Chairman, IBJ Media Corp.

IBJ columnist

An Indianapolis native, Maurer graduated from North Central High School and received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Colorado. He returned home for law school, earning a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University, where he was a writer and an editor of the Law Journal. He also successfully completed the CPA examination. 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. Maurer is a regularly published contributor to The New York Times crossword puzzle. His hobbies also include skiing, biking, mountain climbing, woodworking and underwater photography. His woodworking has won a blue ribbon at the Indiana State Fair. In 1999, he successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. In 2003 Maurer authored a book of his underwater photography entitled “Water Colors.” His second book, “19 Stars of Indiana,” was published in 2009. Maurer and his wife, Janie, have three children and seven grandchildren.

Articles

MAURER: Prepare for great new Knight book

Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., in his shareholder letter of March 1, 2013, took a page out of Bob Knight’s new book “The Power of Negative Thinking,” a twist on the best-selling treatise of yore by Norman Vincent Peale.

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MAURER: Big Q’s lofty mission didn’t involve flying

Quentin Paige Smith died in January at age 94. If you didn’t know the Big Q, you missed a hell of a man—his own man—unbowed by the evil racism of the pre-Civil Rights era. I wrote his biography for my book “19 Stars of Indiana—Exceptional Hoosier Men,” and now I can tell you the rest of that story.

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MAURER: One politician getting a second chance

That irrepressible Mel Reynolds is running again. Janie and I were just laughing with Rose and Bill Mays about being duped when we rallied our respective communities for an “Oreo” fundraiser on Reynolds’ behalf two decades ago.

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MAURER: Deli delight

I am proud to relate that Pawel Fludzinski, Ph.D. recently published his first crossword puzzle in The New York Times. Pawel has worked at Eli Lilly and Co. for more than 28 years with the last 20 years being in executive level leadership positions. He has a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry, but never mind that: He shares with me a love for construction of crossword puzzles.

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MAURER: New life for classic lines from big screen

Guys love to quote “The Godfather.” It’s no wonder, with lines like “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” and “Leave the gun—take the cannolis.” These and other memorable movie quips are relevant today, just with new voices.

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MAURER: A look back at memorable topics

Each January, I reflect on a few of the prior year’s columns. I am always curious about the topics and people I have written about over the course of the year. I hope you are, too.

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MAURER: Moderate Republicans, lend me your ear

Now that the Tea Party has swapped the best public servant in the United States Senate and a sure Republican seat for newly elected Joe Donnelly, a Democrat, perhaps it’s time moderate Indiana Republicans stand up and reclaim the party.

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MAURER: My stint in public service was a thrill

I lived it. I loved it. I bragged about it—too much. Then I forgot about it. That is until Kelly Nicholl, vice president of marketing for the Indiana Economic Development Corp., asked me to provide a short summary of significant events from my time as president of the IEDC and secretary of commerce.

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MAURER: Mourdock makeover isn’t flattering … or believable

Senate hopeful Richard Mourdock energized the right wing of the Republican Party this spring when he declared uncategorically that he rejects cooperation with his political opponents and that his brand of partisanship defines compromise as “Democrats coming our way.”

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