Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced his newest selections for the Indiana University Board of Trustees via a press release Wednesday morning. Here’s what to know:
The new trustees
Braun’s selections for trustees are Steve Henke from Hamilton County, Matthew Ferguson from Atlanta and Mel Raines from Marion County. All three appointments will last until June 30, 2029.
Henke is the CEO of the Henke Development Group, a real estate development firm based in Zionsville, Indiana, according to its website. Prior to working at the group, Henke practiced law for over 40 years. Henke is also listed on the IU Inc. website as a member of its Board of Directors. Henke will remain on the IU Inc.’s board as a representative from the Board of Trustees, filling former trustee J. Timothy Morris spot, an IU spokesperson said. Morris, who served on the board as a trustee, will continue to serve in a role similar to Henke’s previous one.
Ferguson is the former CEO of CareerBuilder.com, formerly the largest online job site. Ferguson attended IU and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1989, according to his Wikipedia page. He also holds degrees from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Ferguson served as CEO of CareerBuilder from 2004 until 2018. He currently serves as an executive chairman for the company.
The final appointment is Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. Raines became CEO in 2024, becoming the first female to hold the role in the organization's history. She served as president and COO for the organization prior to taking on her current role. Raines has also worked in politics. She's held roles at six Republican National Conventions and served as an assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney.
Who are they replacing?
Three trustees’ terms expired yesterday — W. Quinn Buckner, Morris and Isaac P. Torres.
Buckner was first appointed to the board in 2016 and was reappointed to the board in 2025 by Gov. Mike Braun for a one-year extension to his term. Despite a provision in the 2025 state budget bill prohibiting trustees from serving more than three terms, Buckner just finished his fourth. The law, which became effective July 1, 2025, does not specify whether the term cap applied to sitting trustees. Buckner served as the chair of the compensation committee.
Former Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed Morris to the board in 2023. He is an alumnus of the IU Kelley School of Business and served as the chair for the facilities and auxiliaries committee.
Holcomb also appointed Torres to the board in 2023. Torres is from Mexico City and earned his Master of Business Administration at IU South Bend in 2000.
Who is the new student trustee?
The nine-person board has eight allotted three-year term slots for trustees and a single one-year seat for a student trustee.
IU Indianapolis rising senior Isaac White served as student trustee from July 1, 2025, until his term expired yesterday. Braun appointed him to the position last year.
In two separate press releases announcing the three new trustees, there is no new appointment listed for the student trustee position.
The trustees’ website still lists White as a member of the board, despite recently removing the members whose terms expired yesterday and replacing them with Braun’s new selections.
An IU spokesperson referred the Indiana Daily Student to the governor’s spokesperson after an inquiry about the student trustee position. The governor’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Though Henke, Ferguson and Raines’s appointments are effective immediately, the three will officially be sworn in during the next board meeting Aug. 14.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to include the correct number of trustee seats.
