Chancellor Susan Elrod presented the 2023 Chancellor’s Medal to David Kibbe. This award is the highest honor presented by the chancellor to an individual who helps advance the campus and its mission, as well as the community. David Kibbe has served as President and CEO of Indiana Trust Wealth Management since 2017. Philanthropy and civic engagement have been abiding passions throughout his career. In 2020, he was awarded the Indiana University Bicentennial Medal for distinguished and distinctive service to the university. The IU South Bend family considers Kibbe to be a true friend of the university for his unwavering commitment and advocacy for our schools, programs and, most importantly, students.
“The Chancellor’s Medal is our sincere acknowledgement of the numerous ways in which he has lent his hand to our causes. This, in combination with his contributions to our community, make him an ideal recipient of our highest honor,” said Chancellor Susan Elrod.
Additionally, the IU Alumni Association South Bend Region presented Charles Nelson with the Distinguished Alumni Award. This award honors outstanding IU South Bend alumni who have made significant contributions to their communities or professions. Charles F. Nelson, MS.Ed. ’74, has had major impact in the region through his visionary leadership as executive director of the Leighton Foundation. From 2009 through his retirement in 2022, Nelson supported grand initiatives designed to improve the quality of life for area residents, with a focus on education, healthcare, the arts, and economic development.
The event also honored an outstanding graduate from each IU South Bend school and college with an Alumni of the Year Award, which recognizes the impact they have on their respective communities and for demonstrating the characteristics the campus strives to instill within students.
2023 Alumni of the Year Award Recipients
Steve Hope, MS.Ed. ’03
School of Education
Doug Leonard, BS ’76
Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics
Kimberly M. McInerney,* AA ’05, BA ’05
Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts
Rebecca Pelky, BA ’11
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Shotunus D. Peterson, MSW ’05
School of Social Work
Caitlin M. Vlaeminck, MSN ’10
Vera Z. Dwyer College of Health Sciences
*Awarded posthumously.
The Night of the Titans was made possible with the generous support of sponsors in the community. 1st Source Bank was the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included: Titan sponsor Indiana Trust and Wealth Management, and Crimson sponsors Beacon Health System, Bill Deputy Foundation, Center for Hospice, Follett and the Hammes Family Bookstore at IU South Bend, Indiana Hospital Association, Intercambio Express, NIBCO, and South Bend Orthopaedics.
