Education Power Breakfast

Tina Peterson serves as the President and CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI), a position she has held since the organization’s founding in 2015. In her role with ROI, Tina works collaboratively with organizations to advance economic and community prosperity across the Indiana Uplands, an 11-county region in southwest central Indiana. Through regionally relevant and demand-driven initiatives, ROI focuses on industry cluster strategies, education, workforce, and quality of place as essential determinants for regional success. ROI serves as the regional lead for IEDC’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) for the Indiana Uplands, managing more than $60M to catalyze economic growth in the Uplands region. 

Tina is also President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, an organization powered by giving and committed to addressing the community’s most pressing needs and compelling opportunities. In addition to serving as a reputable and innovative grantmaker, the Community Foundation works with its partners to incubate and accelerate forward-looking strategies for community development.

Tina currently serves as a member or an advisor on several regional, state, and national boards including the Applied Research Institute, Inc., the Uplands Science and Technology Foundation, the Community Advisory Board for the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, IU Ventures, the Crane Regional Defense Group, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, CDFI Friendly Bloomington, Bloomington Dimension Mill, and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.

Chad Peterman is the CEO of Peterman Brothers and co-founder of Red Bird Roofing. Under the leadership of Chad and his brother Tyler, Peterman Brothers has grown to a company of over 500 team members across multiple locations serving residential HVAC, plumbing and electrical needs of customers in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.  Peterman Brothers has earned a position on the Indy Star’s Top Workplaces List six consecutive times, the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Fast 25 since 2019, Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine’s Residential Contractor of the Year (2019, 2024) and the Inc 5000 list since 2019.  In 2021, they were also awardedDealer of the Year by Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems as the top Bryant dealer in the United States. Chad’s most proud of founding the Peterman Top Tech Academy in 2020, to train the next generation of residential HVAC, plumbing, and electrical technicians.

In 2023, Chad was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Midwest Award by Ernst and Young. Chad was also named Top 40 Under 40 by ACHR News and has had the honor of sharing the stage with the likes of Cordia Harrington, Steve Forbes, Alan Mullaly, Ken Fisher, and Dan Kennedy to share his message about how growing your people will ultimately grow your company.  Chad authored three books, his most recent titled “The Empowerment Project: Grow

Your People, Grow Your Business.”  He also hosts the podcast “You Can’t Stop the Growth.”

Chad is a 2009 graduate of Wabash College. He received his MBA from the University of Indianapolis in 2014.

Vanessa became the Indiana Chamber’s first female president and CEO on January 5, 2024.

After 20 years in Washington D.C. at the center of politics and power, Vanessa moved “home” to Indianapolis with her husband, a Clay County native, and their two sons. She founded Green Sinders Consulting, a woman-led firm offering strategic advice, project execution and crisis management, and leadership development and coaching services to clients.

Previously, Vanessa served as senior vice president for government affairs at Charter Communications/Spectrum, a Fortune 100 cable and broadband company. She was responsible for directing the company’s strategic policy and political engagement with Congress and the White House, as well as managing a seven-person internal team and 15 external consulting firms.

Vanessa came to Charter after a four-year stint as senior vice president and department head for government affairs at the American Hotel & Lodging Association. In that capacity, she oversaw the association’s advocacy work at the federal, state and local levels, and managed the 10-person government affairs team.

Vanessa’s political and policy roots run deep. For a decade, earlier in her career, she held high-profile positions on Capitol Hill, including chief of staff for then-U.S. Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts and policy director for former U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire. Additionally, she was chief of staff for the “Campaign to Fix the Debt,” a nonpartisan issue-based coalition advocating for better national fiscal policies. There, she oversaw this implementation of the campaign’s strategy and directed the activities for its 45-person staff.

Vanessa received a bachelor’s degree in government with a minor in economics from Dartmouth College.

Rob serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Gaylor Electric, where he leads teams in executing hundreds of projects across the United States. His journey in the electrical field began at the age of 12, working after school and during summers in the family business, Griffith Electric, Inc. This early hands-on experience laid a solid foundation for his career.

Rob holds degrees in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University, Design Technology from Ivy Tech, and Construction Technology from Vincennes University. He also completed the 4-year ABC Electrical Apprentice program and holds a Master Electrician License.

In 2009, Rob joined Gaylor Electric following the merger of his business with the company. He has since progressed through various roles, including Project Manager, Vice President, and Executive Vice President, before being appointed COO in 2020. In his current role, Rob is dedicated to leading, mentoring, and motivating the Gaylor team to deliver consistent excellence through innovation, quality, and daily performance.

Rob is a strong advocate for professional development, having served as past Chair of the Indiana Apprentice Trust and Chairman of the ABC Indiana/Kentucky Chapter Board in 2024. His leadership style is characterized by his commitment to helping others achieve their highest professional and personal potential through education and experience.

Outside of his professional responsibilities, Rob is a devoted husband and father of two young boys. He actively volunteers as a basketball and baseball coach, participates in his church, and has contributed to multiple mission trips.