Joan Blackwell

Joan serves as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and works out of the company’s Indianapolis Office.

As Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Joan leads efforts to strengthen the organization through strategic hiring, partner development, and scalable onboarding and training programs. She also supports effective governance, streamlines operational processes, and provides oversight of external consultants to ensure alignment, accountability, and successful execution across the company.

Before joining Latitude, she was General Counsel, Ethics Officer, and Chief of Staff for the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. Prior to her work at the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, Joan was an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg, LLP where she was a member of the Finance, Insolvency and Restructuring Department. She also previously served as staff attorney to the Honorable Frank J. Otte of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Her legal career started at the firm Kroger, Gardis & Regasas where she was an associate. She practiced in the areas of commercial bankruptcy law and business litigation.

Joan earned her B.A. from Indiana University Bloomington and a J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. She is an adjunct professor for IU McKinney where she has taught secured transactions for more than 10 years.

Active in the community in both civic and professional organizations, Joan is a member of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, the Indianapolis Bar Association and the Sagamore American Inn of Court. Her family was instrumental in the formation of the International School of Indiana, which has been in operation for more than 25 years. She also chaired the Heartland International Film Festival awards program and was an active volunteer at her children’s schools.

Joan and her husband Tom enjoy traveling, cooking and hiking. They have four children and live in Zionsville, Indiana, with their two dogs.