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 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 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.

Kate Shelby serves as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), where she leads the agency’s efforts to strengthen workforce strategy, modernize service delivery, and expand opportunities for Hoosiers and employers across the state.

Kate brings deep experience at the intersection of government operations, technology, law, and strategic transformation. Before joining DWD as Commissioner, she served as Chief of Staff, Chief Strategy Officer, and Deputy Commissioner of Procurement at the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA), and previously as Chief Information Officer and Chief Legal Counsel at the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).

Across state government and private-sector executive positions, Kate has built a reputation for improving performance, leading complex operations, and advancing high-impact change. Her experience includes managing large-scale procurement and technology portfolios, driving process improvements and cybersecurity initiatives, and negotiating innovative public-private solutions.

Early in her state tenure, Kate’s role as DWD Chief Operating Officer included oversight of teams implementing key Workforce initiatives and Unemployment Insurance fraud protections, culminating in agency recognition by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) for program integrity leadership.

A lawyer by training and public servant by calling, Kate served in senior legal roles, including General Counsel for a tech and data consulting firm, Contract Portfolio Leader at Eli Lilly & Company, Deputy Prosecutor in Marion County, and Deputy Attorney General in the Civil Litigation Division at the Office of the Indiana Attorney General.

Kate has remained focused throughout her career on delivering results through innovation, accountability, and service – an approach that continues to shape her leadership as DWD Commissioner.

She and her husband, Doug, are Purdue University graduates and have two children who are very active. In her free time, Kate enjoys volunteering in Brownsburg with various community organizations, hiking, and painting with acrylics.

Mike Smith is the Chief Opertating Officer (COO) of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD). He joined the agency as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in April 2023 and has served as COO since February 2025. Prior to that time, he spent almost eight years serving as CFO with the State of Oregon Employment Department.

Smith is an experienced executive level leader with an extensive knowledge of state and Federal laws. His 10 years of previous state government experience also includes serving as CFO/Controller of the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange where he was instrumental in the awarding of a $226 million federal grant.

Prior to state government, Smith held various financial leadership positions in the private industry sector for more than 15 years, including work with David Evans and Associates, Inc., where he was responsible for the financial operations of 17 offices. Smith also worked briefly in the non-profit sector at Cru in Orlando where he coordinated the annual budget for U.S. operations.

The Indiana native was born in Beech Grove and is excited to be back in his home state where he can invest in and support Hoosiers. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pensacola Christian College and a Master of Business Administration degree with an accounting concentration from Liberty University.

In recent times, Smith served as vice chair of the Administration and Finance Committee for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (2019-20 association year) and chair of that same committee in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 association years.

Allison brings more than a decade of experience in workforce development. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Public and Environmental Affairs and an MBA, she has built her career within Indiana’s public workforce system through leadership roles at both the regional and state levels. As Chief Workforce Officer, she helps guide Indiana’s workforce strategy, advancing initiatives that strengthen service delivery, support employers, and expand opportunities for Hoosiers across the state.

Previously serving as Associate Chief of Performance and Innovation, Allison worked closely with agency leadership to drive our statewide workforce ecosystem, improve operational performance, and support implementation of high-impact initiatives. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for translating strategy into action, building strong partnerships, and leading with a focus on innovation, outcomes, and continuous improvement.

Her commitment to workforce development is deeply personal. Introduced to this work early in life through her father’s dedication to serving workers and communities, Allison developed an early appreciation for the impact of workforce programs and public service. That foundation continues to shape her leadership and fuels her commitment to making a meaningful difference for Hoosiers across the state.

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.

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.

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.

Elizabeth Presson serves as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), where she leads agency-wide strategy across marketing, brand, media relations, executive communications, legislative engagement, and stakeholder affairs.

With experience spanning public sector leadership and global defense and aerospace organizations, Elizabeth brings a disciplined, outcomes-driven approach to narrative strategy and organizational positioning. Prior to DWD, she held senior communication roles at V2X, Vertex Aerospace, and Raytheon. Her background in defense and advanced manufacturing informs her ability to translate technical, policy, and operational initiatives into clear, compelling messages.

Joining DWD in 2024, Elizabeth has lead communications tied to unemployment insurance, workforce innovation, apprenticeship expansion, employer engagement initiatives, and cross-agency collaboration within Indiana's Office of Commerce.