November 10, 2005
Indiana Chamber chooses Purdue's Jischke as Volunteer of the Year
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University President Martin C. Jischke today (Thursday, Nov. 10) was honored with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award during a luncheon ceremony at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
Jischke is being recognized at the sixth annual awards along with V. Richard (Dick) Miller, president and chief executive officer of MMM Invest Inc. of Warsaw, Ind.; and Christopher Schrader, director of human resources for AuthorHouse, a self-publishing company in Bloomington, Ind.
According to the award criteria, it is presented to a person who has demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond and who has given significantly of his or her time and expertise to the Chamber for the betterment of the business community.
Jischke was nominated by David Holt, vice president of workforce development policy and federal relations with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
Holt is the Chamber staff person responsible for managing the Business-Higher Education Forum, a group that sets the Chamber's higher education policies for implementation at the Indiana General Assembly. The forum consists of presidents of public and private universities and business leaders from Indiana.
Jischke co-chairs the forum with John "Mike" Blakely, president and chief executive officer of Blakely Corp. in Indianapolis.
"Dr. Jischke is a very dynamic leader with a charismatic personality and incredible intelligence," Holt said. "Those three things, along with the fact that he has given so much time and effort to Chamber activities, make him an asset for not only Purdue, but also the Chamber."
Holt said what sets Jischke apart is his style of leadership.
"Dr. Jischke is a very proactive leader, not a reactive one," he said. "He always pushes for what he believes is right and is focused on what Purdue should look like to the state and the country.
"Economic development is vital for both education and business," Holt said. "It takes strong leaders from both camps to develop policy that is beneficial to all Hoosiers. Dr. Jischke is one of those leaders who accomplishes great things for Purdue and Indiana in this arena."
In October, Jischke became chairman of the Association of American Universities, an organization that represents the country's most prestigious research universities. He is also is the chairman of the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors and is on the board of the American Council on Competitiveness and the national board of Campus Compact, an organization of university presidents and college deans that helps students learn about citizenship through community-service opportunities.
Hundreds of Chamber volunteers are eligible for the Volunteer of the Year Award, including members of various policy committees, those who participate in its conferences, author Chamber publications and testify at the Statehouse on behalf of the business community.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has been the state's largest broad-based business advocacy organization for more than 80 years. Today, it serves more than 23,000 members and customers.
Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu
Sources: Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-9708
David Holt, (317) 264-6883, dholt@indianachamber.com
Rebecca Patrick, Chamber director of public relations and government communications, (317) 264-6897, rpatrick@indianachamber.com
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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