Mitch Daniels joins Hulman Board
"We're honored that Mitch has agreed to serve with us during this period of renewed focus on economic development and infrastructure improvement. We are positioned for growth in our business units like no time in our history, and Mitch's business acumen and understanding of the heritage of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are tremendous assets," said board member Andre Lacy.
Daniels, who waved the green flag to start the 2012 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, was the state's 49th governor, serving two terms after first being elected in 2004. At the conclusion of his term in January 2013, Daniels joined Purdue as its 12th president. He has set a bold agenda to enhance Purdue's strengths in research, technology and innovation and developed new standards for higher education affordability and accessibility.
Purdue has a long history of motorsports involvement in Indiana, including racing safety and engineering study. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis offers a bachelor's degree program in motorsports engineering, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway partners with Purdue to reach more students through a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education program. IMS and Purdue also have teamed to study and improve gate entry plans during major race day events.
"I spent many a Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway growing up in Indianapolis, and there's no more iconic racing facility in the world. Anything a Hoosier can do to help this priceless state asset, he should do," said Daniels. "The connection between Purdue and Hulman & Company is already strong and this new relationship will take us even further."