Innovate Southern Indiana - Clarksville - Jeffersonville

Lance Allison began his career in small business first as a photographer and then owner/photographer of Allison Photography.  After 20 years, Lance retired from Photography and became President/CEO of the Murray-Calloway County (KY) Chamber of Commerce in 2008. In 2013, Allison assumed the role as President/CEO of the Panama City Beach (FL) Chamber of Commerce.  In 2016 Lance joined Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering & Testing as a Director of Business Development.  In March of 2024, Lance became the President/CEO of One Southern Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development.

State Sen. Chris Garten has represented Hoosiers in Senate District 45, which includes Clark County and a portion of Floyd County, since 2018. Garten serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedure, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Joint Rules, and the State Budget Committee. He is president and founder of Signature Countertops, Inc., which is a small business located in Jeffersonville that specializes in granite, marble, quartz and quartzite countertops. Signature Countertops was named “Small Business of the Year” by the Scott Co. Chamber of Commerce in 2014 and 2016. Garten was also a Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, having served two tours in Iraq in 2003 and 2005-2006. Garten currently serves on the One Southern Indiana Advocacy Council. He is a member of the Indiana Farm Bureau, the American Legion, and the Marine Corps League, and is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and National Rifle Association. He previously served on the Scott County Public Defender Board and on the Scott County Chamber of Commerce as vice president. Garten was named “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” by the IN Southeast Business Development Center (2012), to the “20 Under 40” by the Southern Indiana Business Source (2016), a “First Steps Champion” by Central Indiana First Steps (2019), “Legislator of the Year” by the Disabled American Veterans (2021), “Legislator of the Year” by the Indiana Bankers Association (2022), “Senator of the Year” by Aviation Indiana (2022), “Senator of the Year” by the Indiana State Police Alliance (2023), to the “Indiana Power 50” by Howey Politics & State Affairs (2024), a “Legislative Champion” by the Foundation for Government Accountability (2024 and 2025), and “Legislator of the Year” by the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police (2025). Garten received the “Highest Award for Achievement” from the Dale Carnegie Leadership Course (2015), the “James W. Robinson Young Professional of the Year Award” from One Southern Indiana (2017), the “Dwight & Marilyn Chamberlain Policeman’s Friend Award” from Amick-Baker-Kellems FOP Lodge 156 (2018), the “John C. Hart Presidential Award” from the Indiana Builders Association (2021), the “Official Commendation” award from the Uniform Law Commission (2023), the “Commitment to Excellence” award from the Indiana Association of Counties (2023), and the “Crystal Apple Award” from Parents for School Options Indiana (2025).

Chuck Goodrich has served as Secretary of Commerce for the State of Indiana and a member of Governor Mike Braun’s cabinet since his appointment in July 2026. He also serves as the CEO of Gaylor Electric, one of the largest merit-shop electrical firms in the country. As a national award-winning electrical design-build contractor, Gaylor Electric employs more than 5,000 dedicated and highly skilled men and women and operates 17 offices in seven states across the United States. 

Chuck began his career with Gaylor Electric as an intern during the summers of 1991 and 1992. After graduating from Purdue University with a B.S. in Building Construction Management, he worked for a large national contractor before returning to Gaylor Electric. 

He subsequently progressed through the ranks to key leadership positions within the company. In November of 2014, Chuck was named President, followed by CEO in 2016. In 2024, Chuck named a new President of Gaylor Electric and has since then focused his energies on the role of CEO. 

As a proven leader, he inspires Gaylor employees with his high-energy, high-performance, and high-results business style. From the time he became the President of Gaylor Electric, the company has developed more than 4,000 jobs. 

As a leader in the business community, Chuck serves on the Executive Committee as past Chairman of the Board of Directors for National Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC); is past chairman and board member of the Riverview Health Foundation, current board member of the Community Health Foundation, and past chair and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Purdue Construction Advisory Council for Building Construction Management. Chuck has a lifelong passion for workforce development, and he is a member of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s Region 5 Workforce Development Board. He also serves as Chair of David’s Well, a nonprofit that provides clean drinking water in the country of Panama. 

Over the years, Chuck has been recognized for his professional leadership and philanthropic passion by winning the IN/KY ABC James J. Leonard Memorial Award, Businessperson of the Year for the City of Noblesville, the ABC Outstanding Chapter Support Award, the Gaylor Electric Optimist Award, and in December of 2025, was named CEO of the Year in the $500M-$1Billion category by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Chuck has the honor of being the recipient in the very first year of this award being awarded. In 2026, Chuck guided Gaylor Electric to recognition on the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Fast 25 list, placing the company among the fastest-growing private companies in Central Indiana. 

As a three-term Indiana State Representative, Chuck was first elected to serve the constituents of House District 29 in 2018. During his six years in office, Chuck author/co-authored several bills, many of which were signed into law by then Governor Holcomb. 

Chuck lives in Noblesville, Indiana, with his wife of 30+ years, Tricia. They have four adult children and one grandchild. The family is active both in the Noblesville community and as members of White River Christian Church. His favorite things to do during his free time are spending quality time with his wife and kids, especially his grandson, playing golf, and rooting for the Indianapolis Colts and Purdue Boilermakers.

Pamela Whitten is the 19th president of Indiana University and the first woman to lead IU, a world-class public research university with nine campuses throughout Indiana.

Under her leadership, IU has emphasized three central pillars: providing broad access to an education for all students from Indiana and beyond; pursuing world-class research, scholarship and creative activity; and making meaningful contributions to improving Hoosier health and the economic, social, civic and cultural development of the state and the world.

Jesika Young is a transformational leader and visionary serving as the President and CEO of

Cimtech Inc. Transitioning from a distinguished career in commercial banking in July of 2018,

she and her husband, Jerod acquired Cimtech, a then 43-year-old manufacturing firm based in

Southern Indiana. A self-described "team member first,

" Jesika operates with the core belief that

the team must be prioritized above all else.

Under her leadership, her organizations have significantly expanded, doubling their square

footage and adding new capabilities and team members. She successfully scales her

enterprises by assembling sustainable processes and teams that communicate clearly and are

not reliant upon one single individual.

"She strongly believes in the power of reaching out and harnessing education,

reaching up to strive for more, and reaching back to bring the next generation

along!"

Through her work at Cimtech, Jesika continuously champions on-site apprenticeships, flex

schedules to prioritize family, and living wage jobs to support her community.