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Jeff Bennett, a top official in the administration of Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett ever since the mayor took office in 2016, has left his position to join the leadership team of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, the CICF announced Wednesday morning.
Bennett, who served first as deputy mayor of community development, became senior policy adviser to the mayor in December 2022. He joins the CICF in the new position of chief innovation officer.
The CICF said Bennett will focus on developing new partnerships and expanding the regional impact of the CICF to become a national philanthropic leader.
“With his guidance and expertise, CICF is set to deepen our understanding of how to better foster community-driven change through our centers of innovation and excellence,” CEO Jennifer Bartenbach wrote in a statement.
Bennett received a $129,500 salary from the city in 2022. The new job pays a salary of $175,000, according to a posting for the position.
The expansion of the foundation’s leadership team follows several executive changes. Brian Payne, former CEO of the CICF and president of the Indianapolis Foundation, retired in June. His retirement marked the beginning of CICF and Indianapolis Foundation being led separately. Bartenbach was named CEO of CICF in May, with Lorenzo Esters taking over as president of the Indianapolis Foundation.
“For more than 25 years, CICF has had a profound impact on our community, strengthening the civic, corporate and philanthropic collaboration that makes the central Indiana region unique,” Bennett said in a written statement. “I’m honored and humbled to join an organization I’ve long admired, to deepen the relationships built throughout my career and move forward our critical work to build a more equitable, inclusive community.”
Within the Hogsett administration, Bennett oversaw neighborhood development, affordable housing, homelessness and human services. At the onset of the pandemic, he led the creation of the city’s rental assistance program, IndyRent.
“During his time in my administration, Jeff Bennett was a peerless leader for community development,” Hogsett said in a written statement. “Whether through guiding major neighborhood development projects, securing improvements to the Indy Parks system, or spearheading the distribution of $200 million of rental assistance to Marion County tenants during the pandemic, Jeff’s impact on Indianapolis will be felt far into the future. I wish him all the best in his new role.”
Bennett’s 25-year career in civic, not-for-profit, community development and government leadership also includes three years as director of real estate services for IFF, two terms as a Warren Township Trustee and six years under Mayor Bart Peterson in various roles.
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Now there’s no one competent on the 25th floor.
Not to mention he was in the administration that put on 2 nights of a great riot downtown has yet to return from.
Even though Hogsett did a poor job on the nights of the rioting, downtown is suffering most from the “work from home” decisions that corporate America made, which includes Lilly.