Ball Brothers Foundation Welcomes 2025 Fellows in Program’s 20th Year
Ball Brothers Foundation is pleased to welcome two new Fellows for 2025: Missy Modesitt, Executive Director of Muncie BY5, and Joy Rediger, Executive Director of Urban Light Community Development.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Ball Brothers Foundation Fellows Program, which was born from a conversation in the early 2000s between staff at Foellinger Foundation, a private foundation in Ft. Wayne and Ball Brothers Foundation. That initial convening brought together 16 nonprofit leaders from Muncie and Fort Wayne, who expressed a desire for deeper understanding of foundations and more space to reflect on the challenges of nonprofit leadership. The Fellows Program was designed in direct response—a way to give selected nonprofit leaders a nine-month opportunity to do just that.
Each year, the program provides two nonprofit leaders in East Central Indiana with an immersive experience focused on two-way dialogue with foundation staff. Fellows meet monthly with Ball Brothers Foundation team members from April through December. These face-to-face conversations offer a unique opportunity to gain insight into the foundation world, learn from peers, and offer candid feedback on pressing community needs.
The Fellows Program continues to be a part of Ball Brothers Foundation’s long-standing commitment to investing in local leadership.
Meet our 2025 Fellows:
Missy Modesitt
Executive Director, Muncie BY5
Missy Modesitt began serving as Executive Director of Muncie BY5—a local nonprofit dedicated to improving kindergarten readiness—in 2018. She holds a B.S. in Child Psychology and Special Education from Purdue University and a master’s degree in Special Education from Ball State University. Missy began her career as a special education teacher, working with students from PreK through 8th grade. Her work later expanded into national education consulting with Pearson Learning Group, where she shared best practices with schools across the country. Before leading BY5, she served as Executive Director of the New Castle Henry County Chamber of Commerce, bringing with her a well-rounded understanding of business, marketing, and community collaboration.
Reflecting on her selection as a Fellow, Missy shared her gratitude: “Personally, it’s such an honor to join the Fellows Program. Professionally, it’s incredibly meaningful. The recognition from Ball Brothers Foundation adds legitimacy to the work we’re doing at BY5 and builds on years of strong partnership with the foundation. I’m looking forward to learning more about grantmaking and getting a behind-the-scenes look at how funding decisions are made.”
Joy Rediger
Executive Director, Urban Light Community Development
Joy Rediger has served as Executive Director of Urban Light Community Development for 8 years. A resident of the South Central neighborhood, Joy has lived in Muncie for over two decades and is deeply invested in the community she calls home. Under her leadership, Urban Light Community Development has grown from a grassroots effort into a neighborhood-based nonprofit with three areas of focus: housing revitalization, neighborhood engagement, and recovery support for women through its Lighthouse Recovery Home program.
Her career began in social work, with experience in group homes and homeless outreach. She joined Urban Light CDC as its first executive director after years of community involvement and relationship-building on the ground. “I started as just a neighbor who cared,” Joy shared. “That’s what makes this work meaningful—it’s deeply personal.”
Joy views her participation in the Fellows Program as a chance to grow professionally and further strengthen her organization. “It’s an incredible opportunity to learn more about nonprofit management, leadership, and what’s happening regionally and across the state,” she said.
Learn more about Ball Brother Foundation’s Fellows Program at https://www.ballfdn.org/fellows-program.
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About Ball Brothers Foundation
Ball Brothers Foundation is one of the state’s oldest and largest family foundations. Annually, the foundation pays out more than $8 million in grants to support arts and culture, education, the environment, health, human services, and public affairs. The Muncie-based private foundation gives priority to projects and programs that improve the quality of life in the foundation’s home city, county, and state.