Terre Haute Rex Hire General Manager
Roland Shelton to Lead Rex Prospect League Franchise in Inaugural Season
TERRE HAUTE, IN – The Indiana State University Foundation announced today the hiring of Roland Shelton as the assistant vice president for constituent relations with the Foundation and general manager of the Terre Haute Rex franchise. Amy Huntsinger was also named marketing coordinator for the team.
Shelton, of Olathe, Kan., brings a wealth of management experience to the position with over 19 years of service in higher education and to Fortune 500 companies. As general manager for the Terre Haute Rex Baseball team, Shelton will run the day-to-day operations and oversee all aspects of the team, including: personnel, budget, operations, facility management, and marketing.
“This position is a great opportunity for me both professionally and personally,” Shelton said. “The Foundation’s addition of the Rex complements an impressive community investment portfolio. My family and I are looking forward to getting to know the Terre Haute community.”
His professional experience includes positions at General Motors, Philip Morris USA, Coke Cola USA, and Campbell Soup Company. Shelton’s career in higher education career began at his alma mater, Western Kentucky University, in athletics development. His career in development includes his most recent position at Park University in Kansas City, Kan., where he served as the associate vice president for advancement.
“Roland is the right person for general manager job with the Terre Haute Rex,” said Gene Crume, president of the ISU Foundation. “His substantial experience will be helpful to the organization as he guides the Rex in strategic planning, solution implementation, budget and resource management, and risk identification.”
“He has an impressive resume and has proven his leadership through his advancement in previous positions. Roland will be a great addition to the ISU Foundation and a proficient leader for the Rex franchise,” said Crume.
Huntsinger, of Frankton, Ind., will also be an important member of the Rex management team in the planning for their first season.
“With an undergraduate degree in public relations from Indiana State, Amy will be invaluable to the marketing, branding, and communications functions for the Rex,” said Crume. Huntsinger is currently pursing a master’s degree in communications at ISU.
“I am truly excited to have a position with the Rex. My experiences at ISU have instilled in me a passion for both the university and the community,” Huntsinger said.
Huntsinger has served in a variety of leadership capacities at ISU, including the student trustee on the University’s Board of Trustees and chapter president for the Chi Omega Fraternity. Her internship endeavors included positions in marketing at Sony DADC and in special events at the Indiana State University Foundation.
“Amy is an energetic and devoted asset to the Terre Haute Rex. Her creativity and communications knowledge will help the team provide valuable entertainment for all fans of the Rex,” Crume said.
The Terre Haute Rex Baseball team is a part of the Prospect League, a collegiate wooden bat summer league. The team is owned by Sycamore Foundation Holdings, a non-profit subsidiary of the Indiana State University Foundation, in partnership with Rex® coffee, a brand of the Clabber Girl Corp.
The Rex is set to debut this summer with a 54-game season. Twenty-seven games will be played at the Rex’s home field, Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium. Season ticket sales have already begun and are available by contacting the ISU Foundation offices at (812) 240-4323. The team logo, uniform design, and mascot will be announced at a media event in late January.
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Gift to Help Nursing Students Combine Learning and Living
ISU Nursing Professor Emerita and Husband Establish the McKee Nursing Center
Students in Indiana State University's College of Nursing, Health and Human Services will benefit from a gift that will enhance and complement their learning and living environments.
The gift from nursing professor emerita Nancy McKee and her husband Dale will establish the McKee Nursing Center and create an endowment to fund future programs and maintenance. The center will be located in Sandison Hall, now undergoing renovation that will devote more than half of its space to students majoring in nursing and other health care fields.
"This is a dream come true," said Deb Barnhart, associate professor of nursing who worked alongside McKee for 26 years.
"Nancy remains very committed to nursing education and is a strong advocate for students. She was always looking for ways to enhance student education," Barnhart said.
The McKee Nursing Center, to be located in Sandison Hall, will be equipped with the latest technology, enabling students to get hands-on practice in areas related to their classroom studies from the convenience of their residence hall.
When it re-opens next fall following an $11 million upgrade, the building, adjacent to Hulman Memorial Student Union near the center of campus, will house future health care professionals on five of its eight residential floors. The McKee Nursing Center will be located on the first floor, with additional space in the basement for conferences and group study sessions. Barnhart, who serves as academic advisor for first-year nursing students, will have an office in the center.
Indiana State has offered themed housing to first-year nursing students for the past seven years with nursing majors as resident assistants and academic peer advocates living alongside underclassmen to assist them. The gift from the McKees, coupled with the Sandison renovation, allows the baccalaureate nursing program to expand that living arrangement to include sophomores.
"The first two years of college can be especially stressful academically for nursing majors. Faculty will now have more opportunities to go where students live and be available to them outside the classroom. This will help more students make it through those challenging years, complete their ISU nursing degrees, and go on to provide much needed health care in Indiana and beyond," Barnhart said.
Rebecca Campbell, a junior nursing major from Whiteland, said the opportunity to study and live with a similar group of people increases strong first-year connections with the ISU campus and makes it more likely students will continue their educations.
"Living with students in your major provides many opportunities. Homework help is literally just around the corner. Camaraderie with students sharing your same struggles helps to ease the transition from high school to college," Campbell said. "The friendships you make in the dorm will transcend into the classroom, increasing your participation and cohesiveness."
Tom Ramey, vice president for student affairs, said themed housing and the Nursing Center made possible by the gift from the McKees are examples of student affairs and academic affairs working together on behalf of students.
"This is one of those rare gifts whose benefits will truly have a significant multiplier effect and have a lasting impact on students, the university, and the state for many years to come," Ramey said.
Indiana State has designated health sciences as a program of promise as part of an initiative designed to strengthen programs with national or regional reputations for quality and build programs that have the potential to achieve that status. The university is also a founding partner in the Rural Health Innovation Collaborative, which seeks to further develop Terre Haute as a state and national leader in meeting the unique needs of rural health care.
Nancy McKee served Indiana State in a variety of capacities from 1966 to 1998, including professor, chair of undergraduate nursing studies, associate dean, and interim dean. At Indiana State from 1965 to 1998, Dale McKee served as director of alumni affairs, executive director and executive vice president of the ISU Foundation, and acting vice president for university advancement.
Biff Williams, dean of the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services, said the McKees have been long-time supporters to the university through their work and philanthropic endeavors. Through their years of service to the university they have touched the lives of thousands of Sycamores and the establishment of the McKee Nursing Center will continue that legacy, he said.
"The McKees' gift demonstrates the unique opportunity our alumni and friends have in impacting the lives of Indiana State students. We hope this innovative initiative serves as a model that inspires future support of the college and university," Williams said.
The gift from the McKees is part of March On! The Campaign for Indiana State University, which is seeking to raise $85 million for student support, teaching and faculty development, program support, and facilities. In October, the ISU Foundation publicly launched March On! in conjunction with Homecoming following a leadership phase that raised more than 50 percent of the goal. March On! is scheduled to conclude in December 2011.
Photo: Nancy and Dale McKee tour the site of the planned McKee Nursing Center, to be located in Sandison Hall on the Indiana State University campus. A gift from the McKees will fund the center and future operations.
Writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu
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Baseball Returns to Terre Haute
Terre Haute Rex are the Newest Addition to a Rich History of Baseball in Terre Haute
TERRE HAUTE, IN – The Terre Haute Rex baseball team was introduced today as the newest members of The Prospect League. The team is owned by Sycamore Foundation Holdings, a non-profit subsidiary of the Indiana State University Foundation; and the announcement rejuvenates a passion for the sport in a community that has played host to famous professionals, supported unique franchises and witnessed baseball history.
“Terre Haute has an amazing historical connection to the sport of baseball,” said Indiana State University Foundation Board of Directors Chairman Curt Wilkinson. “We are thrilled to be the catalyst for something that will provide quality family entertainment and give Wabash Valley baseball enthusiasts the opportunity to see potential major league players.”
The Terre Haute Rex are named after another prominent, historic connection to the community. Rex® Coffee, the “Imperial blend, fit for a Monarch” was roasted and packed in downtown Terre Haute, with a history dating back over a century. Patented in 1905, Rex® Coffee was a household name from Chicago to Louisville; and from Cincinnati to St. Louis. The coffee roasting business, along with spice milling, and wholesale grocery distribution spawned the Clabber Girl ® Baking Powder business. Celebrating the rich history, of the Hulman & Company family businesses; Clabber Girl’s Rex Roasting Company is roasting premium coffee again in an exhibition style roasting facility in their downtown corporate headquarters museum. The distinct Rex® Brand Coffee depicts an image of quality and excellence reflected in the monarch crown pictured in the logo. The partnership between Clabber Girl and the Foundation in naming the team continues a Terre Haute tradition of unique baseball team names that includes the Phillies, Huts, and Tots.
“We are invested in celebrating history and in offering the people in this community these kinds of great opportunities and experiences,” said Gary Morris, president and COO of Clabber Girl Corporation. “We are proud to be a part of bringing this historic tradition back to Terre Haute. This premier baseball league just felt like a good fit for our premium Rex® Brand Coffee.”
The history of baseball in Terre Haute includes some of the most famous names associated with the game. Countless professional ballplayers have ties to the community including Hall-of-Famer Mordecai Brown, Negro League Baseball All-Star Junius Bibbs, and Art Nehf who holds the National League record for most World Series games pitched (12). Other highlights include an exhibition game in Terre Haute featuring Babe Ruth; and Branch Rickey began his storied baseball career as a player in 1903. More recent professional stars include Tommy John and Brian Dorsett, both of whom played for the New York Yankees during their career; as well as former Indiana State players and current Major League Baseball professionals Clint Barmes of the Colorado Rockies, Mitch Stetter of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Joe Thatcher of the San Diego Padres.
The Prospect League is one of the fastest growing and recognized summer collegiate baseball leagues, and Terre Haute has been a market league officials have been interested in for several years.
“We are extremely pleased to be a part of bringing baseball back to Terre Haute,” said Bryan Wickline, president of the Prospect League and general manager of the Chillicothe Paints. “We believe the team has solid ownership, a strong market with a passion for baseball and what will be exceptional facilities. They are a welcome addition.”
The Rex will play at Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium, which is the home to the Indiana State University Sycamores baseball team. The facility is currently undergoing an extensive $2.5 million renovation that includes permanent bleachers, new dugouts, infield turf, media box, locker room facilities, concession stand, and restrooms. The facility is scheduled to open spring 2010, in time for the collegiate season. The Rex season will run from June to August.
The team leadership is currently finalizing the hire of a general manager who will run the day-to-day operations of the baseball team as well as a marketing coordinator. “We plan to announce these two important positions before Christmas,” said Gene Crume, president of the Indiana State University Foundation. “It is very important that we have a high quality staff in place to ensure that we recruit an exceptional coach and great players, especially for this inaugural season.”
Season ticket sales have already begun and are available by contacting the ISU Foundation offices at (812) 240-4323. The team logo, uniform design, and mascot will be announced at a media event in late January.
The Prospect League enters its second season under the Prospect League moniker, but it brings with it plenty of tradition and a long list of former players and coaches. The Prospect League is the former Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL), one of the most recognized summer baseball leagues in the country.
The Prospect League is one of 10 summer collegiate baseball leagues affiliated with the National Association of Summer Collegiate Baseball (NASCB), of which the CICL was a charter member.
In the winter of 2008 the six teams of the CICL elected to add five expansion teams to form the new 11-team Prospect League. Coming over from the CICL in the Prospect League's inaugural season are the Dubois County Bombers, Danville Dans, Springfield Sliders, Dupage Dragons, Quincy Gems, and Hannibal Cavemen. The Chillicothe Paints, North Coast Knights, Butler BlueSox, Slippery Rock Sliders, and the Richmond RiverRats joined the league for the 2009 season.
The CICL was formed in 1963 as a charter member of National Collegiate Athletic Association certified summer baseball. The league maintained certification for the entire 41 years of oversight by the NCAA, which ended its program February 1, 2005. However, the CICL and all members of the NACSB still follow all general rules and regulations put forth by the NCAA to ensure the amateur status of its student athletes.
Team rosters of the Prospect League and all other NACSB leagues are comprised solely of players who have completed one year of college and who still have college eligibility remaining. As such, many believe that the NACSB summer leagues represent the highest level of pre-professional amateur baseball in America.
Additional Sources: www.prospectleague.com and www.clabbergirl.com
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Second Grader Receives Lucky Penny
Second Grader, Bobby Hetterscheidt, Wins an ISU Full Tuition Scholarship
TERRE HAUTE – Bobby Hetterscheidt had orders from his mom to try to get the lucky blue penny that meant a full scholarship to Indiana State University.
Crystal Jenkins had heard the ISU Foundation was giving away a college scholarship in conjunction with the Oct. 24 Blue and White Homecoming Parade and she wanted one of her sons to win it.
Bobby attended the parade with his younger brother Jordan and his grandmother, Sandy Hetterscheidt. When a representative from the ISU Foundation handed Bobby a small card and he turned it over, he knew what he was looking for.
"I yelled ‘I got the blue penny!'" Bobby said when he arrived with his family at the ISU Foundation office to receive his award. Accompanying him to the presentation were his mother, father, Robert Hetterscheidt, brother, and grandmother Sandy Hetterscheidt.
Sandy Hetterscheidt didn't really know what the blue penny meant at the timewhen Bobby received it, but she was certain to keep it safe among the candy in Bobby's bag.
"We stood right at Seventh and Wabash for a good view of the parade," she said. "We were about the third or fourth family in line."
"They called me at work and said ‘I got the blue penny,' " Jenkins said.
When someone asked if Bobby always listens to her instructions that well, she smiled and said not always. But she was glad he did this time. She and the boys' father intend for both of their children to attend college.
Bobby, a seven-year-old second grader at Lost Creek Elementary who enjoys riding four-wheelers, would be a member of the incoming freshman class of 2020. He hopes to be a police officer.
"We have a great criminal justice program," Kevin Hoolehan, vice president of finance and controls for the ISU Foundation, said when he presented Bobby with a certificate and a bag of awards. "You need to get good grades to go to college," Hoolehan reminded Bobby.
Looking ahead to four years of tuition for the years 2020-2024, the scholarship is expected to be valued at about $40,000.
"Scholarships are at the heart of the ISU Foundation," said Gene Crume, foundation president. "As we launch the public phase of the university's first comprehensive campaign, we wanted to thank the community for its support by awarding this four-year scholarship to a youngster age 10 or under."
March On! The Campaign for Indiana State University has a fund-raising goal of $85 million. To date, more than $47 million has been raised for the institution. The campaign runs through December 2011.
For more information about the ISU Foundation, visit www.marchonisu.com or www.indstatefoundation.org.
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Trustees Approve Names for Two Colleges
The Donald W. Scott College of Business & The Bayh College of Education
TERRE HAUTE – Two colleges at Indiana State University have new names following action Friday by the university's governing board.
ISU trustees agreed to name the College of Education in honor of the political and educational legacy of the Bayh family and the College of Business for retired Terre Haute businessman Donald W. Scott.
Indiana State's first named colleges house two areas of study that trustees have previously recognized as programs of national distinction: teacher preparation and financial services education.
"Education is the ticket to a wider range of opportunities for Hoosiers, giving them the ability to secure their personal future," Sen. Evan Bayh said. "Our roots with the extended ISU family run very deep. On behalf of the Bayh family, we are grateful to the trustees of ISU for this honor and for recognizing our shared mission of equal access to quality education and providing students with the crucial support and preparation they need! to become successful teachers."
Indiana State officials noted that Sen. Bayh and his father, former Sen. Birch Bayh Jr., have championed educational issues. In addition, the senator's grandfather, Birch Bayh Sr., served as ISU's first athletic director and as physical education director for Washington, D.C. schools.
ISU President Dan Bradley said the Bayh family has been associated with the university for more than a century.
"The Bayhs have also been involved with educational policy and reform efforts for the last 40 years, so being able to put the Bayh on our College of Education is a great honor," Bradley said.
The College of Education was recently recognized for having one of the top eight innovative teacher preparation programs in the country and Dean Brad Balch said he welcomes the college being named for the Bayhs.
"The opportunity to tie what we do in teacher education at Indiana State University to the Bayh family and its distinct reputation can only advance that great work," Balch said.
"We hope that it provides for us a place of national preeminence by combining that excellent programming with the wonderful and rich history that the Bayh family has with education."
The Donald W. Scott College of Business will honor the long time owner of the former Sycamore Agency in Terre Haute, now Old National Insurance. Scott and his wife Susan have made a significant gift to the ISU Foundation that will help renovate the former Terre Haute federal building for use by the college.
"It's a great opportunity for us to move forward with the remodeling of the federal building and positions the College of Business to assume a greater role on the campus and in the region," Bradley said.
The Scott's gift to the ISU Foundation will enable the college to move forward in educational programs and facilities while preserving key historical elements of the federal building, including a courtroom mural depicting the signing of the Magna Carta, Dean Nancy Merritt said.
"We currently have facilities in a renovated residence hall that spans 11 stories. We have found that our students, faculty and others become somewhat isolated from one another," Merritt said.
"The renovation of the Federal Building is designed to connect our students and faculty with community members and with each other. That will enable us to engage the students more in business development and business management practices, in financial services industry, and in our other disciplines across the college."
Sen. Bayh was instrumental in securing the federal building for use by the Scott College of Business.
The new names for the colleges of education and business take effect immediately. Dedication ceremonies are planned for next spring.
The Office of Communications and Marketing produces ISU Today
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