FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana University Public Policy Institute today named Kathy Koehler as its interim director. Koehler will succeed Mark Lawrance, who stepped down last month after leading the successful Thriving Communities, Thriving State project.
Koehler, who earned her Master of Public Affairs from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI, begins her new role in early May.
“Kathy has spent her entire career helping state government, nonprofit, and education sectors evaluate what is needed to achieve their goals,” said SPEA Dean John D. Graham. “She brings a great appreciation of the Institute’s research and knows how to pull together the right people to support the organization’s resources and key initiatives.”
Koehler will lead a team of policy analysts, administrative staff, and undergraduate and graduate assistants, all working to help businesses and leaders understand their own policy choices and the impact those choices have on the people they serve.
Koehler founded Koehler Partners in 2010, offering training, project management, program evaluation, team building and program-improvement services to government, nonprofit and private organizations. She previously worked at Crowe Horwath as an executive focused on improving the performance of government initiatives and managing many projects, including Faith Works Indiana, a faith-based community effort.
Her government experience includes working for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of Family and Children, the Indiana State Budget Agency, the Indiana Election Commission, and the Indiana Department of Education.
Koehler also served as interim director of SPEA’s Executive Education program in 2013.
“The Institute provides a unique forum for collaboration and meaningful conversations among government, nonprofits, businesses, faculty, policy analysts and students.” Koehler said. “As a longtime member of the SPEA Alumni Board, I am excited to create new pathways for the public and students to contribute to and benefit from the Institute’s work.”
The Institute has worked for more than 150 local and state governmental units, businesses, foundations, and nonprofit organizations and published more than 1,000 reports, articles and briefs.
Most recently, the Institute unveiled results from its Thriving Communities, Thriving State project, a yearlong effort to study what makes successful Indiana communities.
For more information about the Institute, visit the website.
About the Institute
A multidisciplinary institute within the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the IU Public Policy Institute delivers unbiased research and data-driven, objective, expert analysis to help public, private and nonprofit sectors make important decisions. The Institute also supports the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR).