Hoback to kick off 2013-14 Speakers Series on Sept. 19 at Ivy Tech

Thomas Hoback

Thomas Hoback, founder, president and chief executive officer of the Indiana Rail Road Co., will kick off the 2013-14 Speakers Series at the Ivy Tech Community College Business and Entrepreneurial Services (BES) Center at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19.

A reception will follow from 6-7 p.m. The Speakers Series is free and open to the public. Ivy Tech and the BES Center are located at 915 S. Zinc Mill Rd. in Greencastle.

Since its founding in 1986, the Indiana Rail Road Co. has experienced sustained growth year after year of nearly 13 percent. The Indianapolis-based company spans 500 miles with routes from Chicago to Indianapolis, Louisville and central Illinois.

A native of Peoria, Hoback first acquired the Illinois Central railroad line, then acquired the Indiana assets of the Canadian Pacific Railway to build his regional railroad.

In addition to his highly successful railroad venture, Hoback serves on the Indiana Historical Society board of trustees, having served as its chairman from 2008 to 2011. Through the Historical Society, he co-founded the Midwest Railroad Research Center in 1997.

He is also active on the boards of directors for the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and the John W. Barringer III National Railroad Library at the University of Missouri. He serves on the editorial advisory board for Railroad History magazine.

The Speakers Series is presented by Ivy Tech. Hoback's presentation is sponsored by Greencastle railroad enthusiasts and historians Victor and Linda Hunter.

For more information about the Speakers Series and other activities and services of the BES Center, persons may contact Ken Eitel by phone at 653-7410 x5031, by email at keitel@ivytech.edu, or visit the website at www.IvyTech.edu/BES.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited state-wide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually with campuses throughout Indiana.