Colette Irwin-Knott to Lead Valparaiso University in Indiana

Colette Irwin-Knott has been named interim president-elect of Valparaiso University in Indiana. She will become interim president in September.

Valparaiso University is affiliated with the Lutheran Church. It enrolls nearly 3,000 undergraduate students and slightly more than 500 graduate students, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Education figures. Women make up 56 percent of the undergraduate student body.

Irwin-Knott has been a member of the university’s board of trustees since 2009. She has spent her career in the field of public finance with HJ Umbaugh & Associates in Indianapolis retiring as a partner with the firm in 2014. She worked closely with educators throughout Indiana on hundreds of school and library projects involving the issuance of municipal bonds.

“Irwin-Knott’s heart for service and financial acumen will serve Valparaiso University well as it continues to face the global pandemic and focuses on the health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff while fulfilling our academic mission,” said Frederick Kraegel, chair of the college’s board of directors.

Irwin-Knott is a 1981 graduate of Valparaiso University, where she majored in business administration. She has served as president of the National Association of Independent Public Finance Advisors.