Mike Furnish, Director
Mike Furnish served as the President and CEO of Special Olympics Indiana headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana between 2007 and 2018. Special Olympics is a not-for-profit organization that provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
He started volunteering for Special Olympics in 1973 as a student in college. After 16 years as a volunteer, coach, and local program coordinator he was hired to work in the state headquarters of the organization. Between 1990 and 2007, Mike oversaw the delivery of program services during a time when participation grew statewide by nearly 20%.
Along the way, Furnish played a significant role at the national and international level of Special Olympics having served as a member of Unified Sports, Athlete Leadership, and World Games committees. He also served for 6 years as the chair of the United States Leadership Council.