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Another full house gathered in Indianapolis for the 2026 edition of the WCI Leadership Breakfast.

Mike Leagre '81 thougthfully listens to a felllow alumnus.

Cooper Jarvis '25 with an easy smile.

Steven Jones '87, dean for professional development, listens intently.

Josh Bleisch '16 talks with Sara Mehltretter, professor of rhetoric.

Allison Clem enjoys a conversation before the program begins.

Mike Simmons '88 (left) shares a laugh with an attendee.

Mehltretter makes a point as the conversation with Bleisch continues.

Jake Weber '25 makes a pleasant entry.

Kurt Miller '16 readies an answer.

Grant Benefiel '16 was relaxed before the program.

Doug McKay '81 laughs with a friend.

Charles Bock '23 engages in a conversation over breakfast.

Wabash President Scott Feller listens to a tablemate.

Cory Kopitzke '14 is chair of the leadership breakfast committee.

Kopitzke welcomed those in attendance and introduced the morning's speakers.

Andy Zay is chairman of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. He opened by saying, "(...I want to) give you the opportunity to go to a deeper level in how our grid works, how our electricity works at a very dynamic time when we were working through a transition, a very bold transition, leaning into environmental concerns, introducing wind and solar throughout our throughout our state, throughout our country, and what roles those could play in moving beyond fossil fuels, pushing the edge to see where the next generation of generation will come from."

He continued, "We've gone from this very stable grid and stable demand to now an exploding demand where utilities are facing this reality of how are we going to double our generation, enhance our transmission, and enhance our distribution...Google, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, those guys are about as patient as your wife and kids on Christmas morning. They want to be in your community tomorrow, and they want power yesterday. And we're making millions and billions of dollars in investments across our state and across our country. It's tough to plan and schedule those sorts of things."

Cody Stipes '11 listens to Zay's remarks.

Broderick Frey '26 (right) was one of many current students to attend the event.

"Affordability means everything to you when you receive your monthly bills, but we also have to look at reliability, resiliency, sustainability, and environmental concerns," he continued. "So we're putting all that balance into a cost. Those aren't easy numbers to figure on the other side, when you're talking about reliability, sustainability and those kinds of things."

After a brief story involving his time at Wabash and Prof. Warner, Andrew Wells '06, general counsel Indiana for Duke Energy, said, "Think about this. It's 6:30 a.m. on a dark, cold February morning, maybe much like today, and you're turning off your alarm, you're making coffee, you're getting your kids off to school, you're heading into the office. Your house stayed warm all night. The traffic signals are flashing properly. On your way in, you're listening to the radio. Businesses, schools, hospitals across Indiana are starting another day. Duke Energy-Indiana prides itself on being part of that moment. That's where we are. We're making sure those things are delivering for you...the things that you take for granted every day,"

"Whether you regulate energy, craft policy, or you're building the business that powers Indiana's economy, you're experiencing the same phenomenon," Wells continued. "Our electric system is expanding and experiencing rapid growth. At Duke Energy-Indiana, we are trying to meet that challenge, and I believe we are meeting that challenge. Central Indiana, in particular, is experiencing unprecedented demands. You have hyper scalers, advanced manufacturing, and community expansion. Residential customer accounts have been increasing at an extraordinary amount. That growth is all good news, but it can create real time reliability risks and real cost pressure if we don't plan and execute with precision."

Kevin Meyer '06 takes notes.

"The load growth we're seeing, especially in Central Indiana, is not theoretical," he said. "A single hyper scale data center can add hundreds of megawatts of demand. Manufacturers are electrifying their processes at a high clip, and communities throughout Indiana are expanding, particularly in the doughnut counties. So Duke Energy-Indiana has to plan ahead. We plan years ahead to ensure that we can meet customers needs without compromising reliability. We do this in multiple ways, and I'll  name a few. We have integrated resource planning, which every three years, we take a long lead and try to forecast what resources we'll need and where growth is going to happen. We have transmission and distribution plans that plan five to seven years in the future for investment and where we think we're going to need to be developing transmission lines, distribution lines, and new service. Just within the last few days, we are now going to be proposing multi-year rate plans, which will contemplate over a three-year period what our rate cycles look like and how those will progress over a period of time."

Ty Benefiel '08 opened with this thought, "I have spent the last 20 years of my life learning as much as I possibly could about climate change and ways to mitigate its impacts on society. I got my MBA so I could learn about business solutions to the climate crisis, and then I went out and started three clean energy companies. Seven years ago, I started co-hosting a podcast that looked at the bi-directional relationships between climate change and every aspect of our society. I've had the chance to speak with heads of state, with cabinet members, with Nobel Prize winners, with the world's leading scientists, economists, and public health experts, trying to figure out as much as I possibly could about the climate crisis. It's also given me the opportunity to speak with people like Bill Nye and the late Jane Goodall, who shaped the way I think about and thought about science and conservation since I was a kid...Now my goal today is to take everything I have learned from the hundreds of interviews that I've conducted and books that I've read and the 13 years that spent running climate positive businesses to lay out a plan for a better future for everyone that lives in Central Indiana."

He continued, "Manufacturing is the biggest industry in Indiana in part because energy used to be really cheap here. Manufacturing is incredibly energy intensive and that didn't used to be a problem. Now there is a real threat to the profitability of manufacturing in Indiana as a result of rising energy costs and that could be devastating to this state's economy. But it doesn't have to be that way...We do not need some miracle technology to get us out of this mess. The advancements in solar, wind, and battery technologies have been amazing. Clean manufacturing, advanced or regenerative agriculture, and smart infrastructure have been deployed all around the world."

Here, an attendee captures a video clip during Benefiel's presentation.

Professor Rick Warner looks on.

Bill Havlin '84 pays rapt attention from Table 15.

"What can Central Indiana do to set us up for a better future?" Benefiel asked. "There are three key priorities that I think Indianapolis is perfectly positioned to handle: to attack transportation, manufacturing and clean energy. Let's take Indiana's manufacturing prowess and turn that into a platform for the future. Clean manufacturing companies should be starting or moving here. Green hydrogen, advanced materials, zero-emission chemical companies, they could be serving a local client base that is eagerly looking for ways to reduce their reliance on expensive, dirty energy. This is the future of manufacturing. Why not build that future right here in Central Indiana?"

Adam Kirsch '07 was an active listener.

Hugh Vandivier '91, associate director of advancement initiatives - annual giving and advancement communications, introduced the WCI Man of the Year. He opened his introduction by stating, "Like a good mole and a great chef, Rick Warner's presence at Wabash has added a rich, complex, robust flavor that's long simmering…living across the street from campus at 308 West Wabash Avenue, to be precise, his expanded kitchen is not just a culinary workspace from which he bakes muffins that are always available in his office or house made ice cream that he delivers across campus, or even a Vietnamese pho that he might serve up for lunch before his vision three colloquium, this home kitchen sometimes substitutes as a second classroom.

"Dr Warner's teaching centers on Latin American, African, and world history, with a focus on the indigenous history of Mexico, Latin American religious history, and the global history of food. He's been a longtime chair of the off-campus study committee, and he's led 10 immersion trips to diverse places like Chiapas, Kenya, Mexico City, Panama, and Vietnam. But he's also immersed himself completely in our community after receiving his tenure in 2008, Dr. Warner spent his sabbatical serving as Associate Dean of Students."

He continued, "Now you'll often see Dr. Warner on the track at football games doing push-ups, sometimes shirtless, or cheering with the Chadwick Crazies as an honorary member of the Sphinx Club. He's been their faculty advisor, but he's also served as faculty advisor for the independent men's association, sh’Out, La Alianza, Unidos Por Sangre, and Phi Delta Theta. He might just have a record for Chapel Talks with eight, though he's lost track. Rick has never shied from showing his vulnerabilities, which is probably why he's been asked back to the podium so many times. In 2019, the board of the National Association of Wabash man elevated his status as an honorary alumnus, and he joined the class of 2013.

"Congratulations, Dr Warner, Wabash Club of Indianapolis Man of the Year for adding such flavor to our community. You are Some Little Giant!"

Brand Campbell '27 (center) awaits the introduction of the Man of the Year.

Greg Estell '85 enjoys a light moment during Vandivier's introduction.

It was all smiles on the stage for (from left) Vandiver, Warner, and the WCI Man of the Year award.

Warner began his remarks by saying, "The stars aligned, and I started working at Wabash, and I've just adored it ever since I got to Wabash. I became an anthropologist to the place, learning as much as I could. I've been obsessed ever since. Let's face it, folks, it's different.

"We're all just dues together trying to figure it out. Work hard, I'm here to help you along the way. That's all we are…I like to say, with all due respect, Mr. Quarterback, this is an O lineman school. We've got that working class feeling and appreciation, right? Tony Bourdain had that, you know, to a T. Wherever he went all over the world, he wanted to hang out where people on the street were selling food, right? Down there. I want my students to, and they do, understand that sort of working-class ethic, because we're immersed in it. I also want them to understand the rest of the world. I want them to understand diversity. I want them to understand different people, right? We do that through food."

"We feel so blessed to be part of the community for all these years," Warner said. "I couldn't tell you just how happy I've been. In my retirement, I'm working on getting an office in a non-academic building to continue my research on food and history, and also I'll still be cooking and writing about food and making the odd cake muffin and ice cream."

Closing remarks were delivered by Jim Selvio '89, WCI president.

Selvio said, "On behalf of the Wabash Club of Indianapolis, thank you for being here. Seeing this room filled as it is, with alumni, friends, and supporters of Wabash is energizing. Events like this are a powerful reminder of what Wabash College is, and it's not just simply a place we attend. It is a community we carry with us. I want to offer my sincere thanks to the speakers, to our guests, and those who work behind the scenes. These gatherings never happen by accident. They are the result of generosity, volunteerism, and a shared belief that our relationships matter."

Feller engages in an enjoybale conversation following the program. 

Joe Trebley '01 (center) shares a laugh with Feller, his former chemistry professor.

Brock Robertson '26 chats with Marc Welch '99, associate dean of students.

Joe Klen '97 (right), senior associate dean for college advancement, enjoys a light moment Monday.

Jace Caldwell '28 was relaxed and engaged at the event.

Olivier Tuyishime '25 caught up with classmates post-event.

Grant Goshorn '02 (center) was actively engaged.

Jim Amidon '87 (right), president's chief of staff and director of strategic communications, chats with Brett Driscoll '24 (center) and another recent graduate following the event.

Jacob Ransford '25 (left) converses with classmate Tuyishime.

Reese Fokine '22 seems to enjoy this conversation.

Wabash Club of Indianapolis Man of the Year Rick Warner H'13, associate professor of history.