Dr. Crystal Thomas and Dr. Jeffrey Witte elected to Indiana Tech board of trustees

Indiana Tech’s board of trustees elected two new members to the board at its most recent quarterly meeting. Dr. Crystal B. Thomas and Dr. Jeffrey H. Witte were elected to the university’s governing board to begin their service with the start of Indiana Tech’s new academic year on July 1, 2024.

Dr. Thomas is a longtime school principal within Fort Wayne Community Schools and the founder and senior pastor at Zion Tabernacle Church in Fort Wayne. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana State University, a Master of Science degree from Butler University, a Master of Arts degree from Martin University and the Christian Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Divinity degree from Indianapolis Christian University and a Doctor of Theology degree from Fort Wayne Theological Seminary and Bible College.

Dr. Witte is a graduate of Indiana Tech’s PhD in Global Leadership program. In 2024, the PhD program at the university was named the Witte Family PhD in Global Leadership, in recognition of the significant and steadfast support Dr. Witte has shown to the program and its students over the last several years. Dr. Witte is an active and experienced researcher, author and teacher, and his career includes over 35 years of service in the law enforcement field. In addition to his Indiana Tech degree, Dr. Witte earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science degree with a concentration in Criminal Justice and Police Management from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science in Education and Allied Professions from the University of Dayton.

Indiana Tech President Karl W. Einolf commented, “All of us at Indiana Tech are proud to welcome Dr. Thomas and Dr. Witte to our board and to the Indiana Tech community at large. They each bring high-level skills, experiences and perspectives that will help us greatly in our work to provide an exceptional education for all of our students. I’m grateful to Crystal and Jeff for their commitment to service and their dedication to our university. They are joining an outstanding group of trustees.”

In addition to Dr. Thomas and Dr. Witte, members of Indiana Tech’s board of trustees include:

• Gregg Sengstack, Chairperson of the Board, Franklin Electric Co., Indiana Tech board chair
• Richard “Dick” Schul, Consultant, Emerson Climate Technologies, Indiana Tech board vice chair
• Cheri Becker, Community Development Consultant, Indiana Tech board secretary
• Whitney Bandemer, Principal, WB Consulting, LLC
• Jeffrey Benzing, Communications Manager, General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly
• Thomas Burns, Director of North American Engineering (Ret.), Mars, Inc.
• Clifford Clarke, President, C2 IT Advisors
• William Daugherty, Senior Vice President, The Capital Group Companies
• Mark Dely, Chief Administrative and Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Vera Bradley, Inc.
• Dena Jacquay, Chief Administrative Officer, Parkview Health
• Anthony Juliano, Vice President and General Manager, Asher Agency
• Wendy Kobler, PhD, Chief Development and External Relations Officer, Cincinnati Works
• John Kunze, President (Ret.), Climate Solutions, Regal Rexnord Corporation
• Rear Admiral David Nash, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
• Geoff Paddock, Executive Director, Headwaters Park Alliance and Fort Wayne City Councilman
• Jack Phlipot, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Indiana Tech
• Rev. Arnold Pierson, President/CEO (Ret.), ELCA Federal Credit Union
• Jarrod Stoller, Technical Sales Manager, Therma Tru Doors