Topic: Administrative

December 28, 2010

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has named two Ball State alumni as members of the university's Board of Trustees. R. Wayne Estopinal, president of The Estopinal Group, an architectural firm based in Jeffersonville, Ind., is the newest member of the board. The governor also reappointed Richard Hall, a partner at Barnes & Thornburg in the government services and finance department, to another four-year term as a trustee.

Estopinal earned two bachelor's degrees from Ball State in 1979, one in architecture and one in environmental design. He succeeds Thomas L. DeWeese, a 1968 Ball State graduate who is retiring after 24 years as a trustee, as one of nine voting members on the board.

The Estopinal Group was founded in 1989 by Wayne and his wife, Thresa. They moved the company headquarters from Texas to Jeffersonville two years later, where today it employs 70 people and offers services in architecture, planning, engineering and interior design to a wide range of clients, including those in healthcare, education and municipal government. The Estopinal Group also has offices in Louisville, Ky.; Evansville, Ind.; and Shreveport, La.

The company has won numerous awards for its architecture and design, as well as its business prominence. The Estopinal Group has earned Greater Louisville Inc.'s Humana Incredible Award for Business and was named one of the top 50 fastest growing companies in the Greater Louisville region by Business First magazine.

"I am honored that the governor has appointed me to the Board of Trustees and I thank everyone who made my nomination possible, especially the members of the Alumni Association," Estopinal said. "The role of successor to Tom DeWeese will not be easy. His legacy at Ball State is reflected in literally thousands of decisions he has made over the last 24 years. I share his deep commitment to our alma mater, and I am proud to represent the university's alumni on the trustees. I look forward to serving the university in this new role."

Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora said Estopinal is an important addition to the Board of Trustees at a critical time in the university's history. "Wayne is familiar with the tremendous progress made at his alma mater and is committed to its continued success," she said. "His support is especially helpful as we respond to the state's changing economic and educational landscapes and the effects of those changes on Indiana's workforce."

Estopinal is noted for his service to the Louisville and Jeffersonville areas. He is a member of the Ohio River Greenway Development Commission and the Jeffersonville Historic District Board of Review, and serves on the boards of directors for Your Community Bank, the Louisville Zoo Foundation, and Community BankShares Inc. of Indiana. He formerly served on the board of directors for the Clark Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Estopinal is a current member and past president of the Ball State University Alumni Council. He has served on the Ball State University Foundation Board of Directors since 2005 and has earned the College of Architecture and Planning's Alumni Award of Outstanding Achievement. He is currently a member of the CAP Alumni Society's governing board.

Capitalizing on expertise

Hall began his service as a trustee in 2007 and was appointed the board's secretary at its Dec. 17 meeting after serving four years as assistant secretary. He earned his bachelor's degree from Ball State in 1989, then received the prestigious Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship awarded by the NCAA each year to one male and one female student-athlete for academic excellence, athletic achievement, and commitment to public service.

He earned his law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law and served as a law clerk to Judge Michael S. Kanne of the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. He also worked for U.S. Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.).

"Rick has played an important leadership role on the Board of Trustees since 2007 and his continued leadership is important for Ball State," Gora said. "His knowledge of finance and Indiana public policy are important areas of expertise for the board, and we are excited that we will be able to continue capitalizing on that expertise in these challenging times."

Hall earned four letters as a member of the basketball Cardinals and was captain of the team his senior year. He twice was named to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) all-academic first team. He is a member of the Ball State University Athletic Hall of Fame and earned a 2010 Benny Award, the Ball State Alumni Association's top honor for service.

By Greg Wright