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“The organization has an open, participatory style of management and leadership that includes individuals at all levels of the organization in planning and decision making. The organization’s staff and administration are enthusiastic and highly trained. The diversity of skills and management styles has created a team that works very well together. Each has a role to play and plays it well. The organization’s human resource culture has been that of servant leadership.”
—As stated in the CARF Survey Accreditation Report regarding RVR management.
RVR was founded in 1990 by Don Richardson and Margo Olson. The current Executive Management Team is led by Ms. Olson, Acting Executive Director.
FOUNDERS
 Don Richardson, RVR Co-founder, is known in Indiana and beyond for his innovative leadership in Welfare-to-Work and workforce development, impeccable financial management of multi-fund sources, commitment to staff training and development, and his uncanny ability to reach across longstanding institutional and "turf" barriers to meet human and community service needs.
In any endeavor, he works to make "winners" of all players. This collaborative spirit has resulted in leveraging resources; minimizing competition, duplication, and fragmentation; and maximizing efficiencies to provide optimal service to people needing assistance.
Don holds a B.S. in Psychology from Eastern Kentucky University and an M.S. in Philosophy and Education, University of Dayton.
He was recruited by then-Governor Bob Orr to develop, from scratch, the statewide Dislocated Worker program, a project which was eventually a regional, then a national model. He was recruited by IUPUI to serve as statewide Director for Family Services, focusing on training rural health officers on effective (best practices) communication to reduce teen pregnancies and improve health of newborns.
Several years ago, then-Governor, now U.S. Senator Evan Bayh, recruited Don to serve as Deputy Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. His specific objective was de-fragmenting job training, the Job Service, Unemployment Insurance and a dozen other programs into a unified, integrated customer-driven system.
He has been a member of and frequent speaker/presenter to regional, state, and national organizations. Don is currently Executive Director of Worksights, Inc.
 Margo Olson, Co-founder and Acting Executive Director of RVR. She is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) as designated by the American Compensation Association. She manages RVR’s personnel program, supervises benefits administration, staff training, and management information. Margo manages the procurement process and negotiates service contracts with professional providers. She has planned and coordinated regional and statewide conferences. She is knowledgeable of federal laws and regulations governing workforce-related programs and consistently, on a daily basis, is the major RVR problem-solver and decision-maker.
Margo holds a B.A. from Indiana State University and an M.S. in Consumer Economics, also from ISU.
margo@rivervalleyresources.com
RVR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Margo Olson, Co-founder and Acting Executive Director of RVR.
R. Mark Smith, Controller, joined RVR in 2000. He studied finance and accounting at Indiana University/Purdue University and has significant financial services experience in both the public and private sectors. Mark also serves as Regional Supervisor of RVR’s Child Care Development Fund program.
Helen Johnson, Deputy Director, is a longtime member of the RVR Management Team, having been Director of Operations and Director of IMPACT and Youth Services. She previously was employed for many years by the state agency now known as the Indiana Dept. of Workforce Development. Helen is certified as a Global Career Development Facilitator.
Molly Dodge, Deputy Director, has been employed by RVR since 2007. She was previously Director of External Relations for the Rivers Institute at Hanover College and a consultant for Woodburn, Kyle & Company. Molly has a B.A. from Hanover College, an M.A. in Philanthropic Studies and a Master of Public Administration, Nonprofit Management Concentration, from Indiana University-Purdue University.
Elaina Freeman, Director of Disability Services, joined RVR in 2001 after serving as Employment Services Coordinator for the Scott County (IN) Partnership. She was previously employed by Bridgepointe Center as Career Development Coordinator. Elaina has a B.A. from Indiana University.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The members of the RVR Board of Directors bring diverse backgrounds to their board roles of oversight and policy-making for the organization.
- Merritt Alcorn, Chair, attorney with the Madison law firm Alcorn Goering, & Sage, LLP
- Toni Collins, Secretary-Treasurer, former Vice President and Wealth Management Officer, MainSource Bank
- Nancy Bear, Educator
- Bob Hoffman, Connersville, former State Representative, 55th District
- The Rev. Richard Draper, Rector, Christ Episcopal Church, Madison
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Merritt Alcorn
Chair
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Toni Collins
Secretary-Treasurer
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Nancy Bear
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Richard Draper
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Bob Hoffman
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