Columbians of the Year

Richard Hester (fondly referred to as “Dick” from his close friends & fellow Columbians) is a Senior Partner at Indiana Business Advisors, the leading & largest business brokerage firm in Indiana.

Mr. Hester is a very proud cardinal having earned his BS from Ball State University. One of the most fundamental aspects of Dick, is his work within our local community. Dick has been either the chairman and/or on the board of directors of the following organizations: Sigma Chi International Fraternity, American Red Cross, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, United Way of Central Indiana, Hispanic Education Center, Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Indianapolis Athletic Club, Leadership Ventures and is a graduate of the distinguished Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series and past chair of its alumni group.

Dick and his wife Vicki have been Columbians for more than 16 years. Throughout his Club tenure, they have supported the Club by attending many events, they love to bid on auction items to support The Columbia Club Foundation, Inc., and entertain friends before Pacer basketball games. In 2017, Dick was approached by Club President, Jim Ittenbach to garner his involvement in the creation of a program geared toward our young Harrison Society professionals. In 2018, the Club successfully launched the Columbian Community Impact Program, designed along the lines of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series. Dick’s approach was instrumental in introducing a multi-generational mindset on how to engage young profesionals and attract them to the Columbia Club. This is a testament to the fact that our Columbian’s average age has decreased from age 62 to age 53. His insight, compassion and leadership have been a constant in a world full of inconsistencies lately. His devotion and commitment as the Chairman of our Leadership & Civic Engagement Committee have already supported efforts including Operation Find & Feed and Project Literacy for The Little Free Libraries.

Dick is humbled and honored to accept the Columbian of the Year recognition and wishes to thank all his fellow Columbians for this distinguished acknowledgement.

Al is Chairman, Indiana of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Managing Director of JPMorgan Private Bank. He serves as the senior representative of JPMorgan Chase in Indiana and is Chairman of the Indiana Market Leadership Team. Al has been in banking for 50 years starting with Chemical Bank. He has served in various leadership positions with predecessor banks, American Fletcher and Bank One.

Al currently serves as Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Simon Property Group and serves on the Boards of Downtown Indy, Indy Chamber, Indiana Chamber, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, 500 Festival Foundation, Indianapolis Zoological Society, Indy Partnership, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Meadows Community Foundation, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee. He is a member of the University of Notre Dame Libraries Council.

Al has been a member of the Columbia Club for 50 years. He is a 3rd generation Columbian following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He is a passionate supporter of the Club’s services for dining and private functions. Throughout his membership tenure, Al served as President of the Columbia Club in 1975 and most recently served on the Board of Directors for two consecutive terms from 2012 – 2018. During his Board tenure, he chaired both the Finance and Audit committees and continues to serve as an active committee member with the Finance committee today. Al’s guidance through the years has been instrumental when negotiating contracts and in refinancing terms of the Club’s previous and existing debt.

Al received his Finance degree from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from New York University.

Al and his wife, Maribeth, have three children and eleven grandchildren.

David Shuck will be celebrating his 40th Club Anniversary in February. He has fond memories of his father enjoying the Columbia Club, which motivated him to seek out his own Club membership. For those who may not know, David grew up in a family of swimmers. Staying fit is always a top pri-ority, which is why you will find him in the Health & Wellness Center on a regular basis. Ultimately, David’s swimming career led him to the collegiate level, where he attended THE best university in Indiana, which goes without saying, Purdue University. David spent just a couple years at Purdue, 10 to be exact, where he earned his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate in Civil Engineering. This led to him opening his own company, Shuck Corporation. Several years after he started the Shuck Corporation, David married his wife Elizabeth and they grew to be a family of 6 with Billy, Sam, Sarah, and Danny. Billy and Sam are now members of the Club and it is exciting to note that Sam’s Club journey begins with his wedding taking place here on Saturday, October 13, 2018. In David’s spare time, when he is not hanging around the Columbia Club, you can find him coaching 7th and 8th grade basketball at St. Richard’s Episcopal School. He has been a coach there for 18 years and with all the recent championships they’ve obtained, he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Throughout his tenure at the Columbia Club, David has been an avid and active member. He has participated on the House Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee, but his most significant contribution was his work and insight on the recent Health & Wellness Center renovation. David would like to give a special thanks to General Manager, Jim Rentschler for his insistence on a “Club Look” for the Health & Wellness Center, as well as Past President, Bill Butler for his solid fiscal management. David is eager to see how the Club continues to evolve under President Jim Ittenbach’s core initiatives and is proud to be a member of this great Club. David is honored and humbled to accept the Columbian of the Year recognition. Thank you to all Columbians for this distinguished award.

Terry Young is employed with Old National Wealth Management as a Vice President. A native of Indiana, Young knew early on that he wanted to be a member of the Columbia Club. He was introduced to the Club by William Goodwin, a Frankfort funeral director and long-time Columbian, whom Young worked for many years ago. Young, a Vietnam veteran who served four years in the United States Marine Corp, also attended the University of South Carolina and Indiana University.

In 1980, after moving from his home in Frankfort to Indianapolis, his dream came true when he joined the Columbia Club, now a proud Columbian for over thirty-seven years. Young wanted to make an impact and he did so by immediately getting involved with Club life. Through the years he has served on several committees including golf, entertainment, fitness, finance and currently serves on the long-range planning committee. Additionally, he has served two, four year terms on the board of directors, of which two years were as the Club’s President. His dedication to the Club along with his energy and passion for excellence are recognized in all he does. His behind the scenes efforts to identify opportunities that contribute to the success of the Club make him the ideal candidate for Columbian of the Year. He is and will continue to be a true asset to our membership.

Through the years, Young has given his time to other community boards. He has served as past chairman on the boards for both the Ruth Lilly Health Education Center and the Visiting Nurse Services Foundation, as well as volunteering with the VNS Health Care Systems. Young presently serves on the foundation board for the Indiana State Library.

Young and his fiancé, Lori Priller, have eight children between them and reside in Indianapolis with their two dogs.

Columbian Bruce B. Melchert, former Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis and Indiana Republican State Chairman, had an interesting career in several areas. Initiated into Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity at the University of Missouri (Columbia), he worked as a traveling supervisor visiting chapters throughout the United States, and colonized the first TKE chapter in Canada at the University of Manitoba. Following 6 months active duty in the army, Bruce attended law school at the University of Kansas City and during that time was appointed Executive Director of TKE. In 1961, Bruce relocated the TKE Headquarters to Indianapolis, IN and continued to serve as the CEO until 1972.

In 1972, Bruce was campaign manager for William H. Hudnut’s successful bid for Congress and served as the Chief of Staff for the congressman’s Indianapolis and Washington offices. The Watergate affair in 1954 turned the tables on the Republican Congressman, so Bruce managed Hudnut’s winning campaign for Mayor of Indianapolis in 1955 and then served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor.

In 1979, Bruce was elected Chairman of the Indiana Republican party, working with Governors Otis R. Bowen and Robert D. Orr. He was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by both governors. In 1982, Bruce was an unsuccessful candidate in a 5-way GOP congressional primary, so he worked for several years as Executive Vice President at Carlson and Co. a full service advertising company.

In 1986, Bruce became Vice-President for Government Affairs at Methodist Hospital and it’s successors over a twenty year period.

Long active in community affairs Bruce participated in the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, was Chairman of the Marion County Liquor Board, served on the Board of Directors of the Capital Improvement Board of Managers, Health & Hospital Corporation, Indianapolis Affiliate of the American Heart Association, Junior Achievement, Tri-County Mental Health Foundation, and was a Past President of the HealthNet Foundation, Indianapolis City Market, Near North Development Corporation, Central Indiana Council on Aging Foundation, and the Columbia Club.

Bruce has been a member of the Columbia Club for the past 44 years. During his years of membership he has been a Past President of the Club, Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, and Nominating Committee.

Bruce and his wife, Jeanne, are avid power boaters, so upon retirement, they traveled for the better part of two and a half years in their 40 foot motor yacht, Adventure, 5,000 nautical miles around the eastern part of North America known as America’s Great Loop. After completing the Great Loop they visited many foreign countries including England, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Russia, Italy, France and Germany.

Mr. C. Tim Wilcox is a lifelong resident of Indianapolis where he was a member of the first graduating class at North Central High School. After attending Indiana University, he joined Circle Alarm where he was involved in the engineering, design and sales of electronic security systems. This experience provided Tim with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide security consultations for the International Investigators, Inc. when it still operated by the original founders. In 1970, he purchased the company and since that time, he and his wife Neva have developed the business to be a highly successful investigative and research organization that assists the legal community with litigations support, corporate executives with fraud and internal matters and private individuals with sensitive personal matters.

Tim joined The Columbia Club in 1966 at age 27 as a junior member. Over the years, he has served on many different committees such as Membership, Entertainment, and Security. He was a valuable Member of the Board of Directors of The Columbia Club from 2009-2013 and for several years served as a loyal and energetic leader of Columbian Business Network breakfasts and lunches. He has also worked on and participated in many Club events, city club games, health club, mini marathon runners group and more.

He is a member of the World Association of Detectives, the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI), the Society for Competitive Intelligence Professionals, the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), and the Indiana Association of Professional Investigators. He is also active in the community through participation in the Downtown Kiwanis Club, the Gyro Club of Indianapolis, the Center for Leadership Development, and the Venture Club of Indiana. Tim was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels to the Indiana Professional Licensing Board for Private

Investigators and Security Guards in 2006 and still continues to serve.

Tim and his wife, Neva, have been married for over fifty years and have three grown daughters; Wendy Thanisch, Stacey Wright, and Jennifer Lambert, along with several grandchildren.

Dr. Miles Schroeder has been an active and compassionate Columbian ever since he and his wife Geralyn joined the Club in 2002. Miles and Geralyn met at the Indiana University School of Dentistry in 1975, and it didn’t take long for their relationship to blossom. They were married shorty after in 1977, and Geralyn then joined her husband in practice upon her graduation in 1978.

Thirty-six years later, they remain the same happily married couple practicing together at Schroeder and Schroeder Dentistry. Miles was especially active in raising his two children, Cristina and Greg. Miles coached youth baseball for 18 years and with his son Greg playing and Geralyn and Christina keeping the score books, baseball was truly a family affair.

Miles first got involved with the Columbia Club once his children left for college. While “church shopping” downtown, he and his wife developed an affinity for St. John’s Church. They remain active members today and regularly attend Mass on Saturday evenings.

Once they began to spend more time downtown, one of their Columbian friends invited the couple to consider joining the Club. Shortly thereafter, Miles and his wife found themselves on the Entertainment Committee where he was the Chairman of Tree Trim for four years.

Miles also served as a member of the House Committee, Club Treasurer, and was the President of the Columbia Club from 2010 – 2011. Miles and his wife love making the most of the Club’s finest events. They love attending black-tie events and dressing up for the occasion. Also, Miles especially enjoys the Club’s wine dinners and taking ballroom dancing with Geralyn.

On September 9, 1943, Mr. Bill Hull joined the Columbia Club as a Contributing Junior member, recommended by his father, Columbian Harry Hull. He was a student and a member of the Armed Forces. While in the United States Army, Mr. Hill served in the 10th Mountain Division in the Ski Patrol, Tank Destroyer and Finance units. Married to his lovely wife, Margaret, for 60 years, they honeymooned at the clubhouse on November 24, 1948.

Throughout the years, Mr. Hull has enjoyed attending the annual beefsteak dinners and cruising with Holland American upon retirement.

When Mr. Hull joined, the entrance fee including Federal and Defense Taxes, for all classes of membership was $27.75. As a junior resident member his monthly membership fee was $3.03.

During the 1940’s …

• The Jitterbug made its appearance at the beginning of the decade.

• The Zoot Suit was the height of fashion among daring young men.

• Theater focused on abstractionism. This meant that the acts that were being performed allowed a character or characters do something, which was not naturalistic or would not happen in an everyday life. Furthermore, this brought self-expression to the forefront of viewers.

• In music Big Bands dominated popular music.

C • Radio was the lifeline for Americans in the 1940’s, providing news, music and entertainment, much like television today.

Phil Terry is CEO of Monarch Beverage Co., an Indiana owned beer and wine wholesaler. As CEO, Phil oversees the strategic direction of that company. With his help, Monarch Beverage has grown substantially in the last decade – now employing over 650 Hoosiers. Monarch Beverage has been named Best Place to Work, Healthiest Employer, and Beer Wholesaler of the Year under his direction.

Prior to his career with Monarch Beverage, Phil received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis. After graduation from law school, Phil began the practice of law with the law firm McHale, Cook & Welch p.c. in Indianapolis. During his practice, Phil represented Monarch and a number of other vendors of alcoholic beverages.

For a year, he served as the executive director of the Indiana beer wholesalers’ trade organization, the Indiana Beverage Alliance. Phil left the private practice of law to join Monarch in 1991. He is a member of the board of directors of Monarch  Beverage and EF Transit.

Since beginning with Monarch, Phil has held several leadership positions with Hoosier organizations. Currently he is servicing on the Board of Directors for Citizens Energy Inc. and Wheaton World Wide Moving, Inc. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Great Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the Greater Lawrence Chamber of Commerce; Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America; The Julian Center, and the Board of Trustees for the University of Indianapolis.

He was recently named President of the Columbia Club Historic Preservation Foundation.