Staff
Jessica Love, Executive Director
Jessica joined RIPEA as Executive Director in February 2023. Prior to joining RIPEA, she was employed for more than 12 years by Prosperity Indiana, most recently as Executive Director since March 2018. Prior to Prosperity Indiana, the state association for community economic development, Jessica worked with units of local goverment and the Area Agency on Aging in a multi-county service territory in and around Montgomery, Alabama, for over eight years. In her roles at South Central Alabama Development Commission, she provided planning services and community and economic development project development and management for SCADC members. An Alabama native, Jessica has a journalism degree from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, and worked for The Selma Times-Journal in Selma, Alabama, upon graduation.
Dianna Casteel, Office Manager
Dianna has worked in industrial sales, purchasing agent as well as administrative assistant in several private companies. Dianna started with RIPEA as a part-time employee in June 1996. She started full time in June 2001.
Bethiah Casteel, Database & Communications Coordinator
Bethiah joined RIPEA as a part-time administrative assistant in June 2018. She assumed the role of Database & Communications Coordinator in January 2025 to better serve members through the new GrowthZone membership portal.
Donna Feller, Administrative Assistant
Donna previously worked in banking for 12 years, in addition to working as a substitute teacher and for many private companies before joining RIPEA. Donna started with RIPEA as part-time employee in October 2005. She started working full-time for RIPEA in July 2010. Donna performs a variety of administrative and customer service tasks to support the association, insurance trust and foundation.
Desiree Harrison, Member Success Manager
Desiree previously worked for the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors (MIBOR) as membership manager. She joined RIPEA in January 2025 to establish a membership onboarding process and help implement member engagement strategies to ensure members maximize their benefits. She will also serve as the consultant for the Insurance Trustees going forward.
Bill Murphy, Insurance Consultant
Bill was employed for 18 years with the Public Employees Retirement Fund. He was also an employee of the Bank One Investment Management Company for 19 years. While still an employee of Bank One, Bill became Director of RIPEA in 1979 and served in that capacity until February 2023. Following his retirement as Executive Director, Bill is now acting as a consultant for the Insurance Trustees.
Aaron Tellez, Engagement & Development Manager
Aaron was previously responsible for outreach and pipeline development for another member organization. He has also worked in compliance for a health insurance company, served as policy coordinator for legislation affecting Medicare, and acted as political campaign field organizer. Aaron earned both his BS in Criminal Justice, Emergency Management & Homeland Security and his MA in Political Science from Ball State University. He began in his role with RIPEA in May 2024.
Consultants
Lauren Box, Lobbyist
Lauren Box is an attorney and lobbyist with Barnes & Thornburg. She worked on RIPEA's policy issues in tandem with RIPEA's previous lobbyist Joe Loftus for a couple of years ahead of his retirement.
