Get to know the East Central Indiana Talent Collaborative
We are Strategic in our Work
The 2022-2025 East Central Indiana Talent Collaborative Strategic Plan was developed by the Guiding Team of the ECITC in collaboration with the regions's birth-5, K-8, high school, and adult/higher education coalitions.
Our Vision:
East Central Indiana is the region of choice built on trust and support.
Our Mission:
To accelerate the profitability of East Central Indiana by elevating investment in education and talent.
Our Equity Statement:
The East Central Indiana Talent Collaborative defines equity as both a process and an outcome in which each person has what is needed to reach one’s full potential – financially, in community and civil society – regardless of who the person is, where the person is, and what the person wants to achieve in life.
Regional Coalitions
This kind of transformational work cannot be done in a silo - and that applies to the ECITC as well!
We work with a variety of partners and including others that work on a regional level. These partners include:
The Value of the ECITC
“Trust is the most important currency for regional initiatives to succeed,” he said. “The Talent Collaborative has increased trust and is proving to be a solid foundation to tackle regional objectives.”
— Corey Murphy, President, New Castle Henry County Economic Development Corporation
Ways to get involved —
Learn more about the East Central Indiana region and connect with the Forge Your Path initiative. This is a free resource to connect visitors, locals, and businesses to learn more about the quality of life amenities in our region.
An easy way to get involved is to join a coalition - either at the county or regional level. These coalitions are integral to increasing the level of trust between partners in the region. If this sounds like a fit for you, reach out to Ashley Surpas to discuss where the best fit would be.
Our Team
Ashley Surpas, Associate Director of Regional Initiatives
Ashley has 10 years of experience in economic development, project management, and strategic plan coordination. She was part of the team that developed East Central Indiana’s Regional Cities Plans and participated in multiple aspects of the Talent Region designation process.
She earned her master's degrees in Public Administration (2010) and Executive Development for Public Service (2011) from Ball State University.
Kelli Huth, Associate Vice President for Community Engagement
Kelli worked at Ball State in various roles from 2008-18, but most recently served as the director for the Center of Civic Engagement at Binghamton University, and has more than 15 years of community engagement in higher education experience. Her experience at Ball State includes roles with the Building Better Communities Fellows — first as program coordinator 2008-11, then as director 2011-15. She then served as the director of immersive learning 2015-18.
Kelli began her career with the Cosanti Foundation in Mayer, Ariz., where she served as public relations coordinator and workshop and international internship coordinator 2003-06. She also was a faculty member at Ivy Tech Community College 2007-08, where she taught courses in critical thinking.
Kelli, who earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Anderson University, earned her master’s degree in Executive Development for Public Service from Ball State in 2013.
Dawn Brown
President/Chief Executive Officer
Community Foundation of Grant County, Indiana, Inc.
Community Foundation Representative
W. Chris Brown
Business Representative
Plumbers, Steamfitters, and HVACR Service Technicians Local 440
Skilled Trades Representative
Trevor Friedeberg
President & CEO
East Central Indiana Regional Partnership
Regional Marketing Organization Representative
Patrick Haney
Executive Director
East Central Educational Service Center
Regional K-12 Representative
Guiding Members
Tom Kinghorn
President & CEO
George and Frances Ball Foundation
Private Foundation Representative
Katie Lash
VP of K-14 and Strategic Initiatives
Ivy Tech Community College
K-12 Representative
Gus Linde
CEO
Eastern Indiana Works
Workforce Development Board Representative
Theresa Lindsey
Business and Workforce Development Manager
Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, IN
Local Economic Development Organization Representative
Backbone Organization (Ball State University) Representatives:
Kelli Huth
Associate Vice President for Community Engagement
Ball State University
Lisa Garner
Executive Assistant to Associate VP for Community Engagement
Ball State University
Ashley Surpas
Associate Director of Regional Initiatives
Ball State University