INDIANAPOLIS — (Jan. 31, 2022) — TechPoint, Indiana’s nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for the state’s tech ecosystem, today announced the appointment of Dennis Trinkle, PhD, as executive vice president of talent pathways and programs.
Trinkle most recently served as Ball State University’s Director of the nationally ranked Center for Information and Communication Sciences (CICS), Director of the Applied Research Institute and Professor of Information Sciences and Communication. Trinkle is a former TechPoint Board member representing Ball State University and brings a wealth of experience to the role, including leadership positions in higher education, in tech startups including a tech company of his own, and state government.
“We’re very pleased to add Dennis’ talents and expertise to the TechPoint Talent team at a critical time for the Indiana tech community,” said Mike Langellier, TechPoint president and CEO. “The battle for talent is national and global. TechPoint’s talent programs have been highly successful in attracting talent, but talent attraction alone will not be enough to meet Indiana’s needs and potential. We must develop our own. That is what Dennis is coming in to do: to engage tech employers and education providers to create world-class talent pipelines for tech employers and prosperous, accessible pathways to tech jobs for Hoosiers.”
“Every state, and most countries, are working hard to attract talent, which is currently not meeting demand anywhere, so the challenge is a big one,” Trinkle said. “I know the caliber of the TechPoint team, their dedication and focus, so I know we have what it takes to really move us forward.”
Merillat Flowers, who previously led the TechPoint talent programs, was promoted last year to vice president and chief of staff. The Talent team includes Kristin Elfering, senior manager of program operations, and two program coordinators, Moe Simmons and Addy Monger, but is expected to grow as Trinkle evaluates and designs new efforts. Among his directives will be to bring tech employers into a more active leadership position in defining in-demand occupations and aligning pathways for training and careers. TechPoint is actively seeking to add a senior manager of career pathways to help design and scale new talent pipelines. See the job description here.
Prior to joining Ball State University, Trinkle served as the system chief executive, provost, and chief academic officer for Harrison College. He has served leading institutions across the higher education, corporate, and government sectors, including serving as the chief executive officer of the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System, chief information officer, associate vice president for academic affairs, and Tenzer Professor of Information Technology for DePauw University, and president, chief executive officer, and board chair for many companies and non-profit organizations.
He is the author and editor of 17 books and more than 50 articles on entrepreneurship, technology, leadership, teaching and learning, and history. Together with Kevin Allen, CEO of EiGames, he developed the award-winning video game on the entrepreneurial process—Fireworks: The Entrepreneurship Experience (2018). His latest book, Recipes for Success: How to Build a Business, was published in the spring of 2021. In August of 2021, along with others at Ball State University, Trinkle published the CICS Horizon Report: Future Disruptors in Technology, Leadership and Business.
About TechPoint:
TechPoint is the nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s technology companies and overall tech ecosystem. The team is focused on attracting talent, accelerating scale-up companies, activating the community and amplifying stories of success. For more information, please visit www.techpoint.org.
