Indiana Leadership Forum

10/13/2025

Congratulations to the new members of the ILF Class of 2026! We are excited for the year ahead, and hope you will join us for our opening reception to welcome the new class on Friday, November 14th in downtown Indianapolis. All of the details can be found in the attached invitation.

If you would like to attend, please email us at inleadershipforum@gmail.com to RSVP.

09/22/2025

Congratulations to ILF Alumni Paul Mullin and John Westercamp on their appointments to the Indiana Election Commission and the Indiana State Recount Commission! We’re proud to see our alumni continue to serve and strengthen our state.

07/15/2025

Applications for the Indiana Leadership Forum’s Class of 2026 are open!

The deadline to apply is September 1st, and interviews will take place the week of September 15th.

The link to apply can be found below, along with the costs, expectations and class dates. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

https://forms.gle/5xEnJtpKbeox4CH18

05/17/2025

05/16/2025

The ILF Class of 2025 completed their DC Trip this week, and we are so grateful to all of our speakers and guests for taking time to share their insights with the class.

We heard from many of Indiana’s elected officials, White House staff and campaign experts.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our trip such a memorable experience! 🏛️

05/09/2025

ILF Class of 2025 Spotlight 💡

Scott Clay serves as a Client Liaison for RQAW | DCCM, covering 23 counties in Northern Indiana. Based in Warsaw, Indiana, Scott actively contributes to his community, currently serving as Vice President on the board of directors at Kosciusko Senior Services and Secretary of Kosciusko's Young Republicans.

He is a graduate of the Ambassador Institute for Civic Engagement Cohort #3 and is a proud graduate of The Citadel Leadership Academy AFJROTC program. In recognition of his leadership potential, Scott was awarded Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation’s Rising Leader Award in 2021. A graduate of Warsaw Community High School, Class of 2015, Scott is passionate about community engagement and leadership development.

Please join us in congratulating Scott on being a member of the ILF Class of 2025!

04/08/2025

Last week, the Indiana Leadership Forum hosted our Media & Message class, where class members participated in communication training exercises and gained insight from members of the media as well as communications and advertising veterans.

Thank you to Christine Richards, Niki Kelly, Brandon Smith, Brad Rateike and Rob Aho for joining us!

Next stop is Washington, DC 🏛️

03/28/2025

ILF Class of 2025 Spotlight 💡

Micha Burkert is the Government Relations Director for Managed Health Services (MHS), where she navigates complex healthcare policy. Before joining MHS, Micha made significant strides in state government, with key roles at IDOH and the Indiana State Senate, advancing transformative healthcare initiatives. She was instrumental in shaping the Governor’s Public Health Commission’s groundbreaking efforts to revitalize Indiana’s public health system.

An IU McKinney School of Law and IU Bloomington alumna, Micha is deeply committed to her community, actively supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana. She resides in Indianapolis with her husband, continuing to make an impact locally and statewide.

Please join in congratulating Micha on being a member of the Class of 2025!

03/11/2025

The Indiana Leadership Forum held its second installment of campaign school on Friday, and we were honored to be joined by an amazing group of speakers with significant experience at every level.

Thank you to Kyle Walker, Marty Obst, Jennifer Hallowell, Maren Patterson, Matt Zapfe, Samantha DeWester and Patrick Price for sharing your insight with us.

We look forward to hearing about media and messaging next month!

03/04/2025

ILF Class of 2025 Spotlight 💡

Amanda Brown is an Adoption Consultant for the Department of Child Services. Amanda has overseen numerous successful adoptions and has assisted families as they have navigated through the process of achieving permanency. Amanda completed the Emerging Leaders Academy through the state and is a mentor at the agency.

Amanda lives in Greencastle with her husband and two children. She is the Events Coordinator for the Putnam County Fraternal Order of Police, was elected to the County Council, and is organizing efforts to start an Indiana Federation of Republican Women Putnam County chapter. Amanda is a graduate of Indiana State University and is currently pursuing her MSW.

Please join us in congratulating Amanda for being a member of the ILF Class of 2025!

02/19/2025

Congratulations to Class of 2014 ILF alum Patrick Price on his new role with the Office of Indiana Governor Mike Braun!

Patrick is a graduate of Yale Law School, and has formerly worked for the State Budget Agency, Indiana Department of Revenue, Indiana Office of Technology and the Indiana BMV.

We look forward to seeing his success in the new administration!

02/17/2025

ILF Class of 2025 Spotlight 💡

Evan Bartel serves as the General Counsel for the Indiana State Medical Association. In that role, he provides legal and advocacy support for the Association and Indiana’s physician workforce. Prior to joining ISMA, Evan served in several roles across State government, including work at the Professional Licensing Agency, the Department of Workforce Development, the Department of Revenue, and the Office of the Attorney General.

Evan lives in New Palestine with his wife and two sons. He is the Committee Chair for his local Boy Scout troop. Evan is a graduate of Indiana University McKinney School of Law and Ball State University.

Please join us in congratulating Evan on being a member of the ILF Class of 2025!