Frederick D. Payne

DWD Commissioner

Fred Payne joined the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) in December 2017, as Commissioner, after being appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb.  The Commissioner serves as DWD’s Chief Executive.

Mr. Payne came to DWD from Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN), as Chief Administrator where he was responsible for the Business Division, which consisted of all support functions including Legal, IT, Accounting/Finance, Planning, Corporate Affairs, Facilities, Administration and Inclusion & Diversity.  Mr. Payne was one of three senior and executive leaders on the Company Operating Committee responsible for overall operations. During his time at HMIN, Mr. Payne served in a variety of leadership roles, including, General Counsel, Secretary and Compliance Officer, as well as representing HMIN across North America on the Retirement & 401(k) Committee and Inclusion Committee.

In addition to his leadership roles, Mr. Payne is credited with starting the following foundational processes and units at HMIN:  Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and the Office of Inclusion & Diversity 

Prior to Honda, Mr. Payne was in private practice representing employers in employment and labor law matters before federal & state courts and governmental/administrative agencies throughout the U.S. such as the National Labor Relations Board, civil rights commissions,  and the Department of Labor. 

Mr. Payne is a member of the board of directors for the IndyEleven Foundation, Honda Federal Credit Union, and Indianapolis Urban League. 

He is a graduate of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Grambling State University. 

Josh Richardson

Chief of Staff / Administration

Josh Richardson serves as the Chief of Staff with the Department of Workforce Development. He returned to DWD in March of 2018, having previously served the agency in various capacities in the administrations of Governors Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence.

Most recently, Mr. Richardson worked for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ Integrity Center where advised state agencies on various methods to reduce fraud and improper payments in their unemployment insurance systems. Previously, he served as the Director of Indiana’s Unemployment Insurance System, and in Governor Mitch Daniels’ administration as a Policy Director.

Mr. Richardson was raised in Blackford County, Indiana and graduated from Ball State University, and the McKinney School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Indiana. 

Mike Barnes

Chief Workforce Officer

Michael Barnes is Chief Workforce Officer at the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. He’s earned both a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Masters of Business Administration.

In addition, Michael has been a certified Project Manager and is a six sigma black belt. Prior to joining the state in 2009, he worked in private industry for more than 20 years, including in operations management for a Fortune 50 transportation company. He then helped lead an Indiana-based business, which in three years grew from $14 million in annual sales to $180 million and employing more than 4,500 employees in the manufacturing services industry.

His work has been recognized in the BKD Indiana Quality Improvement award. Michael served as Chairman for the Governor’s Health Workforce Council from 2015 to 2018. He also sits on the board of a local charitable organization.

Regina Ashley

Chief Unemployment Insurance and Workforce Solutions Officer

Regina Ashley provides leadership, management and vision to DWD’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) team. Ms. Ashley has also served as Chief Workforce Officer, Interim DWD Commissioner, Chief Strategy Officer and Associate Chief Operations Officer of Policy prior to moving to her current role.

Prior to DWD, Ms. Ashley worked for the Indiana Department of Child Services for eight years, first as Deputy General Counsel and then as Deputy Director of Placement Support and Compliance, where she was responsible for ensuring the safety of over 10,000 children placed in out-of-home care. Prior to joining state government, Ms. Ashley served as a Commissioner for the Marion County Superior Court, Juvenile Division and worked as a civil litigation associate for law firms in Indianapolis, Chicago and St. Louis.

Ms. Ashley grew up in Indianapolis. She received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University and her law degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Indiana. 

Darrel Zeck

Executive Director of Indiana’s Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship

Darrel Zeck is the Executive Director of Indiana’s Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship. Previously, he served as Vice President of Stark Industries, an aerospace manufacturing company, in Terre Haute. Before joining Stark, Mr. Zeck served as the Director of Operations and Development for the Terre Haute International Airport and, prior to that, as the Director of Public Affairs and Intergovernmental Affairs for the City of Terre Haute, where his duties included public outreach, operational planning, government relations, and economic development.

Appointed by Gov. Mike Pence in 2014, and reappointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb, Mr. Zeck served as a State Trustee for Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana where he held the positions of board secretary and chairman of the Workforce Alignment Committee. On a national level, he was a member of the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee for the Association of Community College Trustees, and has also served on various community and professional boards.

In addition to being a pilot for more than 25 years, he is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he worked with Air Force One and other special operations missions. Most recently, he worked in command and control with the 181st Intelligence Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard. 

Beth Green

General Counsel

As General Counsel for the Department of Workforce Development, Elizabeth Green leads and directs DWD’s Legal Division in providing agency-wide legal advice and representation.  Ms. Green also serves as the Ethics Officer for DWD.

Prior to joining DWD, Ms. Green spent twelve years in private practice at Riley Bennett Egloff LLP focusing on transactional work and commercial litigation. Ms. Green was a candidate for vacancies on the Indiana Supreme Court in 2016 and again in 2017, when she was named as a semi-finalist.

Born and raised in eastern Canada, Ms. Green received her B.A. in Psychology from Marshall University, and graduated cum laude from Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Ms. Green is a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association, having been recognized as an Indianapolis Bar Foundation Distinguished Fellow.  She currently serves on the IndyBar’s Professionalism Committee. Ms. Green is also active as a community volunteer.