Fifteen complete USI's 2015 Connect with Southern Indiana Program
Fifteen individuals have successfully completed the University of Southern Indiana's 2015 Connect with Southern Indiana program, an annual leadership program established in 2006 through a Lilly Endowment grant and managed by Community Engagement, a department within USI's Outreach and Engagement. The intent of the program is to boost Indiana's retention of intellectual capital by helping participants strengthen their skills and opportunities for involvement in community and regional projects, meet business and civic leaders, and gain greater awareness of community and regional needs.
Connect with Southern Indiana focuses on a social entrepreneurship model where participants seek innovative solutions to a variety of problems or needs. Those who participate in the program help bridge the gap between entrepreneurial thought and practice by focusing on activities that must be carried out by innovation-oriented organizations. The program is designed to actively immerse participants in the strategic entrepreneurial process with the objective of reinforcing and developing divergent and analytical thinking, as well as communication skills.
Program participants attend 10 full-day sessions between January and May, and develop a collaborative project presented at the end of the program.
Connect with Southern Indiana is open to Indiana residents living in Dubois, Gibson, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh or Warrick counties who would like to improve the quality of life in their communities.
The 2015 class includes:
Dubois County
Adam Auffart, Business and Industry Account Manager, Purdue Technical Assistant Program
Teresa Stutz, Director of Spirituality Ministry, Sisters of St. Benedict
Knox County
Valerie Clingerman, Extension Educator of Agriculture and Natural Resources and County Extension Director, Purdue Extension
Bethany Jasper, Division Director, Four Rivers Resource Services
Vanderburgh County
Stephanie El Tawil, Senior Program Assistant, USI's Outreach and Engagement
Trent Engbers, Assistant Professor, USI's College of Liberal Arts
Justin Groenert, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, Southwest Indiana Chamber
Ashley Hughes, Student Outreach Coordinator, USI's Dean of Students Office
Cody Morris, Associate Program Coordinator, Keep Evansville Beautiful
Kerseclia Patterson, Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center Academic Outreach Coordinator, USI's Nursing and Health Professions
Jason Salstrom, Technology Commercialization Manager, USI's Outreach and Engagement
Posey County
Nancy Harris, Owner, Touch of Home Catering
Paula Nurrenbern, Resource Development Specialist, USI's Outreach and Engagement
Warrick County
Trista Smith, Executive Director, Ohio Township Public Library