Jim Williams will serve as one of seven members of the new Muncie Community Schools board. Due to financial difficulties, the district was placed under state control last year. The Indiana General Assembly approved handing oversight of the district over to the Ball State University Board of Trustees, which tasked the new board members with developing a long-term plan for the school corporation.

Following his 1988 graduation from Wabash, Jim received his J.D. from Indiana University. A Partner with DeFur Voran, he served as judge of the Union County Circuit Court from 1998-2004, and served as a Senior Judge until 2008.

Inside Indiana Business

Alonzo Weems has been included in Savoy magazine’s annual listing of the most influential black lawyers in the United States. The listing showcases African-American men and women who have been recognized for their legal leadership and expertise in national and global corporations.

As Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Eli Lilly and Co., Alonzo oversees Lilly’s corporate legal function – litigation, human resources, commercial transactions, regulatory and privacy – and serves as General Counsel for the company’s global biomedicines business unit.

Following his 1992 graduation from Wabash, Alonzo received his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law. He joined Lilly in 1997.

Congratulations, Alonzo!

Savoy Magazine

President Donald Trump has nominated Damon Leichty ’94 to become a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. If confirmed, he will fill the vacancy left by the retirement of The Honorable Robert L. Miller, Jr., for whom Damon clerked earlier in his legal career.

“We are extremely proud of Damon and this extraordinary opportunity before him,” said Philip J. Faccenda, Jr., managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s South Bend office. “This is a distinct honor for those of us in the legal profession, and this nomination is a testament to Damon’s abilities and accomplishments as a lawyer at our firm. We look forward to supporting him throughout the confirmation process.”

Following his 1994 graduation from Wabash, Damon earned his J.D., cum laude, from Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he won the school’s Sherman Minton Moot Court competition and served as a law journal editor. He also earned a master’s degree studying literature and law at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Congratulations, Damon!

South Bend Tribune

Michigan Lawyers Weekly has announced that Roy Sexton ’95 was selected one of the 26 members of their second class of “Unsung Legal Heroes.” This program honors law firm employees who have consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, often behind the scenes. This award is reserved for the state’s most talented and dedicated legal support professionals.

Roy is director of marketing with Kerr Russell PLC in Detroit.

Congratulations, Roy!

LawyersWeekly

Kerr-Russell.com

Brandon Roop will lead the newly created Retirement Plan Services division at Donaldson Capital Management of Evansville, IN. Sr. Portfolio Manager and VP of Institutional Services, Brandon has led the effort to officially launch this new division of DCM.  He has spent the past several years building his knowledge base and researching the Retirement Plans industry in order to determine how DCM can provide the most value.

Following his 2006 graduation from Wabash, Brandon attended the Indiana University Kelley School of Business where he earned his MBA with an emphasis in finance. In 2013, Brandon successfully completed the CFP Board’s requirements for certification and is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional.  In December 2016, he completed the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist professional designation program through the College for Financial Planning and is a CRPS professional ®.  As a part of this accomplishment, Brandon will be in charge of leading DCM into the significantly important realm of pre-retirement investment management for business owners and their employees.

Congratulations, Brandon!

Donaldson Capital Management

Pluto TV, the leading free over-the-top television service in America, announced the appointment of Rich Calacci ’91 as its first Chief Revenue Officer. Reporting directly to CEO and co-founder Tom Ryan, Rich will operate out of Pluto TV’s New York offices and is charged with oversight and implementation of new monetization strategies for the company and its networks.

Rich has enjoyed a long and distinguished career with NBC, CBS Sports, CBS Primetime, Bleacher Report, and Turner.

Read the full story at Variety

Jamey Callane, who has worked at Maconaquah for 20 years, will transition from his current position of assistant superintendent to superintendent as the successor of Dr. Doug Arnold, who is retiring in June.

 Following his 1992 graduation from Wabash College, Jamie earned his Masters Degree and administrative license from Ball State University, and his Doctorate of Education and superintendent license from Oakland City University.

 Congratulations, Jamey!

 Kokomo Tribune

Matt Maher ’08 was named one of Indiana’s District Officers of the Year by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He was voted one of 10 officers of the year by his peers, and is in the running for the James D. Pitzer State Officer of the Year, the DNR’s most prestigious award.

Congratulations, Matt!

Plachta, Murphy, and Associates of Grand Rapids, MI announced Bryan Reeder as their new partner. Bryan’s client service areas include Business & Corporate Law, Estate Planning, Real Estate, Probate Estate & Trust administration, Guardianships & Conservatorships, and Business & Commercial Litigation. Bryan also serves clients as a Civil and Dispute Resolution Mediator.

Following his 2008 graduation from Wabash College, Bryan received his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley in 2011. He joined PMA in 2011.

Congratulations, Bryan!

The University of Texas announced in February that Sean Blackwell, professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, was named the new president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Established in 1977, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) is the premiere membership organization for maternal-fetal medicine specialists and represents the interests in nearly 3,000 physicians and MFM practice professionals, interacts with members of Congress and federal agencies to advocate for MFM specialists, and develops a variety of publications.

Following his 1989 graduation from Wabash College, Sean earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, IL. He completed his obstetrics and gynecology residency and maternal-fetal medicine fellowship at Wayne State University in Detroit.  He joined the faculty at McGovern Medical School in 2007.

UTHealth