Heartland Film, Inc. Names New Chairman of the Board, Five Board Members

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Heartland Film

Jan 05, 2015, 04:30 ET


Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) January 05, 2015 -- Nonprofit arts organization Heartland Film, Inc. has appointed a new chairman of the board and five new board members. Originally slated to become chairman in June 2015, Vice Chairman Gary D. Cohen is now the organization’s chairman after Past Chairman Dan Johnson resigned due to health issues facing his family. Johnson was a founding board member in 1991 and returned to serve as chairman of the organization in 2013; he will continue to serve as an active member of the board.

“Having served on the Heartland Film Board of Directors for seven years, I am extremely honored to become chairman at this juncture,” said Cohen. “We have experienced impressive growth and milestones over the past few years, and I greatly look forward to the challenge of continuing this momentum and leading the organization through its 25th anniversary and beyond. I want to thank Dan Johnson for his tremendous service over the past 23 years and officially welcome Frank Basile, Kelly Busch, Charlie Morgan, Betty Stilwell and Art Timpe III to our talented and well-rounded board of directors.”

Cohen received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Indiana University and then attended Chase College of Law. Cohen worked in private practice law for 20 years and then joined Finish Line as general counsel. Cohen currently is retired chief administrative officer of Finish Line and mentors new start-ups as a strategy/marketing expert through CONNECT San Diego. He also invests in theatrical ventures—including Broadway—through Garmar Ventures, LLC. Cohen has also been involved with Junior Blind of America, Finish Line Youth Foundation, Indiana Pacers Foundation and the boards of Marion County Library Foundation, 500 Festival and the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

Heartland Film also named five new board members, including:

  • Frank Basile: A professional speaker, author, columnist, community volunteer, traveler, retired executive of the Gene B. Glick Co. and philanthropist, Basile has delivered 1,400 speeches and holds the designation of Certified Speaking Professional, which was awarded by the National Speakers Association. He was senior vice president of the Gene B. Glick Co. for 33 years, with responsibility for its 675 employees and 20,000 apartments in 12 states, before retiring in 2008. Basile has received numerous awards and recognition for his volunteer community service, speaking, writing and philanthropic activities.
  • Kelly Busch: Purdue Research Foundation's director of corporate relations since 2013, Busch was previously the owner and CEO of KVB Broadcasting, an attorney at Vaughan & Vaughan and an industrial engineer with Allied-Bendix Oceanics Division. Busch earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering at Purdue University and a Juris Doctor from the Indiana School of Law, Indianapolis. Busch serves on the board of directors for Lafayette Bank and Trust and the West Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission, and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Relations Officers, Purdue University President’s Council and more.
  • Charlie Morgan: Mr. Morgan is the senior vice president/general manager of Emmis-Indianapolis, which includes WIBC, WFNI, WYXB, WLHK and Network Indiana. A Butler University graduate, Morgan has over 30 years of experience on the Indianapolis radio scene. Morgan serves the industry as chairman of the board of the Country Radio Broadcasters, and is a board member of the Country Music Association, the Indiana Broadcaster’s Association and the Radio Broadcasters of Indianapolis. Morgan also serves on the boards of the Salvation Army, Indiana Repertory Theater, Indiana Debate Commission, Indianapolis Civic Theatre, the 500 Festival Foundation, Classical Music Indy and Women’s Fund.
  • Betty Stilwell: Most recently the chief philanthropy officer for Indiana University Health, Stilwell retired in 2013. Her past professional experience includes the role of president at Methodist Hospital Foundation. Active in the community, Stilwell served on the boards of the National Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Indiana Council of Fundraising Executives (ICFRE), 500 Festival, Rotary Club of Indianapolis, Near North Development Corporation, Mental Health Association and more. Stilwell's awards include Fundraiser of the Year (ICFRE), Sagamore of the Wabash Award, Indianapolis Business Journal's Influential Women, Outstanding Service Award (Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary) and more.
  • Art Timpe III: Mr. Timpe is a managing member of Timpe CPAs, LLC, where he specializes in retirement and investment planning. Timpe joined the firm in 2001 to start the investment advisory services practice. He is a licensed CPA and a CFP® practitioner. Timpe graduated from the Indiana University School of Business in 1994 with an accounting degree, and worked in public and private accounting prior to joining the firm. A member, past treasurer and board member of the Broad Ripple Kiwanis Club, Timpe also belongs to the American Institute of CPAs, Financial Planning Association, and Indiana CPA Society. He has previously served on the boards of Joy’s House and Chicago Dramatists.

Cohen and the board of directors will guide Heartland Film as it plans for the 24th annual Heartland Film Festival (Oct. 16-25, 2015), the organization’s 25th anniversary in 2016, and other programming initiatives, including the Heartland Film Roadshow, Heartland Film Institute and Truly Moving Picture Award.

About Heartland Film, Inc.
Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization founded in 1991 with the mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Heartland Film is a curator and supporter of purposeful filmmaking, honoring a wide variety of cinema and awarding storytellers from all over the world. The films Heartland Film selects and exhibits – whether they inspire and uplift, educate and inform, or have the ability to shift audiences’ perspectives on the world – all have one thing in common: they are entertaining films that do more than just entertain. Every October, the Heartland Film Festival gives its moviegoers access to more than 100 visiting independent filmmakers from all over the world, right in the heart of the Midwest. Heartland Film Festival showcases more than 130 entertaining movies that do much more than just entertain over 10 days of red carpet premieres and events, parties and hundreds of film screenings across Indianapolis. The Heartland Film Festival has earned the special designation of being a qualifying festival for the Annual Academy Awards® within the Short Films category. Each year, the Heartland Film Festival awards more than $118,000 in cash prizes and presents its Festival Awards to top-judged submissions. Heartland Film has awarded more than $2.9 million to support indie filmmakers over the last 23 years. Beyond the Heartland Film Festival, Heartland Film honors theatrically-released films that align with its mission via the Truly Moving Picture Award, inspires the next generation of filmmakers via the Heartland Film Institute, and exhibits films across Indiana all year long via the Heartland Film Roadshow. To learn more, visit heartlandfilm.org.

Greg Sorvig, Heartland Film, http://www.heartlandfilm.org/, (317) 402-5876, [email protected]