The MAAC Board of Directors meets quarterly and consists of the following individuals:
Stewart McMillan
Fire Chief
& Founder, Multi Agency Academic Cooperative
Stewart McMillan has been in the fire industry since childhood. His earliest recollection is riding back to the fire station on the knee of a Chicago Lieutenant on Squad 2 when he was six years old. All through his childhood years, Stewart found hanging out at the fire station to be far more interesting than hanging out with other kids. As Chief Clyde McMillan, Stewart's father, grew the Gary Fire Task Force, Stewart was there weekend after weekend helping rebuild and maintain the menagerie of old fire apparatus that the Civil Defense Fire Department had managed to obtain. In 1968, at the age of 14, Stewart drove a 1947 International Pumper to a lumber yard fire, and connected it to the hydrant with a hard suction all by himself. From that point on, he was involved with the Gary Fire Task Force up through 1973.
Stewart attended Purdue University Calumet where he received the first interdisciplinary degree in engineering, while working full-time to help his father in the struggling family business. In the early years of the company, he was involved with the manufacturing of the company, while his father and brother, Doug, handled the sales aspects. Task Force Tips continued to grow rapidly, and in May of 1976, groundbreaking took place for their first facility in Valparaiso, Indiana.
In the fall of 1982, a great tragedy struck the McMillan family when Chief Clyde McMillan died suddenly. It was at this time that Stewart, age 28, became President of Task Force Tips, Inc.
Stewart takes an active role in all aspects of the company's operations. He is a visionary leader that continues to look for new technology and better ways of manufacturing equipment. Under his leadership the company continues to expand and meet market demands. As a result of the innovative computer systems he has employed and has highly committed employees. Task Force Tips sets the industry standards for on-time deliveries, product quality, and follow-up service.
Stewart is a member of the Valparaiso Rotary and The Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. He is also active in the World Presidents Organization, active member of the Ivy Tech Board of Trustees, MAAC Foundation and National Association of Manufacturers. Stewart has also been a member of the Union Township Fire Department and Washington Township Fire Department, and has held officer positions on both departments at the same time.
An aviation enthusiast, he is also a certified instrument multi-engine pilot, a member of Experimental Aircraft Association, and the Airplane Owners & Pilots Association. In addition, on various occasions, Stewart has flown several "missions" for LifeLine pilots--a non-profit organization that flies patients with healthcare needs to the proper facilities, entirely through the donation of the pilot's time and aircraft.
Stewart and wife, Kathryn, have two children, Kelly and Ian. Most recently became grandparents to their grandson Mack.
Michael Baird
Former Banker and Community Leader
William P. Maar, CFP®
CEO, Lakeshore Group
Thrivent Financial
Michael Parks
Training Coordinator, District 1 Firefighting Training Council
Gary Miller
Executive Director of the Indiana EMS Association
Gary T. Miller has over 40 years’ experience in the EMS Field. Gary and his family ran several successful Ambulance Services including Fagen-Miller, Prompt Medical Transportation, and Prompt Ambulance Central. In 2018, Gary retired and sold the business which at the time was the largest service in Indiana and had 650 employees.
After selling the business, Gary continued to be an advocate for EMS and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Indiana EMS Association. Prior to this he had supported the Association for many years and served in several positions including President. He also serves on the State of Indiana Medicaid Advisory Committee, as well as Indiana’s Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Commission.
He also currently serves on Northwest Indiana’s Workforce Development Board, as well as The Methodist Hospitals Foundation Board.
In the past he served as the Chairman of the EMS Commission for 10 years, and served as President of the Highland, Griffith as well as the Gary Chambers of Commerce, the Griffith Jaycees, the Griffith Rotary, and the Lake County American Heart Association.
Gary is a graduate of Indiana University Northwest and completed the Entrepreneurship Program at Purdue University Calumet.
Along with his wife Shar, he was inducted into the Northwest Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame, and the SBDC’s Small Businessperson of the Year, as well as the March of Dimes Supporter of the Year. In addition, Gary was name in the Inaugural Class of the Golden Siren Honorees which is the State’s EMS Hall of Fame and was an Outstanding Young Hoosier in 1988.
Commander Robert Morgan
NWI Regional SWAT Team
Robert Morgan is a lieutenant with the Merrillville Police Department and has 33 years of service. He has served in the Patrol Division as a shift commander, Investigations Division, and is currently assigned to the FBI Gang Response Investigations Team (GRIT) which focuses on violent gangs and street crime.
After high school Robert served as an MP in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Stuttgart West Germany. He left the Army in 1986 and was hired in 1987 by the Merrillville Police Department.
As a patrol officer in 1990 Robert responded to a local restaurant where two armed men took the manager hostage. This situation was resolved after an hours long standoff but motivated Robert to start what is now the Northwest Regional SWAT team. The NWR SWAT team provides services to 10 towns and cities in Northwest Indiana and has 36 SWAT operators, six crisis negotiators and a six-person support staff. Robert is the SWAT team commander and also serves on the NWR SWAT Board of Directors.
Stephen L Turner
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Purdue University Northwest
The MAAC Firefighters Leadership Team
who meet on a regular basis to provide input and share their expertise to bring this project to fruition.
Bob Gliem
Chad Dutz
Celina Weatherwax
John Kroll
Dwayne Tate
Eric Kurtz
Fabian Martinez
Jamalyn Bogan
Joe Ferrantella
John Jarka
John Roberts
Jon Daly
Kelly Bogan
Kenny Haun
Kevin Deyoung
Kevin Nowaczyk
Kyle Kuebler
Matt Preuss
Michael Parks
Paul Neely
Ray Chambers
Rob Sabie
Stewart McMillan
Terry Larson
Tom Fieffer
Tom Somers
Dale Lanham
Michael Baird
Ward Barnett
The MAAC Law Enforcement Leadership Team
Staff
Celina Weatherwax currently serves as President of the McMillan Family Foundation. Prior to joining the McMillan Family Foundation, Celina served as founder of her own government and public relations company. Celina has dedicated her life to serving others through various roles. She served as Regional Director for U.S. Senator Richard Lugar for nearly 10 years and later served Congressman Peter Visclosky as his Director of Communications.
“Celina has been an integral part of my team, lending her passion and talents to Hispanic outreach efforts between our office and communities across Indiana and assisting hundreds of Hoosiers,” Sen. Lugar remarked during the National League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) conference in Washington, D.C.
Celina earned her B.A. in 2004 and her M.B.A. in 2011, both from Purdue University North Central.. The Times BusINess magazine named her to its 20 under 40 Class of 2011. In 2014, Celina curated TEDxCountyLineRoad, the first TEDx talk of Northwest Indiana and in 2015, she became a Good Life Awards recipient.
Celina was born in Granada, Nicaragua. In 1987 her family moved to Hobart when she was seven years old to escape the country’s political unrest. Celina learned English through classroom integration and was the first in her family to attend college. Celina currently lives in Chesterton with her husband, Derek.
Ward Barnett currently serves as Academy Director at the Multi Agency Academic Cooperative (MAAC) Foundation. Prior to joining the MAAC Foundation,
Ward served in the USCG after graduating high school and was based at Air Station New Orleans as a Flight Mechanic / EMT. Upon completing his enlistment in 1982 he work with both a private ambulance and hospital based ambulance service while joining the Terrytown Volunteer Fire Department. He became a career firefighter with the New Orleans Fire Department and upon obtaining his associates degree in Fire Science from Delgado Community College in 1988 moved to Stillwater Oklahoma to work on his Bachelor’s Degree. He has spent the majority of his career working in various fire protection roles in industry for a Department of Energy Contractor a Semiconductor Facility before moving to Denver. He spent 15 years at the Denver Refinery in safety and fire protection roles while serving as the Refinery Fire Chief. He was also able to return to the municipal fire service as a member of the South Adams County Volunteer Fire Department that also covered the Refinery and served for 14 years retiring as an Assistant Chief. He moved to Indiana to work at the Refinery in Whiting Indiana in an expanded role before joining the MAAC.
Every role Ward has held has had training as a major component of his responsibility and he has assisted or worked on building various training facilities during his career. He believes a training center is never complete and should always be in a state of construction or improvement to meet the ever changing demands of its mission.
“We are fortunate to have Ward leading the efforts on the MAAC campus. His knowledge and expertise will ensure that this project comes to full fruition,” Founder Stewart McMillan said.
Ward earned his B.S. in 1992 from Oklahoma State University in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology.
Ward currently lives in Portage with his wife, Janet and has two daughters Jennifer and Patrice.
