Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum President Joe Hale announced new senior leadership within the Museum. Mandi Bender and Jason Vansickle received promotions to Vice President, and Kara Kovert Pray joined the staff at the Vice President level.
“I am excited to introduce our new senior leadership structure within the Museum,” said Hale. “Having this team in place is key in our plans to grow our visitation and offer our guests unique exhibitions that celebrate the many facets of racing and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
Mandi Bender has been promoted to Vice President of Operations after joining the Museum as Director of Guest Experience and Events in March 2021. Bender will manage the day-to-day functioning of the Museum, including guest services, ticketing, events, and visitor amenities. Additionally, Bender will supervise the Museum’s support services and maintenance and serve as a primary liaison with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Before joining the museum staff, Bender served in leadership roles at event and brand agencies and sports marketing firms in Indianapolis.
Jason Vansickle has been promoted to Vice President of Curation and Education. Vansickle has been with the Museum since 2011, having served in numerous roles most recently as Curator since 2018. Vansickle is leading the charge with new exhibition creation and content development designed with visitation growth in mind. He will continue to oversee the collection, restoration department, and work to develop the Museum’s educational programming.
Kara Kovert Pray was hired as Vice President of Marketing and Communications on February 7. Kovert Pray was most recently at Newfields as the Director of Marketing, overseeing all marketing efforts for the Museum, including “Winterlights” and “THE LUME Indianapolis.” Prior to Newfields, she worked at the Indiana Sports Corp as Director of Marketing & Public Relations. Kovert Pray will oversee all marketing and communication efforts for the Museum, including press coverage, advertising, and overall marketing strategy.
Part of the plans to increase repeat visitation by guests and members includes increasing the number of exhibitions produced each year and content focusing on people’s connections to racing beyond the cars and drivers. In 2022, five new exhibitions are planned, with the first two, “Traditions” and “IN-Focus,” recently opening to the public. “Traditions” explores the many rituals and customs associated with the month of May, while “IN-Focus” is a showcase of photography captured by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Photo Department and the stories behind the images.
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