Gov. Mike Braun was sworn into office on Monday and has appointed over 20 individuals to lead various state agencies and departments. Thirteen individuals are either remaining in their jobs from Gov. Eric Holcomb's administration or were promoted from senior positions in their agencies.
In November, Braun announced an executive branch plan with eight policy focuses. Other positions in his cabinet include adjutant general, the superintendent of Indiana State Police and the lieutenant governor.
Braun’s transition team said the new cabinet model will “drive efficiency, accountability and communication in state government.” His appointees will oversee agencies related to their policy areas such as education, business affairs, commerce and management and budget. Gov. Holcomb had two dozen individuals in his cabinet.
In December, Gov. Braun finished filling out his restructured governor's cabinet.
According to Gov. Braun’s transition team's press release, he appointed the following cabinet members:
Lisa Hershman, Secretary of Managment and Budget
Hersman is from Lafayette and most recently served as the chief management officer for the U.S. Department of Defense from 2018 to 2021. During her term, she was the third highest-ranking Pentagon official. She will serve as the chief financial officer and oversee the state's budget.
Matthew Ubelhor, Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure
Ubelhor is from Bloomfield and served in the general assembly for three terms. He most recently served as senior vice president of operations at the permanently closed White Stallion Energy, an Evansville-based energy company that owned coal mines in southwest Indiana.
David Adams, Secretary of Commerce
Adams most recently served as the state's commissioner of workforce development under former Gov. Holcomb. He currently serves on the Purdue Research Foundation board and is a Forbes contributing writer. Adams will lead the state's job creation and business growth initiatives.
Katie Jenner, Secretary of Education
Jenner served as the most recent state secretary of education and is continuing to serve in that role. Jenner was appointed as Indiana’s first secretary of education four years ago by Gov. Holcomb after the Indiana General Assembly decided to remove the Superintendent of Public Instruction as an elected position in 2021. In November, the Indiana State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the 2024 ballot that passed and removed the superintendent of public instruction from the gubernatorial line of succession.
Mike Speedy, Secretary of Business Affairs
Speedy is a former state representative and former Indianapolis city-councilor. As a Republican, he represented District 90 – which covers part of southeastern Marion County – in the Indiana House of Representatives for 14 years beginning in 2010. He operates American Village Properties, a multi-state real estate development company headquartered in Indianapolis. . Before being appointed, Speedy was a member of the Indiana General Assembly and worked on Judiciary, Labor and Pensions, Employment and Utilites, Energy and Telecommunications committees.
Jennifer-Ruth Green, Secretary of Public Safety
Green is a combat veteran and the current deputy commander of the 11th Operations Group at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington D.C. She previously served as the commander of the 122nd Cyber Operations Flight in Fort Wayne. Green will oversee law enforcement, emergency preparedness and public safety policy development.
Suzanne Ryder Jaworowski, Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources
Jaworowski most recently was the executive director of stakeholder services at MISO Energy, an electric utility company in Carmel and previously served as chief of staff and senior advisor for policy and communications in the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of nuclear energy during President Donald Trump’s first term. Jaworowski will help navigate the state’s energy challenges and improve accessibility in this position.
Gloria Sachdev, Secretary of Health and Family Services
Sachdev is currently the president and CEO of the Employers’ Forum of Indiana. Sachdev will be responsible for coordinating constituent-facing health and well-being services statewide.
Anthony Scott, Superintendent of State Police
Scott has served with the Indiana State Police for 28 years and has held many supervisory positions with ISP. He has been a trooper, a detective, an investigative commander and a lieutenant. Scott became a captain in 2014 and was the Versailles and Sellersburg district commander.
Lawerence Muennich, Adjutant General
Muennich is currently the division director of strategic initiatives for the Indiana National Guard. He has more than 32 years of military experience and will lead more than 12,000 soldiers in the Indiana National Guard.
In December, Gov. Braun announced 20 key leadership appointments according to his transitions team press release. The appointments included:
- Steve Russo, executive director of the Indiana Public Retirement System
- Holly Lambert, Department of Insurance commissioner
- Lindsay Hyer, executive director of the Professional Licensing Agency
- Thomas Fite, director of the Department of Financial Institutions
- James Michaels, superintendent of the Indiana School for the Blind
- Dr. David Geeslin, superintendent of the Indiana School for the Deaf
- Dr. Lindsay Weaver, commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health
- Steve Cox, director of the Indiana Broadband Office
- Dan Huge, chairman of the Indiana Finance Authority
- Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture
- Lloyd Arnold, commissioner of the Department of Corrections
- Alan Morrison, director of the Department of Natural Resources
- Kevin Garvey, commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles
- Mitch Roob, secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration
- Jake Adams, director of Department of Veterans Affairs
- Fred Glynn, executive director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs
- Brandon Clifton, Indiana Department of Administration commissioner
- Pete Miller, executive director of the Indiana Management Performance Hub
- Kent Abernathy, Indiana Department of Transportation commissioner
- Adam Krupp, director of the Department of Child Services
Braun also appointed three senior staff positions including:
- Jason Johnson, deputy chief of staff, legislative affairs
- Jessica Wedgewood, deputy chief of staff, operations
- Patrick Price, Governor’s legal counsel
Right before his inauguration on Monday, he appointed eight more individuals according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle. He appointed the following:
- Jon Ford, executive director of the Office of Energy Development.
- Stacy Hughes, executive director of the Education Employment Relations Board
- Jake Speer, Indiana State librarian
- Clint Woods, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Enviornmental Management.
- Terry Seitz, executive director of White River State Park
- Matt Brown, director of Indiana State Personnel Department
- Joe Hoage, executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission.
Gov. Braun has not yet appointed an individual to the Department of Workforce Development and the Department of Revenue.
