Board of Director Elkhart Chamber of Commerce

Board of Director Tolson Center

Farmers Agency Owner

FRMR Bus company President 

Reveille Transpo

Founder of Military/Veteran Stand Down in our region

FRMR CIVIL SERVANT

Dept Veterans Affairs homeless program

Social Security Administration Agent

Indiana State Agent for DWD

Infantry Marine Platoon Sergeant 97-2011

If you have a small business and are wanting to learn more. There are five often-overlooked challenges that could negatively affect your plans for retirement.  Join us to learn more.  

Minnis Consulting partners with diverse business owners and corporations seeking to launch effective supplier diversity programs. With almost 20 years of experience in supplier diversity and development, we have unique capabilities and experience to assist you with developing diversity programs or facilitating collaborations between diverse firms and large organizations. Our passion for diversity allows us to work diligently to find mutually beneficial solutions for all. 

Ball State University | July 7, 2023 

Roger Hassenzahl I am currently serving as the Interim Senior Director of Business Services for Purchasing, Printing, and Contracts and Director of Purchasing Services as well as having the distinct honor of serving as Chair of President Mearns appointed Diversity Spend Task Force Team at Ball State University. I have been at Ball State for 16 years. I grew up in Reading Michigan a small rural town with a population of 1100 and currently reside in the great city of Muncie Indiana. I received my undergraduate degree from Indiana Institute in Fort Wayne Indiana and my graduate degree from Ball State University. 

I have been blessed to be married to my beautiful wife April and we have two amazing adult kids, Nick and Nichole, as well as two joys of our lives grandsons Braxton and Dean.  I believe the only things you will be remembered by when you go to a better place are the principles you lived by equality, honesty, and kindness. One of my goals in life has already been fulfilled to have my children carry the principles I live by and they do. Another goal I set for myself was to complete a college education and have my children do the same that has also been fulfilled, my third goal is in progress and that is to leave this world in a better place than I found it. 

I have been working on the third goal for pretty much my entire 35-year career, I want to leave behind even if my name is not on it, a process here at Ball State that doesn’t just talk about diverse spending and fairness, but lives it in every college, department, and position.  I want to be able to point back at this institution and say I was part of that diversity program with pride. My hobbies are spending as much time with family as possible and doing whatever makes them happy.

IDOA Indiana Department of Administration  | June 30, 2023 

Kesha Rich is the Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Supplier Diversity (DSD) at the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA). In this role, Kesha, together with her team, supports and advocates for the Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE) and Indiana Veteran Owned Small Businesses (IVOSB) throughout the State of Indiana. DSD helps MBEs, WBEs, and IVOSBs acquire certification and empowers the success of all certified businesses through business development and outreach and contract compliance efforts. Most importantly, the DSD team provides equal opportunities to M/WBE and IVOSB communities by introducing them to the state procurement and contracting process and opportunities. Prior to her appointment in this position, Kesha was the Director of Certification. Kesha joined the DSD team in April of 2015 as a Certification Coordinator. Kesha is a unique member of the DSD team in that not only has she worked in each of three core functions of DSD, which are certification, business development & outreach, and contract compliance, she has managed each of the three core functions of DSD. Kesha has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Kesha is driven by her passion and willingness to help others. This has not only been a great asset to the Division but in the supplier diversity community. It has been, and remains, her goal while with the Division to assist and educate those who do not have access to what the Division of Supplier Diversity has to offer. 

The City of South Bend  | June 16, 2023

Ms. Simmons a 26-year employee of South Bend city government is the new Director of the diversity, compliance and inclusion officer.  The diversity, compliance and inclusion officer's position is broadly defined. A key element is to improve diversity, inclusion and equity in the city's workforce through recruitment and retention policies. The leader must also oversee the program that aims to increase the percentage of city contracts that go to businesses owned by women or people of color. Supervising the HRC director will be another crucial piece. 

The Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce | June 2, 2023

Levon Johnson is a native son of Elkhart, Indiana. He is a graduate of Elkhart Central High School, Indiana State University, and Indiana University South Bend. Levon spent the first 25 years of his professional career working for Elkhart Community Schools as a teacher, coach, school administrator, and district wide administrator.

In December of 2017 Levon moved into his current role as President/CEO of the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce. His role allows him to continue to serve our community in the areas of education, entrepreneurship, economic development, community building, and national, state, and local government, and community vibrancy. The goals of the Chamber are to support, serve, and promote business and community in ways that support economic development in the Greater Elkhart area.

Outside of work Levon continues to serve the community through engagement on various Boards of Directors whose missions align with his personal philosophy that people should love where they live and work hard to keep it that way.

Levon is the proud father of four adult children and grandfather to one granddaughter.

Supplier Diversity | May 26, 2023

Currently engaged in the supplier diversity space, seeking to help the University increase its spending footprint with diverse businesses as well as help diverse businesses gain access to and potentially do businesses with Purdue. I've worked in the upstream oil and gas supply chain for over a decade both domestically and internationally and have entrepreneurial interests in real estate, technology, and multi-media. I enjoy meeting people and helping others where I can. 

Business Model Canvas | May 19, 2023

Reverend Deacon James Summers is the owner of The Summers Group, LLC (TSG). TSG designs business solutions that revitalize communities through entrepreneurship. The company’s primary focus is on small and very small (micro) businesses assisting them to develop the effective business processes to build capacity and grow. Having studied leadership at the Center for Creative Leadership, in Greensboro North Carolina, James has over 40 years of business leadership experience. He has launched new and innovative products and services for fortune 500 companies and led and directed profitable multi-million-dollar business operations.

James leads and facilitates workshops for various minority chambers of commerce and economic development organizations throughout the Midwest. For the Center for Inclusion at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center TSG marketed, managed and developed the Dignity and Respect Campaign for the Midwest region. For the Chicago Urban League, he led business development and supplier diversity efforts in the Organization’s NextOne program. For the Kaleidoscope Group he developed and facilitated diversity training and led the company’s minority business development group, Synchronus. For the Whirlpool Corporation, James was Director of Global E-Business,

developed innovation teams and served as Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair.  For Spiegel, Inc. he directed Electronic Publishing. For Hammacher Schlemmer he served as Creative Director.

The past Chairman of Michiana SCORE, James is currently serving as the Executive Director for Project Impact South Bend and the Managing Director of their CUC Business Development Centers. He serves on several boards, committees and commissions including Notre Dame Federal Credit Union; WNIT Public Television; St. Joseph Health System Community Ministry Committee; Community Forum for Economic Justice; and Indiana University South Bend Advisory Board. Married in 1975, James and Wendy have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

James was ordained a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church Saturday January 7 th 2023.

South Bend Cubs | May 12, 2023

President South Bend Cubs , Athletics, Event Management, Public Speaking, and Media Relations. Strong business development professional with a Sport Management Degree from West Virginia University. 

Project Management | April 28, 2023

Scot Spoljaric, PE is currently serving as an Asset Management Practice Leader for Lochner and as a Project Manager in Lochner’s Indiana Office. Scot has 17 years of construction engineering and inspection experience for ancillary structures, roadway and bridges. Scot has served as the owner representative Program Manager for the Indiana Toll Road’s Asset Management Contract and for all three phases of the ITR PUSH projects. Scot began his career at the Indiana Department of Transportation as a project engineer. While at INDOT, he became a lead instructor of all new hire field supervisors and technicians, teaching them typical employee and construction operations and test methods.

Scot has expertise in managing, planning, coordinating and performing field inspections and construction engineering services for roadway and bridge projects throughout northern Indiana. He is an NBIS-certified Inspection Team Leader in Indiana and has inspected over 400 bridge structures. Scot also has experience as a project estimator and has a deep understanding of the element level review required to adequately address project quantities for estimating and construction.

CEO | March31, 2023

Jeff Rea is the current president and CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce, a role that he has held since September 2010. In his position, Rea represents the interests of more than 1,100 member businesses with more than 85,000 employees in North Central Indiana and Southwest Lower Michigan. Rea guides the Chamber efforts in their three strategic areas of focus: economic development, public policy/advocacy and destination marketing. He has led the 2012 creation of the Chamber’s grow SJC economic development program and its grow SJC program serving as the Lead Economic Development Organization (LEDO) for St. Joseph County.

Prior to coming to the Chamber, Rea served as mayor of the City of Mishawaka, Ind. for 6-1/2 years. During his time as mayor, Rea guided Mishawaka to record economic growth, all while reducing the size of the city budget and the number of city employees. His focus on the efficiency of operations, process improvement and elimination of waste put the city in a strong financial position during difficult economic times.

Prior to his time as mayor, Rea served as economic development director and city planner for Mishawaka, working to create the right environment for private investment and growth through a business-friendly approach. Rea comes from a family of small business owners, owning the

Tribe-O-Rea Drug Store in Mishawaka (53 years) and the Cumberland Pharmacy in Bourbon, Ind. (55 years). It is there where Rea learned at a very young age the value of small business and its importance to the success of the local economy.