Brad Monts is president/CEO of Hoosier Heartland State Bank. When not working, he enjoys doing projects around the house, as well as boating, golfing and traveling. Monts has lived in Montgomery County for 42 years.
When asked what song makes him get up and dance, Brad says that he doesn’t really normally dance, but that he “will do anything for a great cause.” Karen, his wife of 30 years, is a school librarian at Walnut Elementary, who loves to work with kids and help them find a love of reading. They have two adult children. Taylor, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Brooke, who lives in Carlsbad, California. Monts said that even though their kids live on either side of the country, it gives them great places to visit.
Monts is participating in Dancing with the Montgomery County Stars because supporting youth organizations is important to him.
“After serving 18 years on the South Montgomery School Board, this gives me a great way to continue supporting our local youth,” he said.
Monts believes the public should support him and his partner, Katie Wallace, because it is an entertaining evening and a great way to support local youth. He asks everyone to attend or even donate to the YSB as “we work hard to provide some entertainment and probably a few missed steps on my part.”
Wallace, a retiree from Putnam County, has participated in Dancing with the Montgomery Stars for two years. She has five adult children, 13 grandchildren and a great-grandson. She loves watching her grandchildren participate in basketball, football, track and field and competitive dance.
In her spare time, Wallace enjoys taking private and group ballroom dance lessons. Her oldest daughter is a ballroom instructor. For the past 20 years she has done Middle Eastern Dance and performed at three Greek restaurants in downtown Indianapolis. She taught, choreographed and traveled to several states “meeting the best musicians and dancers in the business.”
Big Band music is Wallace’s favorite genre of music. She lists Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, as well as Bruno Mars, MJ, Shakira as artists she loves. Her favorite genre of dance is Foxtrot followed by Rumba and West Coast Swing.
Wallace participates in Dancing with the Montgomery County Stars because many years ago as a young mother she needed help and there were people who helped her get through a rough time, so she wants to pay it forward.
She believes the public should come to the event because “each star is so special and always willing to raise a lot of money and then dance in front of an audience of 800 people. The cheers, support from family and friends for each star is awesome. I love it and that’s why I love participating in this event.”
