Indiana University Speakers’ Biographies

Major General Dennis J. Laich (Ret.)

Major General Dennis Laich was commissioned through Army ROTC at Lafayette College, Easton Pennsylvania, in 1971. He served in a variety of command and staff assignments primarily in Military Police, Transportation, and logistics units. The last 14 consecutive years of his 35 years of service were in command positions at the full Colonel through two star level including joint command, culminating in command of the 94th Regional Readiness Command at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

He is a graduate of the US Army War College, the Command and General Staff College, and the Program for National and International Security Studies at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. His civilian education includes a bachelors degree from Lafayette College and masters degrees from West Virginia University and Saint Francis University. His military awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Joint Meritorious Service Medal.

Major General Laich's civilian career was spent in manufacturing and finance assignments as president, chief operating officer, and plant manager with several large and mid-cap private and publicaly held companies. Major General Laich, and his wife Colleen, live in Columbus, Ohio, and have two grown children.

Major General Laich is a member of SLDN's Military Advisory Council. His personal blog can be found here.

Misty Mercer

Misty Mercer graduated magna cum laude from Indiana State University in 2004 with a major in Cross-Linguistics. Using her knowledge of other cultures, she traveled to Kenya and then to China, where she worked as a social studies teacher. Misty's experiences abroad helped her to choose a career in the law. She is currently a third-year student at Indiana University--Maurer School of Law where she is president of OUTlaw, the student group for LGBT students and those interested in LGBT legal issues. 

Garrett Webb

Garrett Webb is a Democratic Party activist, serving in a variety of capacities at the local, state, and federal level. A former Special Assistant in the office of Senator Evan Bayh, Webb served as liaison to the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, a committee with direct oversight of military readiness, logistics, training and defense department property management. Recognized as a "Rising Star" by Politics and Campaigns magazine in 2009, Webb specializes in grassroots organizing and political communication. An Eagle Scout, Webb attended Manchester College in Indiana and serves as Vice Chairman of the United State Senate Youth Program Alumni Association in addition to serving on the boards of several non-profit organizations in Indiana.