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Heading the initiative for HHS is a diverse team of qualified leaders, the majority being residents of the immediate neighborhoods of 16th Street and Delaware. The governing board also includes representatives of key non-profit organizations that relate to the unique mission of the school, including the Indiana Humanities Council (humanities), The Harrison Center for the Arts (visual arts), The Oaks Academy (liberal arts education/underserved populations) and the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (historic preservation of architecture).
Joanna Taft
John R. Hammond III
Andrew Hart
Kevin Hern
Vicenta C. “Vicky” Andrade
John Keller
Lynn Molzan
Theresa Patrick
DeVonne Pollard
Gautam Rao
Todd Ravesloot
John Turner
Doug Wilson
Joanna Taft, Board President:
Taft's professional history has revolved around using her entrepreneurial skills to build community in diverse settings such as government, corporate, non-profit, and grassroots community-based organizations. With a B.S. in Business Administration, and a solid organizational background as a Management Analyst with a presidentially appointed board in Washington, DC, Taft relocated to Indiana (Muncie, Richmond, and Indianapolis) with her Hoosier husband. In Muncie, she continued her business career as a consultant working with start up companies. In Richmond, she discovered community development and found that it was a good match for her personal interest in historic neighborhoods, urban areas, and her entrepreneurial abilities. She worked for Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, served on several community boards, was appointed by the Mayor to the Richmond Area Planning Commission, and became skilled at community building and consensus planning. Moving to Indianapolis in 1991, she enjoyed private real estate development in historic neighborhoods and became active in community volunteering (particularly at The Oaks Academy as one of the original families). After ten years of self-employment, she took the position in 2001 of Executive Director of the Harrison Center for the Arts. She serves on the boards of The Oaks Academy, the Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association, and the Board of Zoning and Appeals. She enjoys living, working, and playing in downtown Indianapolis with her husband, Bill, and three children who “love to go to school” at The Oaks Academy.
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John R. Hammond III, HHS Member:
Hammond is a partner of Ice Miller, Indianapolis' largest law firm. He serves as Co-Chair of Ice Miller's Public Affairs group. As a veteran of Indiana's state government, he has helped shape a wide variety of public policy, from tax policy to environmental management, education to tort reform, transportation to insurance and economic development. He was awarded his Bachelor of Arts from DePauw University in 1976, and a Juris Doctorate from the Indiana University School of Law in 1991. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Indiana. Hammond is a resident of the Old Northside Neighborhood. Hammond serves on the board of the Old Northside Foundation, the Old Centrum, and is one of the neighborhood's first urban pioneers. He and his wife have 2 sons who are benefiting from a liberal arts education at St. Richard's School.
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Andrew Hart, Vice President:
Hart is presently the Head of School at The Oaks Academy in Indianapolis. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Washington & Lee University and his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, he worked as a legislative assistant in Washington, DC for Rep. Frank R. Wolf. Prior to The Oaks Academy, Hart was a visiting instructor at the University of Bucharest, Romania, served as a consultant for Price Waterhouse, and was a business development manager for Eli Lilly. He currently is a member of the Independent School Association of Central States and is a member of Tabernacle Presbyterian Church. Hart is also a member of the Head of School Forum, Independent Schools Association of Central States (ISACS). Hart brings administrative, networking, and fund development expertise to our board. Hart and his wife Peyton have two toddler daughters and live on the near north side of downtown.
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Kevin Hern, Treasurer and Chair of Finance Committee:
Hern works as a Senior Financial Analyst for Eli Lilly in Indianapolis. He graduated from Miami (of Ohio) University with a Bachelor of Science in Education with minors in History, Economics, and Political Science. Upon graduating, Hern taught advanced placement American History and Economics while serving as the men's varsity soccer coach for two years at a high school in Cincinnati, Ohio. During this time he also served as the Director for the school's nationally recognized Community Service Program. Hern moved to Tampa, FL and joined the Murray Financial Group of UBS PaineWebber, working as a financial advisor for several years. He left UBS to return to business school in the fall of 2002. In the summer of 2004, Hern received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He resides in Herron-Morton Place with his wife, Amy, and their two sons, Jackson and Luke. He is currently a member of the Herron-Morton Place Neighborhood Association, served as Chairman of the Board for Standing Firm Ministries, and volunteers for the Miami University Alumni Admission Recruitment Network. The son of a public school superintendent, Hern's teaching background and MBA provide added depth to our financial planning.
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Vicenta C. “Vicky” Andrade, HHS Member:
Vicky Andrade is the Latino Outreach Director for the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic. In this position, she supervises Latino outreach services that include educational programs, translation, interpretation, and public relations; collaboration with community groups and agencies to address Latino issues; assisting legal staff; and coordinating Spanish-speaking volunteers for legal representation and educational programs. Prior to joining the clinic, Vicky was the director of the translations department at Kiwanis International for 22 years. Her interpreting and convention assignments took her to many countries, particularly in Latin America. When Kiwanis transferred the World Headquarters to Indianapolis in 1982, Vicky was invited to move. Andrade received a Baccalaureate Degree in Business Administration in Cuenca, Ecuador, from an American school, Biling Interamericano, and an Advance Certificate in English language from a bi-national cultural and language institute, Centro Cultural Ecuatoriano-Norteamericano Abraham Lincoln. She also has a BS degree in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. Vicky is part of a large, international family, which resides both in the U.S. and South America. She is the sixth of 8 children, and as a good Latina, she remains committed to being a supportive family member, especially for her widowed mother.
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Theresa Patrick, HHS Member:
Patrick has lived in Herron-Morton Place since age four. Patrick began her education in IPS, but transferred to Sycamore and later graduated from Brebeuf Jesuit. She graduated from Butler University with degrees in Voice and Theatre Performance. She is a local actress and vocalist and has served as theatre instructor for the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir “Voices United” camp since 2002. Patrick is an aspiring law student and mental health advocate and has lived in London, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. Patrick offers Herron High School a youthful perspective and passion to make a liberal arts education more accessible to the children of her neighborhood.
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Gautam Rao, HHS Member:
Rao is Assistant Professor of Media Arts at Butler University and is the first visual artist on the faculty there. His previous teaching experiences were at Maryland College of Art and Design and at Northern Virginia Community College. He earned his BFA from Boston University in 1999 and his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. His work is widely exhibited and has received national and international attention with a solo show at the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C., and a group show in Seoul, South Korea. His numerous distinctions include a Susan Coslett Cromwell Traveling Fellowship, and awards from the Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. Rao's community involvement includes membership in the Indianapolis Art Center, the India Association of Indianapolis, and Young Indian Professionals of Indiana (YIPI). Rao's heart for special education and art education drew him to our project. His graphic design skills and organizational abilities have brought practical value.
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Todd Ravesloot, Co-Chair of Facilities Committee:
Ravesloot brings formal training, experience, and a keen interest in the successful rehabilitation of historic buildings to the HHS board. He currently works for Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana in their Indianapolis office and staffs Historic Urban Neighborhoods of Indianapolis, representing 20 neighborhoods in the older communities of Indianapolis. He also manages the Fund for Landmark Indianapolis Properties. After graduating from Purdue University, Ravesloot earned his Masters in Historic Preservation of Architecture from Ball State's College of Architecture and Planning. Ravesloot is an active volunteer at the Harrison Center for the Arts and a resident of the historic Irvington neighborhood, where he lives with his wife, Holly.
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John Turner, HHS Member:
Turner received a Ph.D. in Art History from Brown University and is to date the sole African American to have done so. He has been the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship (1993-94) as well as Ford and Mellon Fellowships held concurrently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1999-2000). Turner is the foremost authority on the Florentine High Renaissance sculptor, Baccio da Montelupo, and has contributed to Sculpture Journal. He is currently Assistant Professor of Art History (Media Arts Department) at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a member of the College Art Association and the Renaissance Society of America. He is also an advisory board member of ARTINCONTEXT.COM. Turner is what we would call “a renaissance man”. Educated, well spoken, and well read. He brings depth and scholarship to our board.
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Doug Wilson, Secretary and Co-Chair of Facilities Committee:
Wilson is a Senior Peoplesoft Business Analyst working in Information Technology for Covance Inc. Prior to joining Covance, Wilson worked for The Heritage Group. His work assignments included managing TQM and process improvement projects, strategic planning, and work on a major software development project. He earned his B.S. in Finance at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana in 1992 with a concentration in Institutional Finance. He is married to Amy, and together they have two sons, Brant and Samuel. The Wilsons played a key role in establishing The Oaks Academy's Fund Development program, were founding members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and enjoy building community with their neighbors in Herron-Morton Place. Wilson's attention to detail and project management skills help keep our project on track.
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