Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Rob Moorhead has been the superintendent of the South Ripley Community School Corporation since 2012, after serving as a teacher, coach, and principal at South Dearborn High School. He is passionate about education and community engagement, which aligns with his role as President of the Genesis: Pathways to Success Board of Directors. Rob values Genesis's mission of connecting students and local businesses to create opportunities in Southeast Indiana. Beyond his work in education, Rob broadcasts high school sports and serves in leadership roles with the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents and other organizations dedicated to student success.

VICE PRESIDENT

Julie Murphy is the Executive Director of Human Resources and Batesville Site Director for Ivy Tech Community College.  She has over 27 years of HR experience including 19 years at Ivy Tech. Julie manages all aspects of the HR function but specializes in employee relations and employee engagement. She is honored to serve on the Genesis: Pathways to Success Board of Directors and to witness the positive impact it has on the community. Julie finds that the organization fosters innovation and creativity by exposing our youth to a variety of educational experiences empowering them to make educated decisions about their future.

SECRETARY

As an educator (once a teacher, always a teacher), Nancy realizes the importance of opportunity. She believes that Genesis: Pathways to Success provides a myriad of opportunities to help the young people in our communities grow, explore, and succeed. Those invigorating and enlightening experiences will light more fires for even more wonderful opportunities.

TREASURER

Jim is the Chief Information Officer at Messer Construction, a $2.5 billion commercial construction company headquartered in Cincinnati. With over 30 years of experience leading technology initiatives in the manufacturing and construction industries, Jim has also provided executive-level strategic and tactical IT advisory services across diverse sectors, including non-profits. He serves as a board member of the Ripley County Community Foundation and chairs the Technology Committee for the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and Bethany House Services. Serving on the Genesis: Pathways to Success board allows Jim to further contribute to the betterment and development of our local community.

Jill Hollins is a K-8 Computer Science and STEM teacher at St. Louis Catholic School in Batesville, Indiana. She has been an educator for 22 years, and recently obtained her STEM certification. She earned her Masters of Elementary Education from Ball State University in 2010. She is currently completing her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in Elementary Education from Ball State University. She volunteers with Genesis: Pathways to Success during A Summer of STREAM programming. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Genesis: Pathways to Success because she believes in the work that Genesis does to carve pathways for our community, its innovators, and future leaders.

Mary McCarty began her career at the Southeastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (SIRPC) in 1998 and was appointed Executive Director in January 2022. Throughout her tenure, she has been deeply committed to advancing community and economic development in the region. With a passion for rural Indiana, Mary has played a pivotal role in helping communities secure vital funding for infrastructure, housing, and quality of life initiatives. She currently serves as Vice President of the Indiana Association of Regional Councils and is an active participant in several local organizations, including Main Street Versailles. Mary is especially excited about her role on the Genesis Board, where she works to inspire young people in the field of STEM, with the hope that they will bring those skills and innovations back to Ripley County.

Cheryll Obendorf is the Executive Director of the Rising Sun Regional Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting economic development, community engagement, and regional growth. Cheryll holds a Graduate Certificate in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. Before her current role, Cheryll served as the Executive Director of Genesis, where she led programs focused on empowering individuals to achieve academic and professional success. In addition to her work with the Rising Sun Regional Foundation, Cheryll is the co-owner of Novel HeARTs, a community-centered book and art store that offers new and used books, unique gifts, greeting cards, and art classes. Cheryll’s passion for community development and philanthropy continues to inspire her work and advocacy.

Ben Peetz is a lifelong resident of Ripley County, where he still works and resides on the family farm near Napoleon. Peetz is employed full-time as a Risk Control Consultant for Westfield Insurance, where he uses his unique background in agriculture and fire protection to specialize in providing engineering and training solutions for large property and agribusiness risks throughout much of the country. Peetz has earned a variety of professional designations relating to safety and insurance, and he has long been a champion for career development, education, and professional training. Peetz is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ripley County Community Foundation and has served as the Board President during the initiation of Genesis as an independent organization. He is excited to see the Genesis program get off to a solid start on its own foundation where it will be able to serve our entire region for many years to come.