Another trustee leaves Newfields' board as 2 more join

Jason Noyan has become the sixth member to resign from Newfields' Board of Trustees since the fall. Noyan confirmed Wednesday to IndyStar that he had left his post but did not comment beyond that.

A Newfields spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the departure as well as two trustee additions — updates that occurred Dec. 22. Joining the board are Leon Jackson, CEO of Diversity in Leadership, and Robert Scheele, who's listed as a vice president and wealth management adviser at Merrill Lynch, according to LinkedIn.

Scheele previously served on the Board of Governors and continues to hold a position on it, according to Newfields' website.

Noyan's resignation is the latest in a series of such announcements from both Newfields boards. Since October, the Board of Trustees has lost six members, and the associate Board of Governors has lost four. Most have left after the unexplained Nov. 10 departure of CEO and president Colette Pierce Burnette.

Noyan, an executive director in the Indianapolis office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, was part of the inaugural Board of Governors that was announced in 2018, and he later joined the Board of Trustees.

Who else has departed Newfields:Here are the board members who have left Newfields — and what they've said about it

His arts community work includes serving on the boards of the Indy Arts Council and Discovering Broadway. He is from Omaha, Nebraska, and attended Indiana University.

Previous trustee resignations include Sherron Rogers, chief financial officer of Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital; Sean Huddleston, president of Martin University and former chair of Newfields' Community Advisory Committee; Adrienne Sims, chief human resources officer for Indiana University Health; Gary Hirschberg, CEO of Aaron Wealth Advisors; and Otto Frenzel IV, president of the Indiana War Memorials Foundation.

Of them, only Huddleston has provided public comment. In a statement sent to IndyStar, he said, in part: "With Dr. Burnette’s untimely departure, I feel that my time now needs to be spent focusing on how Martin (and others who may wish to partner with us) can continue that work and further any progress that has been achieved."

Jackson will be the new chair of the Community Advisory Committee, according to Newfields.

Noting that it does not discuss details of internal employment matters, Newfields has neither released the reason for Burnette's departure nor whether she resigned or was terminated. The Board of Trustees on Nov. 21 released a statement that said it was not able to say more about the leadership transition but remained committed to earning the community's trust and developing programs.

Burnette has declined to comment when reached by IndyStar.

On Dec. 4, four members of Newfields' associate Board of Governors also resigned. They are Ganggang co-founder Malina Simone Bacon; Chris Gahl, the executive vice president of Visit Indy; Isaac Bamgbose, founder and CEO of New City Development; and Barry Wormser, principal attorney of Wormser Legal.

After CEO's abrupt exit:4 Newfields governors resign; one describes 'siloed approach'

The Board of Governors is tasked with community advocacy as well as some programming and events. It's non-governing, which means that it does not have official decision-making authority over the nonprofit's affairs. It also serves as a pipeline of potential leaders for the Board of Trustees and internal committees.

The former governors who explained the reasons behind their individual decisions cited a lack of opportunities to lead, be part of strategic decisions and carry out positive change.

Newfields has confirmed all of the board resignations but has not provided reasons for them.

Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.