You may have noticed a number of new faces around the IBA office lately. This is largely from the rapid expansion of the Financial Services Academy, our new high school apprenticeship program; but we have had some other new hires as well. Learn more about our newest team members below, and be sure to say hello the next time you’re at the IBA Center for Professional Development for one of our programs, or at an IBA conference!
Professional Development
Melissa Higdon joined the IBA in March as assistant vice president-meetings & events, immediately diving in to help with Mega in May. She is responsible for the Association’s conferences including topic and speaker selection, vendor relations and chairing conference planning committees.
Away from the office, she volunteers by organizing fundraising events for IPS School 70 and is a past board member for Meetings Professional International’s Indiana chapter, which named her Planner of the Year in 2023. Higdon was awarded an Honorary American Degree by the National FFA and earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.
Government Relations
Connor Wong also had a quick start to his time with the IBA, joining us in November as vice president-government relations, just a few weeks before the December start to this year’s legislative session. He immediately began analyzing issues, reviewing legislation, building relationships with policymakers and enhancing the Association’s grassroots efforts. Wong joined the IBA with prior experience at a local public affairs company as well as time as a legislative assistant for the Indiana State Senate. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Colorado University.
Jackson Norman joined mid-session in January as government relations coordinator, coordinating the administrative functions of the Association’s advocacy team. He most recently served as senior staff intern in the Indiana House of Representatives. He also has experience as a legislative intern for Krieg DeVault LLP in Indianapolis and field manager for Ohio Citizen Action in Columbus.
Norman earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
Financial Services Academy
Scott Hartman is our newest team member, joining the FSA in April as director of insurance apprenticeships, representing FSA’s first venture into financial apprenticeships outside the banking sector. He brings more than a decade of experience in education and workforce development, with a career centered on helping young people navigate important transitions into college and careers.
Before joining FSA, Hartman worked closely with EmployIndy to support and expand the Modern Apprenticeship Program. Through that work, he helped onboard employer partners, develop resources and implementation tools, and strengthen pathways that connect students to real-world, work-based learning experiences across Indiana. He cares deeply about the future of Indiana’s workforce and believes young people thrive when they are given clear pathways, trusted guidance and meaningful opportunities to grow.
A lifelong Hoosier, Hartman holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Ball State University.
FSA in Switzerland
Representatives from the Financial Services Academy returned to Switzerland to visit with organizers from the Swiss program that the FSA is modeled after. President & CEO Chris Fisher and Curriculum & Pathways Director Sara Holmes were joined by members of the FSA Governance Committee and banking representatives including David Becker, First Internet Bank, Fishers; Ben Bochnowski, Peoples Bank, Munster; Chris Cook, The Farmers Bank, Frankfort; Brad Monts, Hoosier Heartland State Bank, Crawfordsville; Shane Pilarski, Alliance Bank, Francesville; and Rafael Sanchez, Old National Bank, Evansville.
This trip was in part to get introduced to representatives of the Swiss insurance apprenticeship program as the FSA begins formulating its own insurance apprenticeship for Indiana. We are currently projecting that program to accept its first cohort of students in the fall of 2027.
Ariel Crawley joined the FSA in March as industry talent association project manager. The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation asked the FSA to hire this position to help coordinate efforts across all apprenticeship programs being formed under the new Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP), including FSA representing banking and financial services; as well as our peer organizations in other industries including advanced manufacturing and logistics, construction, healthcare, IT and technology, and life sciences. It is the position of the IBA and FSA that our success is directly tied to the success of the overarching apprenticeship model, and we are thrilled to have Ariel on board to facilitate that through collaboration, data analysis and identifying shared priorities.
Away from the office, she volunteers by offering career coaching to new college graduates. Crawley was named the 2019 Tech Educator of the Year by TechPoint’s Mira Awards. She graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Alyssa Rodriguez joined the FSA in March as partnerships and marketing coordinator. She builds and maintains relationships with FSA program partners, strengthens the Academy’s brand presence, and engages employers and prospective students through relevant marketing strategies. Rodriguez was part of the very first graduating class at Purdue Polytechnic High School. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree from Purdue Online.
