Orr Fellowship hires inaugural Evansville region director
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A familiar face on the Evansville City Council is now leading an early career development program in southwest Indiana.
Ben Trockman was recently named the Orr Fellowship’s Evansville region director.
Indianapolis-based Orr Fellowship, which matches university graduates with roles at growing Indiana businesses, expanded to Evansville last year and is welcoming its first cohort in June.
Individuals selected as fellows receive two years of extensive programming and networking opportunities as they work to advance themselves in their careers. In Evansville, Orr Fellows will be at Old National Bank, United Companies, Koch Industries and more.
“To say I’m delighted at the opportunity to lead the expansion of Orr Fellowship in Evansville is an understatement. Truly, it’s the honor of a lifetime,” Trockman said in a news release. “I’ve had the privilege to spend time with each of the Orr Fellows in the inaugural Evansville cohort. While they are all different, they all share one important characteristic: drive. Our community will be the benefactor as we embed the Fellows in our local companies and our favorite city.”
In January, Trockman was elected president of the Evansville City Council. He told Inside INdiana Business his big priorities for that role include communication, positivity and productivity. Trockman is the first city council president with quadriplegia after he suffered a spinal cord injury in 2006.
“Being able to break a barrier is cool, but maybe someday what I did inspires some young kid to go out and be a senator someday or serve their community in some capacity that outdoes what I’ve done,” Trockman told IIB. “Having a guy like me with quadriplegia that a young boy or girl with a spinal cord injury can say, “Hey, he did that. So can I, and I’m gonna do one better.” That drives me.”
Evansville is Orr Fellowship’s first expansion outside of Indianapolis. The program’s objective is to place fellows in positions where they’ll be responsible for meaningful work.
“A connector, doer and passionate community champion, Ben comes to Orr Fellowship with a strong background in communications and community development as well as an enthusiasm for developing early career talent,” said Steven Emch, President of Orr Fellowship, in a news release. “We feel fortunate that Ben has stepped into the role of Evansville Region Director for Orr Fellowship and believe he will drive this chapter to new heights.”
Since 2001, more than 600 people have gone through the Orr Fellowship early career development program.
A study released in February from Indianapolis-based consulting firm TPMA found most Orr Fellowship participants stay in Indiana and about 20% go on to start their own firm or enterprise.