Drew Holloway — Alumni Council (2019-Present)

Drew has served on the Alumni Council since 2019. He enjoys being able to work with such passionate alumni on projects around campus. For Drew, bringing together diverse backgrounds that allow creative and unique perspectives on the Ball State experience is one of the best things about volunteering. He is currently working at MSD Bureau of Water Quality as a Fisheries Biologist.

If he could live anywhere, it would be in Western Michigan, somewhere between South Haven and Holland. He has been visiting that area since childhood on summer vacations and would move there in a heartbeat.

In Drew’s free time, he and his family enjoy going to Falls Park in his hometown of Pendleton, IN. That includes taking their dog to the dog park, playing at the playground, and exploring the trails and creek that run through the park.

A book that Drew recommends is Failure: Why Science Is So Successful by Stuart Firestein.  It talks about the scientific process and how the road often ends in failure. Drew suggests this book specifically for anyone who is an aspiring scientist and wants to remind everyone that we all make mistakes and it’s time we start talking about them.

 

Ken Briner — Foundation Board (2009-2021)

After graduating from Ball State in 1969, Ken was drafted into the Army and served for two years. After completing his military commitment, he went through the placement bureau at Ball State and received an interview with a company called Muncie Parts Manufacturing, which later changed to Muncie Power Products, Inc. Ken was hired, starting in the shop as a management trainee and retired 40+ years later as Senior Vice President of Operations & Marketing and part owner.

Ken was an Industry Technology Area major in the Practical Arts Department at Ball State. He has great admiration for his professors in that department, which included Dr. Wagner, Dr. Middleton, Dr. Steele, Dr. Poucher and others. They were knowledgeable and helpful to him in so many ways.

Ken’s dream place to live is right here in Muncie, Indiana. He is close to his daughters and grandchildren. As an added bonus, he gets to be close to Ball State. It has been very rewarding for him to work alongside dedicated volunteers and staff for the benefit of students. In his free time, Ken spends time with his family and attends Ball State sporting events all over the country.

 

Bob Kaspar — Foundation Board (2023-Present)

Bob cherishes the opportunity to give back to Ball State in various ways. One of those ways is by volunteering. Bob has many fond memories of his time at Ball State. However, a few that stand out include his time in the School of Music, performing with the Ball State bands on the concert stage, and the football field. Bob also recalls how fun orientation was as an incoming freshman, learning about what his college experience may include and the impact college would have on the rest of his life. His involvement in Greek Life started at Sigma Nu Fraternity in a small house behind the Student Center, and the brotherhood from that involvement has endured a lifetime.

Bob will never forget one accounting class taught by Dr. Arnold Curtin, in which he discussed the importance of accounting majors volunteering to be trusted financial stewards in their community. That lecture stayed with him throughout his professional career. Bob would like to say a special thank you to the Miller College of Business faculty, for supporting the values of trustworthiness and servant leadership in his life.

Bob started his career in 1981 at Ernst & Whinney in Public Accounting. He has moved through the finance world including financial services accounting and financial reporting, investment, trust and brokerage services, and wealth management.

Bob and his wife Rhonda spend 6 months out of the year in their dream place, Naples, Florida. In his free time Bob enjoys staying abreast of market conditions and the economy, spending time with his wife, family, and lifelong friends, and boating in Southwest Florida.