Sue Ellsperman

2020-21 Aspen New Presidents Fellow
Sue Ellspermann became the ninth president of lvy Tech Community College in 2016. She leads the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system, serving over 170,000 students per year. Dr. Ellspermann has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, economic and workforce development, and public service. Since coming to Ivy Tech, Dr. Ellspermann has led the institution through the adoption of a five-year strategic plan, while also leading a comprehensive realignment of the system's campus structure.

Prior to joining Ivy Tech, Ellspermann served as lieutenant governor of lndiana from 2013 to 2016. As lieutenant governor, she served as president of the Indiana Senate and secretary of agriculture and rural affairs, and oversaw six agencies. She chaired the Indiana Counter-Terrorism and Security Council, or C-TASC. As the vice chair of the Indiana Career Council, she led efforts to align Indiana's education and workforce development system to meet the needs of employers. Her public service began in 2010, when she was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives.

Ellspermann formerly served as the founding director of the Center for Applied Research and Economic Development at the University of Southern Indiana and also owned and operated an independent consulting firm licensed in the training and facilitation of Simplex creative problem-solving. She completed the Woodrow Wilson Higher Education Policy Fellowship and the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program. She also serves on the American Society of Engineering Education Leadership Roundtable. Dr. Ellspermann began her career working in the private sector at General Motors, Frito-Lay, and Michelin Tire Corporation. She holds a BS from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. and an M.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Louisville.