Board of Directors
Freedom Smith
President
Freedom Smith is a Partner in the Environmental group at Ice Miller LLP and helps clients navigate risk, manage compliance issues, and tackle administrative, enforcement, and litigation issues. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Foster Success, Early Learning Indiana, and Earth Day Indiana. Freedom also serves on the Board of Governors for the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA), is President of the ISBA Environmental Section, is Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Pesticide Chemical Regulation and Right to Know Committee, and is current President of the Indiana Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Freedom has served on the Membership Committee and volunteered at many events. She currently serves as President of Impact 100’s Board.
Marcela Cabello
Membership Chair
Marcela (Marcy) Cabello is the Managing Director of Research & Policy at Cabello Associates, Inc. Her work focuses on developing policy approaches and strategic solutions to improve health and economic mobility. Previously, Marcy spent seven years as an economic policy researcher at The Brookings Institution, a policy think tank in Washington DC. Marcy currently serves on the boards of the Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) and Project Stepping Stone of Indiana (PSS), a college prep program for Indiana’s top Latino students. She also volunteers with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Association and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Marcy received her BS from Cornell University and her MPA from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. She currently serves as the Membership Chair for Impact 100 and was previously an Impact 100 Scholarship Member.
Emily Tursi
Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair
Emily Balbach Tursi, Co- Treasurer, is CPA Manager at BKD, LLP (Indianapolis). Emily's focuses her attention on education of the youth and helping them navigate through their schooling starting in pre-K through high school. She also have a strong passion for organizations that support youth with disabilities either through schooling or mentoring to help them develop skills that they can carry into the real world.
Valerie Vaughn
Board Secretary
Valerie Vaughn has joined the Impact 100 Board of Directors as the Board Secretary. Valerie is the owner of Match House Realty, a real estate firm that serves Indianapolis and surrounding counties with expertise and devotion to the clients and the industry. She says that Impact 100 has been a way to educate herself and others on issues in our communities we live, work, and play in face every day in hopes to assist passionate nonprofits to face these challenges head on. In Valerie's free time, she loves traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Julianne Robinson
Immediate Past President
Julianne enjoyed 17 years as a licensed Health Care Administrator, specializing in starts-ups and expansions after graduating from Indiana University. She has served on the Board of the Indiana Homes and Services for Aging and has volunteered as an advocate for Outreach, Inc., and worked with homeless youth from 2012-2018. (Outreach was the 2009 Impact 100 Change-Maker). As a member of Impact 100 since 2018, Julianne has participated in several of the volunteer opportunities available through Impact to learn about the local needs of the community, nonprofit organizations, and participate in the grants process. The women of Impact 100 are philanthropists of all ages who share their unique experiences to make a difference in the community every year by awarding high impact grants. Julianne and her husband own Nicky Blaine's Cocktail Lounge in Indianapolis.
Amy Olson Miller
Assistant Treasurer
Amy Miller has served on several state and local boards; the Junior League of Indianapolis, The League of Women Voters, and the Project Management Institute Central Indiana Committee to name just a few. She has been an Impact member for eight years and is delighted to serve on the Board as Assistant Treasurer. Amy works in the clinical research space in oncology studies and is married with two spoiled cats.
Bailey Peycha
Annual Celebration Chair
Bailey Peycha serves as the chair for the Annual Celebration and was an Impact 100 2020 Scholarship Member. She is the Events Sales and Planning Manager at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis and worked at the Indy Arts Council for three years as the Artsgarden Events Coordinator and as the Impact and Equity Coordinator during the pandemic. While at the Hyatt, she coordinated weddings and corporate events with attendance ranging from 40-500 people, including designing floor plans, tablescapes and decorations all within a budget. As Impact and Equity Coordinator at the Arts Council, Bailey coordinated and tracked all grant fulfillment for funded arts organizations and fellowship recipients including creating online applications, contracts and reports, and counseling artists and arts organizations. Bailey also serves on the INDY HUB Board, which is a civic and social organization for Indy’s 20 and 30-somethings, connecting to people, places, opportunities and organizations that make Indy thrive. She has already proven herself by taking the co-Chair position for the 2022 Annual Celebration, which was a success by all measurements.
Joli Heavin
Grants Committee Co-Chair (FAC Liaison)
Joli Heavin has been a member of Impact 100 for three years. By day, she serves as the Senior Director of Development for Firefly Children & Family Aliance, a social services nonprofit (and a Change Maker Finalist under its previous name, Children's Bureau). She has more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit realm, primarily in arts education. Joli earned a Bachelor's degree in vocal performance and theater and a Master's degree in Arts Administration from Indiana University. She has a strong passion for child and animal welfare, the arts, and education.
Sherri Lauver
Focus Area Committee, Grants Committee
Dr. Sherri Lauver is a senior researcher at Synergy Enterprises. Previously Dr. Lauver was an assistant professor of educational evaluation at the University of Rochester, where she taught doctoral-level courses in educational evaluation methods and supported several local and national initiatives to support children and youth. She has served as a research associate and Contracting Officer’s Representative at the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
Barbara Maurath
Focus Area Committee Chair, Grants Committee
Barb is an active philanthropist in Indianapolis, and was one of the founding members of Impact 100, serving on the first Impact 100 Board of Directors as secretary/treasurer. Barb earned a degree in business from the University of Norte Dame and an MBA from the Kelly School of Business at IU. Now retired, her professional career included serving as a Supervisory Agent to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and as a financial consultant. She has served on several nonprofit boards, including Early Learning Indiana. She has returned to the Impact 100 Board to bring her experience and enthusiasm to us as we work to achieve our goals.
Carol McDonald
Focus Area Committee Chair, Grants Committee
Carol McDonald is a graduate of Bethany College (WV) and Yale University Divinity School. After 42 years of active service as a Pastor and Church Executive, she now serves as Parish Associate for Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. This is Carol's 4th year of membership in Impact 100 and her first as a Focus Committee Chair.
Mary Slenski
Focus Area Committee Chair, Grants Committee
Mary Slenski enjoys bringing disparate elements together in new ways to reveal truth and beauty, most often in working with congregations, spreadsheets, or quilts. An Impact 100 Indy member since 2015, Impact 100 fits in perfectly. Mary is an Episcopal priest, serving congregations from Monument Circle in Indianapolis to Indiana’s edges on the Ohio and the Wabash, when they are in between calls of ordained leadership. She has earned a BSE (Engineering Science), an MBA (Finance), and a Master of Divinity. More recently, she has completed graduate work in Philanthropic Studies at the IUPUI Lilly School of Philanthropy. Mary is also a retired Air Force Reserve officer, wife, mother of two adult daughters, and grandmother to one gray tuxedo cat. During the pandemic she became a regular volunteer at Second Helpings.
Chrissy Vasquez
Focus Area Committee Chair, Grants Committee
Chrissy Vasquez is one of the five Focus Area Committee (FAC) Chairs for Impact 100. Chrissy moved to Indianapolis in 2002 for her first job out of college and is now celebrating her 20th year in the Circle City. Chrissy received her BS in Marketing from Arizona State and her MBA from Indiana University. Chrissy started her career in the nonprofit realm, working for Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, the Indiana State Museum, Back on My Feet, and Indy Reads. After nearly 18 years in nonprofit work, Chrissy decided it was time to make a transition, and she is now a Senior Account Manager for Avant Healthcare Communications.
Chrissy is still very involved in nonprofit work, and along with serving on the Impact 100 Board, she volunteers with Alpha Kappa Psi as the host of the Business Edge podcast and is involved with Overdose Lifeline helping to change the stigma of substance use disorder. Chrissy has two rescue dogs, Boyd and Maizey, and a rescue cat named Miss Kitty. She has completed seven half (70.3) and one full (140.6) Ironman distance triathlons and more than 25 half marathons.
Katie Hughes
Marketing Committee Chair
Katie Hughes, Marketing Committee Chair, has enjoyed a career in the Real Estate and Finance Industry since 2010 after graduating from the Kelley School of Business, Indianapolis with degrees in Marketing & International Studies. Currently, she works as a Budget Analyst for the State of Indiana. During her career, she has focused her energy on growing as a professional and giving back. She has volunteered with The Realtor Foundation, Supported the Word of Honor Fund, and continued to be involved with her church and community. As a second-year member with Impact 100, she quickly fell in love with the organization because it multiplies the impact of women in the greater Indianapolis area.
Marla Taylor
At Large
Marla Taylor currently serves as the President of Taylor Advising where her organization focuses on strategic planning and community wide planning, board development and training, and guiding organizations through times of transformational change. She has served as a strategist and advisor for over a decade. She previously served on Brooke’s Place for Grieving Children and currently serves on the Horizon House board. She is most passionate about creating equity and ensuring access for those who are often marginalized in our community.
Roberta Ziccarelli
Future Leaders Chair
Roberta is a Pharmacist and Clinical Content Specialist for Wolters Kluwer. She received her BS in Pharmacy from Purdue, her MS in Health Education from Whitworth University, and her Post-Master's Certification in Health Informatics from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She volunteers with Horizon House (Impact 100 2008 Change-Maker) and Come-To-Me Food Pantry (Fishers). She is a mentor with the Purdue Polytechnic HS and is working on the Central Planning Committee for the Purdue Women's Leadership Series.
Donna Oklak
Board Member Emerita
Donna Oklak, co-founded Impact 100 in Indianapolis in 2006 after returning to graduate school to earn her M.A. in Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy-Indianapolis. She served as the Executive Director of the Sycamore Foundation and managed their former nonprofit recognition program called the Indiana Achievement Awards from 2000 through 2005. As a board member for Impact, she set up the original grant process, served as president, led the board nominating committee, marketing and fundraising committees. She has been recognized by the Indianapolis Business Journal, Girls, Inc and the Beech Grove Sisters of St. Benedict for her charitable work. On the 10th anniversary celebration of Impact 100 in 2016, she encouraged founding members of our giving circle to create an Impact 100 scholarship program for young women to participate as Impact 100 members. She is creating a similar program for young talent to serve on local nonprofit boards through The Emily Fund.
Jenna Spurrier
Board Member Emerita
Jenna Spurrier has been a licensed investment advisor representative since 2000 and was one of the founding members of Impact 100 in Indianapolis in 2005. She has worked in the financial industry since graduating from Indiana State University in 1997. She is fluent in Spanish and a member of the American Translators Association. She has a passion for improving retirement plans, working with the Spanish-speaking community, and developing customized financial strategies for women. Jenna is a Financial Advisor and Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist with Thurston Springer, Miller, Herd & Titak.
Terry Mumford
Board Member Emerita
Terry Mumford retired from the practice of law at the end of 2014. Her legal career included work at the Indiana University Counsel’s office, the Indiana Legislative Services Agency, Governor O’Bannon’s office, and Ice Miller LLP. She received the Sagamore of the Wabash for her service to Governor O’Bannon as his legislative director. She has been a member of Impact 100 for 11 years.
Beth Thomas
IT Chair
Beth Thomas retired from Eli Lilly and Company, where she was a quality analyst on the Corporate Computer Systems Quality Assurance team. Always active as a community volunteer for organizations such as the Heartland Film Festival, her main focus was on adult literacy. She served on the Indy Reads Board of Directors for 12 years, two terms as President. She is the recipient of a Jefferson Award and a Governor’s Voluntary Action Award for her work in adult literacy. She joined Impact 100 after Indy Reads won the 2007 grant, and she just knew she had to be a part of a group that could work those kinds of miracles.
Freedom Smith
President
Freedom Smith is a Partner in the Environmental group at Ice Miller LLP and helps clients navigate risk, manage compliance issues, and tackle administrative, enforcement, and litigation issues. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Foster Success, Early Learning Indiana, and Earth Day Indiana. Freedom also serves on the Board of Governors for the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA), is President of the ISBA Environmental Section, is Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Pesticide Chemical Regulation and Right to Know Committee, and is current President of the Indiana Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Freedom has served on the Membership Committee and volunteered at many events. She currently serves as President of Impact 100’s Board.
Marcela Cabello
Membership Chair
Marcela (Marcy) Cabello is the Managing Director of Research & Policy at Cabello Associates, Inc. Her work focuses on developing policy approaches and strategic solutions to improve health and economic mobility. Previously, Marcy spent seven years as an economic policy researcher at The Brookings Institution, a policy think tank in Washington DC. Marcy currently serves on the boards of the Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) and Project Stepping Stone of Indiana (PSS), a college prep program for Indiana’s top Latino students. She also volunteers with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Association and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Marcy received her BS from Cornell University and her MPA from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. She currently serves as the Membership Chair for Impact 100 and was previously an Impact 100 Scholarship Member.
Emily Tursi
Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair
Emily Balbach Tursi, Co- Treasurer, is CPA Manager at BKD, LLP (Indianapolis). Emily's focuses her attention on education of the youth and helping them navigate through their schooling starting in pre-K through high school. She also have a strong passion for organizations that support youth with disabilities either through schooling or mentoring to help them develop skills that they can carry into the real world.
Valerie Vaughn
Board Secretary
Valerie Vaughn has joined the Impact 100 Board of Directors as the Board Secretary. Valerie is the owner of Match House Realty, a real estate firm that serves Indianapolis and surrounding counties with expertise and devotion to the clients and the industry. She says that Impact 100 has been a way to educate herself and others on issues in our communities we live, work, and play in face every day in hopes to assist passionate nonprofits to face these challenges head on. In Valerie's free time, she loves traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Julianne Robinson
Immediate Past President
Julianne enjoyed 17 years as a licensed Health Care Administrator, specializing in starts-ups and expansions after graduating from Indiana University. She has served on the Board of the Indiana Homes and Services for Aging and has volunteered as an advocate for Outreach, Inc., and worked with homeless youth from 2012-2018. (Outreach was the 2009 Impact 100 Change-Maker). As a member of Impact 100 since 2018, Julianne has participated in several of the volunteer opportunities available through Impact to learn about the local needs of the community, nonprofit organizations, and participate in the grants process. The women of Impact 100 are philanthropists of all ages who share their unique experiences to make a difference in the community every year by awarding high impact grants. Julianne and her husband own Nicky Blaine's Cocktail Lounge in Indianapolis.
Amy Olson Miller
Assistant Treasurer
Bailey Peycha
Annual Celebration Chair
Bailey Peycha serves as the chair for the Annual Celebration and was an Impact 100 2020 Scholarship Member. She is the Events Sales and Planning Manager at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis and worked at the Indy Arts Council for three years as the Artsgarden Events Coordinator and as the Impact and Equity Coordinator during the pandemic. While at the Hyatt, she coordinated weddings and corporate events with attendance ranging from 40-500 people, including designing floor plans, tablescapes and decorations all within a budget. As Impact and Equity Coordinator at the Arts Council, Bailey coordinated and tracked all grant fulfillment for funded arts organizations and fellowship recipients including creating online applications, contracts and reports, and counseling artists and arts organizations. Bailey also serves on the INDY HUB Board, which is a civic and social organization for Indy’s 20 and 30-somethings, connecting to people, places, opportunities and organizations that make Indy thrive. She has already proven herself by taking the co-Chair position for the 2022 Annual Celebration, which was a success by all measurements.
Joli Heavin
Grants Committee Co-Chair (FAC Liaison)
Joli Heavin has been a member of Impact 100 for three years. By day, she serves as the Senior Director of Development for Firefly Children & Family Aliance, a social services nonprofit (and a Change Maker Finalist under its previous name, Children's Bureau). She has more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit realm, primarily in arts education. Joli earned a Bachelor's degree in vocal performance and theater and a Master's degree in Arts Administration from Indiana University. She has a strong passion for child and animal welfare, the arts, and education.
Sherri Lauver
Focus Area Committee, Grants Committee
Dr. Sherri Lauver is a senior researcher at Synergy Enterprises. Previously Dr. Lauver was an assistant professor of educational evaluation at the University of Rochester, where she taught doctoral-level courses in educational evaluation methods and supported several local and national initiatives to support children and youth. She has served as a research associate and Contracting Officer’s Representative at the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
Barbara Maurath
Focus Area Committee Chair, Grants Committee
Barb is an active philanthropist in Indianapolis, and was one of the founding members of Impact 100, serving on the first Impact 100 Board of Directors as secretary/treasurer. Barb earned a degree in business from the University of Norte Dame and an MBA from the Kelly School of Business at IU. Now retired, her professional career included serving as a Supervisory Agent to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and as a financial consultant. She has served on several nonprofit boards, including Early Learning Indiana. She has returned to the Impact 100 Board to bring her experience and enthusiasm to us as we work to achieve our goals.
Carol McDonald
Focus Area Committee Chair, Grants Committee
Carol McDonald is a graduate of Bethany College (WV) and Yale University Divinity School. After 42 years of active service as a Pastor and Church Executive, she now serves as Parish Associate for Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. This is Carol's 4th year of membership in Impact 100 and her first as a Focus Committee Chair.
Mary Slenski
Focus Area Committee Chair, Grants Committee
Mary Slenski enjoys bringing disparate elements together in new ways to reveal truth and beauty, most often in working with congregations, spreadsheets, or quilts. An Impact 100 Indy member since 2015, Impact 100 fits in perfectly. Mary is an Episcopal priest, serving congregations from Monument Circle in Indianapolis to Indiana’s edges on the Ohio and the Wabash, when they are in between calls of ordained leadership. She has earned a BSE (Engineering Science), an MBA (Finance), and a Master of Divinity. More recently, she has completed graduate work in Philanthropic Studies at the IUPUI Lilly School of Philanthropy. Mary is also a retired Air Force Reserve officer, wife, mother of two adult daughters, and grandmother to one gray tuxedo cat. During the pandemic she became a regular volunteer at Second Helpings.
Chrissy Vasquez
Focus Area Committee Chair, Grants Committee
Chrissy Vasquez is one of the five Focus Area Committee (FAC) Chairs for Impact 100. Chrissy moved to Indianapolis in 2002 for her first job out of college and is now celebrating her 20th year in the Circle City. Chrissy received her BS in Marketing from Arizona State and her MBA from Indiana University. Chrissy started her career in the nonprofit realm, working for Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, the Indiana State Museum, Back on My Feet, and Indy Reads. After nearly 18 years in nonprofit work, Chrissy decided it was time to make a transition, and she is now a Senior Account Manager for Avant Healthcare Communications.
Chrissy is still very involved in nonprofit work, and along with serving on the Impact 100 Board, she volunteers with Alpha Kappa Psi as the host of the Business Edge podcast and is involved with Overdose Lifeline helping to change the stigma of substance use disorder. Chrissy has two rescue dogs, Boyd and Maizey, and a rescue cat named Miss Kitty. She has completed seven half (70.3) and one full (140.6) Ironman distance triathlons and more than 25 half marathons.
Katie Hughes
Marketing Committee Chair
Katie Hughes, Marketing Committee Chair, has enjoyed a career in the Real Estate and Finance Industry since 2010 after graduating from the Kelley School of Business, Indianapolis with degrees in Marketing & International Studies. Currently, she works as a Budget Analyst for the State of Indiana. During her career, she has focused her energy on growing as a professional and giving back. She has volunteered with The Realtor Foundation, Supported the Word of Honor Fund, and continued to be involved with her church and community. As a second-year member with Impact 100, she quickly fell in love with the organization because it multiplies the impact of women in the greater Indianapolis area.
Marla Taylor
At Large
Marla Taylor currently serves as the President of Taylor Advising where her organization focuses on strategic planning and community wide planning, board development and training, and guiding organizations through times of transformational change. She has served as a strategist and advisor for over a decade. She previously served on Brooke’s Place for Grieving Children and currently serves on the Horizon House board. She is most passionate about creating equity and ensuring access for those who are often marginalized in our community.
Roberta Ziccarelli
Future Leaders Chair
Roberta is a Pharmacist and Clinical Content Specialist for Wolters Kluwer. She received her BS in Pharmacy from Purdue, her MS in Health Education from Whitworth University, and her Post-Master's Certification in Health Informatics from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She volunteers with Horizon House (Impact 100 2008 Change-Maker) and Come-To-Me Food Pantry (Fishers). She is a mentor with the Purdue Polytechnic HS and is working on the Central Planning Committee for the Purdue Women's Leadership Series.
Donna Oklak
Board Member Emerita
Donna Oklak, co-founded Impact 100 in Indianapolis in 2006 after returning to graduate school to earn her M.A. in Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy-Indianapolis. She served as the Executive Director of the Sycamore Foundation and managed their former nonprofit recognition program called the Indiana Achievement Awards from 2000 through 2005. As a board member for Impact, she set up the original grant process, served as president, led the board nominating committee, marketing and fundraising committees. She has been recognized by the Indianapolis Business Journal, Girls, Inc and the Beech Grove Sisters of St. Benedict for her charitable work. On the 10th anniversary celebration of Impact 100 in 2016, she encouraged founding members of our giving circle to create an Impact 100 scholarship program for young women to participate as Impact 100 members. She is creating a similar program for young talent to serve on local nonprofit boards through The Emily Fund.
Jenna Spurrier
Board Member Emerita
Jenna Spurrier has been a licensed investment advisor representative since 2000 and was one of the founding members of Impact 100 in Indianapolis in 2005. She has worked in the financial industry since graduating from Indiana State University in 1997. She is fluent in Spanish and a member of the American Translators Association. She has a passion for improving retirement plans, working with the Spanish-speaking community, and developing customized financial strategies for women. Jenna is a Financial Advisor and Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist with Thurston Springer, Miller, Herd & Titak.
Terry Mumford
Board Member Emerita
Terry Mumford retired from the practice of law at the end of 2014. Her legal career included work at the Indiana University Counsel’s office, the Indiana Legislative Services Agency, Governor O’Bannon’s office, and Ice Miller LLP. She received the Sagamore of the Wabash for her service to Governor O’Bannon as his legislative director. She has been a member of Impact 100 for 11 years.
Beth Thomas
IT Chair
Beth Thomas retired from Eli Lilly and Company, where she was a quality analyst on the Corporate Computer Systems Quality Assurance team. Always active as a community volunteer for organizations such as the Heartland Film Festival, her main focus was on adult literacy. She served on the Indy Reads Board of Directors for 12 years, two terms as President. She is the recipient of a Jefferson Award and a Governor’s Voluntary Action Award for her work in adult literacy. She joined Impact 100 after Indy Reads won the 2007 grant, and she just knew she had to be a part of a group that could work those kinds of miracles.
Board Policy Links (Board Members only and password protected):
Board Director Orientation and Education, including Confidentiality Agreement