Board of Trustees
Driving Innovation Forward
Supporting Northeast Indiana
Driving innovation forward starts with shared leadership–and our board of trustees helps ensure every investment strengthens the talent pipeline and the partners who power Next-Gen Manufacturing in northeast Indiana. Together, we stay focused on what matters most: catalytic initiatives, collaborative relationships, and measurable impact across the twelve counties we serve.
Chair
Whitney Bandemer
Whitney Bandemer is the principal at WB Consulting, LLC based in Fort Wayne, Ind., a consulting and training firm. Prior to founding her own business, she spent 15 years as an executive in higher education in Virginia and Indiana.
A native of Grundy, Va., she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from University of Virginia and her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from University of Tennessee College of Law. She also holds a certificate in fundraising management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a certificate in public relations from the University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Actively engaged in the community, Bandemer serves on the boards of the AWS Foundation, Indiana Tech, and Benchmark Human Services. She is also a 2014 graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne and was named by Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. as a 2024 Champion of Change.
Board Secretary
Brian Emerick
Brian Emerick, founder and CEO of Micropulse Inc. and Restoration Medical Polymers, serves as a trustee for the Don Wood Foundation. He also sits on the board for several other organizations in northeast Indiana.
He is also the founder of Nanovis, LLC and a member of the Regional Opportunities Council of Northeast Indiana. Driven by his desire to pour back into the community he was born and raised in, Brian is passionate about providing opportunities for people to acquire training, increasing the quality of life in northeast Indiana, and growing local businesses. Brian knew Don Wood as a fellow business owner and is honored to be a part of the team that gets to carry out Don’s vision of impacting this region and building up the industrial workforce.
Outside of his professional and volunteer work, Brian enjoys outdoor activities including watersports, hunting, fishing, travel, farming, and spending time with his family and grandchildren.
Trustee, Chair of Grant Committee
Gary Gatman
Gary Gatman is a trustee for the Don Wood Foundation and, with his wife, is also the owner of Room-2-Room. Previously, he served as the executive director of the Noble County Economic Development Corporation from February 2020 to October 2022 and had served on the board of directors for several years before taking the leadership role.
Gary has vast experience in northeast Indiana’s workforce and leadership development systems through his roles in multiple organizations including, but not limited to: Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Northeast Indiana Works, board member of Noble County EDC, regional facilitator for Career and Technical Education programming, leadership for the Northeast Indiana Adult Education Consortium, facilitating workforce development support of the Northeast Indiana Big Goal Collaborative, and more.
From a young age, Gary was instilled with the mission of lifting others up and as a result, has a heart for the people of northeast Indiana. He is excited to be a part of the mission of the Don Wood Foundation because it embodies all of his hopes for this region.
In his free time, he focuses on family and his grandchildren and never misses a Cubs game.
Vice Chair, Chair of Finance and Investment Committee
John Haifley
Being a third-generation machinist, influenced with strong German values in manufacturing, John Haifley has been in Tool & Die and agri-business for 42 years.
Driven to build, design and create, his work is a hobby. Along with manufacturing, John and his wife own an Agricultural Land Company that helps family farms create a proper business model and become successful stewards of the ground. Church, travel, family and passion for Agronomics occupies John in his spare time.
Given a chance as a member of Don Wood BOT, John looks forward in helping others to have enthusiasm in the mission of the foundation.
Trustee, Chair of Governance Committee
Ashley Harman
Ashley Harman is a leader in enterprise technology strategy, portfolio governance, and cross-functional execution.
Raised by parents who worked in manufacturing and agriculture, Ashley has deep roots in the industries central to the Foundation’s mission. She began her career at 80/20 Inc., where she worked closely with founders Don Wood and John Wood and later supported the Don Wood Foundation in its earliest stages through marketing, organizational development, and strategic planning efforts.
Ashley is honored to return to the Don Wood Foundation as a trustee and currently serves as chair of the governance committee. She is passionate about empowering people, especially young women, to discover meaningful career paths they may not yet be aware of. Her focus is on strengthening talent pipelines, expanding access to opportunity, and helping individuals recognize their potential within advanced manufacturing and related fields.
Her professional qualifications include a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and multiple industry-recognized certifications, including the PMP®, CAPM®, and PSPO®. She is also a 2018 graduate of Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI).
In addition to her role with the Don Wood Foundation, Ashley serves on the Board of Directors for the Fort Wayne Zoo and serves within her church community. Outside of her professional and volunteer commitments, Ashley can be found spending time with her husband, Phil, their daughters, and their dog.
Trustee
Kristin Marcuccilli Green
Kristin Marcuccilli Green serves as president, STAR Financial Group, the parent company to STAR Financial Bank. In her role, Kristin oversees long-term strategy, partnerships and administration.
Kristin is involved in numerous community organizations, serving as a board member for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, Indiana Technology & Innovation Association and the Indiana Historical Society. Additionally, she is a member of the Indiana Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), is an Emeritus member of the Fort Wayne Zoo Board of Directors and serves on the University of Notre Dame’s IDEA Center Advisory Council, supporting their work in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Kristin earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Indiana University. She received a Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Holcomb in 2025 and is a four-time recipient of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Indiana 250, recognizing the state’s most influential and impactful business and community leaders. Kristin and her husband, Vince, reside in Fort Wayne and have two very energetic toddlers, J.T. & Murphy.
Trustee, Chair of Marketing Committee
Rod Strack
Rod is the executive sales manager at 80/20 LLC, with responsibility for managing the commercial sales channels. He has over 30 years with the company and has managed several divisions, including technical services, marketing, customer service, and sales. Because of his tenure, he had the pleasure of collaborating with Don and other members of the Wood family as 80/20 grew from a start-up to the industry leader it is today.
Rod is very excited and honored to serve as a trustee of the Don Wood Foundation. He sees it as an opportunity to give back and carry on Don's legacy by creating community impact through the good work of the foundation. Don’s story is indeed the American Dream. His dedication, commitment, and ability to inspire others were truly unique.
Rod grew up in Columbia City, Ind., attended Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, and holds a Certificate in Innovative Distribution from Purdue University. He gives back to the community as a member of the Knights of Columbus and as a religious education teacher at his church. In his spare time, he enjoys working on the family farm and spending quality time with his wife, Gina, and their two children.