Leaders and Legends

Joe Kernan was Irish before he was a naval officer, a prisoner of war before he was mayor, humble before he was governor, and beloved eternally by those who knew him. We lost the governor last week and extend our condolences to his wife Maggie and all who knew and loved him. On this week’s “Leaders and Legends” podcast, we talk with Tina Noel, Kip Tew, and Jim Shella about Governor Kernan’s career...

On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was sunk in what remains the biggest sea disaster in U.S. naval history. The “Leaders and Legends” podcast this week features an interview with Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic; they are the authors of “Indianapolis” which is the definitive account of our namesake ship and the men who sailed on her. While both the ship’s mission and her fate was made famous by th...

Mark Boyle is the brilliant and beloved radio voice of our Indiana Pacers. He joins us on the “Leaders and Legends” podcast to talk about his career, his chess exploits, his love of Indianapolis, and some of his most memorable Pacers moments. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (https://veteranstrategies.com/) * Girl Scouts of Central Indiana (https://www.girlscoutsindiana.org/) * MacAllister Machinery...

When it comes to having a varied and impactful career, there are few people in Ted Boehm’s league. He clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren, helped develop Penrod into a premier arts festival, was chairman of the 1987 Pan Am Games, and served on the Indiana Supreme Court. He is also a member of the IPS Hall of Fame. When I started the “Leaders and Legends” podcast, Ted’s name was one of the first...

Brooks Simpson is one of the world’s leading authorities on the life, times, and career of Ulysses S. Grant. Professor Simpson was kind enough to come on the “Leaders and Legends” podcast to discuss a man whom I consider the most compelling figure of the American Civil War—yes, even more than Abraham Lincoln. We also discuss the recent History.com series on Grant and why the general’s memoirs are...

Jake Query is our guest on this week’s “Leaders and Legends” podcast. He’s been a fixture on the Indianapolis media and sports scene for years, and he may just be the Hoosier King of Twitter (follow him @jakequery). Jake is also an Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network announcer. We also talk with Jake about his opportunity to be a pallbearer for Mickey Rooney’s funeral and what it’s like to e...

Our “Leaders and Legends” podcast this week features Seth Morales—who probably knows more people than anyone I’ve ever met. He played in the Rose Bowl while at Purdue, earned his MBA from Notre Dame, and is President of the Morales Group. Seth discusses his work in our community, the realities of being a CEO/dad, and what it’s like to catch passes from Drew Brees. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (h...

Journalist and Hall of Famer Mike Lopresti is one of the most-honored sportswriters in the United States. Mike’s career has had him cover 32 World Series, 31 Super Bowls, 34 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Fours, as well as 16 Olympics. Mike appears on the “Leaders and Legends” podcast to discuss his most memorable columns and how being a Hoosier has helped shape his life and writings. Sponsors: * Vet...

Tony Mason is the president and CEO of the Indianapolis Urban League. Tony’s resume includes stints at the Super Bowl Committee, the Circle City Classic, and the NCAA. He joins the “Leaders and Legends” podcast to discuss his career and how the Urban League is both leading and participating in the critical conversations we are having today. My co-host for this podcast is Brian Payne, president and...

Ray Tolbert was a captain on IU’s 1981 national championship team. He was also Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1977, a gold medal winner in the 1979 Pan-Am games, and a first-round draft choice in the NBA. Ray joins us on the “Leaders and Legends” podcast to talk about his career, playing for Coach Knight, and what he is doing now to help his fellow Hoosiers. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (https://vete...

We all are missing the Indianapolis 500 this weekend, but the ‘Leaders and Legends’ podcast is bringing you the next best thing—a conversation with beloved IMS historian Donald Davidson. He talks with us about coming over here from England in 1964, his astounding memory, his favorite races, and why he believes ‘Hoosier Hospitality’ is more than just a slogan. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (https:...

When you get a chance to chat with the spokesperson for the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, D.C., you take it. Fahad Nazer joined the ‘Leaders and Legends’ podcast to talk about his background, the importance of the Saudi-American relationship, and the significant reforms underway in this pivotal Middle East country. This podcast is a bit shorter than usual, but if you can stand to listen to...

Okay, so this podcast is really just for me and other chess nerds—but I hope you like it. In 1972, Bobby Fischer wrested the world chess championship from the Commie Soviet Union. On this week’s “Leaders and Legends” podcast, we talk with Dr. David Edmonds, author of "Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How A Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine (https://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Fischer-Goes-Wa...

One of the two men in our photo is David Lindquist. A veteran journalist, Dave has written about music and pop culture for The Indianapolis Star since 1998. He joins the “Leaders and Legends” podcast to discuss his career, interviewing famous people, and gives us his answers to the Five Questions. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (https://veteranstrategies.com/) * Girl Scouts of Central Indiana (htt...

Todd Young is the senior United States Senator from Indiana. He’s also a graduate of the Naval Academy, a former Marine officer, and as down-to-earth elected official as you will ever meet. Senator Young spent an hour on the “Leaders and Legends” podcast discussing his career, his historic win over Evan Bayh in 2016, and how the military has shaped his life.” Watch the video here: https://youtu.be...

Marc Allan is the man behind ’The Tapes Archive’ which features never-before-heard interviews with people such as Kurt Vonnegut, John Mellencamp, and Joan Rivers. On this week’s ‘Leaders and Legends’ podcast, we talk with Marc about what it is like to interview famous people and why he decided to post these interviews in 2020. This is Marc’s second appearance on the podcast & we are very grate...

Mark Montieth is one of the foremost chroniclers of Indiana sports history. On this week’s “Leaders and Legends” podcast, Mark talks about his career in journalism, the epic events he has covered, some of his favorite sports figures, why he loves high school basketball so much, and what it was like to write a book on Gene Keady and Purdue’s basketball team. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (https://...

As general manager, president and CEO of the Indiana Pacers, Donnie Walsh is directly responsible for giving Pacer fans some of the best seasons and most memorable moments in team history. On this week’s "Leaders and Legends” podcast, Donnie talks to us about his life in basketball, playing for Dean Smith at North Carolina, and what he was doing when Reggie Miller scored 8 points in 9 seconds. Spo...

This week’s ‘Leaders and Legends’ podcast features former Purdue University basketball coach Gene Keady. All you need to know about his competitiveness is captured by this picture—which shows Coach Keady being calmed down by Coach Bob Knight. Yeah. Coach Keady was a joy to interview, and we are very honored that he consented to spend some time with us. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (https://veter...

On this week’s ‘Leaders and Legends’ podcast we sit down with Chris Baggott, CEO and Co-founder of ClusterTruck and one of the founders of ExactTarget. Chris not only is a tech and food entrepreneur, he is also a farmer and world traveler. He is one of the men responsible for making Indy one of the hottest tech towns in the world. Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy the conversation. Spon...

Jamie Merisotis, CEO of the Lumina Foundation, is this week’s guest on the ‘Leaders and Legends’ podcast. Lumina is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. They are a critical engine in driving student access to, and success in, education after high school. We are incredibly fortunate to have Lumina headquartered right here in Indianapolis. Jamie is one of the most talented le...

On this week’s ‘Leaders and Legends’ podcast, we discuss the career of the man more responsible than anyone else for Indianapolis’ magnificence and transformation: Mayor Bill Hudnut. We are joined by three people who worked with him and knew him as well as anyone: Joe Slash, Lesa Dietrick, and Dave Arland. If you love our city, you will love hearing about how Mayor Hudnut’s leadership made it happ...

Jeff Smulyan is one of Indianapolis’ most prominent and generous citizens. On this week’s “Leaders and Legends” podcast, Jeff joins us to discuss his career as an entrepreneur, being a proud Hoosier, his love of history, and how he invented the concept of sports talk radio. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (https://veteranstrategies.com/) * Girl Scouts of Central Indiana (https://www.girlscoutsindia...

Judge Sarah Evans Barker not only has received “Living Legend” status from the Indiana Historical Society, but also has served on the federal bench since 1984. She sits down with Danielle Shockey and me to discuss her career, being a Hoosier, and why all the hours I’ve spent watching “Law & Order” don’t make me qualified to argue in her courtroom. Sponsors: * Veteran Strategies (https://vetera...

Michael Browning is one of the most successful and impactful business and civic leaders in the history of modern Indianapolis; but not only that, he is also a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Our conversation with Michael covers his time as a student at Notre Dame where he met Robert F. Kennedy during the 1968 campaign and the importance of our city’s tourism and hospitality industry. Sponsor...