BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Indiana University Alumni Association values service, loyalty, and volunteer leadership, and during its Alumni Leaders Weekend, June 21–22, the IUAA honored eight alumni volunteers who exemplify these qualities. Four received the President’s Award, and four received the Volunteer Leadership Award.
President's Award
The 2024 recipients of the President’s Award, the highest award the IUAA bestows on volunteer leaders, are:
- MaryEllen Kiley Bishop, of Carmel, Ind.
- Michael J. Griffin, of Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
- Sarah J. “Sallie Jo” Tardy Mitzell, of Westfield, Ind.
- Jeannie Infante Sager, of Zionsville, Ind.
MaryEllen Kiley Bishop, BS’79, JD’82
MaryEllen Bishop has served on many boards and committees that support Indiana University since earning her two IU degrees—a business degree from Bloomington and a law degree from Indianapolis. Activities to which she has devoted her valuable time include four terms as an elected member of the IU Board of Trustees. She has also led ably on the Colloquium for Women of IU Steering Committee and as co-chair of the IU School of Medicine Planned Giving Committee. Bishop has been a 30-year volunteer for the Alumni Association, beginning in 1994 with her appointment to the Executive Council, followed by her tenure on the Board of Managers, ultimately serving as chair in 2007. Bishop has also faithfully supported the IU Indianapolis campus through appointments on the McKinney School of Law Board of Visitors and the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Board of Visitors.
Michael J. Griffin, BS’71
Michael Griffin is originally from Chesterton, Ind., and while a student at IU Bloomington, he was editor of the Indiana Daily Student. After retiring and moving to Florida, Griffin began volunteering with the IUAA and has been a stalwart volunteer in the alumni chapters program since 2011, taking on leadership in the Florida Sun Coast region. The active engagement he has spearheaded is evident in numerous networking experiences, educational events, game watches, and IU Day programs. Under his leadership, the chapter built a scholarship for IU students from the area that now totals almost $39,000. Griffin’s advocacy and volunteerism on behalf of IU has continued through changes in the Florida Sun Coast Chapter. In 2021, he was elected to the IUAA Executive Council and has served on the Belonging Committee since its inception, working as a vocal participant and ally in the work to support IUAA’s priority of cultivating belonging for all.
Sarah J. “Sallie Jo” Tardy Mitzell, BS’81, MA’83
Sallie Jo Tardy Mitzell invests her time, talent, and treasure across IU and her passions run deep. She has served on the IU Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council since 2013 and, as its chair from 2020 to 2022, was an integral leader in impacting all of IU’s campuses with more than $1.5 million in grantmaking support. She is a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Executive Dean’s Advisory Board, the Colloquium for Women of IU Steering Committee, and serves as a founding member of the IU Queer Philanthropy Circle. Mitzell has impacted myriad areas at IU, including as a member of the Student Foundation Board of Associates, the Curtis R. Simic Steering Committee, the IU Foundation Class Campaign Committee, and, as of 2023, a member of the IU Foundation Board of Directors.
Jeannie Infante Sager, MA’03
Jeannie Sager began serving as a board member on the then-Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, beginning in 1999. When the center became the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, she continued to volunteer with the group, and over the years has lent her time to the Colloquium for Women of IU Steering Committee, the IU Indianapolis Alumni Council, the IU Indianapolis Board of Advisors, and the IU Indianapolis Top 100 judges committee. In 2013, Sager was asked to be on the nominating committee for the IUAA Executive Council and Board of Managers—which was her first foray into the corporate governing structure of the IUAA. In 2015, Sager was elected to the Board of Managers, on which she served as secretary, manager at large, and ultimately, chair. She currently chairs the board’s Past Chairs Council. Her commitment to IU and the IUAA, particularly the Indianapolis campus, is evident as she advocates for the campus, university, and the Alumni Association.
IUAA Volunteer Leadership Award
The IUAA Volunteer Leadership Award is presented to leaders who continue to serve the IU Alumni Association in impactful ways. The 2024 honorees are:
- Kareema S. Boykin, of Indianapolis.
- Jason D. Gerdom, of Watertown, Mass.
- Joshua A. “Josh” Kornberg, of Sellersburg, Ind.
- James A. “Jim” Trilling, of Arlington, Va.
Kareema S. Boykin, MSW’06
Kareema Boykin has been an unwavering force on the IU School of Social Work Alumni Board for the past 12 years. Her dedication extends to every officer position, including her most recent tenure as president. She actively engages in IU Indianapolis campus-wide events such as the Top 100, Regatta, Alumni Leaders Dinner, and search and screen committees. Her passion, uplifting personality, and commitment unite alumni, fostering a vibrant connection with the School of Social Work, its alumni board, and the university. In 2019, Boykin received the IU School of Social Work Distinguished Service Award, and in 2021, was one of three recipients of the Maynard K. Hine Award. Also, in 2021, she was elected to the IUAA Executive Council and was appointed to the inaugural Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee, on which she continues to serve.
Jason D. Gerdom, BS’97
Jason Gerdom is in his second term as an at-large member of the IUAA Executive Council, and currently serves as a member of the finance committee. An avid alumni volunteer, Gerdom was part of the IUAA Boston Chapter leadership for 15 years, serving as president for more than a decade. He continues to connect with, and serve as a liaison for, alumni across New England. Dedicated to higher education, he has been an alumni student recruiter for nearly three decades. Gerdom also helped create two scholarships: the Boston Alumni Chapter Scholarship, which aids students from the New England area, and the Gerdom Family Scholarship, which helps students from his high school attend IU, cementing the legacy of his love for Indiana University.
Joshua A. “Josh” Kornberg, BA’12
Josh Kornberg began his IU volunteer service as a student at IU Southeast and is an exceptional example of leadership in action, both at IU and in his professional life. He shone as the student body president while a student at IU Southeast, became a student representative on the IUAA Executive Council, and then, after graduation, served as Executive Council alumni member at large for seven years. He was a member of the IU Southeast Board of Advisors in 2017–19, and then joined the IUAA Board of Managers in 2018 and led the organization, as chair, immediately following a difficult COVID-19 pandemic year. During his time as national chair, Kornberg shared his significant gifts and abilities as he helped guide the IUAA in an important transition, always leading with insight and wisdom.
James A. “Jim” Trilling, BA’94
Jim Trilling began volunteering for IU in the early 2000s, when he played a role in the university’s student recruitment initiatives in the Washington, D.C., area. Over the course of two decades, Trilling has emerged as a cornerstone of the Washington, D.C., Chapter, culminating in his tenure as president, helping that community to diversify program offerings. An active member of the IUAA Executive Council since 2021, Trilling has been part of two working subcommittees on the IUAA’s Governance Committee which assisted in updating important governing documents. Trilling has always excelled in his service to IU. While on the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Board—which he joined in 2009—Trilling served as president of that community and continues to connect all the facets of his alumni volunteerism together.
The IU Alumni Association is a global alumni organization that brings together nearly 775,000 IU graduates to support one another and Indiana University throughout their lives. Learn more about the IU Alumni Association, or call (812) 855-4822.
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