14 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 numerous bank trade association conferences each year, meeting face-to-face with both prospective customers and our current customers, to listen to their needs and to communicate our service offerings.” When you were a student at Indiana University, what were your career plans? “I am the first person in my family to go to college. The significance of that is that college was not an expectation, and I had no thoughts about attending one as I grew up. The ‘career path’ was to graduate from high school and get a job. Both of my parents were fortunate to be able to work nearly their entire careers for one company, and that seemed like a good plan to me, as well. “Then, after high school, one of my best friends and I took basic laborer construction jobs for a company in Tampa, Florida, building condominiums. Even though the sun and beaches were cool for an 18-year-old male, it didn’t take very many months of working 12-hour days in the hot sun, digging holes and carrying plywood, shingles and sheet rock around the construction site, for me to question my decision. “Not seeing this as a path to stay on, I called home and asked my parents if I could come back and attend college. Their answer, of course, was yes. Still not knowing exactly what I would major in, I followed a pretty generic degree program, with a focus on management.” How has your career evolved? “Upon graduation, I shotgunned resumes to companies in Indianapolis and landed a sales and marketing role with Golden Rule Insurance Company. I gained a great deal of experience and confidence, earned several sales and leadership accolades, and seemed to find that ‘company I could work for my entire career,’ as had been modeled by my parents. “Golden Rule offered tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing degrees, so as my wife and I were starting our family, I enrolled in an MBA program at the University of Indianapolis. Working full-time during the day and taking evening classes, I was able to graduate and take on a new management position within Golden Rule. “All was good, until the day when the somewhat large company decided it was necessary to eliminate some middle management jobs. I learned a valuable lesson in that, when an employee is a producer, i.e. sales, it is easy to point to the value one adds to an organization. “On the other hand, being in management tends to position one as a fixed cost, with a vague ability to see direct impact beyond people skills, as compared to a sales role. I felt a sense of rejection, but I also resolved to shift my career back to a sales/ producer role, where I could quantify my efforts and leave no doubt about my value to an organization. “This led me to a few sales roles offering products or services to banking and insurance industry businesses. I was fortunate to be exposed to some top-notch training, and I gained invaluable experience. “With a growing family and unsure of my career, I decided to pursue an opportunity to work four blocks from my home as an Edward Jones financial services representative. It seemed like all the pieces were falling into place. I could control my productivity, be a fixture in my community, and be close to home – a career path to sail off into the sunset on. The Floodplain Consultants team is located in Brownsburg, in an office converted from a house. Matthew, just graduated from college (IUPUI and Purdue), and our daughter Grace is a sophomore at Purdue. “I am very grateful that my wife has been so supportive. It would not have been possible to follow my dreams without her help. My wife has always told me that ‘water follows you wherever you go,’ and she is not just talking about my career. “There is one funny story that my wife loves to tell concerning our first house in Speedway. It was a fixer-upper, and I decided to impress my wife with my handyman skills, so I remodeled the upstairs bathroom. It looked great … for a day. “The next day we went out of town for the weekend, and we returned to a major flood. It took us 48 hours to pump the water out of our basement. I was not allowed to do plumbing for the next 10 years. “I enjoy spending time with my wife, family and friends. I love serving and attending our church and meeting new people in our neighborhood. I have a passion for fishing, boating, weight training and cycling.” Craig Callahan What are your responsibilities as vice president business development and marketing? “I am responsible for the growth and customer relations of our business. I attend
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