Engage Central Indiana - Indianapolis

Melina Kennedy was elected as the chief executive officer of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) in December 2022. CICP is a unique, nationally recognized, strategic collaboration of executive leaders from prominent corporations, philanthropic foundations and universities committed to developing responsive initiatives, making critical investments and delivering ambitious
projects to advance inclusive prosperity.

Prior to joining CICP, Kennedy spent eleven years at Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) where she served as Vice President of Product Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, led various business segments in the engine and power systems businesses, and was director of Executive Communications.

Kennedy has more than 25 years of experience in law, government and business. She had a successful law career at the former Baker and Daniels LLP; and was deputy mayor, director of economic development for the City of Indianapolis from 2000 to 2005. In 2011, she was a candidate for mayor of the City of Indianapolis.

Kennedy has had several ties to CICP in her career. In 2002, she represented the City of Indianapolis as part of a collaborative team of founding partners that established BioCrossroads, CICP’s life sciences initiative. In addition, in her role as deputy mayor of economic development, she commissioned the initial planning study that led to the beginning of work on the 16 Tech Innovation District, a project led by CICP.

Kennedy is active in the Indianapolis community. She waspresident of the Capital Improvement Board of Managers for seven years, where she worked with a bi-partisan group of State leaders and legislators, City leaders and councilors, and Pacers Sports and Entertainment to secure a long-term commitment of the Indiana Pacers to Indianapolis. In addition, Kennedy is currently a board member for the National Bank of Indianapolis; chair of the IU Health Foundation REV event and a board member of the Indiana University Academic Medical Center and is a member of the 2024 NBA All Star Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Indiana University – Bloomington, with B.S., M.S. and J.D. degrees.

Ann Lathrop, chief strategy officer for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), joined the IEDC in November 2021 and was appointed to join Governor Eric J. Holcomb’s cabinet in August 2023. In her role, Lathrop oversees Indiana’s integrated approach to business development, aligning external engagement, workforce, business development, foreign direct investment, federal engagement, government-to-government relations, defense, foreign policy and trade to meet the needs and speed of the market.

With a rich professional history spanning more than 30 years, Lathrop brings a wealth of diverse experience to her role at IEDC. Her extensive expertise encompasses business development, sales, finance, marketing, and brand management. Notably, she served as Crowe's pioneering Chief Marketing Officer, where she orchestrated marketing and brand strategies and realigned the inside sales team. Lathrop's journey began as an auditor with KPMG, progressing to her pivotal position as Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis and subsequently as City Controller. Before joining Crowe, she flourished as Vice President of Business Development at ACS Inc./Lockheed Martin/Netgov.com.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Lathrop has made impactful contributions to the state by participating on various boards. She serves as an Executive Committee member at Visit Indy and previously served as Board President of the Indiana Youth Institute. As a distinguished alumna of San Diego State University, her achievements include being recognized as a Woman of Influence and Forty Under 40 leader by the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Lathrop resides in the city of Lawrence (Marion County) with her husband, Michael Gargano.

Matt Mindrum recently joined the Indy Chamber as President & CEO after more than 15 years of Central Indiana business leadership across the healthcare and life sciences, sports and entertainment, and higher education sectors.

Mindrum began his post-MBA career at Eli Lilly and Company, where he worked in several sales and marketing leadership roles, including the launch of the U.S. Alzheimer's business. He then spent eight years serving in Chief Marketing & Communications Officer positions at Butler University and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, overseeing brand building and demand generation efforts for the Midwest's top-ranked residential undergraduate university and for the Indianapolis 500 -- the world's largest sporting event. Most recently, Matt helped to launch a new healthcare delivery business, serving as VP for Growth and Strategy for a startup unit within DaVita Kidney Care. 

Matt has a Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He serves on several community boards and lives in Westfield with his wife, MaryAnn, an Assistant United States Attorney, and their three children, Max (9), Michael (6), and Madeline (9mo). 

David Roberts is the Chief Executive Officer of the Applied Research Institute, a nonprofit driving collaboration and diversity at the intersection of innovation, technology, and national security and facilitating groundbreaking economic development from America’s Heartland within disruptive sectors.

ARI has secured line of sight to hundreds of millions in federal investment funds since Dave took the helm, marking it as the catalyst of regional transformation that the Governor and IEDC intended. This includes securing a $33 million investment from the Department of Defense for the development of the Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Hub, a critical initiative that has earned the prestigious designation as a Microelectronics Commons Hub. Furthering this trajectory of success, the Heartland BioWorks Technology Hub has emerged as a beacon of biotech advancement and diversity, recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration as one of the Regional Technology Hubs that Sen. Todd Young envisioned as he championed enabling bipartisan legislation. Additionally, Dave’s collaborative approach has been central to the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) receiving the designation as a Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub by the U.S. Department of Energy. These initiatives place Indiana as a leader enabling a secure and prosperous future for our nation.

Having previously held the mantle of Indiana’s Chief Innovation Officer, Dave is renowned for architecting the state’s transformative $1 billion innovation and entrepreneurship blueprint. This strategy has since catalyzed an ecosystem where creativity and technological advancement thrive, propelling Indiana to new heights.

Dave has led pioneering lithium-ion battery companies, navigating the intricacies of both public-private partnerships and private equity-backed ventures, as well as providing strategic patent and legal counsel at Caterpillar, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of construction and mining equipment.

His technical acumen was honed early on as an engineer at Lockheed Martin, where he contributed to the defense sector’s technological advancements.

Dave provides strategic guidance as a board member of both domestic and international organizations, where his insights on innovation and organizational leadership continue to drive progressive change.

Dave continues to be licensed to practice law across Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Vanessa joined the Indiana Chamber on October 16 as president and CEO-elect; she assumes her full role on January 5, 2024, upon current leader Kevin Brinegar’s retirement.

After 20 years in Washington D.C. at the center of politics and power, Vanessa moved “home” to Indianapolis with her husband, a Clay County native, and their two sons. She founded Green Sinders Consulting, a woman-led firm offering strategic advice, project execution and crisis management, and leadership development and coaching services to clients.

Previously, Vanessa served as senior vice president for government affairs at Charter Communications/Spectrum, a Fortune 100 cable and broadband company. She was responsible for directing the company’s strategic policy and political engagement with Congress and the White House, as well as managing a seven-person internal team and 15 external consulting firms.

Vanessa came to Charter after a four-year stint as senior vice president and department head for government affairs at the American Hotel & Lodging Association. In that capacity, she oversaw the association’s advocacy work at the federal, state and local levels, and managed the 10-person government affairs team.

Vanessa’s political and policy roots run deep. For a decade, earlier in her career, she held high-profile positions on Capitol Hill, including chief of staff for then-U.S. Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts and policy director for former U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire. Additionally, she was chief of staff for the “Campaign to Fix the Debt,” a nonpartisan issue-based coalition advocating for better national fiscal policies. There, she oversaw the implementation of the campaign’s strategy and directed the activities for its 45-person staff.

Vanessa received a bachelor’s degree in government with a minor in economics from Dartmouth College.

Mr. Thompson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the following, Indianapolis based organizations: Thompson Distribution Company, Inc., a distributor of mechanical supplies and equipment; First Electric Supply Company, LLC, a distributor of electrical supplies and equipment; CMID, an architectural and engineering design firm; and BC Countertops, a fabricator and installer of millwork.Mr. Thompson also served as a consultant for McKinsey and Company in the New York and London offices from 1981-1983.  From 1984 to 2001, Mr. Thompson served as vice president of Mays Chemical Company, Inc., in Indianapolis.

He serves on the Boards of The National Bank of Indianapolis-Chair ALCO Committee; Specialized Component Parts Limited; TMap/Make My Move; Chairman of IMARK Electrical and board member of IMARK Group; JGA Inc; Immediate Past Chair-Indiana Chamber of Commerce; Immediate Past Chair-Crossroads of America Council (Scouting); Indy Chamber (Past Chairman); Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP); Indiana Economic Development Corporation-Chair-Entrepreneurship Committee; Applied Research Institute; Eskenazi Health Foundation-Past Chairman; 2024 NBA All-Star Game; Indy Championships Fund; Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

He earned an MBA, with Honors, from Columbia University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.He is a member of Eastern Star Church and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.He and his wife Norma have 3 adult children and 4 grandsons.