Mike Braun

Governor

Mike Braun is a conservative outsider who spent his career as a main street entrepreneur building a business and creating thousands of good-paying Hoosier jobs before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018. Mike has lived the American dream and his drive in becoming the next Governor of Indiana is to preserve the same freedom and opportunity to achieve prosperity for future generations of Hoosiers.

After graduating from Jasper High School in 1972 as class president and a letterman in football, basketball, and track, he attended Wabash College. At Wabash, Mike graduated summa cum laude with a degree in economics and as student body president.

After college, Mike married Maureen, his high school sweetheart, and the two moved to Boston where he attended Harvard Business School and earned his MBA. After business school, while the majority of Mike’s classmates took high-paying jobs on Wall Street, he chose to move back to Jasper to raise a family and build a career.

After a few years working for a national kitchen cabinet company in Jasper, in 1981, Mike got the entrepreneurial itch and took over a struggling farm equipment manufacturer called Meyer Body. Over the next 20 years, Mike lived the hardscrabble existence of a small business owner with 15 employees and his office in a used mobile home.

In the early 2000s, Meyer began to grow into a regional company and over the next 15 years grew into a national company that currently employs thousands of Americans with locations in 38 states. During his time growing a national company and serving in the US Senate, Mike never lost track of the lessons learned as a small business owner and has always kept the same main street values.

The values of faith, family, and community guided Mike while growing a business and raising a family, and have inspired his call to serve fellow Hoosiers throughout the years. Mike began his public service as a member of the local School Board for ten years and then as a State Representative from 2014-2017.

Mike has been a conservative voice for Hoosiers since his historic victory in the 2018 US Senate election, having led over 35 bills into law and was recently named the most effective first-term Republican Senator. Mike has also consistently been ranked as one of the most conservative members of the United States Senate, earning endorsements from Americans for Prosperity and CPAC, and maintains excellent ratings from the NRA, Family Research Council, National Right to Life, and Susan B. Anthony List.

Mike is an avid outdoorsman and enthusiastic morel mushroom hunter every spring. Mike and Maureen have been married for 47 years and have four adult children and seven grandchildren.

David Adams

Secretary of Commerce

David Adams has served as Indiana Secretary of Commerce and a member of Governor Mike Braun’s cabinet since his appointment in January 2025. In his role, Sec. Adams oversees multiple state agencies including the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the Department of Workforce Development, the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, the Indiana Destination Development Corporation, the Indiana Arts Commission, the Indiana State Fair and the Ports of Indiana, driving economic opportunity for the state and fostering an entrepreneurial environment for innovation.

Prior to becoming secretary of commerce, Adams served as a Managing Partner of Adams Advisors LLC and a Senior Advisor with the Boston Consulting Group where he leveraged his expertise on education, economic and workforce development to advise corporations, state and local governments and higher education leaders on economic growth and transformation.

Adams also previously served as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, during which he put Indiana on a course that improved the state’s CNBC ‘America’s Top States for Business’ workforce ranking from 48th to currently 14th and successfully secured legislation and financial resources to support Governor Eric Holcomb’s workforce agenda. He also led the turnaround and merger of Indiana’s nearly $50 billion pension systems under former Governor Mitch Daniels.

Prior to his time with the Department of Workforce Development, Adams was the first chief innovation officer at the University of Cincinnati, where he was the visionary leader in the formation of the Cincinnati Innovation District. His work was adopted by the state and became the model for the state of Ohio which has resulted in an additional 45,000 STEM graduates, $6 billion in additional research and tens of thousands of high-value jobs for the state. Adams also previously held positions as chief administrative officer at the University of Louisville and CEO of the Institute for Product Realization – an innovation district focused on connecting the economic engine of the university with the business community.

Adams is a lifelong entrepreneur and has successfully engaged that spirit in a variety of different industries. He was a member of the leadership team that formed a business that became a NASDAQ 50 company and created the supply chain management space. He has started, invested and successfully exited numerous companies. Adams’ work ranges from engaging start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, generating over $1 billion in new revenue throughout his career. He has served in executive leadership roles both nationally and internationally.

As a first-generation college graduate, Adams is passionate about education and was a founding board member of the Enlace Academy in Indianapolis. He is a graduate of the Speed Scientific School of Engineering at the University of Louisville and holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering.

Adams was previously awarded one of ‘Indiana’s Leading Entrepreneurial Business Mentors’ by the state of Indiana, has made numerous national media appearances, is a frequent speaker and author, and is a contributing writer for Forbes.

Josh Richardson

President

Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)

Josh Richardson serves as President of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). Prior to his appointment within the agency, he was Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD). He previously served as Chief of Staff for the Indiana Commerce Vertical under Secretary David Adams. Prior to that, he served as Chief of Staff at DWD, where he held various leadership roles since rejoining the agency in March 2018.

Richardson has an extensive background in public service. He began his career with the State of Indiana, serving in multiple roles at DWD and in the Office of Governor Mitch Daniels as a Policy Director. Under Governors Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence, he held several key positions within DWD, including Director of Indiana’s Unemployment Insurance System and under Governor Eric J. Holcomb Chief of Staff of DWD.

Between his two stints at DWD, Richardson worked at the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ Integrity Center, where he advised states on reducing fraud and improper payments in unemployment insurance programs.

A native of Blackford County, Mr. Richardson earned his undergraduate degree from Ball State University and his law degree from the McKinney School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Indiana.

Katie Rounds

Chief Workforce Officer

Katie Rounds was named the Department of Workforce Development’s (DWD) Chief Workforce Officer in April of 2023. In that role, she leads the creation of strategies to design and develop an agile workforce that is responsive to the changing needs of critical industries in Indiana.

Prior to her most recent appointment within the agency, Rounds, who was originally hired in 2019, lead initiatives to analyze complex business problems and issues as DWD’s Associate Chief Workforce Officer while developing organizational design strategy in furthering agency missions and goals.

Rounds has an extensive background in state government work. Before coming to DWD, she served as Innovative Project Delivery Director for the Indiana Department of Transportation and Deputy Chief of Staff with the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) in addition to working as DCS Human Resources Director for the Indiana State Personnel Department.

The Hanover College graduate, who holds a law degree from the Indiana University Mauer School of Law, enjoys water-based activities, spending time with family and watching basketball and IndyCar racing in her spare time.

Rounds and her husband, a high school golf and basketball coach who also serves as an assistant principal and athletics’ director, have three children.

Holly Newell

Chief Unemployment Insurance Officer

Holly Newell serves the agency as the Chief Unemployment Insurance (UI) Officer, leading the team responsible for supporting the stability of Indiana's workforce and communities by ensuring the unemployment insurance (UI) program is administered effectively and efficiently. Funded entirely by employer taxes, the UI program provides qualified workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own timely, temporary benefits to help bridge the gap between jobs.

Holly joined DWD in 2018 as Deputy General Counsel. She also has served as Associate General Counsel and Associate Chief of UI Operations. Prior to joining DWD, Holly worked for the Office of the Indiana Attorney General, focusing on consumer protection matters, and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, where she regulated pari-mutuel horse racing in the state.

Born and raised in Iowa, Holly graduated from the University of Iowa before receiving her law degree from the University of South Carolina and Master of Business Administration from Western Governor’s University.

Holly and her sports editor husband, Nat, have two daughters and three cats. Holly enjoys yoga, creative writing, gardening, and decorating cookies.

Beth Green

General Counsel

As General Counsel for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Elizabeth Green leads DWD’s Legal Division in providing agency-wide legal advice and representation. Beth also served as the Interim Commissioner in 2025, Ethics Officer for DWD from 2018 through 2023, and was the 2021 recipient of the Inspector General’s Award for Excellence. Prior to joining DWD, Beth spent 12 years in private practice at Riley Bennett Egloff LLP focusing on transactional work and commercial litigation.

Born and raised in eastern Canada, Beth received her B.A. in Psychology from Marshall University and graduated cum laude from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2005. In 2017, Beth was recognized as an Indianapolis Bar Foundation Distinguished Fellow and served on the IndyBar Professionalism Committee for several years. Beth also served on the Indiana Supreme Court’s Commission on Indiana’s Legal future and is an active member of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

Keith Isom

Chief Information Officer

An Indianapolis native, Keith brings over 15 years of experience in IT and 8 years of executive leadership to the industry. His journey has been shaped by a unique blend of technical expertise, strategic vision, and a background in professional football, instilling a deep sense of discipline, teamwork, and resilience.

Keith holds an MBA with a focus on IT Management from Western Governors University and is currently completing his Master of Science in Cybersecurity at Marquette University, specializing in Cyber Defense and Cyber Assurance. His extensive knowledge in cybersecurity, risk management, and technology leadership enables him to navigate complex digital challenges with confidence.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Keith is dedicated to community engagement. He serves on the board of Bosma Enterprises and is an active member of Bosma's Executive Committee, working to drive impactful initiatives and advocate for meaningful change.

With a passion for innovation, security, and leadership, Keith is committed to fostering excellence in technology and making a positive difference both in his field and the community.