Mechanical Apprentice

Indiana Chamber announces winners of third annual Indiana Civics Bee. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced on June 24 the winners of the third annual Indiana Civics Bee, held at the Indiana War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis. The event challenged students in grades six to eight with live quiz rounds and presentations on community issues before a panel of judges. Presented by Cummins Inc., the competition is part of the National Civics Bee organized in partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Ayan Reddy from Newburgh, representing Castle North Middle School, was declared the winner after advocating for more fresh food in school cafeterias through partnerships with local farmers. Reddy received $1,000 and will have an opportunity to participate in the National Civics Bee in Washington, D.C. later this year. Serenity Hayden from St. John Lutheran School in Kendallville took second place and $500, while Hasini Kosaraju from Zionsville West Middle School was awarded third place and $250. The aim of the National Civics Bee is to encourage young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Vanessa Green Sinders, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber, said during her opening remarks that this goal aligns with Indiana Prosperity 2035: "We're incredibly proud of the students who participated in the program and made a deliberate choice to focus on civics and community engagement. The speeches we heard reflected a genuine commitment to making a difference and serving their communities, both locally and beyond." Sinders also said, "Opportunities like the Civics Bee give students, at a critical stage, the chance to develop skills such as public speaking, problem-solving and teamwork - abilities that will benefit them in every aspect of their future. We're excited to continue to grow participation in this program." This year's regional competitions featured students from across Indiana who demonstrated civic knowledge and leadership skills after submitting essays as part of their participation process. Regional partners included several local chambers throughout Indiana. Last year's state champion Barrett Hodorek was national runner-up. Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale, Chief Administrative Officer at Cummins Inc., said, "Cummins is proud to be the presenting sponsor for this year's Civics Bee because we take pride in our corporate responsibility to power the prosperity of the communities where we operate... After hearing from these bright Civics Bee contestants, I am inspired by their promise and proud to congratulate them on all they have already accomplished." The event received additional support from technology sponsor Bill of Rights Institute as well as other supporting sponsors including Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Eli Lilly & Co., Kroger, Gardis & Regas LLP & Indiana Bar Foundation. The Indiana Chamber promotes economic prosperity statewide through policy advocacy, educational programs, conferences, publications and member consultation services for over 25,000 members representing more than 1 million Hoosiers; it advances pro-business policies at state and federal levels while cultivating opportunities for residents throughout Indiana, according to its official website.

Mainspring appoints former Cummins chair & CEO Tom Linebarger as CEO & founder Shannon Miller as president to power next wave of growth. Mainspring Energy Leadership addition fuels company expansion into AI data center and utility power infrastructure markets. MENLO PARK, Calif., June 10, 2026 - Shannon Miller, the founding CEO of Mainspring Energy, has spent fifteen years reinventing the way the world turns fuel into electricity. Mainspring's linear generators are fuel-flexible, highly efficient, and low-emissions, making them uniquely suited to meet today's unprecedented demand for power, driven by the race for AI dominance, the global transition to electrification, and the rise of onshore manufacturing. Electric utilities, data centers, and commercial companies share the need for power that is reliable, affordable, and fast to deploy. Mainspring delivers all three to a growing list of blue-chip customers across the U.S. Miller led the successful development, launch and commercialization of Mainspring's product line since co-founding the company in 2010. Fourteen months ago, Tom Linebarger joined the company's board of directors. After working closely with him, seeing the impact he could have and the scale and speed of growth ahead, she initiated and recruited him to join the senior leadership team. Today, Mainspring announced that Linebarger, former Chairman and CEO of Cummins, Inc. and current Chairman of Mainspring, will take the role of Mainspring CEO. At Cummins, he spent 30 years navigating an energy company through tremendous growth and entry into new markets. That is exactly the experience this moment demands. Mainspring is expanding rapidly into utility and AI data center markets, and Tom has spent his career at that intersection. "I am deeply proud of the progress Mainspring is making in our mission of unlocking global access to low-carbon, dispatchable energy," said Miller. "We have developed, launched, and commercialized our technology and we've expanded our field operations across many parts of the U.S. with hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations. Our products are delivering reliable, cost-effective, low emissions power to customers every day." Having worked with Linebarger for 14 months as a board member, Miller added, "I firmly believe that Tom Linebarger is the ideal CEO for Mainspring as we move into our next phase of growth. He brings decades of hands-on power industry leadership and an outstanding record of smart strategic decisions." "Beyond that, Tom exemplifies our company's core values. We work exceptionally well together, and I have long valued his counsel. I look forward to the opportunity to work even more closely together while also being able to engage more deeply and directly in many of the key operations of the company." "Mainspring has built something truly exceptional," said Linebarger. "Under Shannon's leadership, the company has developed a differentiated power generation technology, assembled a world-class team, and established strong momentum with leading commercial, industrial, utility, and data center customers. The global market for power infrastructure is at an inflection point, and Mainspring is ideally positioned to serve this need with its modern, flexible, modular power generation solutions. I am excited to work alongside Shannon and the entire Mainspring team to help accelerate the company's growth and expand its impact." Over his 30 year career at global power technology leader Cummins, Inc., Linebarger led the successful growth strategy for the company's flagship engine products while expanding into battery electric powertrains and moving into the data center power industry. He also created a leadership program that trained 150 Cummins executives in business acumen and emotional intelligence. Outside Cummins, Linebarger chaired the Hydrogen Council, a global CEO-led group advancing a sustainable hydrogen economy. Most recently he served as a senior advisor and entrepreneur in residence focused on energy at General Catalyst, a venture capital and investment company. He joined General Catalyst in January 2025 after serving as a senior advisor for McKinsey and Company following his retirement from Cummins Inc in 2023. In addition to his current role as chair of the board of directors at Mainspring, Linebarger is a member of the board of directors of Republic Services. He was formerly lead director of the board of directors at Harley-Davidson, Inc. and served on the board of directors of the Business Roundtable. About Mainspring Mainspring Energy manufactures and delivers fuel-flexible, low-emissions local power solutions that rapidly add new capacity and deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power. The company began commercial shipments of its Mainspring Linear Generators in 2020 and today has hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations for leading Fortune 500 companies, data centers, and utilities. Mainspring also partners with global energy leaders including AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, Schneider Electric, and more. The Latest