From the Desk of Kristi Jarmus

PATH OF A WARRIOR From the Desk of Kristi Jarmus, Director of Alumni Relations

TIME, TALENTS AND TREASURES

SAVE THE DATE:

Homecoming 2023

Oct. 6-7, 2023

After wrapping up Homecoming 2022, my office was a disaster! Really. Empty boxes, decorations and Post-it notes litter every surface. And, I have switched to my last pair of comfortable shoes.

But, with all the frenetic homecoming activity in the rearview mirror, I have had a few quiet moments to reflect on my interactions and encounters with alumni.

• I am grateful for all of you and how you enrich the Indiana Tech community.

• I thank our outgoing alumni board members for their service and welcome the new alumni board members for what I can assure will be an exciting year.

• I congratulate our three alumni award recipients—Darius Darling, Ron Ballman and Al Hernandez—on their richly deserved honors. All three are generous in the giving of their time, talents and treasures.

I am not the only one who enjoyed meeting and greeting our alumni over homecoming weekend. Our 11 Presidential Ambassadors got in on the act, as well, at the President’s Dinner and Campaign Kickoff event. The Presidential Ambassadors work closely with our first mom, Maria Einolf, to assist with events that she and President Karl Einolf host. After partaking in countless conversations with alumni that night, these students commented on how much they enjoyed meeting alumni and learning about the history of Indiana Tech. Presidential Ambassador Jerry Walker quipped in amazement, “Did you know they used to have parades? Parades!” I could see his wheels turning and I said, ‘you go for it, Jerry!’

Our Indiana Tech history comes alive during this time of year in the interactions that happen around campus, and we hope our alumni will help continue this magic throughout the remainder of the school year. Alumni are active on campus in the classroom, speaking and networking with students at monthly events. These interactions are so valuable, as they give students the opportunity to network and learn from industry experts. For all who serve in this role, we thank you.

Would you like to give of your time, talents and treasures, but don’t know how? Even if you cannot come to campus, you could be an alumni challenge leader on our online platform for our upcoming Indiana Tech Day of Giving. Reach out to me at kjarmus@indianatech.edu to discuss all possible volunteer opportunities.

ALUMNI NOTES

Do you have an update you’d like to share with your Warrior Nation? Perhaps you have a new position or earned a promotion. Maybe you tied the knot or your family is growing. Maybe you’ve built something that has changed the world in some small (or not-so-small) way. We’d like to hear about it. Send your stories or questions to Kristi Jarmus at alumni@indianatech.edu. We love to brag about our alumni!

DAN ARENS, MBA MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT, 2002

Dan was hired by Valley Oaks Health (Lafayette, Indiana) as CEO and president.

KAREN GREGORSON, MS ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP, 2010

Karen retired as president and CEO of The Farmers Bank (Frankfort, Indiana)

DANA HOWARD, B.S. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, 2021

Dana was hired by State Bank (Hendricks County, Indiana) as vice president and director of human resources.

MATTHEW KONOW, B.S. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, 2005

Matthew was hired by Concordia Lutheran High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana) as chief advancement officer.

DR. JOSEPH LESTRANGE, PH.D. IN GLOBAL LEADERSHIP, 2015

Joseph was hired by Cardinal Point Strategies (Hamilton Township, New Jersey) as senior advisor for global investigations.

KAREN POTTS, B.S. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, 1999

Karen was hired by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions (Fort Wayne, Indiana) as junior IT project manager.

SHARON VICKNESVAREN, B.S. COMPUTER SCIENCE, 1994

Sharon was hired by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions (Fort Wayne, Indiana) as junior IT project manager.

Indiana Tech Oral History Project Update

The deadline to submit your story for the Indiana Tech Oral History Project has passed, but we want to thank all alumni who participated. The response was overwhelming, and we cannot wait for the finished product.

Speaking of which: If you ordered a project book or Indiana Tech branded items, they will be sent out in spring 2023. That may seem like a long time to wait, but it takes several months to review the stories for grammatical errors and make corrections. After the story reviews have been completed, the stories will be organized into sections and formatted by the publisher. Production of the books should begin in February, with distribution projected for April. So, while the alumni outreach portion of this project is complete, there is much behind-the-scenes work left to do. Thank you for your patience!

For those who are curious about participation in this project, a total of 2,588 alumni responded to the request for verification of contact information and/or shared a brief story. Nearly 2,050 alumni took some time to be interviewed and recorded. Those digital records will be shared with Indiana Tech and become part of our history. Five hundred alumni will be included in the printed book.

Dan Arens Dr. Joseph Lestrange

Karen Gregorson Karen Potts

Dana Howard Sharon Vicknesvaren

Matthew Konow