Heroes Foundation Announces New Members to Board of Directors

INDIANAPOLIS—The Heroes Foundation, a nonprofit organization that serves the Central Indiana cancer community, announced today that eight new members have been selected to serve on the organization’s Board of Directors. The new members include two cancer survivors, two physicians, a lawyer, experienced nonprofit organization supporters, two MBAs and avid cyclists. The new board members were installed May 1, 2015.

The new board members are: Bryan Babb, Janet Campbell Baker, Don Birch, Rachel Lechleiter, Eric Orme, Joel Russell, Dr. Jason Schaffer and. Dr. Jeff Wells.

Bryan Babb is the chair of the Appellate Services Group and a member of the Litigation Group of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP. Babb also is a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. Before joining the firm, Babb served as a judicial law clerk for Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan, Jr. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point (B.S. 1989), Boston University (M.S. 1994), and Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington (1999). Babb is a cancer survivor and the father of three children.

Janet Campbell Baker serves as the vice president of development and public relations for Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc., an award-winning not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the natural beauty and environment in Marion County. Prior to joining Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, she worked at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, The Indianapolis Star and Indiana Sports Corporation. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, Baker is committed to causes advancing research that will ultimately find a cure for the disease. She and her husband are the parents of a teenage son and reside in Zionsville, Ind.

Don Birch is a Michigan native and partner at Worldwide Express. He graduated from Indiana University in 1988 and participated in I.U.’s Little 500 as both a rider and as an Indiana University Student Foundation Riders Council member. After school, he began a career in telecommunications in Indianapolis. In 1996, Birch started a local telecom agency focusing in the small to medium business-to-business segment. In 2002, Birch widened his business scope with the addition of logistics as an agent for the third-party logistics firm of Worldwide Express. With family members as cancer survivors, Birch has been involved with the Heroes Foundation for 15 years as a steering committee member and the director of Team Heroes. He is married to Christine Birch and has two children, Lundy and Will.

Rachel Arnold Lechleiter was born and raised in New Orleans. After graduating from the University of Alabama in 2005, she moved to New York City to further her education at Parsons New School for Design. Lechleiter worked in sales for designers Emilio Pucci, Diane von Furstenberg and Ports 1961. She married Indianapolis native Andrew Lechleiter in 2010. Lechleiter volunteered for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, freelanced for international designers and served as a vice president for the Singapore American Women’s Association, before she and Andrew settled in Indianapolis in 2014. They have one daughter, Lannan Jeanne Lechleiter, and are expecting another baby girl in September. Lechleiter lost a close friend to Hodgkin lymphoma, which sparked her interest in serving the cancer community.

Eric Orme is the CEO of Wellfount Corporation, an institutional pharmacy with a simple mission based on the belief that higher-quality healthcare can be offered at a lower cost. Orme earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Indiana University. Previously, he served on the boards of Providence Christo Rey High School, the American Heart Association and the Indiana University Honors Program. Orme lives in Carmel, Ind., and has three children, Andrew, Emily and Abby.

Joel Russell, founded eImagine Technology Group Inc. after a successful career in both the technology and financial services sectors. Prior to founding eImagine, Russell served in management capacities with companies such as a leading application development venture in Chicago and an investment bank in New York City. He is a graduate of Stanford University. Russell currently serves as chairman of the board for the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana. He is an active member of the Indianapolis community, where he resides with his wife and four children.

Dr. Jason Schaffer was born and raised in Cincinnati. He is an emergency physician with IU Health and has been on the faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the IU School of Medicine since 2002. Schaffer graduated from Miami University, Ohio, in 1994, and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1999. He completed his residency in the specialty of Emergency Medicine at IU in 2002 and was chief resident. Schaffer’s father is a colon cancer survivor. He and his wife, Sarah, attended their first An Evening With Heroes gala in 2004. Ever since, they have tried to help in any way possible. They have two children.

Dr. Jeff Wells is the president and cofounder of OurHealth. Wells previously served as the Director of Medicaid for the State of Indiana. Simultaneously, he oversaw more than 100 staff members and a $5 billion annual budget. Wells supervised the implementation of many large-scale projects, including a new care management program for more than 70,000 people. Wells completed his MD/MBA degree at Indiana University School of Medicine and Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, and is trained in internal medicine. Wells is married to Jona, and they have three children.

Returning Heroes Foundation board members are Vince Todd, Jr. (also chairman and co-founder), Cindy Todd (also executive director and co-founder), Joe Todd, Brian Betner, Kyle Fisher, Kelly Canada, Sue Todd, Vince Todd and Renita Haines.