A hometown college degree provided the first and most vital step in Ken Christmon’s three decades of successes in higher education. 

It created confidence and momentum, and it opened new worlds of career possibilities. 

Christmon’s positive college experiences at home in Richmond factored heavily into his decision to accept the position as vice chancellor of external affairs at Indiana University East. 

So did his belief that IU East “is a place of opportunity.” 

So did his broad experiences with community engagement. 

And so did the persuasive powers of Chancellor Dennis Rome. 

Christmon said he was amazed in the hiring process by Rome’s energy, vision and sincerity about moving IU East forward. 

“He was looking for a seasoned veteran to immediately connect with this community,” Christmon said. “I don’t have to be anything 
more than I am.” 

He worked the last 20 years at Purdue University Fort Wayne, where he was honored several times for his achievements as associate vice chancellor of diversity and multicultural affairs and undergraduate admissions. 

During his tenure at Purdue University Fort Wayne, he led efforts to raise over $15 million in grants and contracts to help increase college access and student success to graduation for underrepresented students.  

He also works as a motivational speaker, a mentor and a pastor for the Turner Chapel AME Church in Fort Wayne. 

He considers his new job a calling. It came as a surprise, a nice one. 

“It wasn’t in the master plan,” Christmon said. “Everything just fell into position.” 

He began his new job in the first week of March. 

Christmon has two sons, one who attends Indiana Wesleyan and another who attends Homestead High School in Fort Wayne. 

He considers it “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to return to his hometown. 

“I am humbled and appreciative,” he said. “I’ll do anything I can to help it be an even better community.” 

Christmon became the third college graduate in his family when he earned a bachelor’s of arts degree in African American Studies from Earlham College in 1988. 

His parents are also natives of Richmond. Together, their three first-generation college students have achieved eight college degrees.  

He was forced to overcome some misguided high-school career advice – such as being counseled to “just join the military.” 

He used the demeaning memories to push him to dream bigger, to broaden his job and educational resumes and to learn how to help young people overcome the impediments – and the naysayers – to attending college. 

Christmon took classes at IU East in the early 1990s as he journeyed toward a career in higher education. 

His job experiences ranged from sportswriting in Richmond to working on the New York Stock Exchange to serving with ex-Congressman Reverend Dr. Floyd Flake, a famous pastor and civil-rights advocate from New York. 

Christmon watched how people successfully mixed multidimensional and multicultural leadership roles. He saw that a man of faith could successfully serve as a minister and community leader while also being an effective college administrator. He honed his skills at mentoring young people and getting them admitted to college. 

He earned a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix. 

Christmon served as director of admissions from 1997 to 2004 at Wilberforce University in Ohio — the oldest private university owned and operated by African Americans. 

He noticed something special about IU East as a young man that resonated strongly as he considered coming back. 

“This university makes a high-quality education affordable and achievable. That’s critically important.” 

IU East appeals to traditional and online students as well as dreamers – first-generation and second-chance students. 

“IU East is in a very unique position to grow as a result of geographic and rural diversity and continued opportunities for first-generation students,” Christmon said. “We can create legacies and change family fortunes.” 

He agreed to start in his new role as quickly as possible after Rome made the case that the sooner he came, the sooner they could make good things happen. 

“That’s what we are going to do,” Christmon said. “It’s time to give back.”