With heavy hearts, we are deeply saddened to share of the passing of Amie Roach, our Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. She dedicated 25 years to the company and helped shape Lochmueller Group into what it is today. Although no words can fully encapsulate the legacy that Amie left behind, some of her closest friends and colleagues reflected on their friendships as a tribute.
Becky Zimmer – Former Principal, Controller
I first met Amie when I interviewed her for a Staff Accountant position back in December of 1998. She had just graduated from USI with a degree in Accounting. When I told her we needed the position filled as soon as possible, she offered to work part-time for a couple of weeks to become familiar with our system but felt obligated to give a two-week notice to her current employer. There was just something about her that impressed me. In January 1999, she began full-time. I observed this exceptional young lady as she performed her day-to-day tasks with ease. Her technical abilities were extraordinary from the beginning. She mastered the old software system effortlessly, and when we upgraded to the new Windows version, she managed that conversion with skill and determination. Under pressure and time constraints she never let me down.
As with any close business relationship, we grew to respect and challenge each other over the years. We attended many conferences, seminars, employee meetings, etc. She was instrumental in providing the data and information needed to facilitate the Strategic Planning processes. She provided Project Management training for the various discipline managers and staffs, as well as monthly financial updates to the Board of Directors. We were a well-oiled machine when the annual INDOT Overhead Rate Audit was conducted. Amie provided the information, and I would provide the explanations for any questions asked. Eventually she handled the whole thing.
We shared not only the everyday business experiences and decisions but confided in each other regarding our personal lives as well. When her daughter Karlie was born, I remember she called me to let me know she was going into the hospital for the delivery. A few hours later, she called and said, “We have another baby girl.” I said, “Where are you?” and she replied, “In the recovery room.” We celebrated many good times. One of my favorites was when just the two of us went to lunch every year on her birthday; she liked to go to Rafferty’s outdoor deck. When she married Chris, they had a lovely reception at the VFW. I was thrilled to see her so happy and content. We also supported each other in the sad and difficult times, like when she lost her cousin, Dad, Grandfather, Grandmother, and when I lost my parents. When I had breast cancer, she was there to comfort me and offered prayers for me. When I found out about her cancer and continuing fight, I offered prayers for her every day as well.
Over the years, I watched her grow and mature into one of the most talented and respected individuals I will ever know. Amie always admitted and learned from her mistakes. She tried and succeeded in reaching goals, taking chances, and looking forward to the next challenge. She studied hard and received her CMA and CSCA certifications. In February 2022, she sent me an e-mail regarding her promotion to Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She thought I “might feel proud to have been a HUGE part in her success that continues today.” She thanked me for my “unwavering support over the years!” My reply was, “Congratulations. It was my pleasure to work with you and watch your progress over the years. You have earned your place in a great company. So thrilled for your success. Way to go Amie!”
She was amazingly talented professionally, strong, loyal, and fiercely devoted to her family and friends. I am humbled that all those years ago, I gave this remarkable woman a job, and she exceeded every expectation I had for her and then some. She deserves so much credit for the continued success of Lochmueller Group. When I retired, I felt proud to hand over the reins to my dear colleague and friend.
Jason DuPont – Director of Environmental Services
I started at BLA just a few months after Amie, and our careers have paralleled one another from then on. I am not sure what the first question was that introduced me to Amie, but I do know that she had the answer. That theme continued. Any time I had a question, Amie had the answer. It didn’t matter what the issue was or who was involved, she always had the answer.
Those answers always helped me grow as a professional and as a person, and for that, I cannot thank her enough. I am not sure that I can identify a specific event, but my fondest memories of Amie were of her infectious laugh. It frequently came along with those answers in some fashion, and it always brought a smile to my face and still does.
Mike Hinton – Executive Chairman & Former Chief Executive Officer
In spite of indescribable pain and indignity by a monstrously nasty and unfair disease, Amie prevailed. Her unflagging faith, hope, and determination were her own Psalm expressed lovingly for those of us who cared for her and followed her heart-breaking but also inspirational journey. It would be inaccurate if I accidentally inferred that these traits of bravery and tenacity were unique to Amie’s end-of-life experience. Anyone who knew Amie recognized that she was a woman of boundless energy, purpose, and talent well before cancer cruelly tested her resolve.
Upon joining what was then Bernardin, Lochmueller, and Associates in 2006, I committed to Keith Lochmueller that I would visit with all of the company’s 100 or so employees and I would identify the “sheep” who could propel the company forward, as well as any “goats” who would impede its progress. Early in my interviews, I encountered the irrepressible and impressive Amie Roach buried in the Accounting department. I remember meeting with Keith at the end of that day when I asked him to tell me about “the little fireball of a woman with the Minnie Mouse voice who knows more about our financial systems than anyone.” I learned that she was an accounting graduate who had persevered in spite of some early tough circumstances. It was clear to me that she was not just a “sheep”, but she was one of the most precious jewels in our company. Given just the slightest encouragement, she excelled. She readily accepted the challenge to develop a deeply functional financial measurement and management system, which our company desperately needed. Her positive attitude and spirited enthusiasm for problem solving led her growth from staff accountant to a top-rate CFO and key member of the company’s executive suite. It is not an overstatement to say that Amie was the lynchpin for the company’s most consequential ventures – software conversions, project management protocols, rationalizing health benefit expenses, and most importantly, managing our transition to an employee-owned company.
Her contribution to Lochmueller Group is incalculable and her legacy is undeniable. She is truly loved by all who knew her – not just for what she did, but more importantly for how she did it. Thinking of Amie, I am reminded of the eloquent words which the Wizard of Oz offered to the Tin Man who was desperate for a heart: “And remember my sentimental friend, that the size of one’s heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” By that measure, I believe that St. Peter must have most assuredly just welcomed the biggest hearted servant ever to the eternal kingdom. In fact, imagine with me if you will the interchange between St. Peter and God which must have occurred. St. Peter tells God: “I just checked in that big hearted Amie Roach you told me to expect. She’s just like you described her, God – a little fireball with the cutest Minnie Mouse voice! She’s already the most loved member of the entire Heavenly Host. By the way, God, she wants to meet with you to discuss a list of ideas she has to improve operations up here.” That’s our Amie.
Doug Shatto – President & Chief Executive Officer
I met Amie in 2010 when I joined BLA (now Lochmueller Group). Ironically, that’s the same year that Chris met Amie. In that year, Chris gained a life partner, even though that life with her was far too short. I gained a work partner, and I emphasize that because Amie was a partner in the purest sense. We collaborated, trusted each other, shared frustrations, and celebrated victories. It’s a relationship on which I place great value.
My relationship with Amie was almost entirely within the walls of our offices – with rare exceptions, we lived separate personal and social lives. And yet, we often spent as much time with each other as we did with our spouses and families, which allowed us to become very close.
She was 15 years younger than me…the little sister I never had. Despite our differences in age, we each had two daughters of similar ages. That was a topic for many conversations during which we discussed the challenges, and the joys, of daughters (don’t worry girls, it was much more of the latter).
That difference in our ages also meant Amie was a much younger parent than me. Amie started working her way toward an Accounting degree while also raising a family, for which I have great respect. That was one of many examples of how Amie consistently overcame challenges.
Despite her diminutive size, she was an impressively tough woman. Until cancer, she never met a challenge she couldn’t overcome, and I expected her to beat that one too. She encountered her next challenge a few years after I met her when Chris had a stroke; but, she went to work whipping him back into shape, all while making herself an increasingly important contributor to our company.
They then blended their families together. That would be a daunting challenge for many people, but not for them. I have always been impressed with how well those families merged, accepted, and cared for each other. Without taking credit away from any of you, I know Amie and her big heart was the reason for that success.
She was also a big reason for the success of Lochmueller Group. I was reminded this week that she took great pride in being named the first female VP of the company, and she deserved it! Amie was smart! She was good at what she did! And she busted her tail…she was a hard worker! Personally, I relied heavily upon Amie; she was like my right hand.
Lochmueller Group has corporate values that we take very seriously. Creativity, Accountability, Respect, Dedication, Integrity, and Achievement. We merged those values into an acronym – “CARDIA” – and said “it is from the heart”. One might argue we could have substituted “AMIE” for the CARDIA acronym; for many of us, she represented the heart of the company, and she embodied every one of those values.
Our team gathered last Monday morning for a weekly meeting, and I told our crew that the pain of losing Amie made me appreciate them that much more. THAT is the kind of influence she had on us. She was a great friend. She was a great worker, a great team player, and a great business partner. We may never have another employee as devoted to the company as her. Perhaps more importantly, she was a great person. She was great because she made all of us better. I know she made me better.
So, I’m sad because I will miss my friend. I’m sad because I won’t be able to work side-by-side with her and share the company’s success with her. And I’m sad for the family that will forever have a hole in their hearts. But my sadness is softened by the specialness of the person that was part of our lives. Despite our loss, I’m happy that I had Amie in my life…if only for 14 years. I’m proud to have called her a partner. I’m proud to have called her a friend. I loved Amie like a sister and valued her for all the exceptional kind of person that she was…one of the best I’ve ever known. But she was also unassuming, genuine, and unapologetic. She didn’t really like being the center of attention. Most of all, Amie was a joy to be around. Even in her absence – she makes me happy.
Candis Kessie – Controller
Since day one back in 2011, Amie has always taken chances on me. She saw my resume on the college bulletin and called me to ask if I wanted to apply for an accounts payable position. After being hired, I knew I would love working for Amie but had no idea the number of opportunities and mountains this woman would move for me.
In 2013, I wanted to relocate to our Indianapolis office, and she made it happen! This was a big deal because we didn't have accounting staff located outside the Evansville office. She had to rethink the entire logistics of our department to make this happen.
In 2018, she promoted me to Accounting Manager even though the rest of the staff resided in Evansville. She took a chance on remote management before it was cool. When Amie knew what she wanted, she didn't let anything stop her, and she definitely wasn't afraid of change.
In 2023, she promoted me to Controller. With our company's growth she recognized the need to have CFO, Controller, and Accounting Manager. She was always an advocate to make sure the company and I had what we needed to keep the company moving forward.
From day one, Amie was my mentor. She never judged, even when I didn't know how to work the copy machine. Over the years she was my voice of reason, a therapist at times, my biggest cheerleader, and one of my dearest friends. Thanks, Amie, for always taking chances and believing in me. I won't let you down.
Jordyn Langley – Human Resources Director
I began working for Amie in January of 2018 and watched her grow her career from our Accounting Manager to Controller to Chief Financial Officer. Amie was sharp; she could think quickly while also being thorough and helped our teams develop an agile and continuously improving mentality to support the organization's rapid growth. Amie was always able to stay one step ahead by identifying gaps and researching and implementing solutions before problems were encountered. She also did an excellent job of keeping everyone in line and gained respect from those she worked with.
My favorite memories with Amie were (work hard) problem solving through significant work obstacles and watching our plans produce results and (play hard) the bond we created during personal time during work trips and weekends. While Amie was an excellent boss that expected high performance, she was also able to be a friend and support system for her team. For me, she carried the title of Chief Financial Officer, Inspirational Leader, Legacy Employee, Change Maker, Results Driver, Supervisor, Best Friend, and most importantly Family. Amie embodied all of the qualities I aspire to possess as a Leader within Lochmueller Group, and while I will miss her deeply, I appreciate every interaction I was able to have with her over the years.
Chris Haynes – IT Director
In the brief time I've been part of Lochmueller Group, my relationship with Amie progressed from simply being a colleague to her becoming my mentor and boss to finally becoming a dear and trusted friend. She was always fun and positive and made me feel at ease and at home in my early days at the company.
As my boss, Amie invested time and effort to learn the intricacies of the IT team and our work, even though it wasn't a requisite of her role, and provided unwavering support for us while also holding us accountable with her trademarked no-nonsense tough-yet-fair mantra. She was fiercely dedicated to both work and family and would support and defend both to the ends of the earth.
Amie's influence on my career and life is immeasurable, leaving an indelible mark that I will forever cherish and never forget. She seemed to have this same positive impact on every life she touched. I will always honor and respect her and dearly miss her profound wisdom, guidance, honesty, and genuine friendship.
Amie is already incredibly missed, and she will always be a member of the Lochmueller Group family.
