FEBRUARY 2017
INTERNS TO ORPHANS
Jeff Papa’s Mission to Mentor
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PUBLISHER Tom Britt
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Cover story: Jeff Papa (left) and Steve Wolff (right)
EDITORIAL MANAGER
INTERNS TO ORPHANS: JEFF PAPA’S MISSION TO MENTOR
Given how extensively Jeff Papa and Steve Wolff have traveled around the globe, starting an orphanage in Nepal seemed a natural step to helping children rise out of poverty. A portion of their funds also help children in Central Indiana.
10
14
Kara Kavensky
EDITOR
Marc Sirkin
FEBRUARY WRITERS
Heather Chastain / Christy Heitger-Ewing Kara Kavensky / Matt Keating
FEBRUARY PHOTOGRAPHERS Brian Brosmer
SHOP LOCAL! Help our local economy by shopping local. Advertising supporters of the Zionsville Magazine offset the costs of publication and mailing, keeping this publication FREE. Show your appreciation by thanking them with your business. BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS ARE SPONSORED CONTENT
6 Designing Her Own Success: Jeryl Mitsch Leads a Team of World Class Interior Designers
20 Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre Production Features 20 Local Performers
10 Former Mr. Indiana Basketball Leads 21 New Comic Con Miniseries Popular Team of Pacer Team Ushers
14 Love is…Adoption: Will and
Adrienne Pfaffenberger’s Path to Parenthood
Features Local Actor
28 Moms Who Code 30 February Local Events
The Zionsville Magazine is published by Towne Post Network, Inc. and is written for and by local Zionsville area residents. Magazines are distributed via direct mail to more than 10,000 Zionsville area homeowners and businesses each month.
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18 Purposeful Design: Creating jobs, sustaining hope, and building furniture
atZionsville.com TownePost.com atZionsville.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / 5
Writer / Kara Kavensky Photographers / Anne Buskirk & Andrew Kung
The recent recipient of the National Association of Women Business Owner’s (NAWBO) 2016 Woman Business Owner of the Year, Jeryl Mitsch started her business with determination and sheer will more than 25 years ago. “Larry had a lot to do with it,” shares Jeryl, of her husband’s encouragement to open Mitsch Design, “He helped guide me along the initial process.” With little to no background in business, Jeryl considered herself solely a creative interior designer. However, with Larry’s support, she and a couple partners established their independent business. Using the Mitsch home as their initial office location, the women set to work. They landed a few major accounts almost immediately. “We faked it a bit,” confesses Jeryl, “We had confidence and the skills, but were new to being independent.” Early on, during one meeting in Chicago, they were asked how many locations their business had. Jeryl confidently replied, “One downtown Indianapolis, one on the north side and one on the west side.” Unbeknownst to the interviewer, Jeryl was speaking to the locations of where she and her partners lived. This is indicative of how business culture has changed, with home offices being far more acceptable now than they were 25 years ago.
DESIGNING HER OWN SUCCESS JERYL MITSCH LEADS A TEAM OF WORLD CLASS INTERIOR DESIGNERS
6 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2017 / atZionsville.com
It took only 18 months for Jeryl and her partners to outgrow her home. Her team was utilizing the dining room as its conference room, a spare bedroom, living room space, and her company dominated even the kitchen. “We had tape running the length of the refrigerator to divide it for my business and my family. One day, during a very busy meeting, the girls came home off the bus and I had to send them to a neighbors for a few hours in order for us to finish up an important meeting,” confesses Jeryl, “If that wasn’t a clue that we needed to move
the business out of my home, I don’t know what was.” Larry and his partners in his advertising agency had an office on the northwest side of Indianapolis. The space next door became available and Larry urged Jeryl and her team to move in. “It was ideal because if we needed to downsize, his business could take over some space, and vice versa,” she explains. Understanding the early significance of being a woman-owned business, Jeryl joined the National Association of Women Owned Business and is a past president.
“ Mitsch Design is synonymous with creativity and innovation.”
—ARTIST WALTER KNABE
“Such a great organization,” gushes Jeryl. “The support and friendships I’ve made through NAWBO have been amazing.” Mitsch Designs is celebrating its 25th year in business. It now has 20 employees and is located inside the Indiana Design Center in Carmel. “Since we moved the business out of our home, we have leased space in a corporate office building,” says Jeryl, “As creative design people, we were always in elevators with business people wearing suits and carrying briefcases. Then when we were in the process of moving to the Indiana Design Center, I noticed this guy getting out of his car with a large orange piece of sculpture and thought to myself, ‘I have found my home.’” Truly a national design firm, Mitsch Designs has a map dotted with the outreach it has created across the country. Locally, it has made an impact as well. Focused on corporate design and multifamily and senior care, its portfolio is impressive and extensive, including Angie’s List, Eskenazi Health, The Depot of Fishers, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art, to name a few. One of its newer projects involves the design of the new addition to the Delta Faucet headquarters. For more information, please visit MitschDesign.com atZionsville.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / 7
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FORMER
MR. INDIANA BASKETBALL LEADS POPULAR TEAM OF PACER GAME USHERS Writer / Matt Keating
Humes, an usher at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, is a popular presence at Indiana Pacer games. Fans love to chat with him. He’s well liked by his co-workers. Many Pacers players, Pacemates, vendors, and Pacers’ front-office personnel often stop to shake his hand, admire his rings, or listen to him tell a story. And Humes loves every minute of it. The Madison High School basketball legend, named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 1962 after taking Madison High School to the state
Final Four, knows how to work a crowd. He is one of a fleet of popular ushers who work Pacers games. “To me, being an usher is not work at all,” Humes said before a recent game against the Charlotte Hornets. “I love people, and I love watching the families and friends come in to have a great time. I’ve been working here as an usher for the last six years, and it’s been constant source of enjoyment for me.” When Humes was a player at Madison High School, he had 95 wins and one loss in regular-season games. He later went on to play for
TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / INDY METRO
the University of Evansville, where his team won NCAA College Division national championships in 1964 and 1965. He was also voted All-American. In 1991, he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. “After college, I went on to get drafted by The Chicago Bulls, but I was the last player cut,” Humes said. “I later signed with the Indiana Pacers, but I was cut before the season began. I was hurt at first, but I wound up being all right with it later. I started teaching and coaching. I jumped right into it and have loved doing both.” He earned a master’s degree in counseling from Butler University.
“I coached at Howe High School and Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, and at the University of Indianapolis, and back at my old college, the University of Evansville,” Humes said. “After that, I also coached at Crispus Attucks High School. It was a great pleasure. I have coached for 42 years.” Humes added that his love for basketball and interacting with people in a positive way has never wavered. “Watching basketball is about as fun as it gets,” he stated. “I also like helping people here get to their seats, and help have a good time.
INDY METRO / FEBRUARY 2017 / TownePost.com
“THE TWO MAIN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS JOB ARE THE PEOPLE AND THE EVENTS.” I'm always glad to see the other ushers doing the same thing, and I like catching up with them. Some of them have been here for a long time.” Peggy Surbey is one of them. She has been an usher since 1997. “The two main things I love about this job are the people and the events,” Surbey said. “I have been a long-time Pacers fan, and it’s great being able to go to the games for free. I like welcoming people and bring a positive part of their experience. It puts a smile on my face. I like discussing the games and the players. It’s a great place to be.” Lorris Brown, one of the ushers’ co-supervisors, said he has been an usher for 30 years. TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / INDY METRO
“I’ve been able to meet such a wide range of people,” Brown stated. “I worked at Market Square Arena, and it was a great place to gather and really get to know the players and fans. It was a real family atmosphere. It's the same here.” Dave Slipher, who worked as a teacher for 38 years, has worked as an usher since the 1960s. “I remember the night Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard was named as head coach of the Pacers in the late ‘60s,” Slipher noted. “I have loved watching all the great coaches and players come and go through the years.”
THE CHARMEL CHOIRS:
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He says he likes to watch Humes talk to kids about basketball.
“HE REALLY IS AN INSPIRATION” Humes tells kids to stay in school and never use lame excuses with their teachers. “I tell them to work hard and listen to their teachers,” Humes said. “I also love to tell them that it’s not how you start something important in life, it’s how you finish.”
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Matt Keating is an instructional assistant and tutor at Amy Beverland Elementary and a freelance writer. He has won three Society of Professional Journalists awards.
KITCHENS | BATHS | INTERIORS | ADDITIONS | OUTDOOR SPACES
INDY METRO / FEBRUARY 2017 / TownePost.com
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Love is… Adoption WILL AND ADRIENNE PFAFFENBERGER’S PATH TO PARENTHOOD Writer / Kara Kavensky
Avon residents Will and Adrienne Pfaffenberger began their journey into parenthood through the traditional route and then weighed fertility options, eventually deciding on adoption as their best course of action to become parents.
“We thought it would be funny on the air to promote the Midwest fertility clinic and do a test on air,” says Will of his and Dave Smiley’s experiment. “The results came back that I was half of the problem and didn't know it.”
Both Will and Adrienne Pfaffenberger are Avon High School graduates. Adrienne is a pediatric physical therapist and Will has been part of the Smiley Morning Show on WZPL for the past six years. Both are outgoing people and, given Will’s public persona on the radio each weekday morning, being open about their fertility adventures seemed natural. Not that they had much of a choice.
Will continues sarcastically, “Luckily, I got to share my results live on air.” “We decided to be publicly open about our experience, as a lot of people go through similar issues,” says Adrienne, who started a blog documenting their journey.
INDY METRO / FEBRUARY 2017 / TownePost.com
The Pfaffenberger’s not only chose to adopt locally, but opted for an open adoption. Their process took two years. Their son Lincoln was born in 2015 and is now 17 months old.
“Fertility treatment is not a sure thing,” shares Will. “Considering the physical challenges versus the emotional ones, we opted for adoption.”
“The result is amazing,” says Adrienne. “The process of open adoption can present challenges, but we are blessed to have a wonderful relationship with the birth mother.”
“It wasn’t that important to me to personally experience pregnancy,” shares Adrienne. “I just wanted to be a mom.”
During the exploration of the potential rabbit hole of the fertility process, Adrienne and Will carefully weighed their options.
Toni Williams, fellow Smiley Morning show host, was the first of the show’s foursome to have a child and the rest of the morning crew would tease her about her adventures. Now that Dave and Will are dads, only Nikki Reed remains without children.
“When Will and Dave became dads, I was like ‘Ha! It’s not so funny now, is it?’” jokes Toni, whose son Lucas is a personality on their show thanks to Toni’s recordings of him. “It will be a sad day when we have to fire Lucas,” jokes Will. “Noah, Smiley’s son, is up and coming. Noah is now 2 and very verbal.” The Smiley Morning Show has been ranked number one all but one month over the past year. “With the show, we create a product that people engage with. We don’t spend a lot of time prepping, but we all come to the table with our own strengths and we know how to make something out of nothing,” notes Will. “We are fortunate to be supported by management that supports our creativity and allows us to be autonomous.” Will and Adrienne have been married for 10 years. Both are creative. In addition to being a physical therapist, Adrienne is also a professional photographer. Adrienne received her undergraduate degree from Ball State and earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis. Will graduated from DePauw with degrees in communications, media, and theater, and even had an internship with The Bob and Tom Show. Tom Griswold paid Will directly to be an introductory producer. “It was a great experience. I got to work with their national guest booking agent, I wrote bits, went to writer’s meetings, and got to do characters,” shares Will, who is mainly known for the Joe Johnson memory bit. “I am grateful for that experience, as I was given the opportunity to be creative beyond an internship.”
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Will’s creativity is mainly expressed through comedy. He studied improv in Chicago, founded "Three Dollar Bill Comedy”, which wrote several shows for The Indy Fringe Festival. Will’s other passion is soccer, and his second fulltime job is that of Soccer Director at United Soccer Alliance of Indiana, one of the largest youth soccer clubs in the state.
We are enrolling older adults for Are you 65 or older a study that aims to improve your and worried about memory and thinking.
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There’s no shortage of activity for Adrienne and Will. Add their son Lincoln into the mix, and the Pfaffenberger’s are quite busy.
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“We are surrounded by family support,” shares Adrienne. “Which is great since they all love spending time with Lincoln.”
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Kara Kavensky is the Editorial Manager for the Towne Post Network. Follow her: Karakavensky.com; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @karakavensky.
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PURPOSEFUL DESIGN CREATING JOBS, SUSTAINING HOPE AND BUILDING FURNITURE In 2013, Palmer began praying about how he might help the Wheeler men secure employment. Before long, a plan began to fall into place. For 15 years, David Palmer made weekly visits to Wheeler Mission He secured resources, money, and a facility, and in the spring of 2014 Ministries in downtown Indianapolis where he led bible studies Purposeful Design was born. Specializing in handmade furniture and befriended the homeless men struggling with addictions and made from rough cut, Indiana hardwoods, the purpose of this 501c3 other demons. When he asked how they were doing, they invariably organization is two-fold: to make a difference in the lives of the responded, “I’m looking for a job but can’t find one.” men employed there and to operate as a self-sustaining business enterprise; one that does not have to rely on donations. Since many of the men had felonies on their records and/or limited access to transportation, they boasted sparse resumes and bleak “We exist to create jobs for men in our city and to provide on-the futures. Palmer could relate to what it was like as he had also made job mentoring,” he says. Palmer, who is the non-profit’s director, poor life decisions. But when he found redemption and mercy in gathers with his employees every morning before work to pray and Jesus Christ, his whole world turned around, he said. read the Bible. Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
“I was given a second chance, and so I wanted to do the same for these guys,” explains Palmer. “Receiving love makes one ready to give love.”
Though Palmer currently employs seven men full-time, his ultimate goal is to employ 70. As sales continue to grow, it’s becoming more and more realistic goal. Monthly sales have
INDY METRO / FEBRUARY 2017 / TownePost.com
increased from $4,000 to $62,000, currently. Customers buy furniture for corporate offices, schools, restaurants, and residential homes. “People like to be involved with this mission,” says Palmer. “When they buy our products, they feel like they’ve become part of a rescue operation.” And folks are fond of the furniture as each piece is designed to meet customers’ needs and specifications. Clients also have the opportunity to review the furniture throughout the production process and request changes, as needed. Terry Powers, Vice President of USA Diving, says the first thing that attracted him to Purposeful Design was the organization’s mission and purpose.
“Not only are they teaching an art and a craft to men who don’t have that opportunity,” Powers says, “but they [are also] rebuilding lives and building quality furniture.” Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Troy Riggs says he’s found jail isn’t the answer to recidivism. “It’s experiments like this — launching Purposeful Design — that make a positive difference in our community,” Riggs says. Purposeful Design is located at 4201 E. 16th Street in Indianapolis. For more information, visit www.pdindy.com. Christy Heitger-Ewing is an award winning, Avon-based writer and columnist who writes human-interest stories for national, regional, and local magazines. She is also the author of the book “Cabin Glory: Amusing Tales of Time Spent at the Family Retreat” (www.cabinglory.com).
TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / INDY METRO
BEEF & BOARDS DINNER THEATRE PRODUCTION FEATURES 20 LOCAL PERFORMERS Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre announces the young performers who will perform in the three children’s choirs of the upcoming production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on stage from Feb.2 through March 26. Each choir will perform for about two weeks of the production.
Olshefski of Manteno, Ill.; and Lainey Wojnowski of Carmel.
Performing in the Blue Choir from Feb. 2-19 will be Lydia Best, Indianapolis; Kristopher Coy, Anderson; Caroline Drew, Indianapolis; Ethan Gold, Carmel; and Sydney Pinchouck of Fishers.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat features a rainbow of musical styles, from rock and country to pop and calypso. Songs include “One More Angel in Heaven,” “Close Every Door,” “Jacob and Sons” and “Any Dream Will Do.”
Performing in the Red Choir from Feb. 21-March 8 will be sisters Ali and Katherine Boice of Noblesville; Seth Jacobsen, Amanda Kays and Anjali Rooney, all of Carmel; and Camden Zetty of Avon.
There are 56 performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the intimate atmosphere of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Tickets range from $42.50 to $67.50, and include a dinner buffet, fruit & salad bar, unlimited coffee, tea and lemonade. Parking is always free. For reservations, call the box office at 317.872.9664. For complete show schedule, visit beefandboards.com.
Performing in the Purple Choir from March 9-26 are Morgan Engelman and Lincoln David Everitt of Indianapolis; Max Gallagher, Beech Grove; Campbell Kirsh, Carmel; Summer
Two young performers will be featured for the duration of the production, leading all three choirs as captains. They are Eric Best of Indianapolis and Emmie Wright of Danville.
INDY METRO / FEBRUARY 2017 / TownePost.com
NEW COMIC CON MINISERIES FEATURES LOCAL ACTOR
Writer / Matt Keating
Indianapolis Native Vincent Ventresca, a 1984 Chatard High School graduate, has a role in a new web miniseries called “Kings of Con.” Vestresca plays Officer Billings in the series, which is billed as a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes shenanigans at fan conventions. “Kings of Con” has been heavily promoted by Comic Con HQ and has received high praise from television critics. “It’s the first new scripted series on the Comic Con streaming service,” Ventresca said. “It's already received a lot of attention. It’s very exciting. There are so many networks, channels and streaming services to choose from these days. It opens things wide up. It's creatively exploding.” Ventresca, who was born in Indianapolis, is the youngest of 11
children and grew up in the Broad Ripple area. He graduated from Indiana University with a double major in theater and psychology. Ventresca still has family members in Indianapolis but currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Dianne, an eighth-grade teacher, and his children, Benjamin and Renee. “It's really fun being a parent,” Ventresca said. “I love spending time with my family and getting involved in my son’s year-round soccer.” He also loves acting and writing. On the acting front, Ventresca starred as Darian Fawkes on the Sci-Fi Network’s “The Invisible Man,” a popular series that still has a strong following today. “I had an excellent time on that series,” he said. “It was work, but also very collaborative and a lot of fun. It can be a tough business, but you never know what will happen.” James Roday, star of the long-running USA comedy-mystery series
TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / INDY METRO
“Psych,” told Ventresca he was ready to give up acting and screen writing and move back home to Texas, when he landed the lead role in “Psych,” which lasted eight seasons. “I love the excitement of knowing you just have to hang in there and work toward what you want to do,” Ventresca said. “You may have to wait, but it’s worth the hard work and auditions.” Ventresca is still recognized for his role as Fun Bobby, who dated Courtney Cox’s Monica Geller, on the long-running hit series “Friends.” He also was a regular on ABC’s “Complete Savages” and the NBC sitcom “Boston Common.” Over the last several years, Ventresca has built up a remarkable resume. He guest starred recently on the television series “Rizoli & Isles,” “Nashville,” and “Wicked City.” He has also guest starred on “CSI,” “CSI: New York,” “Psych,” “Monk,” “Nikita,” “Hot in Cleveland,” “The Mentalist,” “Without a Trace,” “In Plain Sight,” “CSI: Miami,” “Las Vegas,” “Cold Case,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “Empty Nest,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” He has also been in several movies, including “Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “The Thin Pink Line,” “Can’t Stop Dancing,” “The Learning Curve,” “Purgatory Flats,” “Madison,” “Answers to Nothing,” and ”Break Point.” He is in another film, “Tao of Surfing,” which is in post production. “I've been lucky to work as an actor, and I also love to write,” Ventresca said. “I’ve read so many scripts that it made me want to try to figure out how to tell a story.” Ventresca wrote a script for a television pilot called “Adults,” which he says is a “coming of middle age” story. He had a reading of the script with several friends, including Nathan Fillion, star of the ABC television series, “Castle,” which ran for eight seasons on ABC. “We moved the chairs around the house and had a big table reading of the script,” Ventresca said. “It went very well. I was able to get a lot of great feedback. There is an audience out there for stories about middle age people and their struggles and positive experiences.” In 2009, Ventresca shot a pilot, “Stuck,” that he co-wrote, coproduced, and co-starred in with Eric Palladino. Maura Tierney, Eric McCormick and Dean Cain were also in it. He enjoyed the writing experience so much he is also working on other scripts. “One of the things I love about writing is the freedom,” Ventresca said. “It’s just you. There is no one telling you what to do. You aren't being directed. Acting is a lot of fun and very rewarding, but
writing is also creatively exciting. I also like the power of not asking for permission that writing allows, and acting doesn’t. “With acting, you have to ask for permission by auditioning. And then you get the part or you don't. With writing, you can just wake up and do it. It’s just you.” Ventresca noted that people are sometimes critical of actors becoming writers. “A writer I love, Thomas Merton, talked a lot about how you have to realize what you want to say with your life. It’s the realization that you may write something that no one will ever see, but you still have to write it. It actually frees you up to write what you want to. You have to forget the results and just do it.” Merton believed writers use their imaginations as God’s way of talking to us. Merton was an American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion. “As I’ve grown older, I’ve been paying more attention to not worrying about the end result, and just write,” Ventresca said. “I think the death of my mother and my upbringing in Catholic schools has helped me contemplate more about what is important. I get very busy with family, auditions, and writing, but it's important to find quiet time to work on things you are passionate about.”
INDY METRO / FEBRUARY 2017 / TownePost.com
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YETI Group
INTERNS TO ORPHANS
Jeff Papa’s Mission to Mentor Writer / Kara Kavensky Photographer / Brian Brosmer
While planting trees in Jeff Papa’s front yard in 2003, Jeff and Steve Wolff discussed how privileged they were to be where they are in their current positions and how far they had come. They admired the work of those around them, such as Barnes & Thornburg partner Bob Grand with his support of Little Red Door. Jeff and Steve were thinking out loud, exploring ideas for their own philanthropic impact. At that time, Jeff was a senior associate
attorney with Barnes & Thornburg and Steve was one of Jeff ’s interns. While Steve is well traveled, few people on the planet have traveled to as many countries as Jeff. With more than 50 and counting, Jeff ’s view of the world expanded when he spent his first of five summers in Russia and Ukraine, beginning when he was earning his undergraduate degree at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Jeff has also taught English in Korea and Nepal. Through their conversation, Jeff disclosed his friendships and contacts in Nepal and Steve suggested he reach out to them,
exploring the logistics and costs of opening an orphanage. Within 10 days of sending an initial email inquiring about the proposed project, Jeff asked Steve to view the response of their query. “The email had 10 attachments, which included photos, architectural renderings, information on donated land, government agency approvals, cost analysis, information on children who would benefit … basically everything we would need to establish an orphanage,” says Jeff, who is now Chief of Staff/Chief Legal Counsel for the Indiana Senate and a Zionsville Town Council
atZionsville.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / 25
Jeff Papa with YETI kid
s
Member. “Thus began YETI, Inc.” “We reviewed the costs and realized we had to do this,” says Steve, who is now a law clerk with Barnes & Thornburg in their government affairs and finance department. YETI was originally co-founded by Jeff, Steve, and Ann Thrasher. Once the initial seed money was raised, 10 children moved in by February, 2005. The number of children has steadily increased to 26, which is the current maximum number the facility can house. The YETI orphanage is in a remote Nepalese jungle area that has experienced a 10-year civil war, leaving many widows and subsequent orphans. What may be surprising is the children in the orphanage are viewed as being better off than the nonorphans in that area. “Our kids, when done with school, have time to do their chore rotations, but are mostly studying, while the village kids are required to work in the fields,” explains Jeff.
The building of the YETI orphanage spurred development, providing the village more stability. The government built an elementary school next to the orphanage, which has leveraged other NGOs to provide needed resources, such as a library and a computer lab. These are of great benefit to the area’s children. By having basic necessities, the children are able to play, learn, and study. While the average Nepali receives 2.5 years of schooling, the YETI program offers far more than that, and now that children are aging out and new ones being brought in, the founders are witnessing the reasons why they originally created YETI.
It makes perfect sense for the YETI graduates to return. After all, it was their home and family. Given the proof of the past couple years, YETI has succeeded in helping its orphans become functioning adults, contributing to their society in meaningful ways. YETI’s goal is selfsufficiency, and keeping its focus, it has made a great impact. Jeff ’s experience with YETI has a surprising influence on his current role with the Indiana State Senate.
Around November of 2007, Barnes & Thornburg LLP named Jeff to its list of partners, set to take effect January, 2008. He also had an opportunity with Rose-Hulman “The last trip I took to Nepal was a special to serve as the President’s Chief of Staff, but one,” shares Steve, speaking of his August, Jeff opted for a role where he had the greatest 2016 trip to the orphanage, which was his opportunity for cultivating talent, choosing seventh. “In some ways they will always be instead to be Chief of Staff/Chief Legal kids in my mind, but now some are adults Counsel at the Indiana State Senate. With this and we have effectively removed them from position, he feels he has a great impact working the cycle of poverty. Some have returned with students via the Senate Internship to help or stop in to say hello, some are in Program. Jeff enjoys the creative and strategic college or married with families of their own.” input of working with talented individuals. 26 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2017 / atZionsville.com
Steve is one of those talented individuals, for he was Jeff’s intern at Jeff at Barnes & Thornburg and he is now finishing law school while overseeing his own team of interns. Perhaps what may surprise people is that one of the brightest minds in the statehouse grew up in poverty, and if you account for the disparity of socio-economic differences between the U.S. and Nepal, Jeff ’s childhood was not that dissimilar to those children whom they serve through YETI. Opening an orphanage was a happy side effect of the hearts that brought it to fruition. YETIS’s 14th Annual Silent Auction and Dinner will be March 8 at Barnes & Thornburg. While YETI’s fundraising efforts fully fund the orphanage in Nepal, it also provides funds to organizations across Indiana, such as the Holy Family Shelter, which serves more than 1,000 people each year on the near west side of Indianapolis. The 10 members of the YETI board are all volunteers. YETI has no employees and no overhead expenses, with 100 percent of the
funds raised going directly to children in the orphanage or to underprivileged children in the U.S. (minimum of 10 to 15 percent). In addition to the annual dinner, 75 percent of funds raised at its St. Patrick’s Day event are donated to Holy Family Shelter, with 25 percent allocated to the orphanage in Nepal. This event is free of charge.
attention they deserve, while enjoying the space to study and play.” For additional information, please visit YETI: Youth Enhancement and Training Initiative on Facebook and on LinkedIn.
“We Skype with the children from the orphanage at YETI’s annual dinner, so donors who don’t have the chance to meet these wonderful kids in person will still have an opportunity to interact and understand exactly where their money is going,” shares YETI board member and SAS account executive Maddison Klontz Miller, who was inspired by the YETI program to earn her Master of Public Administration degree. “Having personally visited the orphanage, what I found was a loving family. These children were truly brothers and sisters, their caretakers seemingly parents, and the orphanage itself a safe, nurturing home. With only 26 children, standards focus on quality not quantity. The kids receive the unique atZionsville.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / 27
Kara Kavensky is the Editorial Manager for the Towne Post Magazines. Follow her: Karakavensky.com; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @karakavensky.
<MOMS WHO CODE> Writer / Kara Kavensky
The courses offered through Eleven Fifty Academy, a nonprofit coding school based out of Launch Fishers, attract students of all ages, including moms Angie Washburn and Deon Seifert. Angie Washburn stayed at home for 15 years raising her children. She holds degrees in business and respiratory therapy. One of her first jobs out of college was working with a software development company, and she loved it. Angie has rediscovered her love of coding through taking a .Net course through Eleven Fifty Academy. “I was researching additional programming classes and schools and discovered Eleven Fifty Academy,” recalls Angie. “I attended Hour of Code, where I was the only adult.” After an Introduction to Coding weekend and a weeklong coding fundamentals course, Eleven Fifty had launched its nine-week Boot Camp for .Net. Angie enrolled. After graduation, she was offered an apprenticeship but wasn’t able to be a part of it due to her son’s AAU basketball schedule. Her son, Connor Washburn, is a senior at Fishers High School. Angie was, however, able to participate part time with an apprenticeship directly with Eleven Fifty Academy, and she is now serving as its Learning Team Coordinator. Angie’s responsibilities include helping head up the industry advisory board, which involves companies such as Eli Lilly, BitWise, SEP and Rolls Royce, by facilitating the corporate relationships and 28 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2017 / atZionsville.com
Coders Angie Washburn and Deon Seifert
reviewing the curriculum and industry standards. In her spare time, she is learning JavaScript.
“I started to think about what he had said,” shares Deon of her inevitable career pivot.
Then fate would intervene again. This time her other son, Alex, was featured in Indianapolis Monthly’s Tech issue in a photo of Bee Coffee Roasters. Inside the magazine she discovered an article on “My husband and my boys are encouraging,” Scott Jones. says Angie, who has three boys. “They tutor me by finding ways to make me sound cool Having enjoyed problem solving and a little to ‘know how to speak with the people at bit of programming in her past, she was work.’” intrigued by the Eleven Fifty Academy and loved that it was a nonprofit. All potential By adding JavaScript and IoT experience coders take a DISC assessment. DISC to her wheelhouse, Angie intends to add profile is a tool used for discussion of improvements to medical processes she people’s behavioral differences and stands has witnessed through her experience in for: dominant, inspiring, supportive, and hospitals. cautious. Deon’s results fell within the “sweet spot” for coders. Deon Seifert took the .Net course with Angie. Deon had owned a Dinner by Design “In the class, Angie and I were two of three franchise. Deon and her partners kept women and the only two moms,” states their business running for some time after Deon. “Some students in the class who were corporate had closed. Her son Evan, an IU 18, 19 years old and had taken coding for a student, had said to her, “Mom, I don’t see few years.” you doing the kitchen thing 10 to 15 years from now, lugging around 40 pound bags Initially, Deon had planned to be a of frozen chicken.” developer, but found she enjoyed the “I am also dabbling in IoT on my own,” says Angie, who took an IoT workshop and is building a circuit board.
management element of it. She has become an agile scrum master. A Professional Scrum Master (PSM) serves as a liaison between tech team and corporate, overseeing a group with disparate talents pushing together to accomplish the same goal. “It is a way of getting code done in small increments to make clients happy,” says Deon. “I whole-heartedly recommend coding for someone looking for a new career,” shares Deon. “The work is portable, everyone needs a coder, and you could work remotely. This is something that I could do into my 70s as long as I still loved it. “The staff at Eleven Fifty are the most uplifting people. They are super supportive and they learn more with every course they teach by listening to feedback and strive to make the experience better for all. I am impressed that they work to constantly improve.” For more information, please visit www. elevenfifty.org.
atZionsville.com / FEBRUARY 2017 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / 29
FEBRUARY LOCAL EVENTS
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9-12
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Come out to see the best of the best show dogs strut their stuff and be judged in the West Pavilion of the Indiana State Fairgrounds! Happening through the 12th. 9:00 a.m.–4:40 p.m. www.indianastatefair.com/event/winter-classic-dog-show Free
Come out to watch the Lady Hoosiers take on Northwestern at home at noon. 12:00 p.m. iuhoosiers.com
INDY WINTER CLASSIC DOG SHOW
7-12
“THE LITTLE MERMAID” COMES TO THE OLD NATIONAL CENTER Experience “The Little Mermaid” on Broadway with your family at the Old National Center! 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. www.indianapolis.broadway.com Ticket prices vary
IU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME
11
CARMEL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LIVE AT THE CARMEL PALLADIUM
“From Bernstein and Gershwin with Love,” featuring a live music performance. 7:30 p.m. http://www.carmelsymphony.org/ $5-$65
30 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2017 / atZionsville.com
10-12
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CALDER THE MUSICAL
Presented by Klein and Alvarez LLC. “Calder, The Musical” celebrates the life of American artist Alexander “Sandy” Calder, the inventor of the mobile. An uplifting homage, the original musical brings Calder’s art to life and captures his essence through a whimsical theatrical experience of drama, music, dance, and visual art. 2/10–2/11 @ 7:30 p.m. and 2/12 @ 2:00 p.m. www.indyfringe.org/node/106 $12-$20
14
HUMANE SOCIETY FOR BOONE COUNTY “FUR BALL”
I hope you will join us again this year at our Fur Ball Mardi Gras fundraiser? No need to dress fancy – beads and jeans look purrfect together! 5:30 p.m. www.zionsvillechamber.org/events/2017/02/18/general/human-society-forboone-county-fur-ball/ $50+
22
FAMILY BOOK CLUB
Looking for something fun to do as a family? Try our Family Book Club, where the focus is fun, family, and friends. 6:30 p.m.–7:15 p.m. www.carmel.lib.in.us/child Free
15-26
BUTLER UNIVERSITY PRESENTS “THE GLASS MENAGERIE”
“The Glass Menagerie” presented by Butler University’s Theatre program will be held in Schrott Center for the Arts. 7:00 p.m. www.butlerartscenter.org/event/glass-menagerie $5-$15
16
THE MARILYN K. GLICK WOMEN’S ENRICHMENT SERIES
The Marilyn K. Glick Women’s Enrichment Series and Indianapolis Propylaeum presents Hoosier Gayle Cook, Philanthropist, Landmark Preservationist and Co-Founder of the Cook Group. 5:00 p.m. thepropylaeum.org/happenings/the-marilyn-k-glick-womens-enrichment-series $40-$75
17
CELEBRATIONS OF CREATIVITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
Kristina Oliver, experimental abstract artist, explains her process and presents her work in acrylic, oil pastels and alcohol inks. 12:00 p.m. http://museumofminiatures.org/events.html Free
22
VANESSA CARLTON
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton will perform at Butler University in Schrott Center for the Arts. 7:30 p.m. https://events.butler.edu/mastercalendar/ $19–22
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PAWS TO READ
Come to the library for a chance to read to a therapy dog, on a first-come, first-served basis. Children ages 6–11 reading on their own, no registration is required. 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. www.carmel.lib.in.us/child Free
25
BREYER FUN DAY
‘1964 THE TRIBUTE’ AT THE CARMEL PALLADIUM
Featuring a live performance celebrating The Beatles, part of the Drewry Simmons Vornehm Pop/Blues/Folk Performances Series. 8:00 p.m. thecenterpresents.org/ $25-$65
Paint your own Breyer 4-inch “Stablemate” horse with materials provided, and take home your hand painted horse and goodies from Breyer as souvenirs. 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. http://museumofminiatures.org/events.html Free
31 / ZIONSVILLE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2017 / atZionsville.com
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