The Foundation Staff

Alexis Brown joined the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation in 2025 as Finance & Human Resources Manager. In her role, she supports the Chief Financial Officer in financial management and human resource administration. Prior to joining the Foundation, Brown was a project manager for the Renée Crown Wellness Institute at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she supported their research in local school districts. An Indianapolis native, Brown holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Evansville and a Master of Arts in social psychology from Ball State University.

Hale Crumley joined the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation in 2025 as a Program Officer. In this role, she manages grantee relationships and guides nonprofit organizations through the entire application process, from concept development through presentation of proposals and evaluation of results. Prior to joining the Foundation, Crumley worked as the Policy Manager for Prosperity Indiana.

Crumley is a proud first-generation college graduate. She holds a Master of Public Affairs in community & economic development and a Bachelor of Public Affairs in nonprofit management & leadership from Indiana University. She also holds a certificate in public policy & budget models from the University of Pennsylvania and a certificate in storytelling for social change from the University of Michigan.

Shannon Elward joined the Fairbanks Foundation in 2023. In her role as Director of Communications, she works closely with the Chief Communications Officer to develop, refine, and execute strategies and tactics that support the Foundation’s communications goals. Prior to joining the Foundation, Elward was a Senior Content Writer with DemandJump, an Indianapolis start-up, where she developed marketing content for technology, education, and healthcare clients. Before this, she held several positions with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, including Director of Learn More Indiana, Assistant Director of Communications, and AmeriCorps VISTA member. A former adjunct instructor, Elward holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and sociology and a Master of Arts in rhetoric and composition from Indiana University Fort Wayne.

Andrea Farmer joined the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation as Chief Communications Officer in 2022. In this role, she works closely with the Foundation’s President & CEO and the Program team to develop and implement communications strategies that articulate the Foundation’s mission and work to stakeholders and other external audiences.

Prior to joining the Foundation, she previously served as Director of External Engagement and Government Affairs at Indiana Donor Network, where she oversaw multiple functions, including marketing communications, community outreach, government affairs and legal affairs. Other previous roles include Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications and Account Services at Indianapolis marketing communications agency Hirons and Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives at the NCAA. Throughout her career, Farmer has been involved with several non-profit organizations and industry associations, including as president of the Hoosier Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Farmer holds an Accreditation in Public Relations from the Public Relations Society of America’s Universal Accreditation Board, and she received her Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from Ball State University, Magna Cum Laude.

Claire J. Fiddian-Green joined the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation as President & Chief Executive Officer in 2015. In this role, she collaborates with the Board of Directors to define the Foundation’s goals and funding strategies and oversees implementation of the Foundation’s mission and operations.  

Previously, Fiddian-Green served as Special Assistant for Education Innovation to Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Co-Founder of the Center for Education and Career Innovation. Fiddian-Green also served as the founding Executive Director of the Indiana Charter School Board, a statewide charter school authorizing agency. Prior roles include President of The Mind Trust, Grants Officer for the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, and Senior Analyst within Eli Lilly & Company’s Corporate Finance Investment Banking group.  

Fiddian-Green holds a B.A. from Brown University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. In 2024, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Education degree from Marian University. She is a member of Class XXXIV of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series and has been named four times to IBJ Media’s annual edition of Indiana 250, a list of the state’s “most influential and impactful leaders.” In 2022, she was recognized among IBJ’s 2022 Women of Influence, and she also received the Circle of Hope Award from Community Fairbanks Recovery Center for outstanding contributions to the field of addiction. 

Fiddian-Green serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Indy Chamber, where she also chairs the Health Policy Council. She serves on the boards of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Regenstrief Institute and CareerWise USA. In 2023, she became co-chair of CEMETS iLab Indiana, a coalition of leaders seeking to implement the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway, a new employer-led education and training pathway serving high school and adult students. In 2024, she was appointed co-chair of the Education Committee for the 2026 NCAA Men’s Final Four Local Organizing Committee.

She served as President of The Economic Club of Indiana for the 2017-2018 season and was a Board and Executive Committee member through 2024. She also served as Co-Chair of the Legacy Impact Committee for the 2022 Indy College Football Playoff, Inc., and was a member of the Board and Executive Committee from 2018 through 2022. From 2017 through 2024, Fiddian-Green served on the Board of the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation, including as chair from 2021 to 2023. In November 2020, she was appointed co-chair of the Learning and Talent Opportunities Taskforce of the Business Equity for Indy Committee, a joint initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and the Indy Chamber, in partnership with the Indianapolis Urban League, focused on addressing racial inequities in Central Indiana.

Rico Francis joined the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation in 2025 as a Program Officer. In his role, he manages grantee relationships and guides nonprofit organizations through the entire application process, from concept development through presentation of proposals and evaluation of results. Prior to joining the Foundation, Francis worked at Pacers Sports & Entertainment as the first Pacers Foundation Social Impact Director. Previously, he held consulting roles with TNTP.

Francis is the recipient of several notable honors and awards, including the Indiana Latino Institute’s 2024 Rising Latino Stars in Their 20s award, 2024 Indianapolis Public Schools Community Partner in Action award, and the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside’s Way Maker award. Francis holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from Christopher Newport University. He completed the Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute in 2025.