PRESS RELEASE: Grant County Economic Growth Council Names C. Ted Ward, II Executive Director
Ward, a Grant County native with more than three decades of regional leadership experience, begins his tenure today; outgoing director Chuck Binkerd remains through July 1.
MARION, Ind. | May 18, 2026 — The Grant County Economic Growth Council announced today that C. Ted Ward, II, has been named its next Executive Director, effective May 18, 2026. Ward, who was born and raised in Grant County, spending his formative years in both Marion and Upland, returns to lead the organization after a career building and scaling civic, educational, and workforce development programs across East Central Indiana.
Ward succeeds Chuck Binkerd, who has served as Executive Director since 2024 and will remain with the Growth Council through his retirement on July 1. The two will work in tandem during the transition period.
“Ted brings exactly what this moment calls for. He knows Grant County not as an observer, but as someone who has lived, worked, and invested here. That kind of connection matters deeply in economic development," shared Chuck Binkerd, outgoing Executive Director, Grant County Economic Growth Council.
Ward most recently served as Membership Director for Shafer Leadership Academy in Muncie, where he managed a regional client pipeline, facilitated brand and content strategy, and aligned leadership development programs with workforce retention goals across East Central Indiana. Before that, he spent more than a decade at Ball State University in strategic initiative Executive Director and Director roles with Online and Distance Education, at one point authoring and overseeing a $4.1 million State of Indiana contract for regional education programming and managing a decentralized network of nine statewide locations and more than 100 full-time personnel.
His roots in Grant County run deeper than biography. From 1991 to 2000, Ward served with Grant County Correctional Services as Chief of Services and Support, gaining firsthand knowledge of the county’s governmental and fiscal operations early in his career. He holds a Master of Science in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion. He has served as an adjunct instructor in management and entrepreneurship at Ball State’s Miller College of Business since 2008.
In recent years, Ward has been active in regional civic life, serving mayoral appointments on both the Muncie Economic Development Commission and the East Central Indiana Regional Planning District. He has also served on the executive board of the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce and as board president of Light Their Path Ministries, Inc.
“Returning to my home community to lead the Growth Council is a profound honor. My roots in Grant County run deep, as my family’s history is built on the manufacturing industry, and I carry the values of hard work I learned growing up into the office and out in the community every day,” C. Ted Ward, II, incoming Executive Director, Grant County Economic Growth Council.
Ward’s appointment comes as the Growth Council marks its 41st year of operation. Since its founding in 1985, the organization has been named a Top Ten Local Development Group by Site Selection magazine three times. It has helped facilitate nearly $3 billion in investment in Grant County. The Growth Council serves as the county’s primary economic development organization, working with existing businesses, prospective investors, municipal leaders, and community partners to advance job creation, workforce development, and quality-of-place initiatives across Grant County.
About the Grant County Economic Growth Council
Headquartered at 315 S. Adams St. in Marion, Indiana, the Grant County Economic Growth Council works to advance economic opportunities in Grant County by supporting business attraction, expansion, workforce development, and strategic community partnerships that strengthen the local economy. For more information, visit grantcounty.com or call (765) 662-0650.