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.

Having hosted the Knox County CEO program at Good Samaritan twice, I was very impressed by the mannerism of the students and the interaction skills they learned through the program. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with these students and see them succeed in their future career goals.

Tiffany is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Good Samaritan. She is a 2001 graduate of Washington High School and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Indiana State University.

After graduating from ISU in 2005, Tiffany began her career at the Vincennes Sun-Commercial as a staff writer. She later became a reporter/producer for Vincennes University Broadcasting. After two and a half years in a reporter role Tiffany made the transition to marketing, taking a position as a Marketing Communications Specialist for Good Samaritan Hospital. In 2013, she made a switch to work as a Marketing Specialist at Union Hospital in Terre Haute. In 2015, she was excited to have the opportunity to go back to Good Samaritan as the Director of Marketing.

Tiffany and her husband, Matt, have been married since 2010 and they have a 4-year-old son, Greyson. Matt is a Vincennes University graduate and is an Assistant Control Systems Technician for Duke Energy. They reside in Sullivan, Indiana.

In her free time, Tiffany loves spending time with her family, listening to audio books during her commute, and traveling to beach destinations.

CEO is a great opportunity for students to gain and practice entrepreneurial skills within real world scenarios. I appreciate that the program allows students to be creative, problem solve to overcome obstacles, and practice positive communication/networking skills.

Sally Shaffer is the School Counselor at Lincoln High School where she facilitates college and career readiness initiatives to help students make choices during high school that will increase their post-secondary options.

 Sally started her twenty-one-year career in public education as a Speech Language Pathologist. She served the Clay Community School Corporation in that capacity for ten years. She took a brief reprieve from education and worked in health care before deciding to change careers. After completing a Master of Education from Indiana State University, she returned to public education with a School Services license and served as a Guidance Director for Northeast School Corporation for nine years. She is in her second year with Vincennes Community School Corporation.

In her spare time, Sally enjoys assisting Brian Stone as owner/head coach of Anvil Training Center and working at SSB Stables. She values faith in God, time with family and nature.

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 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 third grade 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.