By: BSU News—
Muncie, IN, —The Ball State University Alumni Council recently elected new members of the executive committee, including four returning members and one newly ratified member.
Returning members include: Sam DeWeese (chair), Kelli Lawrence (vice chair), Christy Swing Horn (past chair), and Jeff Kingsbury (treasurer). Mike Earley (secretary) represents the newest member to the committee, having formerly served as an Alumni Council At-Large member.
Sam DeWeese serves as the vice chancellor of Student Affairs for Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus. His experience includes everything from organizational leadership to fundraising to corporate training. He graduated from Ball State in 2002 with his master of science in information and communication sciences.
Kelli Lawrence is one of the principal partners of Cityscape Residential and has played a key role in the development of multifamily units throughout the Midwest. Lawrence graduated summa cum laude from Ball State with undergraduate degrees in urban planning and economics in 2001.
Mike Earley has been a senior executive at five enterprises ranging from large to early stage. He is a Miller College of Business and Honors College graduate in accounting and management, and has previously served as president of the Ball State Miller College of Business Alumni Board.
Jeff Kingsbury is the managing principal of Greenstreet Ltd., and he has over 25 years of experience in the planning and development of $350 million in real estate. Kingsbury is active in education and community affairs, and has served as an adjunct professor of urban planning at Ball State.
Christy Swing Horn earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism in 1981 and a master’s degree in executive development for public service in 2010, both from Ball State. As a student, she was involved in student government, which led to internships with the Indiana General Assembly and then-Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut. In 1980, then-Indiana Governor Otis Bowen appointed Horn to the Ball State Board of Trustees as student trustee.
“I’m very excited to be working alongside this group of dedicated alumni leaders for the next two years. The expertise, commitment, and passion they bring to the Ball State Alumni Association is incredible. I am grateful for their service,” said Jen Goins, president of the Ball State University Alumni Association.
The Alumni Council is the governing body of the Alumni Association and consists of the executive committee, at-large members, and a representative from each professional and constituent society. The group meets three times per year and duties range from passing the bylaws that govern the Alumni Association, selecting two members of the board of trustees, and adopting the association’s annual budget. Members participate in committees that include standing committees, awards committees, and ad hoc committees.
Ball State’s Alumni Association was founded when the first class of the fledgling normal school graduated in 1919. This group functioned until 1926 when a more formal organization, with R. Nelson Snider, ’22, as its president, was established. To date, there have been 76 presidents/chairs serving the Alumni Association as well as seven executive directors/presidents.
The mission of the Ball State Alumni Association is to support the university by fostering lifelong relationships between and among the alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends of the university by sponsoring social, educational, philanthropic, and service-oriented programs.
The entire council is as follows:
Chair: Sam DeWeese, MS ‘02
Vice Chair: Kelli Lawrence, ’01
Past Chair: Christy Swing Horn, ’81 MA ‘10
Secretary: Mike Earley, ’78
Treasurer: Jeff Kingsbury, ’91
At-Large Representative: Laura Cain, ’86 MAE ’98 EdS ‘13 EdD ‘15
At-Large Representative: Larry Riley, ’71
At-Large Representative: Larry Roan, ’77
Ball State Board of Trustees Representative: Wayne Estopinal, ’79
Ball State Board of Trustees Representative: Brian Gallagher, ’81
Ball State Foundation Representative: Larry Metzing, ’71
President and CEO: Jen Goins
Ex-Officio: Jeff Lang, EVP/Treasurer, Ball State University Foundation
Ball State Foundation Alumni Engagement Liaison: Lori Corvino
