Board Members

“Since I started work with Project Indiana in 2017, I have been able to see the differences that have been made in the lives of not just the Guatemala families, but everyone has helped with the electrification projects. The impact we make is something that words cannot describe, nor do justice. Our impact is endless.”

Jamie Bell has a very personal reason for serving on Project Indiana board. He has seen firsthand how the initiative is making the world a better place. Bell has served on two of the line crews (in 2017 and 2019) that brought electric power to remote villages in Guatemala. In 2019, he served as trip coordinator as the Indiana linemen energized the village of San Jacinto in record time.

 “Electricity gives (villagers) a powerful tool to better themselves — to make them want to stay there. With it, they’ll have better health, better schools, just an all-around better way of life,” Bell said. He looks forward to doing even more to help others in need.

Bell is construction engineer at NineStar Connect, an electric and telecommunications cooperative headquartered in Greenfield, Indiana, and is an active member of his local community.

“Having an opportunity to change the lives of those who are truly in need is exciting. Working for — and working and establishing relationships with — the global communities and villages that Project Indiana serves is an opportunity of a lifetime.”

The two greatest attributes Matt Deaton says he brings to the Project Indiana board are his “blue collar mindset” and his passion to lead transformational change.

No stranger to hard, hands-on work, Deaton helped pay for his college education by shoveling coal in an underground coal mine.

After earning an engineering degree, he honed his talents as a civilian engineer with the U.S. Army, and also worked in commercial building construction and powder metal manufacturing. In January 2015, Deaton joined the cooperative world as general manager/CEO at Orange County REMC in Orleans, Indiana.

For Deaton, building strong communities is a responsibility worth pursuing — both globally and locally. He does that locally on the Washington Community Foundation board of directors and by coaching football, basketball and softball at the junior high and varsity levels. And, as one of Project Indiana’s newest directors, he’s committed to doing it globally as well — one person and one village at a time.

“We as Americans have so much to be thankful for. Through Project Indiana, we can make the world a better place for those who aren’t as fortunate as we are.”

Bartholomew County REMC Director and former Indiana Electric Cooperatives President Ron Arnholt brings over 30 years of electric cooperative experience with him to the Project Indiana board. A lifelong resident of Columbus, Indiana, who started helping out on the family grain farm when he was a teenager, Arnholt is accustomed to facing new challenges. He is looking forward to helping those in developing countries embrace brighter futures through Project Indiana.

Arnholt has held numerous leadership roles in the electric cooperative industry, including secretary-treasurer of the Bartholomew County REMC board and executive committee member; he has also served as secretary-treasurer, vice president and president of the Indiana Electric Cooperatives board. He is happy to continue to play a key role with Indiana Electric Cooperatives through his involvement with the Project Indiana board.

“I’ve been to Guatemala five times for rural electric expansion. I am amazed by one simple fact: we are changing lives. That’s the impact of what we do – change lives. It’s incredibly moving to me that our efforts can have that type of impact.”

George Carter is an active and enthusiastic supporter of Project Indiana.

Carter started in the electric cooperative industry in 1988 and retired as the president and CEO of the Ohio-based Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative in 2023, a position he’d held since 2005. Prior to that, he was CEO and general manager at Harrison Rural Electrification Association Inc. in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and director of finance and administration at Cloverland Electric Cooperative in Dafter, Michigan. With his expertise in rate design and strategic planning, Carter is well-equipped to help fledgling electric co-ops in Guatemala become established and successful in serving their communities.

“When you know you can change things for the better; when you see how you’ve already helped so many people — you don’t want to stop. I’m committed to Project Indiana because there’s so much more we need to do.” 

Ron Holcomb may be chief executive officer at Linden, Indiana-based Tipmont by day, but much of his free time is spent behind the camera lens. In fact, it was his interest in photographically chronicling the 2017 Project Indiana trip that led to his current role as chair of the Project Indiana board. Once he met the villagers, especially the children, who were so humble and hopeful of a brighter future, he knew had to help in any way he could. He’s confident the Project Indiana initiative can impact lives in ways no other program can.

Holcomb has been at Tipmont since July 2013. Prior to that, he held key positions at various companies and utilities including vice president, business development, at Tantalus Systems; principal analyst at Columbia Telecommunications Corporation; president/CEO at PEC/Energize; senior consulting manager at Virchow Krause and Company; general manager at Lowell Light and Power and Cable Television; and project engineer at Clarksville (Tennessee) Department of Electricity.  

“I grew up in a Latin country where access to electricity was not always guaranteed. I am honored to be part of Project Indiana on behalf of CFC. Being able to contribute to initiatives that enhance the quality of life for underserved communities is deeply meaningful.”

Carolina Park serves as the manager of CFC’s Financial Tool & Analysis group, where she plays an important role in delivering critical financial solutions for CFC members. Her work includes overseeing the production and delivery of the annual Key Ratio Trend Analysis (KRTA) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) reports. Additionally, she manages specialized financial tools like CFC Compass, CFC BudgetPro and CFC Equity Management, ensuring these resources meet the highest standards of excellence and usability for CFC members. For Park, empowering electric cooperatives with the financial tools they need to thrive is both a responsibility and an opportunity to foster innovation.

Park has an undergraduate degree in business administration from Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia and a certificate in business administration and communications from Georgetown University. Since joining CFC in 2019, Park has leveraged her skills and commitment to innovation to make meaningful contributions to the Financial Tool & Analysis Group, delivering impactful results.

“The passion I have seen from the Project Indiana board and the many staff who connect electricity to these villages is contagious. We take so much for granted here in the United States, and being involved with helping meet basic human needs through the provision of electricity is humbling and rewarding.”

John Sturm has been the Johnson County REMC (JCREMC) CEO and JCFiber president since February 2018. He has 38 years of experience in the energy utility industry. Before joining JCREMC, John held executive positions at Wabash Valley Power Alliance and ACES Power Marketing, and founded his own consulting firm, Resolution Energy, in 2015. His career in these organizations focused on managing electric industry risks involving power supply planning and negotiations, financial analysis, regulatory compliance, energy commodity trading, and distribution opportunities in the wholesale market. He led company startups, growth, and positive cultural shifts for employers and clients facing significant industry transformation driven by ever-changing wholesale energy market rules and regulations.

His role with JCREMC and JCFiber is now focused on establishing the intelligent distribution grid of the future and serving rural Johnson County with future-proof broadband services.

“Throughout my career as a broadcast journalist, I’ve covered other humanitarian projects and stories of hope and lives changed. But the scope of Project Indiana and the level of commitment of everyone involved in this effort touched my soul. That’s why I will continue to do whatever I can to nurture this program.” 

Former Indianapolis television news anchor Diane Willis first became involved with Indiana Electric Cooperatives’ philanthropic efforts in Guatemala when she accompanied the first line crew to the western part of the country in 2012. While there, she and a film crew from the Indianapolis PBS affiliate WFYI filmed the award-winning documentary, “Power to the People.”

The story, the people and the opportunity to make a difference resonated with Willis and she continues to play a huge role in the Project Indiana initiative. Willis, president of Lee Willis Communications, returned to Guatemala in 2015 with her husband and business partner, Clyde Lee, to continue to tell the story of how Project Indiana is changing lives. With over 50 combined years of award-winning journalistic experience, Willis and Lee have been instrumental in sharing the Project Indiana message with those throughout the country.

Willis formerly taught English and journalism and worked as a television news anchor in St. Louis and Boston before joining WRTV in Indianapolis in 1988. She and Lee anchored the 6 and 11 p.m. news there until 2001 when they founded Lee\Willis Communications.