes, saying the worth of those relationships didn’t change over the years, even though so much else did. Today’s routine, which includes producing ESPN+ coverage of home sports events, is a far cry from the start of Simmons’ career, when he needed a key to the campus mail room so he could send faxes following ballgames. “Then I got a fax machine in the office and in my house,” he recalls. “It went from a typewriter to a computer to the internet and cellphones and carrying your office with you at all times.”
Simmons adapted well to evolving technology and sports communications demands, as the award indicates. Retired USI administrator Sherrianne Standley — Simmons’ first supervisor in 1989 — says he applied “never-ending energy to never-ending tasks” and is “so deserving of the national recognition he has earned.”
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Back To Work
David Smith returns to education with new Evansville Promise Neighborhood role.
By John Martin
Named the inaugural Sustainability Coordinator for Evansville’s Promise Neighborhood, David Smith is focused on making sure the initiative continues its impact once its five-year federal grant expires.
Since the federal funds cannot be used to sustain EPN, the new position involves not only fundraising, but also putting “systems and structures” in place so the University of Evansville and its partner agencies “continue to work together and work better together,” says Smith, who retired in 2025 as Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s superintendent. Fifteen agencies have joined UE on EPN’s sustainability council.
EPN’s goals include preparing children for kindergarten and young adults for success beyond high school. Smith points to early success stories: In August, EVSC touted an 11-percent jump in Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) scores. The exam is given annually to third-graders.
The Promise Neighborhood initiative was created in 2023 through a five-year, $30 million federal grant, plus a $32.5 million match from 24 partners. UE’s Center for Innovation and Change led the application process and is the EPN’s home base.
Smith worked at EVSC for 43 years, including 14 as superintendent. “That he has chosen to work on the Evansville Promise Neighborhood in his well-earned retirement is a testament to the transformational nature of this opportunity,” says Erin Lewis, director of the Center for Innovation and Change.
“We have been able to add to our team an incredible individual who brings years of experience and expertise who can now apply a concentrated focus to sustaining this work beyond federal funding,” adds EPN Director Derek McKillop.
NEW HIRES/PROMOTIONS
Ten Adams has named Jon Headlee CEO, welcomed Danielle Falconer as President and Chief Strategy Officer, and promoted Brandon Scott to Chief Innovation & Growth Officer. Headlee, son of Ten Adams founder Jack Headlee, has been president of the company for three decades and will focus on long-term vision, culture, and strategic partnerships in the new role. Falconer most recently was Senior Vice President of Client Strategy with Element Three, while Scott, who has been with Ten Adams for 12 years, now will lead its innovation and digital transformation efforts.
Riverside Capital Management Group announced the promotion of Hayden Wood to financial adviser. The University of Southern Indiana graduate successfully earned his FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 registrations and will offer personalized financial guidance to clients.
Rebekah Dodd has been named Associate Branch Manager for Baird’s Evansville office. She joined the firm in 2017 as a trust officer and became a certified wealth planner in 2022. In her new capacity, Dodd will help Branch Manager Philip Roberts oversee the firm’s daily operations.
Autumne Baker was named Executive Director of Ark Crisis Children’s Center, succeeding Angie Richards Cheek, who took over in November as Executive Director of Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana. Baker is a lifelong Evansville resident who most recently was Development Coordinator for Southwestern Healthcare. She also has held roles with Junior Achievement of West Kentucky, the American Cancer Society, and March of Dimes.
Kahn, Dees, Donovan & Kahn has named Joshua R. Trockman a partner in the law firm, where he practices estate planning and administration, real estate, business law, and municipal law. The third-generation attorney is an Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law graduate and also serves as the Evansville City Council’s attorney. Elizabeth “Betsy” Happe and Dylan Murphy also have joined the firm as associate attorneys. Happe graduated from Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Southern Indiana. Her practice will focus on the areas of business, construction, and estate planning law. Murphy is a graduate of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law as well as USI. His practice will focus on business, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, insurance, and litigation.
Raymond Dudlo has joined Dentons’ corporate practice as a partner in its Evansville office. He is responsible for advising health care entities on regulatory compliance, data privacy, and complex dispute resolution matters.
Trevor Lakins is the Evansville Otters’ new General Manager, succeeding Brycen Moore. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native has spent nearly a decade with professional clubs across the country, most recently as Director of Corporate Partnerships with the Scranton-Wilkes Barre (Pennsylvania) RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Otters also promoted Jackson Pullen to Assistant General Manager. He previously was the Frontier League baseball club’s Director of Group Sales. Dan Kluesner has rejoined the Otters as Head Groundskeeper, a role he had previously before stepping away for a year. Nick McLean was named Director of Group Sales & Community Relations after spending last season as a group sales intern. Quinton Watt is the Otters’ new Director of Social Media, Marketing, and Fan Engagement after spending last season as communications intern.
Lauren Barker has rejoined the Albion Fellows Bacon Center as its new Director of Advancement. The Harrison High School and Full Sail University graduate worked five years at the domestic violence support center, including as its director of engagement and resource development, before joining Evansville Day School’s marketing and communications team in July 2022, eventually rising to assistant director of institutional advancement and assistant director of external affairs.
Ethan Jaworski has been named Head ESports Coach and Coordinator at the University of Evansville. The December 2024 alumnus joined the program in July 2025, months after leading the UE Overwatch 2 team to the school’s first National ESports Collegiate Conference Regional Championship and National Championship.
Hafer has welcomed Indianapolis native Jack Sizemore as a staff electrical engineer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern Indiana.
Vanderburgh Humane Society has promoted Alison Stocker to Events & Engagement Coordinator, succeeding Mackenzee McKittrick. Stocker has led VHS’ River City Cat Cafe social media campaigns for nearly a year. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication, public relation, advertising, and applied communication from Saint Louis University, plus a Master of Arts in communication from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
DEPARTURES
Old National Bank Commercial Banking CEO Jim Sandgren is retiring in April after a 35-year career. He shaped ONB’s commercial banking strategy, fueling the Evansville-based bank’s transformation into a $71 billion institution with banking centers in 10 states. Sandgren served in multiple executive roles, including president and chief operating officer and Southern Region CEO.
Holly Carter, Executive Director and Dean of the University of Evansville’s Harlaxton College since 2022, has departed to pursue other opportunities, UE President Christopher Pietruskiewicz announced. Kristen Strandberg, current UE Library Director, has been appointed Interim Dean and Executive Director.
AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS
Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana announced the 2026 JA Evansville Regional Business Hall of Fame Laureates at a press conference on Jan. 12 at the University of Southern Indiana. They are Ray Hoops, who oversaw dramatic growth at USI during his presidency from 1994-2009; Otha Eugene “Gene” Warren Jr., developer of North Park Shopping Center, more than 20 retail drug stores and other retail properties in the area; and the late Ted C. Ziemer Jr., a partner in the Ziemer, Stayman, Weitzel & Shoulders law firm who held numerous community leadership and philanthropic roles. Laureates will be recognized at the annual Hall of Fame breakfast May 19 at Old National Events Plaza.
Toyota Canada President Tim Hollander was honored by Youth First with the Dr. William Wooten Champion of Youth First Award at October’s Breakfast of Champions reception. The Evansville native previously was Toyota Indiana president and general manager of Toyota West Virginia, and he’s a longtime supporter of Youth First, having been a board member. He remains on the Youth First Advisory Council.
Hafer’s design work on Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve’s Arwood Family Treehouse has been honored with the Built Works Design Award for projects less than $2 million by the Indiana Park & Recreation Association. Unveiled in June 2024, the treehouse offers ramps, rock walls, rope bridges, climbing ropes and nets, and 140 feet of ADA-accessible ramps. In recognizing the treehouse in its Awards of Excellence, IPRA noted Hafer’s design for creative use of materials and construction techniques, sustainability and ecological sensitivity, inclusive and accessible design, and responsiveness to a specific community need.
Dr. James Porter, president of the Deaconess Health System Physicians Division, was appointed chair-elect of the American Hospital Association’s Committee on Clinical Leadership for a three-year term — he will be Chairman in 2027 and Past Chair in 2028. The committee focuses on advocacy positions, public policy issues, and strategic priorities related to clinical leadership.
Hafer Interior Designers Avery Reiter and Scarlett Riney have earned certification with the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. Human Resources Coordinator Hailey Gwaltney also passed the exam for the Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional, a premier certification program in the HR industry.
The University of Evansville announced that a $50,000 gift from 1981 alumna Kristin Bailey established the James and Kristin Bailey Endowed Scholarship, celebrating the enduring connection of Bailey and her late husband to UE. The fund will support undergraduate students in the College of Education and Health Sciences.
The University of Southern Indiana won Best of District V award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for Solarpalooza: How Totality Changed the Trajectory of USI. The honor recognized USI’s campuswide celebration of the 2024 Great American Eclipse, which brought together thousands of students, alumni, and community members. CASE District V represents higher education institutions in five Midwest states. USI also received a $1 million endowed scholarship from Larry Rutledge to support graduate nursing students enrolled in the family nurse practitioner or acute care nurse practitioner masters of science programs in the Kinney College of Nursing and Health Professions. A new auditorium in the Health Professions Center will be named the Rutledge Auditorium in honor of this gift. Computer science students and faculty from USI’s Romain College of Business participated in the Association for Computing Machinery Super Computing 25 International Supercomputing Conference in St. Louis in November. Students Alyson Collins and Maya Seshan’s research project, “An ML Model for Predicting Medication Non-Adherence Using Large-Scale Mental Health Data,” was selected among the Top 10 posters from among nearly 500 submitted. They were guided by Associate Professor Srishti Srivastava and Josh McWilliams, instructor in Computer Information Systems.
GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT
Local officials celebrated a new housing development with an Oct. 7 ground- breaking at Franklin Street Lofts. Owned by Heritage Petroleum, the project will build 56 apartments into the historic Hercules Plow factory on West Franklin Street. The $13 million development is the first in the region to be funded in part by the Lilly Endowment Initiative managed by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
The Papa John’s Foundation made a $2,500 donation to the Green River Kiwanis Foundation, which intends to use the funds to support area nonprofits and community organizations.
Sixth & Zero owner Mary Allen has sold the Main Street sustainable products business to store employee Celeste Ablin. Allen is running for the Indiana Eighth District Congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Mark Messmer.
The University of Southern Indiana’s Counseling and Psychological Services office has been accredited by the International Accreditation of Counseling Services, which sets benchmark standards for similar operations at colleges and universities worldwide.
ATA has entered the Indiana market through a collaboration with Evansville accounting and advisory firm Vowells & Schaaf LLP, which has adopted the ATA name. Longtime Vowells & Schaaf clients are continuing to work with the same advisers, supported by ATA’s broader resources and expanded service offerings.
Honey Moon Coffee Co. and Bluestocking Social are splitting the former salon and barbershop space adjoining their businesses in the 600 block of Weinbach Avenue near the UE campus. Construction is slated to begin this winter. Zac and Jessica Parsons opened Honey Moon’s original location at this site in 2016, and Matt and Annie Fitzpatrick followed with their independent bookshop in 2020.
Inman’s Picture Framing is moving from 2828 Lincoln Ave. into a studio space in Rare Bird Gifts & Goods’ building at 2605 Lincoln Ave. Inman’s next-door neighbor, Casey’s Dugout pizza shop, intends to expand into the framing store’s former site.
The D-Patrick family of automotive dealerships announced a series of charitable gifts. D-Patrick Nissan donated $1,000 to YWCA Evansville; D-Patrick Evansville Ford presented $2,500 to the Santa Clothes Club; D-Patrick Honda presented $1,500 to the Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville and $1,500 to The Hope Gallery; and D-Patrick Boonville Ford gave $1,000 to the Labor Day Association and the Warrick County Chamber of Commerce.
Henderson Chevrolet GMC is going by a new name, Kate Faupel Chevrolet GMC, as Kate Faupel Grealish has taken on management of the dealership from her father, Ron Faupel. She previously purchased the Henderson, Kentucky, Ford dealership in 2023. Both dealerships are under the umbrella of Faupel Automotive, founded by her father.
