Join us on Tuesday, April 17 as we welcome Purdue Football Head Coach Jeff Brohm to Rotary.  Brohm  played quarterback collegiately at Louisville and for seven seasons in the National Football League.  He was hired Dec. 5, 2016, as the 36th full-time head football coach in Purdue history and is widely regarded as one of the most innovative offensive masterminds in college football.

On the strength of three fundamental concepts – playing harder, tougher and smarter than the opposition – the 2017 Boilermakers achieved a 7-6 record, finished tied for third place in the Big Ten Conference West Division and defeated Arizona 38-35 in the Foster Farms Bowl. Purdue won three games in November (29-10 over Illinois for the Cannon trophy, 24-15 at Iowa and 31-24 over Indiana for the Old Oaken Bucket) to become bowl eligible.

A native of Louisville, Brohm (born April 24, 1971) earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1994. He and his wife, Jennifer, have a son, Brady, and a daughter, Brooke. Jeff is one of four family members to be a football letterwinner at Louisville, along with his father, Oscar (quarterback 1966-69), and brothers, Greg (wide receiver 1989-92) and Brian (quarterback 2004-07).

Friday, April 6 marks the home opener for our beloved Home Team, the Indianapolis Indians. And, Tuesday, April 10 marks the return of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis Indians Day. Join the energy in the room as we welcome Rotarian and Senior Vice President of Community Affairs, Cal Burleson, (be sure to check out this great story about Cal if you haven’t yet!) to the stage. In turn, Cal will bring along and introduce Announcer Howard Kellman and Manager Brian Esposito to talk about the upcoming season and what fans can expect. There’s always a great energy in the room for this event and our caterer is even preparing a special dessert with Cracker Jack! We hope you’ll join us to cheer on the Tribe, but also to learn more about this incredible community asset.

Rotarians, Start Your Engines!

It’s almost May in Indianapolis and we’re delighted to welcome the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson to our Rotary lunch on Tuesday, April 3.

A passionate race fan since his teens, Davidson has been part of the IMS Radio Network broadcast of the race since 1965. He served with the United States Auto Club as statistician and historian for 31 years before becoming the Speedway’s historian in 1998. Believed to be the only full-time historian employed at any race track in the world, his stories will delight and entertain you. Even the biggest race fans always leave Davidson’s presence having learned more about the Speedway, the race and the legends who participate in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Join us on Tuesday and bring a guest, you don’t want to miss it!

Bankers Life Fieldhouse is the home of our own Indiana Pacers. But behind the scenes, the Fieldhouse is an incredible asset that can shift from a basketball court one week to a magical Disney ice rink the next and then play host to a monster truck rally the next, only to showcase complicated stages for the biggest names in music. What does it take to manage all of this? Learn more about the behinds the scenes operations from Pacers Sports and Entertainment President/COO Rick Fuson on Tuesday, March 27.

A graduate of Indiana University and a life-long resident of Indianapolis, he joined the staff of Market Square Arena in 1984 as director of special events and was promoted the following year to vice president. Fuson helped oversee the Pacers’ move to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in September 2000 and in September 2014 he became President/COO.

Through the years, Fuson has been active in pursuing major events for the Fieldhouse and the City of Indianapolis. From his time as Co-Chair of the 2012 Super Bowl Village Committee to his recent effort to bring the 2021 NBA All Star Game to Indianapolis, he is dedicated to building sport in Indianapolis.  He is also on the Board of Directors for Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), Indianapolis Urban League, Indy Public Safety Foundation, Indy Chamber and Visit Indy. He is an Advisor to the Indiana Sports Corporation Board of Directors and currently serves as Chair of the Pacers Foundation.

Join us on Tuesday, March 16 when we welcome Tony Mason, a leader with a passion for service. After earning his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Miami University of Ohio, Tony went on to take leadership positions at preeminent organizations such as Circle City Classic, the Super Bowl Host Committee, and trueU. Now as President and CEO of the Indianapolis Urban League, Tony leads their mission to assist African-Americans, other minorities and disadvantaged individuals to achieve social and economic empowerment.

Tony is also active in the community and is a member of the Indiana Youth Institute’s Board of Directors and he serves on committees with the United Way of Central Indiana, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, the Race Cultural Relations Leadership Network, the African American Coalition of Indianapolis, LISC 2020 Great Places, the Indy Chamber’s Central Indiana Regional Economic Development Plan, and the Indiana Sports Corporation. His action in the community certainly aligns with Rotary and we can’t wait to have him speak. Guests always welcome.