KOKOMO, Ind. — The Indiana University Kokomo School of Business honored three of its alumni for their professional achievements, as the inaugural Business Persons of Distinction.
Dean Alan Krabbenhoft said the honored alumni have excelled professionally, and given back.
“Business Persons of Distinction recognizes the importance of becoming active and supportive of your community, its organizations, and the residents within the community,” he said. “We are very proud of these recipients, and know they serve as exemplary ambassadors of the School of Business.”
Robert E. Knowling Jr., a Kokomo native and IU honorary degree recipient, was keynote speaker, and current business students Grace Ebikwo and Allison Hopkins also spoke about their experiences on campus.
Business Persons of Distinction, presented in partnership with the IU Alumni Association Kokomo Region, honored alumni chosen through a nomination process. The recipients are:
- Nathan Kring, M.B.A. ’16. Kring owns several businesses, with dozens of employees, based out of his co-working space in Tipton. A U.S. Army veteran, he has several successful start-up companies, including a cleaning/property management company, consulting business, and a claims consulting firm. He is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Business, and was recently named vice president of operations for Five Sigma, an Israeli AI firm. Kring and his wife, Christina, are expecting their first child, a daughter.
- Annette Russell, B.S. ’94. Russell is president and chief executive officers of Security Federal Savings Banks, Logansport, which she joined in 1991. She is a certified public accountant, and serves on the American Bankers Association Community Bankers Council. She’s received the IU Kokomo Distinguished Alumni Award, and was inducted into the IU Kokomo Alumni Hall of Fame. She’s also been the Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year, and been honored as a rising star in banking and as an outstanding woman in banking by the NorthWestern Financial Review magazine.
- Scott Voorhis, B.S. ’05, M.B.A. ’07. Voorhis is an associate partner at Bucheri, McCarty & Metz LLP, and leads the firm’s tax and technology departments. He specializes in advanced tax planning and advisory services for both businesses and individuals. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Indiana CPA Society. He currently serves on the IU Kokomo School of Business Advisory Board and volunteers for the Enactus mentoring program.
Benjamin Liechty, director of alumni relations and campus ceremonies, said the IU Alumni Association Kokomo Region was proud to co-host the event. He appreciated the many IU alumni who attended to recognize those honored.
“To see our IU family come together to celebrate these three outstanding individuals was just amazing,” he said. “Our recipients were so humbled and grateful to the university and professors, and just exhibited to me the pride each of them had in being alumni of Indiana University Kokomo.”
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.