The CEO program is a phenomenal opportunity for the students of Knox County and I am honored to be a board member. It is a true testament to our county that so many local businesses have sponsored a program that celebrates the talents of our county’s youth. The Knox County CEO program is a very forward-thinking organization that provides a unique educational experience as well as networking opportunities for our area high school students. I believe that the Knox County CEO strengthens the foundation of all students involved to help them in their future endeavors.

Ross graduated from Vincennes Lincoln High School in 1997. He attended Vincennes University where he earned an Associates in Arts Degree in Social Sciences. He then transferred to Indiana State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Studies Education.

After graduating from Indiana State University, Ross taught for five years at Terre Haute South High School and during that time, he earned his Master of Education Degree in School Administration and Supervision.

From 2008-2017, Ross was the principal of Sullivan Elementary School, Carlisle Elementary/Junior High School and Dugger Union Community Schools.

In July of 2017, Ross made the transition to banking where he is now a loan officer at First Vincennes Savings Bank and in September of 2017, Ross and his family moved to Vincennes.

Ross has been married to his wife Miranda since 2003 and they have a son Reid who is 11 and a daughter Annalise who is 5. Miranda is a graduate of Indiana University and is an elementary counselor for the Vincennes Community School Corporation.

Ross enjoys spending time with his family, cycling, running, swimming and being involved in his community.

The CEO program gives students an opportunity to learn and explore many different business and career paths so that when the time comes they can take that knowledge and apply it their future endeavors. I am excited to grow my knowledge base along side these students as they explore the many opportunities Knox County has to offer.

As a high school student I wasn't big into sports or being involved with "cool kids" so to speak. I enjoyed learning about different businesses and exploring new jobs. I wanted to try as many different jobs as possible to develop a better understanding of what it was that I wanted to do with my life. I had many small businesses while attending Rivet High School including aerial photography, car detailing and lawn care. Needless to say none of them exist today, but the idea behind it was to learn as much as possible. Learn accounting, finance, and statistics so that when the right opportunity comes along I could run with it. Finally after trying and failing at many different things, I found my obsession. Swirls! Swirls was opened in May of 2018 and I absolutely love it! I enjoying interacting with customers, working along side my team members, and learning all there is learn about my industry.

CEO is a program designed to help kids experience a taste of the real world and moments out of their comfort zone and how to rise above those moments. CEO also helps kids develop skills they might not otherwise acquire until college or even after they’ve accepted a position in their chosen industry. The program gives kids an opportunity to learn the basics of business and also help showcase the opportunities available right here in Knox County. I am excited to be a part of the CEO program and I hope the kids are excited as well. My goal is to bring some business experiences to the table that the kids can learn from and apply in their future careers. I firmly believe the best investment is an investment in ourselves right here in Knox County.

Darren Cantwell was born and raised in Vincennes, IN and has been a part of family business in Knox County since the young age of 12 when he first started mowing grass for Cantwell Rentals and picking watermelons for Bloebaum Farms. At age 22 he took over operations at Cantwell Service Center while his father (Charlie), mother (Cheryl) and brother (Dane) were adding on to the business with the addition of a new convenience store, Cantwell ShortStop.

The Cantwell’s were awarded “Small Business of the Year” in 2016 by the Knox County Chamber of Commerce and are celebrating 50 years in business this year in 2018. He’s been very blessed to be part of a loving, hardworking family and has gained more knowledge from them than he ever could in a classroom.

At age 30 he started a new chapter in his life by joining Burkhart Insurance Agency, another family business. He plans to pursue his career in the Insurance Industry and help grow the agency into one of the premier agencies in the Midwest.

He is blessed to be married to wife, Jacquelyn and has one son, Kipton and one daughter, Adrianna. Darren serves on numerous boards around Knox County, is an active member of the Vincennes Free Methodist Church and enjoys, hiking, hunting, fishing, sports, and most of all, time with his family.

My commitment as the Twin Rivers CTE Director is to provide area high school students with as many opportunities as possible. My students success is my success!

Brandon R. Small

Born – Vincennes, Indiana

1995 South Knox HS Graduate

1997 Vincennes University Graduate – Mechanical Drafting Technology

2001 Indiana State University Graduate – Engineering and Technology Education

2001 – 2012 Sullivan High School Teacher

2012 – Current Twin Rivers CTE Director

2011 Shell Eco Marathon National Fuel Mileage Champion Head Coach – 1450 Miles Per Gallon

2012 Shell Eco Marathon National Fuel Mileage Champion Head Coach (American Record) – 1899 Miles Per Gallon

40 Year Old

Love Amusement Parks, Camping, Boating, Traveling

Indiana State University Baseball Team, ETEI, ACTE, IACTE

As an educator for most of my life, I have been an advocate for student success.  My belief is this success is not found in basic standardized test scores but in students being placed in real world environments.  I am a strong advocate for students to be placed in internships and the Knox County CEO program is a strong building block for this type of learning.  

Dr. Darrel Bobe is the Superintendent of North Knox School Corporation. Prior to taking this position in July, 2010 he served as the Assistant Superintendent for North Knox for 2 years.

Before coming to North Knox School Corporation, Dr. Bobe worked in a variety of positions at the Vincennes Community School Corporation. From 2003-08, he served as Chief Financial Officer, 2001-03 as Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Clark Middle School and from 1998-2001 he taught Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Chemistry at Lincoln High School.

Dr. Bobe earned a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Business Administration and Secondary Education, a Master’s degree in School Administration and his Doctorate from Oakland City University.

Dr. Bobe is part owner of Charlie’s Candy Shop. He is an active member of the Community United Methodist Church. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for KCARC, KCDC, Vincennes University, Southwest Indiana Chrysalis, and is a lay minister for several churches in Knox and surrounding counties. Darrel serves as Regional District Chair for the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents and was named the 2014 District 7 Superintendent of the Year.

Dr. Bobe resides in Vincennes with his wife, Emily, and 3 children, Gannon, Gage and Ella.

As a lifelong resident of Knox County, and 20 year educator, I am interested in the success of all students. Whether in the traditional classroom setting or in an alternative educational opportunity, I believe everyone yearns for an opportunity to be successful. The CEO program offers students the ability to participate and be successful in a venture that can lead to lifelong success.

David Couchenour is the Principal at South Knox Middle High School. Prior to this position, he was assistant Principal at South Knox for 5 years and an Assistant Principal in Vincennes for 7 years.

He is a 1995 graduate of Indiana University in Social Studies Education. He received his masters degree in Administration from Oakland City university in 2001.

Mr. Couchenour has a wife, Betsy whom he has been married to for 18 years. They have 3 children. Garrett 16, Mykayla 14, and Macie 13. All students at South Knox. Mr. Couchenour enjoys all sports, reading, and traveling.

I was drawn to the CEO Program because its goal to show to the youth in Knox County that opportunities are available for them. I see the CEO Program as a vehicle to demonstrate to young people that Knox County offers a wide range of business opportunities for those with the entrepreneurial spirit to take advantage of them. My goal while serving on the Board is to reach out to those young individuals who would otherwise not consider staying in Knox County to further their business pursuits, and in so doing, continue the great strides that Knox County has taken which lured me back home. 

Graham Dycus traces his roots to Vincennes, Indiana, where he graduated from Vincennes Lincoln High School in 2000. He subsequently attended Indiana University-Bloomington where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in 2004. After graduating from IU, Graham attended the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law-Indianapolis. Graham earned his law degree in 2008. After law school, Graham began his practice in Indianapolis, Indiana, with focus on civil litigation. After gaining invaluable experience litigating cases in the central Indiana area, Graham returned to Vincennes and began practicing at the law firm of Hart Bell, LLC where he is a partner.

I wanted to be on the CEO board because when I started my business there were many times when I wish I had a group of leading business people to bounce ideas off of.  There are so many things that are only learned with experience and I feel these “real life” situations can only be learned by doing.  I hope that I can make a new entrepreneurs journey easier.

Jill Zeigler Williams was born and raised in Vincennes, Indiana. She attended Flaget Elementary and graduated from Rivet High School in 1993. She went on to Purdue University where she graduated in 1997 with a bachelor degree in Agribusiness Management. After Purdue she went into the agribusiness field where she spent three years traveling among 16 states in the fertilize industry. She returned home to work in the family business (Ewing Printing Co., Inc.) for 5 years. She worked with her grandmother, her father and her brother and was able to learn key insights on owning a business. An opportunity arose which would later turn into The Melon Patch in Oaktown, Indiana starting in 2005. She took a closed business and revitalized it into a full functioning gas station, deli, convenient store, fudge shop, gift shop as well as fresh produce when in season. She specializes in corporate gift baskets through the holiday season. The Melon Patch has 8 employees and is open 360 days a year.

She has one 4-year-old son, Kade, and is married to her husband, Kent Williams. They live in Oaktown, Indiana and run a fourth generation farm.

I am so excited that Knox County is offering the CEO program that will help our next generation leaders through mentorship and collaboration with our local business and community leaders!  The CEO experience will no doubt help Knox County retain and attract talent.  

Kent Utt graduated from North Knox High School. He attended University of South Florida in Tampa, FL for two years and obtained a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Finance/Economics from Indiana State University in 1988. While working at American National Bank, Kent obtained a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Ball State University.

Kent was hired by Regions Bank, formerly American National Bank, directly out of undergraduate school into their management training program. After several different positions within the bank and several mergers, he was promoted to community bank president where he had regional responsibility for business development and sales management for 10 southwestern counties in Indiana and 3 counties in Illinois. The total book of business $1.1 billion. After 26 years in banking, Kent transitioned into his current role as President/CEO of Knox County Development Corporation (KCDC) in August of 2014.

Before accepting the position of President/CEO of KCDC, Kent had extensive experience with economic development and served as a board member and vice-chairman of KCDC for 15 years. His professional affiliations include membership in the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), board member of Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA), board member of the Wabash River Region Development Authority and board member of the Southwest Indiana Development Council, a regional economic development organization. He is the Executive Director for Knox County Life Enrichment Foundation and on the advisory board for Knox County CEO (Creating Entrepreneur Opportunities) program.

Kent is the proud parent of two children. His daughter, Madison, is a kindergarten teacher at Vincennes Community Schools. His son, Mason, is attending the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Kristi Utt, his wife, is a marketing and technology teacher at North Knox High School and Knox County CEO facilitator. In available spare time, Kent enjoys golfing, horse trail riding and bicycle riding in the summer and quail and pheasant hunting in the winter.

The main reasons I'm excited about the CEO program are the connections, exposures and opportunities it will bring to the community, including CEO students, CEO-participating businesses and even area residents.  As a native of Knox County, I went away to college and left the county after finding a job in my field.  Recently, my husband and I were able to move our family back to Knox County to take over his parents' local business.  My hope for the CEO program is that it will allow students the same opportunity I had, which is to give them the tools they need as businesspersons to stay rooted in the community that supported them and contributed to their upbringing.

Kirsten Miller graduated from North Knox High School in 2004. She studied at Vincennes University for 2 years before transferring to Purdue University where she graduated in 2008 with her B.S. degree in Food Science. Kirsten worked at Zentis North America in Plymouth, IN for 8 years as a Senior Product Development Manager where she collaborated with yogurt manufacturers to create colored and flavored fruit products to incorporate into yogurt. During her time with the company, she learned a great deal about customer service and working as a team and worked diligently to ensure products were of the highest quality.

In June 2016, Kirsten and her husband, Eric, and sons, Bronson and Bowen, moved back to Knox County to take over Miller Machine and Welding where her father-in-law, Rick Miller, has served the community for over 42 years. Kirsten works as Office Manager and enjoys working alongside her husband to serve the community. Kirsten enjoys reading, traveling, and being a mother. In her spare time, she also enjoys drawing and painting.

CEO is an outstanding opportunity for the students of Knox County to better explore their options while in high school.

Pat Hutchison is in his 3rd year at North Knox Junior Senior High School in the guidance department as Student Services Coordinator. He is in his 3rd term on the Vincennes Community Schools School Board.He is a graduate of Vincennes Lincoln, Vincennes University, and Indiana State University. He is married to Theresa Hutchison, has three children and two grandchildren.

My desire to serve on the Knox County CEO Advisory Board is to develop a culture of entrepreneurship in our community that will encourage our youth to pursue business ownership and creation of proprietary products and services. To foster their interests and talents by providing them with the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed in a dynamically evolving economy. Ultimately investing time in our youth that we hope will yield decades of economic prosperity in Knox County.

Robert Hudson

Mr. Hudson has over 25 years of experience in the Manufacturing Sector. His experience includes multiple skill-sets including; Quality, Sales, Marketing, Management and Post-secondary Training. Throughout his career he has lead successful operations and has achieved professional success.

He is currently Purdue University’s Statewide Manufacturing Workforce Advisor. Previously Mr. Hudson worked as the Director of Business and Industry for Vincennes University, and he has held a variety high level management positions for companies such as Flying S Aerospace, MSP Aviation and Rolls Royse Aerospace. He is a Veteran of the United States Air Force and currently serves in the Indiana Air National Guard. Robert also serves on the Board of Elders for the Vincennes First Church of God.

Robert has a Master’s Degree in Management from Oakland City University, a BS in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an Associate’s Degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology from Vincennes University.

He presently resides in Monroe City, Indiana. His passions include education, workforce development, church, golf and the outdoors. His interest in serving on the Knox County CEO board of advisors is to help develop a program that will encourage entrepreneurship and foster a culture of young leaders that desire to build businesses in Knox County and remain in Knox County.

I was so excited to be asked to be a part of the CEO program. This program offers students a way to gain invaluable hands-on experience in the business world.  So many students want to go into business for themselves without ever experiencing and understanding what it takes.  This program is going to be a great mentoring program for both the students as well as all the involved businesses.  It will truly be a win-win for both and our community. 

Susan Brocksmith is the Department Chair for Management and Accounting and program chair of the Agribusiness Program at Vincennes, University. She has taught accounting, business and agribusiness courses over her 25 plus years with Vincennes University. She is actively involved in the Ag Club

She has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Purdue University and a Masters of Business Administration from Ball State University.

Ms. Brocksmith has developed and instructed several workshops and courses in agricultural practices in the community and at Vincennes University. Ms. Brocksmith received an Award for Exemplary Service for Vincennes University and the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ms. Brocksmith is part owner with her husband of the family farm. She is an active member of the Indiana Presbyterian Church and is a past elder. Ms Brocksmith is on the Board of Directors for Knox County Chamber of Commerce, the Good Samaritan Hospital, the Ag Advisory Council for the Purdue Extension – Knox County, and Farm Bureau as well as a member of Indiana Team Ag-Ed.