Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington’s regional board of trustees chair, Connie Ferguson, has earned the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce 2014 Diane Breeden-Lee Catalyst Award. Ferguson was presented the award at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting at the Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center earlier today.

The Diane Breeden-Lee Catalyst Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate an ability to create consensus and motivate others to accomplish a greater goal.

Ferguson was awarded the Diane Breeden-Lee Catalyst Award for her ability to collaborate with community leaders and convince the College to reverse its early 2014 decision to merge the Ivy Tech-Bloomington region with Evansville (and soon to follow Terre Haute), leaving the Bloomington campus as a stand-alone region.

“I’m thankful to be a part of this organization and thanks to the other regional board members, because without their support, we could not have made it happen,” said Regional Board Chair Connie Ferguson. “The Ivy Tech-Bloomington campus is going to continue to grow and do more and better things. I couldn’t be more proud and humbled to win this award.”

“Ivy Tech-Bloomington owes it all to Connie and our regional board, and we’re so very appreciative of her unwavering support and leadership that resulted in our campus becoming a stand-alone region again,” said Chancellor Jennie Vaughan. “We couldn’t have done it without her. Connie became the voice of our community. She knows Ivy Tech-Bloomingtonthat this region is uniqueand was sure that remaining a stand-alone region would enable us to continue to be responsive to the communities we serve.”

Ferguson has served as regional trustee since 1998 when Bloomington was still part of the Columbus region. She was elected to serve as chair of the regional board of trustees in June 2001 when the Bloomington campus was chartered as its own region. Further, Ferguson has always been an engaged member of the board, having been an active participant in in every Ivy Tech-Bloomington commencement ceremony since being appointed as chair.

About Ivy Tech Community College

Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.