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Randall Flagg calls Inroads Indiana Inc. the "best-kept secret" in the state's business community.
Flagg, who became managing director of the organization's Indiana branch a year ago, is "on a mission to re-create the new Inroads of Indiana."
Inroads' aim through its internship program is to provide the business community with top-quality minority management candidates, Flagg said.
Inroads started in Chicago in 1970 with 25 interns and 17 sponsoring companies. The organization has grown to 52 affiliates throughout the United States and has international chapters in Mexico City, Toronto and Johannesburg.
Inroads now develops more than 6,500 high school and college students a year through training and internships with more than 950 corporations, Flagg said.
The Princeton Review called Inroads one of the nations' top 10 internship programs.
But in Indiana, Inroads isn't growing as Flagg hoped. Although it has been in the state since 1987, it has only 61 interns placed with 35 central Indiana corporations this year. Inroads Indiana peaked at 72 interns placed in 1996.
Companies using Inroads interns include Eli Lilly and Co., USA Group, Lincoln National Life Insurance Co;, Lucent Technologies, IBM, Duke Realty, AT&T and Arthur Andersen.
Flagg said that, based on other Midwest Inroads branches, Indianapolis should have at least twice that many interns.
Inroads chapters in Cincinnati, Milwaukee and St. Louis have 150 to 200 interns each, he said.
Flagg admitted that part of the problem with Inroads Indiana has been marketing.
"Most people think of us...