Summary

Board Experience

Director, Indiana Symphony Society, Inc. (Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra)

January 1, 2014- January 2021

Indianapolis, IN

• Active Committee service:

  Chair, Governance Committee; Member, Executive Committee.
• Prior Committee service:

  Finance; Audit.

DUTIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Governance Committee Chair:

• Assist the CEO and Board Chair in identifying and recruiting other Board Members.
• Review and edit bylaws regularly.
• Prepare detailed Glossary of terms and expressions for Board and employees.
• Conduct ongoing and in-depth reviews of all directors’ performance.
• Prepare and revise job descriptions for Board Chair, CEO and directors.
• Investigate and adopt best practices recommended by NACD, League of American Orchestras and other resources.

Director:

• Review, critique and ultimately approve annual budget, audit reports and material business decisions meeting all legal and fiduciary responsibilities for Indiana’s largest fine arts organization, with $27 million annual revenues.
• Partner with the CEO and other leading Board members to ensure that Board resolutions are implemented.
• Assist in implementing Symphony’s commitments to a diverse board, staff and symphonic productions that reflect the communities served.
• Served on two special ad-hoc committees to (1) hire new Music Director (Conductor) and (2) conduct contract negotiations with musicians’ union.

Trustee, Hamblen Township Fire Protection District

January 1, 2004- December 2020

Nashville, IN

DUTIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Provide fire safety and education services.
• Contract with volunteer fire fighting company.
• Exercise taxing and borrowing authority for capital equipment purchases.
• Implement best practices and discipline to this civic board. Inherited a practice of borrowing against future tax revenues, but during my sixteen year tenure, we negated that practice and instead developed a healthy six figure surplus and “rainy day” fund.

Director, Brown County Public Defender Board

July 1, 2018- December 2020

Nashville, IN

DUTIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Supervise and contract with private attorneys serving as public defenders.
• Interact and coordinate with County Council and Court to assure respect and teamwork for the common good of those we serve.
• Accepted request from local Judge to reinvigorate this dormant Board 5 years ago. By implementing basic “blocking and tackling” practices, with my leadership, the County is now eligible for quarterly reimbursements from the State, equal to 40% of all public defender salaries.

Prior Boards:

• Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Inc. (“kitchen cabinet” for Mayor); 2014-19.
• Brown County (IN) YMCA; 2004-07.
• Pathfinders International, Inc., Chicago (education and support for overseas pastors and leaders); 1995-2002.
• Irving Park YMCA, Chicago; 1992-96.
• Faith Tabernacle (non-denominational Christian church), Chicago; 1989-93.
• Christopher House, Inc. (after school programs for at-risk youth) Chicago; 1988-92.

Legal Career:

Taft Stettinius Hollister LLP

Indianapolis, Chicago and Phoenix Offices

• Partner, June 1999-current;
• Practice Group Chair, 2015-present

  Firm growth from 40 lawyers in 1999 to more than 675 in 2021. 2021 revenues: $400 million. My practice is a rich mix of: providing guidance to management and boards of directors in distressed situations; business sales and other transactions; and litigation in state and federal courts. As a result, I am well versed in: finance; contracts; governance; employment; intellectual property; litigation; and real estate. Also, as a result of my decades of personal experience serving on non-profit boards of directors, I am entirely conversant with their legal issues such as: governance best practices; local government finance; criminal law; fundraising; employment; and tax-exempt activities.

Freeborn & Peters LLP

Chicago, IL

• Partner, 1994-99; associate, 1992-94
  After working on larger bankruptcy and restructuring cases in Winston’s national practice, I spent much of the next seven years honing my litigation skills. I assumed first-chair responsibilities and participated in numerous bench trials and evidentiary hearings, resulting in admission to the “Trial Bar” for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois.

Winston & Strawn, LLP

Chicago, IL

• Associate, 1988-92
  Worked with legendary mentors in national restructuring and bankruptcy practice, both in the courtroom and at the drafting table.

U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission

Chicago, IL

• Staff Attorney, 1986-87
  Represented the Commission in federal courts, primarily involving the interplay of federal securities laws and bankruptcy law.

Education:

Affiliations:

• National Association of Corporate Directors
• Private Directors Association
• Federalist Society
• Turnaround Management Association
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Association for Corporate Growth
• Commercial Finance Association
• American Agricultural Law Association
• Various State and Local Bars

Personal: