People and
Partnerships

 

People and partnerships lead to success for our communities. We bring partners together, so we can do more together to help our students, our communities, and our economy.

The CEC is a backbone organization providing process facilitation and systems building support to partners who help students access and complete education pathways while breaking down the underlying barriers that hold inequitable outcomes in place. The stakeholders of the CEC help residents move up at least one level in their education or training aligned with well-paying local jobs. We believe that education is critical in helping individuals and families achieve financial security.

When we convene partners to work on complex social challenges, such as creating solutions to address the manufacturing workforce skills gap, or increasing high school graduation rates for underserved student populations, we pose the question, “What can we do together that none of us can do alone?” Complex social problems cannot be solved by singular programs. They require a system of supports, connecting programs and stakeholders around a shared goal. Consistent with our mission – we bring partners together, so we can do more together to help our students, our communities and our economy.

200+

Employee
Partners

25+

Top Tier Education
Partners

150+

Communities
Served

2023 CEC Board Members

 

Kelly Benjamin
Judge, Bartholomew County Circuit Court

James Bickel
President and CEO, Columbus Regional Health

Kathy Bradley
Global Account Manager, TE Connectivity

Jesse Brand
Community Leader, Ivy Tech Community College State Trustees Member

John Burnett
Executive Vice Chairman, Community Education Coalition

Steven Combs
Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College, Columbus

Brittany Diebolt
Vice President Commercial Relationship Manager, First Financial Bank

Cindy Frey
President, Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce

Jason Hester
President – Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation

Reinhold Hill
Vice Chancellor and Dean, Indiana University
Purdue University Columbus

Rick Johnson
President/CEO, Johnson Ventures

Larry S. Kleinhenz
Chair, Bartholomew County Commissioners

Jim Lienhoop
Mayor, City of Columbus

Nancy Lollar
Director, Purdue Polytechnic Institute Columbus

Angie May
President, Analytical Engineering Inc.

Shannon McDonald
Accounting Manager, Taylor Bros. Construction Co., Inc.

Kathy Oren
President and CEO, Community Education Coalition

Srikanth Padmanabhan
President, Engine Business, Cummins Inc.

Brian Payne
Airport Director, City of Columbus Board of Aviation Commissioners

Shawn Price
Superintendent, Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corporation

Julie Quesenbery
Sergeant, Columbus Police Department; School Resource Officer, Bartholomew Consolidated
School Corporation

Jim Roberts
Superintendent, Bartholomew Consolidated
School Corporation

Angelina Rodriguez
Aftermarket Supply Chaing Strategy Leader, Cummins Inc.

Jim Schacht
Vice President-Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations, Cummins Inc. and CEO Cummins Foundation

Albert H. Schumaker, II
President, Coca Cola Bottling Company

Tracy Souza
President & CEO, Heritage Fund – the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County

Mark Stewart
President, United Way of Bartholomew County

Lori Thompson
Retired, Vice President Marketing, Cummins Inc.

Don Trapp
Retired, Vice President of Business Development, Cummins Inc.

 
Advisor to the Executive Committee – Jack Hess, President, CivicLab: An Institute for Civic Collaboration

Supported Organizations

 

The Columbus Learning Center Management Corporation, Inc., operating as the Community Education Coalition (CEC) of Columbus, Indiana is a 501c3 “supporting organization.”

For more than twenty years since its inception, the CEC Board has worked to be reflective of the “footprint” of the community regarding equity as an imperative, yielding social and economic benefits through the practice of stakeholder engagement and collaboration.

In this spirit, the CEC Board is redoubling its efforts to be reflective of the footprint of our community in 2020. We are seeking, and will continue to seek board members of our entire community who are interested in and willing to contribute time and energy for the public good of these eleven supported organizations.