MRNC Announces New Board, Officers, Board Member

Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center Announces New Board Officers, Board Member

Today, Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center (MRNC) announced the election of new board leadership including Taylor Schaffer (City of Indianapolis) as Board Chair, Joseph Strines (AES/IPL) as Vice-Chair, Merrill Yarling (Anthem) as Treasurer, and Nicole Niezer (OmniSource) as Secretary. These individuals will serve in these roles through March of 2022.

“Our newly elected board leadership offers a wealth of diverse experiences, from the public and private sectors,” said MRNC President, Clark Lienemann. “As we plan for the future, and work to address the needs of our diverse and changing community, I am confident that these individuals are well positioned to continue to drive our organizations’ success.”

Schaffer has worked for the City of Indianapolis, under the leadership of Mayor Joe Hogsett, since 2016. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Schaffer serves in the mayor's cabinet as a senior policy advisor managing all messaging and communications efforts for the mayor’s office and executive branch departments. Schaffer began her career in the private sector, working in communications and marketing for clients ranging from non-profit organizations to Fortune 500 Companies. Schaffer first served on MRNC’s marketing and communications committee, beginning in 2012, before joining the board in 2014.

Schaffer is succeeding Shannon Stahley who has served as board chair since 2018. Stahley joined the MRNC board more than a decade ago and served in a variety of leadership positions prior to being named board chair. Stahley, a Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs at Citizens Energy Group, characterized her term with assets that she has developed throughout her professional career -- building collaborative relationships at the local and state level, pushing forward MRNC’s external presence, and leading a strategic planning process that will shape the next chapter of MRNC’s workforce and community development efforts. Stahley’s leadership contributed to MRNC finishing FY2019 in the strongest financial position of the organization’s 109 year history.

“Under Shannon’s leadership, Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center has grown and evolved in ways that benefit our neighbors and our city. We have taken on new challenges, sharpened our organization’s mission, and identified innovative ways to address changing community needs,” said Lienemann. “I am grateful for the dedication Shannon has shown to Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center over the last decade, and look forward to her continued involvement in our organization.”

Additionally, MRNC Board of Directors welcomed Maycdon “Mike” Sprowl of Eli Lilly & Co. to the board. Mike was born in Brazil and moved to Indiana in time to spend his high-school years at George Washington High School. He is a graduate of Wabash College with a Degree in Spanish and Psychology. He will serve a three-year term on the board.

ABOUT MARY RIGG NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center has roots in Indianapolis dating back to 1911 when it was established as the Foreign House and Immigrant Aid Association. For more than a century, the organization has served as a center of learning and recreation for Indianapolis residents of all ages, offering help and hope to more than 8,000 struggling individuals and families in southwest Indianapolis. An agency in "excellent" standing with United Way of Central Indiana, Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center has gained national recognition and funding for a number of programs including their employment training and money coaching programs.