After tabulation and confirmation of the ballots, alumni have selected Chris Braun ’81 to join the Wabash College Board of Trustees. Braun will serve on the Board for a four-year term, (2019-2023) starting this fall.
Alumni reelected Brandon Clifton ’05 and Herm Haffner ’77 to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Wabash Men in addition to electing Syud “Taz” Ahmed ’07. All three men will serve on the NAWM Board for three years (2019-2022) starting this fall.
About the new Wabash College Board of Trustee Alumni Representative
Chris Braun ’81 earned his JD from Southern Methodist University in 1984. He was a four-year letterman in football at Wabash and is a recipient of the Wabash College Alumni Spirit of the Monon Bell Award. For more than 20 years he has been a member of the 1832 Society. Since 1994, Braun has been a partner at Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP and prior to that was a partner at Baker & Daniels. He practices complex litigation in business, environmental, and real estate law. For more than 15 years, Braun has been consistently selected as a top lawyer for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Indiana Super Lawyer. Braun served as the chairman and founding member of Guerin Catholic High School, and oversaw the creation, construction, and funding of this $30 million school. Prior to that he served in those roles in the development and construction of St. Maria Goretti Catholic School, an $8 millionK-8 school. Braun served on Guerin’s Board for many years, including serving as chairman of the Curriculum Committee and as a governing board member. He served on the board of directors at Park Tudor School for 10 years, including two years as vice president and three years as president. Since 2001, Braun has been an adjunct professor of law at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. He and wife, Trish, have four daughters and live in Westfield, IN.
About the new Board of Directors members of the National Association of Wabash Men
Syud “Taz” Ahmed ’07 is a management consultant focusing in the area of strategy and operations at the Boston Consulting Group. Prior to becoming a consultant, Ahmed spent six years at 3M in a variety of roles which entailed driving product commercialization, technology development, leading R&D teams, technical recruiting and lean six sigma operations – his work led to five patent submissions, and the launching of six products under the 3M ScotchgardTM, 3M ScothliteTM, and 3M Safety-WalkTMbrand. He was highlighted on the Khan Academy website, a leading on-line tutorial platform, for his accomplishments and career as a chemist. Ahmed has coached Wabash alumni pursuing higher degrees in the sciences, sharing his knowledge as a recruiter to help prepare them for job interviews. Ahmed has a PhD in organic materials and polymer chemistry from Cornell University (2012) with five publications in high impact peer-reviewed journals. During his time at Wabash, he was president of the International Students Association, President of the Muslim Students Association, resident-advisor at Morris Hall, and a frequent performer for Wamidan.
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Brandon Clifton ’05 joined the Indiana Secretary of State in November 2014. As Deputy Secretary and Chief of Staff, he is responsible for administering the duties and responsibilities of the 61st Indiana Secretary of State, Connie Lawson. In this role, Clifton serves as the senior advisor to the Indiana Secretary of State and is responsible for representing her in official capacities. As the Secretary’s chief operating officer, responsibilities include implementation of the office’s strategy and values, delivering sound business practices to Hoosier constituents and bringing outstanding customer service. Prior to joining Secretary Lawson’s executive team, he served as assistant general counsel for the Indiana Department of Administration. A native of Lafayette, IN, Clifton served as a team captain of the varsity football team. He attended law school and earned an MBA in Orlando, FL. He is a former president and current member of the Indianapolis Association of Wabash Men, a Penrod Society member, and an alumnus of the Indiana Leadership Forum. He and his wife and daughter reside in Broad Ripple, IN with their two labradors.
Herm Haffner ’77 is the president and co-owner of Total Solutions, a consulting firm providing executive sales training and business consulting. In 2004, Haffner received the Fredrick J. Urbaska Public Service Award from Wabash and in 2012 was name the Myron G. Phillips Class Agent of the Year. He is a long-time volunteer for admissions, career services, and annual giving. Haffner has trained the student callers, athletic coaches, advancement staff, and admission counselors in “closing the deal.” From the beginning, he has co-chaired the W.A.B.A.S.H. Day volunteer activities in Montgomery County. He has served on the Sigma Chi Fraternity Housing Corp. for more than 40 years. Haffner currently serves on the board of the Montgomery County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He and his wife, Kitty, live in Crawfordsville and have two children, Jimmy H’98 and Abigail.