Meet Our Board Members

Nicole is a founding board member and board president of The Owen News, the first local non-profit newspaper in Indiana. She has been an independent journalist since 2019. She previously worked for several daily newspapers throughout South-Central Indiana. Nicole currently serves as the Region 5 Coordinator for the Society of Professional Journalists. She also served as the national chair for the Generation J Community and as Region 5 Assistant Coordinator.

Ashley Fleetwood is a Bloomington criminal defense attorney representing clients in misdemeanor and felony cases, expunging criminal records, and university discipline hearings. Ashley focuses her work on clients in and around Monroe County, Indiana. Ashley has felony and misdemeanor jury trial experience. She is also an expungement attorney who has represented clients throughout Indiana.

Ashley grew up in Owen County, Indiana, and is a graduate of Owen Valley High School. She holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Indiana University East and earned her J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington. Her passion for justice is rooted in her local community, where she previously worked in the Owen County Prosecutor’s Office in her hometown of Spencer.

Ashley remains actively involved in her community as a Board of Director at the Owen County Community Foundation, a member of Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council (JRAC) Board, and Vice President of the Owen News.

Ashley has been a lifelong resident of Owen County where she still resides with her Husband, Mitch, and two dogs. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, and walking her dogs through downtown Spencer.

Bio coming soon!

Travis worked for seven years as a Staff Writer for a daily community newspaper and served for eight years as Managing Editor for four publications. He is a past recipient of Editor & Publisher Magazine’s ‘Top 25 under 35’ award, the T. Perry Wesley Community Leader of the Year award, and was recognized as an Honorary Chapter Member by the Indiana FFA Association.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors and Journalism Advisory Board for The Owen News, and volunteers as a correspondent for The Owen News.

Travis grew up in Owen County and is a graduate of Owen Valley High School. He later attained a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Western Governors University-Indiana.

Travis currently serves as a Construction Technician for an engineering firm, focusing on drinking water and wastewater projects. He resides in Owen County with his wife, Jill.

Owen County resident Aaron LaGrange has been an administrator at SOCS for almost 20 years and currently serves as assistant principal at Spencer Elementary. In addition, Aaron holds roles as the SOCS Safety Team Director and Community Outreach Liaison overseeing the OV Backpack Buddy program and Student Assistance Fund.  Aaron worked part time as a Certified Police officer for Indiana University for over twenty years and for the last several years has been a reserve deputy for the Owen County Sheriff’s Department helping to support school safety.

Aaron also serves in a variety of roles serving the community including President of the Board of Directors for Sweet Owen Industries, Board member for the Owen County Chamber of Commerce and Board member for Owen County Corrections. Aaron is also a member of the DCS Child Protection Team, the Fetal Infant Mortality Review board.  Aaron also facilitates the local Fraternal Order of Police-Spencer when they hold activities such as Shop With a Cop and is a certified school safety specialist who chairs the County Safe Schools Commission.

Aaron grew up in Jasper, IN and after graduating from Jasper High School attended Vincennes University for Law Enforcement, was a 1997 Graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, attained a BS in Special Education and an MS in Educational Leadership at Indiana University Bloomington.  He has lived in Owen County for over 20 years along with his wife Sarah and two sons Walker and Sawyer.  Aaron has been a past recipient of the Educator of the Year award as well as the Hometown Hero Award through the Owen County Chamber of Commerce.