Board of Trustees

Karl W. Einolf, Ph.D., was appointed president of Indiana Tech by its board of trustees on December 5, 2016, and began his tenure as president on July 1, 2017. Dr. Einolf is the university’s ninth president since its inception in 1930.

Gregg Sengstack is Chairperson of the Board of Franklin Electric Co., Inc. He has held various positions in the company since 1988. Sengstack earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago.

Mr. Sengstack is a member of the board of Woodward Inc. (NASDAQ: WWD).

Dick Schul is a consultant for Emerson Climate Technologies. He started his career with Emerson in 1981 and held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his tenure, many of which were at an executive level. Schul earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Indiana Tech and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dayton.

Schul is an active member of the St. Louis community. He has served on the board for the Maryland Heights Chamber of Commerce, St. Joseph’s Institute for the Deaf, and the Missouri Make-A-Wish Foundation. He has been chairman for St, Joseph’s Institute for the Deaf, North County Friends of Scouting, and Boy Scouts of Greater St. Louis, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation eastern Missouri chapter.

Whitney Bandemer (she/her) is an accomplished executive and organizational architect. She is the principal at WB Consulting, LLC based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Whitney’s consulting practice specializes in organizational development, specifically in people and learning and development strategy and project management. Prior to founding her own business, she spent 15+ years as an executive in higher education in Virginia and Indiana. 

A native of Grundy, VA, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from the University of Virginia and her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Tennessee, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. Additionally, she holds a certificate in fundraising management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, a certificate in public relations from the University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies, is a certified People Manager by SHRM, and is a Registered Yoga Instructor (RYT500). 

Actively engaged in the community, she serves on various non-profit boards and committees in Fort Wayne, including the Fort Wayne Zoological Society, AWS Foundation, AWRC Industries, Benchmark, LLC, the Don Wood Foundation, and Canterbury School Community Advisory Board. She is also a 2014 graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne.

Cheri Becker is vice president of investor services and programs at Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. Becker is an Indiana Tech alumna, having earned a Bachelor of Science in human services management and earned certificates from Ball State University’s Economic Development Academy and Center for Entrepreneurial Resources. She is a graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne, the Center of Creative Leadership, and Furman University’s Women’s Leadership program.

Becker is a co-founder of the Fort Wayne Area Public Safety Foundation, Inc. and Friends of the Rivers.  She also serves on the History Center Board of Directors in Allen County, the Board of Park Commissioners, the City’s Plan Commission, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, and on the start-up board of the Fort Wayne Culinary Institute.

Jeff Benzing is the Plant Communications Manager for General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly. His professional expertise is in communications and marketing as well as public relations and strategic planning.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University, a Master of Business Administration from Illinois State University, and a certificate in general insurance from the American Institute for CPCU.

Benzing’s current community involvement includes service as a board member and classroom instructor for Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana and as a tutor for Fort Wayne Community Schools Study Connection. Benzing has received numerous awards including BAE Systems’ Most Valuable Professional Communicator.

Tom Burns is an alumnus of Indiana Tech, graduating in 1973 with a Civil Engineering degree. Over his 34-year career with Mars, Inc. he held various positions in Engineering and Operations, retiring as Director of Engineering for North America. Throughout his career, he lived in various locations within the United States, as well as Canada and Mexico. Burns is an active member of his community, serving on his township’s Design Review Committee, reviewing all new business interfaces. He also serves on the Riese Corporation Board, whose mission is to provide excellent, safe, low-income housing for the elderly. Burns is the chairman for the Investment Committee. And finally, Burns is an active member at his church, serving on the Finance Committee and managing most of the church’s projects. Burns resides in New Jersey with his wife and enjoys visiting his two daughters and 4 grandchildren. Burns is an avid golfer.

Clifford Clarke serves as the Alumni Representative to the Board. He is an alumnus of Indiana Tech, earning an MBA with concentrations in Human Resource Management and Entrepreneurship, as well as a bachelor’s in data processing. Clarke is currently President of C2 IT Advisors, a strategic information technology advisory firm providing consulting services in the areas of strategic planning, project management, policy development, and broadband deployment. He served as the Chief Information Officer for Public Technology Institute, Washington, DC. He is a Certified Project Management Professional, a Certified Information Security Manager, a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt, Certified in the Governance of Enterprise Information Technology, and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control.

Clarke also has significant formal training in Six Sigma from both the City of Fort Wayne and Lincoln Financial Group, business and servant leadership from Leadership Fort Wayne and the Dooley Group’s Leadership Learning Forum. Clarke has over 25 years as a corporate and entrepreneurial leader. He is passionate about the community and has led or served on numerous community boards including Leadership Fort Wayne, Metro YMCA, WBNI Northeast Indiana Public Radio, and Big Brothers Big Sisters Northeast Indiana just to name a few. Clarke currently serves on the board of directors for the Three Rivers Federal Credit Union and the Fort Wayne Black Chamber of Commerce. He served as chapter president for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Theta Upsilon Lambda chapter, and is an active member of the Civil Air Patrol the United States Air Force Auxiliary.

Mark Dely serves as chief administrative and legal officer and corporate secretary for Vera Bradley, Inc., the Fort Wayne-based, publicly traded designer and retailer of women’s handbags, luggage, travel items, fashion and home accessories and gifts.

Mr. Dely has extensive experience in private corporate legal practice. He has served in general counsel and chief legal officer roles at several public and private corporations, including The ServiceMaster Company and Fred’s, Inc.

Mr. Dely earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration/Pre-Law from Michigan State University and his Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law.

Bill Daugherty, CIMA® is senior vice president for The Capital Group Companies, Inc., possessing extensive experience in investment management, portfolio management, separately managed accounts, and sales.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and holds multiple professional licenses and certifications, including membership in the Investments & Wealth Institute®, Certified Investment Management Analyst® charter membership, and series 7, 63 and 65 Life and Health Licenses. Daugherty is a guest lecturer for college economic courses.

Dena Jacquay is Parkview Health’s Chief Administrative Officer. Since joining the organization in 2000, she has served in several roles, supporting and driving the health system’s culture, both within Parkview and within the communities Parkview serves.

Dena oversees Parkview’s administrative and support services, including public safety, marketing/communications, business development/strategic planning, human resources, construction, and support division. Dena also leads Parkview’s community health and outreach efforts, equity and inclusion, and patient experience, which includes chaplaincy, volunteers, patient advocates and advanced care planning.

Dena has a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, and a master’s degree in business administration from Western Governor’s University.

Dena serves on several non-profit community boards, including Ascend Indiana, Blessings in a Backpack, Early Childhood Alliance, Easterseals Arc of Northeast Indiana, Indiana Tech, and Troy School. She is also a member of the “Tapestry: A Day for You” Steering Committee, the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Regional Opportunities Council, and the Indiana Hospital Association Workforce Development Committee. For the last 16 years, she has also served as a community volunteer with Audio Reading Service, part of the Allen County Public Library, which allows the visually impaired to hear the written word.

Anthony Juliano serves as Vice President and General Manager of Asher Agency, an advertising, marketing and public relations firm headquartered in Fort Wayne with offices throughout the country. He is also the founder and president of Point Six Four Consulting, a consulting and training firm.

Anthony has served as an instructor and adjunct faculty member at Indiana Tech as well as at Purdue Fort Wayne, teaching courses in social media, communication and marketing. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Salem State University, a master’s from Indiana University, and earned his MBA in 2004 at Indiana Tech. He is a longtime alumni volunteer for our university, including service on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Dr. Wendy Kobler is a graduate of Indiana Tech’s Ph.D. in Global Leadership program. 

Dr. Kobler currently serves as chief development and external relations officer at Cincinnati Works, a non-profit that works with job seekers and employers to eliminate poverty in the greater Cincinnati region. She also has a wide range of experience in leading advancement and fundraising teams at higher education institutions including Ithaca College, Wittenberg University, Kentucky State and Purdue Fort Wayne. 

In addition to the doctorate she earned from Indiana Tech, Dr. Kobler holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of West Florida and a Master of Science in Secondary Education and Marketing Education from Alabama A&M University.

John Kunze retired from his role as President, Climate Solutions for Regal Rexnord Corporation in September 2022. In his 15 years at Regal Rexnord, he also served as Vice President, Business Leader of Climate Solutions, and before that, as Business Leader of Air Moving Systems. Prior to his work at Regal Rexnord, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Jakel, Inc. He began his career with Invensys and Emerson.

John is a seasoned senior executive with a proven track record of leading growing, profitable enterprises in global industrial markets. He has extensive training and expertise in 80/20 principles, strategic negotiation, and lean six sigma. He is an active board member in a range of industry associations, educational institutions, and public utilities.

John earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Baldwin Wallace University.

Dave Nash earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Indiana Tech and a Master of Science in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate School. He had a distinguished 33-year career in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral before retiring.

During his time in the Navy, he served as the Commander of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Chief of the Civil Engineer Corps for the Navy, and as the Director of the Coalition Provisional Authority’s Iraq Program Management Office in Baghdad, charged with the infrastructure rebuilding effort in Iraq. Nash also served as the Director of the Project and Contracting Office that oversaw the construction and non-construction projects assigned to the U.S. Army.

Nash is currently president of Sustainable Biofuels Solutions, LLC, senior vice president at MELE Associates, Inc., and president of Dave Nash and Associates.

Nash has received numerous awards including the American Society of Civil Engineers Outstanding Leaders and Projects Lifetime Award for Government and the Ted Kennedy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Construction Industry. In 2005, he was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Civil Engineering, from Indiana Tech.

Geoff Paddock is executive director, Headwaters Park Alliance and Fort Wayne City Councilman, District 5. Paddock received a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Public Administration from Indiana University.

He currently serves on the board for the First Presbyterian Church, Urban Enterprise Association, and Friends of the Lincoln Collection. Paddock also serves as co-chair on the City Council’s Public Works Committee. Previously, he served on the board of directors for Science Central, History Center, NE IN Passenger Rail Association, and Fort Wayne Community Schools. He is the author of two books; Headwaters Park, Fort Wayne’s Lasting Legacy (2002) and Indiana Political Heroes (2008).

Jack Phlipot serves as the Faculty Representative to the Board. He is a tenured associate professor of biomedical engineering for Indiana Tech. Phlipot earned a MBA from Indiana Tech and a bachelor of science in manufacturing from Bowling Green State University. Prior to teaching, he worked in the biomedical and automotive industries.

Reverend Arnold Pierson is the President/CEO of ELCA Federal Credit Union in Chicago. Rev. Pierson has served as the Vice President of Communications/Church Relations for the Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA, director of Church Relations for Concordia Place, and director of Risk Management for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He spent 21 years as a pastor for various churches.

Rev. Pierson earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wittenberg University, a Master of Science in Counseling from Florida State University, and a Masters of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. In 1993, he was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from Indiana Tech.

Jarrod Stoller is a Technical Sales Manager with Therma-Tru Doors in Maumee, OH, having also held roles with the company in engineering and project management dating back to 2004. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2000 and his Master of Business Administration in 2002, both from Indiana Tech.

Dr. Crystal Thomas is a longtime school principal within Fort Wayne Community Schools and the founder and senior pastor at Zion Tabernacle Church in Fort Wayne. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana State University, a Master of Science degree from Butler University, a Master of Arts degree from Martin University and the Christian Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Divinity degree from Indianapolis Christian University and a Doctor of Theology degree from Fort Wayne Theological Seminary and Bible College.

Dr. Jeffrey (Jeff) Witte is a graduate of Indiana Tech’s PhD in Global Leadership program. In 2024, the PhD program at the university was named the Witte Family PhD in Global Leadership, in recognition of the significant and steadfast support Dr. Witte has shown to the program and its students over the last several years. Dr. Witte is an active and experienced researcher, author and teacher, and his career includes over 35 years of service in the law enforcement field. In addition to his Indiana Tech degree, Dr. Witte earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science degree with a concentration in Criminal Justice and Police Management from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science in Education and Allied Professions from the University of Dayton.

Patricia Schaefer served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Indiana Institute of Technology from 1992 to 2011. Schaefer was Director for the Muncie Public Library from 1959 to 1986. Her other professional experience includes employment with Columbus Public Library Assistant, Fort Wayne Fine Arts Foundation Secretary, Home Telephone Company, WOWO and U.S. Rubber Co.

Schaefer earned an undergraduate degree in music from Northwestern University, a Master in Music from the University of Illinois, and a Master in Library Science from the University of Michigan. In 2003, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Library Science from Indiana Tech.

Some of Schaefer’s civic and professional involvement includes: Wapehani Co. Girl Scouts U.S.A.; Franklin Electric Company; Milton S. Eisenhower Library at Johns Hopkins University; President’s Council, Berea College; and Advisory Council College of Fine Arts, Ball State University.

Wagner is an attorney with Shambaugh, Kast, Beck & Williams, LLP. He previously was a partner with Helmke, Beams, Boyer & Wagner and worked as chief trial deputy prosecutor attorney for the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office. Wagner holds a Bachelor’s in Government from Valparaiso University and a law degree from Indiana University. In 2004, he was awarded the honorary degree, doctor of Humane Letters from Indiana Tech.

He is a board member for Concordia Educational Association and Concordia Educational Foundation. He is a member of the Allen County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. He previously served on the boards of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, the Allen County Bar Association and Park Center.