Ivy Tech Kokomo presents honorary degree to civic leader Paul Wyman

Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Service Area presented the honorary Associate of Science in College and Community Service to Paul Wyman of Kokomo at its 2023 commencement ceremony May 12.

Dr. Ethan Heicher, chancellor of the Ivy Tech Kokomo Service Area, presented the award. Heicher said the honorary degree is a fitting recognition of Wyman’s involvement in the community.

“As a businessman, as an elected official, as a leader working to enhance our community’s not-for-profit resources, Paul has championed community uplift,” Heicher said. “Paul is a strong supporter of our community’s higher education institutions, and his work has enhanced Ivy Tech Community College’s ability to serve our community. With this honorary degree, we recognize the impact Paul Wyman has had on our community.”  

Wyman, a United States Air Force veteran, established businessman, long-time Howard County commissioner, economic development leader, and philanthropist, was honored for more than 20 years of leadership and service to Howard County, the City of Kokomo, and, among many others, Ivy Tech Community College.

A New Jersey native, Wyman became a Howard County resident when his military experience ended at Grissom Air Force Base in 1991. He has been the president of The Wyman Group, a full-service real estate firm with offices in Howard and Tipton counties, since 2001.

Through his service as a Howard County Commissioner for three terms and as a leader in many nonprofit and economic development organizations, Wyman’s many contributions to the community include leading efforts that have established a work-release program for men and women; created Turning Point, a non-profit resource center to help individuals and families suffering from addiction; construction of new trails connecting Kokomo to Peru and a state-of-the-art county morgue where families can meet with the coroner in a dignified, designated space; and begun a broadband internet project that will provide services to underserved families at a highly discounted rate.

During his time as Howard County commissioner, Wyman provided direction during four significant setbacks, including the worst flood on record in the spring of 2013, followed by a tornado in the late fall of the same year. His leadership remained strong through those challenging times and continued with the 2016 tornado and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wyman led efforts to support capital projects at Indiana University Kokomo and Ivy Tech Community College, recognizing the importance of growth at higher education institutions in the region. He also supported the construction of the new YMCA located downtown and the Kokomo Humane Society, which opened its doors in 2018.

He has been honored with the Business Person of The Year Award by the Greater Kokomo Chamber of Commerce and the Vocational Achievement Award from Rotary. He was recently recognized by Gov. Eric Holcomb with the state’s highest honor, the Sagamore of the Wabash.