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Governor Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. - Indiana

Mitch Daniels has compiled an outstanding record of service to Indiana and our nation, in business, government, politics, and the non-profit sector.

Mitch came to Indiana when he was in grade school, and he’s been a Hoosier ever since. When he graduated from North Central High School in Indianapolis in 1967, Mitch was named Indiana’s Presidential Scholar – the state’s top male high school graduate that year – by President Lyndon Johnson. Mitch earned a bachelor’s degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1971 and a law degree from Georgetown University in 1979.

Mitch began his public service career working in various capacities for Dick Lugar during his days as Mayor of Indianapolis. Mitch followed Lugar to the United States Senate, serving as chief of staff during Lugar’s first eight years in Washington.

Mitch’s first tour of duty at the White House was in the mid-1980s. He served on President Ronald Reagan’s staff as a senior advisor and the administration’s liaison to the nation’s state and local officials. By appointment of President Reagan, Mitch served as a member of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and, later, as a director of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

In 1987, Mitch returned to Indiana as chief executive of Hudson Institute. The nationally known research institute had moved to Indianapolis a few years earlier, but it was in financial straits when Mitch was brought on board. He restored this multi-million-dollar business to financial health.

In 1990, Mitch was recruited by another Indiana institution – Eli Lilly and Company – to the ranks of senior management. By 1993, he was leading a multi-billion-dollar business enterprise as president of Lilly’s North American pharmaceutical operations. In that position he headed the largest revenue-producing segment of the largest company based in Indiana, gaining a reputation for strong and successful management. In 1997, Mitch was named senior vice president of corporate strategy and policy at Lilly, overseeing new business development and strategic decision making on a global basis. He also served on Lilly’s policy committee, the company’s top management body.

In January 2001, Mitch made a significant personal and financial sacrifice when he answered the call from President George W. Bush to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Mitch thus became responsible for overseeing the federal government’s $2 trillion budget. He also became the first Hoosier Cabinet member since Doc Bowen served in the Reagan Administration. Mitch served as the nation’s budget director until June 2003, when he resigned to return to Indiana.

The Office of Management and Budget is the administration’s nerve center, and the budget director is said to be the second most powerful job in the U.S. Government. The OMB not only prepares the government’s budget, but also reviews all significant federal regulations before they become law. As budget director, Mitch was the only cabinet member who also served on the senior White House team. In addition, he was a member of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council.

President Bush nicknamed Mitch “The Blade” for his determination to protect taxpayers against excessive government spending. Mitch instituted a first-of-its-kind accountability system for all governmental entities, and he staunchly defended fiscal discipline in Congress – where his message was not always welcome.

In 2002, Americans for Tax Reform presented Mitch a “Hero of the Taxpayer” award “for his relentless efforts to control the federal budget.” Upon his departure from Washington, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) applauded Mitch for bringing “a fresh new approach to the position of OMB Director.” CAGW said, “Mitch Daniels worked tirelessly, often facing an uphill battle, to break Washington of its pork barrel spending habits. … Taxpayers should truly be grateful for the service that Mitch Daniels provided to this country.”

Throughout the time he carried out these vital responsibilities, Mitch kept one foot firmly planted in Indiana. His home and family remained in Indiana, and Mitch commuted home as often as he could manage – proving that it’s possible to work in the heady world of the White House and be a close personal advisor of the President, yet never lose touch with one’s roots.

Mitch is an elder at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. Through his church he became a founder of The Oaks Academy, an inner-city school established to promote academic excellence and racial reconciliation based on solid religious principles. Though his job in the federal government required him to resign from the school’s board, he remained active in the school. In fact, a photo of the school’s more than 200 students was the first picture he hung in his office in Washington.

Mitch has served as a trustee or director of Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, Freedom House, the Fund for American Studies, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and many other institutions.

Mitch has been chosen to serve on the boards of directors of several prominent Indiana companies, including Indiana National Bank, Acordia, Indianapolis Power and Light, and Angie’s List. He has also served as a director of Olin Corporation.

Mitch has received honorary degrees from the University of Indianapolis, Anderson University, and Marian College. In 2003 he received the Chauncey Rose Award, the school’s highest honor, from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Mitch and his wife, Cheri, have four daughters – Meagan, Melissa, Meredith, and Maggie. Despite the heavy responsibilities he has shouldered in business and government, Mitch has maintained his dedication to physical fitness, and he is an avid runner and swimmer.