Ports of Indiana Names Peacock as New CEO

Ports of Indiana has named Jody Peacock as the new chief executive officer for the statewide port authority which operates three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. The action was approved during today’s meeting of the Ports of Indiana Commission. Peacock has served in various leadership positions for the Ports of Indiana since 2001 and he most recently was senior vice president for business development. Peacock succeeds Vanta E. Coda II, who served as CEO from 2018 to 2022.

“We are extremely pleased to name Jody as Ports of Indiana’s new CEO,” said Commission Chairman Micah Vincent. “Jody’s extensive experience, customer-focused vision and deep understanding of the organization’s economic development mission make him uniquely well qualified for this role. We thank Vanta for his past service and leadership, and we look forward to a bright future as we strive to grow our state port system.”

During his 22 years with Ports of Indiana, Peacock helped develop multiple strategic plans and business initiatives that reshaped the bipartisan port authority from a small government-funded agency to a self-funded, entrepreneurial enterprise that has achieved record growth under five Governors. Peacock led business development efforts to attract millions of dollars in private investment to Indiana’s ports, expand the state’s foreign-trade zone and financing programs, and secure multiple federal grants for new infrastructure projects. Prior to his current role, Peacock spent more than 10 years directing the organization’s communications, marketing, government relations, corporate affairs and foreign-trade zone program.

“It’s a great honor to be asked by our Commission to lead an organization that has been such a big part of my life for more than 20 years,” Peacock said. “I am immensely proud to be part of the Ports of Indiana team and to share in our past success, but as I look to the future, I am even more excited to build on the relationships we have formed with our customers, our industry partners and community leaders to increase the contributions our ports make to Indiana’s economy.”  

Peacock has previously received appointments by three Indiana Governors to serve on two binational Great Lakes boards that have established new regional economic and environmental policies, and by Governor Holcomb to the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund Committee to oversee distribution of Indiana’s Volkswagen settlement.

Peacock grew up on a farm in Union City, Ind., and earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University Kelley School of Business and bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University. He lives in northwest Indianapolis with his wife, Dr. Orla Hart, a biochemistry professor at Purdue University, and their two children.

“The Ports of Indiana is made up of a great team of professionals, world-class companies and one of the most well-connected inland port systems in the country,” Peacock said. “We offer ocean access at the Crossroads of America in one of the most business-friendly states in the country, which is truly unique value proposition for multimodal companies.”