Indiana Conference for Women Announces 2015 Advisory Board

Indianapolis, IN – July 21, 2015 – The Indiana Conference for Women, the Midwest’s largest event for women, today announced its 2015 Conference Advisory Board. The Advisory Board members will lend their vision, range of experience, and extensive expertise in support of the mission of the conference — providing education and leadership development for women.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with such a distinguished group of individuals,” said Indiana Conference for Women co-founder and CEO of RepuCare, Billie Dragoo. “Each of our advisors brings unique expertise and a distinct perspective to the conference, and I look forward to working with them as we continue to provide resources to catalyze success for women.”

The Indiana Conference for Women Advisory Board members include:

Angela F. Braly, former President and Chief Executive Officer, WellPoint, Inc.; member of the board of directors of The Proctor & Gamble Company and Lowe’s Companies, Inc., Indiana Economic Development Corporation board.  

Ms. Braly is the former Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of WellPoint, Inc., a health benefits company, now known as Anthem, Inc. Prior to that,  she served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Public Affairs Officer of WellPoint, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri. Angela serves on the board of directors of The Procter & Gamble Company.  As Chair and Chief Executive Officer of a publicly traded company,  Angela developed strong executive leadership and strategic management skills. She also serves on the Lowe’s Board of Directors, as well as the board of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Gerry Dick, President and Managing Editor, Grow Indiana Media Ventures, LLC; Creator and Host, Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.    

Grow Indiana Media Ventures properties include the EMMY-award-winning Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick and a variety of interactive and mobile media products.  Prior to the creation of Grow INdiana Media Ventures, Mr. Dick served as senior vice president of the Indianapolis Economic Development Corporation, where he was responsible for a broad range of initiatives.

Mr. Dick has twice received the state’s top honor, the Sagamore of the Wabash, as well as the Ernst and Young’s prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year award.  He has also been recognized by the Small Business Administration as its Journalist of the Year.

Gerry is a past member of the board of directors of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Board of Advisors at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the Dean’s Executive Council at the Scott College of Business at Indiana State University. He is also a founding member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Indiana University School of Informatics and serves as chairman of the Scholarship Selection Committee for Vectren Corporation.

J. Thomas Forbes, Chief Executive Officer, Indiana University Alumni

Association; Chairperson of the Big Ten Alumni Chief Executive Officers; Vice President, Council of Alumni Association Executives Board of Directors; former director of state government relations for Cummins, Inc.

Forbes has overseen state government relations and offered guidance on issues concerning state workforce, education and economic development. He has also served as one of the principal staff leaders of the United States-Brazil CEO Forum, an organization that is working to strengthen the economic and commercial ties between the two nations.

Forbes was appointed by the governor to serve as an IU trustee from 1993 to 1995. His service on the board included work as chair of the external affairs and government relations committee.  Forbes is a member of the Bloomington’s Board of Public Safety, a board member of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and a life member of the IU Alumni Association.

Mickey Maurer, Chairman, IBJ Media Corp.   

Mickey Maurer serves as chairman the board at IBJ Corp. and The National Bank of Indianapolis. In 2001, he established “Mickey’s Camp,” a charitable endeavor that has raised more than $1 million for central Indiana charities. In 2006, Maurer was named Indiana’s secretary of commerce by Gov. Mitch Daniels, serving in that position until 2008. Maurer can be seen on Fox 59 in a quarterly program called “Mickey’s Corner,” interviewing Indiana luminaries. In 2008, IU’s School of Law-Bloomington was renamed Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

Laurie Burns McRobbie, First Lady, Indiana University.  

As Indiana University’s 18th First Lady, Laurie champions the philanthropic spirit among IU’s alumni with a particular focus on the growing importance of women’s philanthropy. Laurie is a founder of the Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council at the Indiana University Foundation and serves as its honorary chair. In 2012, she was named Woman of the Year by the City of Bloomington’s Commission on the Status of Women, and in 2014, she was given the Leading Light Outstanding Leadership Award by the Indianapolis-based organization Women & Hi Tech.

Laurie brings broad experience with research universities to her role.  A technologist in higher education for more than 25 years, she served in numerous management and executive positions.   She also serves on numerous boards both locally and nationally, including the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County and the community advisory board for Bloomington’s Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship.  She is immediate past chair of the Executive Committee of the Association of American Universities (AAU) Partners Group. Laurie is currently enrolled in the Executive MA Program in Philanthropic Studies at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Andrea Morehead, Eyewitness News Anchor, Channel 13 WTHR Indianapolis, and host of “AM 1310 The Light.”

Emmy Award-winning anchor, Andrea Morehead, knows the Central Indiana Community well and is actively involved in numerous organizations. You can count on her involvement annually at the Susan G. Komen Indianapolis Race for the Cure, The Mayor’s Diversity Awards Program, Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration and Circle City Classic, George Rawls Public Health Awards, United Negro College Fund Scholarship Program, Indiana Humanities Council Leadership Summit, and 5K Run/Walk for Sickle Cell.

Andrea sits on the boards of the Indianapolis Press Club and IUPUI University Library. She’s also a member of the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists. She also serves on the board of Noble of Indiana, helping people with disabilities.

“We are fortunate to have an outstanding group of industry leaders to influence the direction of the program,” commented Indiana Conference for Women co-founder and Executive-in-Residence at Indiana University Alumni Association, Deborah Collins Stephens.  “Each member of the board brings a unique perspective on today’s hottest topics and trends crucial to women’s career and business success. With their contribution, we can ensure that attendees will come away with an education that will help them succeed as entrepreneurs and leaders, while making an impact on their communities.”

For more information about the Indiana Conference for Women’s Advisory Board, visit http://www.indianaconferenceforwomen.com/leadership-team-icw/