Helen Murray Free, D.Sc. - Board Member
Consulting Research Scientist,
Past President American Chemical Society

Helen Murray Free is a medical researcher, volunteer, wife, mother, author, teacher, reader of mysteries, and a bridge and tennis player-not in any specific order, but all at once! She graduated with honors in chemistry from The College of Wooster, has a masters degree in healthcare management from Central Michigan University, and honorary doctorates of science from both Wooster and Central Michigan. She has taught management at Indiana University at South Bend for 20 years and has spent her entire scientific career (56 years and counting) at Bayer-formerly Miles Inc. or Miles Laboratories. She and her husband, Al, also a retired Bayer chemist, were married for nearly 53 years when Al died of Alzheimer's disease in 1999. Their nine children have 20 college degrees and 15 Children among them. Helen is a 50­year member Of the American Chemical Society, she was President in 1993, and presently represents District 11 on the Board of Directors. She chaired the National Chemistry Week Task Force from its inception in 1987 through 1992 and Chaired the International Chemistry Celebration held in 1999. She is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Chemists and the Royal Society of Chemistry. She served on the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards and was the 1990 President of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry and is a Past President of the National Registry of Certified Chemists.

Helen has received the ACS Garvan Medal for distinguished service to Chemistry by a woman. The Frees were honored individually with Miles in 1986 by Medical Economics Press for 40 years of contributions to medical research and were co-recipients of the Laboratory Public Service National Leadership Award in 1994. In 1996, they were enshrined in the Science and Engineering Hall of Fame and in 2000 they were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Helen was inducted into the Hall of Excellence by the Ohio Foundation of Small Colleges in 1992 and in 1996 she received the Kilby Foundation Award for her contributions to detecting and monitoring diabetes. In her honor, the American Chemical Society instituted the Helen M. Free Award in Public Outreach in 1995 and she was the first recipient.

Stanley N. Grove, Ph.D. - Board Member
Professor of Biology
Goshen College
E-mail: stanng@goshen.edu
Web: http://www.goshen.edu/

Stanley (Stan) Grove earned a B.S. in Biology from Goshen College in 1965 and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Purdue University in 1971. After a year of postdoctoral studies with the USDA in New Orleans and one at the University of Texas at Austin, Stan joined the biology faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa for 3 years. From 1975 to the present, Stan has been part of the biology faculty at Goshen College in Indiana. He has taught many different courses and directed undergraduate research projects for numerous students. Stan promotes opportunities for students of work directly with the materials and tools of science. He encourages students to develop skills in using the vast web resources of bioinformatics and genomics. Stan has studied during sabbatical leaves at both Notre Dame University in Indiana and at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Since 1993, Stan has directed the Goshen College Regional Tournament of the Indiana Science Olympiad, an annual competetion in which 100 volunteer students, faculty, and interested scientists from the area offer 33 different science events for 300 middle and high school students. He is a member of the American Society for Cell Biology, the Indiana Academy of Science, and The Nature Conservancy.

Curtis T. Hill, Jr. - Board Member
Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney

Curtis T. Hill, Jr. is the Prosecuting Attorney for the 34th Judicial Circuit, Elkhart County, State of Indiana. Curtis has been a lifelong resident of Elkhart, Indiana and a product of the Elkhart Community School System. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Indiana University School of Business (1983) and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Indiana University School of Law (1987). Prior to being elected Prosecuting Attorney for Elkhart County, Curtis was engaged in the private general practice of law in Elkhart County while also serving as a part-time Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Curtis has served in a number of capacities within the community and currently his board activities include the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, the Elkhart County Historical Society, and the Elkhart Community Bank. Curtis also serves as a guest speaker for local schools and other organizations and works with the Elkhart County! 4-H Extension Project Lead in facilitating discussions among sixth grade students regarding laws and rules.Curtis and his wife, Teresa, are the parents of five children and continue to make their home in Elkhart, Indiana

Eugene W. Hungate - Board Member
Retired Elkart Community Schools Administrator

Eugene (Gene) Hungate received a B.S. from Marian College in Indianapolis in 1960, an M.A.T. from Notre Dame in 1961, and an Ed.S. from Indiana University in 1974. Gene spent his entire career with the Elkhart Community Schools, teaching high school mathematics and serving as vice-principal at the high school level. He held various titles at the school district level and was most recently the director of Mathematics, Science, and Technology. Gene is a past president of the Indiana Public School/University Technology Task Group (PartnerShare) and was instrumental in formalizing the ECS/Bayer Partnership. Gene is a long time proponent of Hands-On-Science and Activity Based Learning. Since his retirement in 2000 he has consulted with Elkhart area schools and businesses.

Dana Knapp - Board Secretary
Elkhart Community Schools Master Science Teacher

Dana Knapp acquired her B.S. in Education (Outdoor/Recreation) from Indiana University in 1978  and her M.S. in Secondary Education degree  from Indiana University in 1982.  She holds a K-12 Teachers License (Life License), an Elementary Teachers License (Life License), a Minor Science Education, and 18 hours of studies in gifted education.
     She has worked in numerous Outdoor Education Centers throughout the country 1978 -1982 designing, creating and writing, piloting, and then implementing new curriculum:
     - TVA- Land Between the Lakes-KY and TN
     - Houston Independent School System-Trinity, TX
     - Glen Helen OEC- Yellow Springs, OH
Starting at the Elkhart Community School  District in 1990, Dana transferred to Roosevelt Elementary School to teach with the 5th /6th  G/T program (PEP-Providing for Exceptional Potential). She worked with the elementary schools through 2005 school year, writing science and math curriculum, participating in several programs dealing with environmental and science education, data analysis and assessment, STAR Teacher as Researcher Programs 1995/6 through 2002, Science Fair Judge/ Coordinator of School Science and Invention Fairs, PR work in Multi-Media Program Authoring, won awards in Who’s Who in America Teacher’s Award 2000 through 2007, and has been published in numerous local Science and NCTM Newsletters (paper and web-based.)
     From 2005 until the present, she has been working in conjunction with an MSP grant awarded to ETHOS, ECS and Purdue University as a Master Science Teacher. She has attended many conferences and workshops promoting inquiry-based/learning cycle approaches to science teaching.  She has presented at NSTA and HASTI conferences in 2006, 2007, and 2008.  She has professional organization memberships in HASTI, NSTA, AAAS, ACS, IRA.

Mike Mangas - Board Vice-President
Lake City Bank
Mike.mangas@lakecitybank.com

Mike Mangas is a Vice President for Lake City Bank with responsibility for developing new business in the Elkhart market. He has been a banker for 40 years. Mike is a life long resident of the State of Indiana and has lived in Elkhart for 8 years. He is a member of the Elkhart Noon Rotary Club, a Mentor/Tutor for Dreamswork, Past Board member and current member of Elcona C.C. and past Board member of the Elkhart County United Way and St. James Economic Development Corporation. Mike and his wife Deb are the parents of two sons and now have two grandsons

Theodore L. Mullett - Board Member
Consultant

Business Advisor (1998 – present), Carmel, IN and Niles, MI
Advisor to several private companies in a variety of industries, including retail, distribution, technology and manufacturing, serving on the board of directors, board of advisors or as consultant. Serve on the board of directors of one public company. Presently have board relationships with seven companies and consulting arrangements with several other companies.

Danielle Thompson, C.P.A. - Board Treasurer
Crowe Chizek

Danielle graduated from Goshen College with a BA in accounting in 1995. Since then she has been employed by Crowe Chizek and Company LLC in Elkhart where she is involved in accounting, tax preparation, and consulting. Danielle obtained her CPA in 1998 after passing the CPA exam with one of the top ten scores in Indiana for that year. Danielle has been involved in various charitable organizations and fund-raisers such as United Way, Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County, and The American Heart Association's Heartwalk.

Matthew A. Yeakey - Board President & Legal Advisor
Partner at Sanders Pianowski, LLP

Matthew A. Yeakey is a partner at the law firm of Sanders Pianowski, LLP in Elkhart. Matt was born and raised in Elkhart, graduating from Elkhart Central High School in 1983. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame (B.A. 1987) and Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis (J.D. 1990). Matt is a Past President and member of the Elkhart Kiwanis Club, Board member of the Indiana Lakeland Girl Scout Council, his church finance committee and the Elkhart Central High School Commemorative Scholarship Committee, in addition to his membership and participation in several professional organizations. Matt and his wife, Julie, are the parents of three children and reside in Elkhart County, Indiana.