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Sue Ellspermann
Sue Ellspermann
01:05

Sue Ellspermann

Ivy Tech Community College

Austin, TX USA

"The door that the hard option opens is one you’ll never regret."

Career Roadmap

Sue's work combines: Education, Government, and Working with Others

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Day In The Life

President

I lead a community college, helping students of all ages earn degrees, credentials, and life-changing opportunities.

02:58

Day In The Life Of A President Of A Community College System

My Day to Day

I guide Ivy Tech’s 19 campuses and 200,000 students, building pathways through degrees, certifications, and skills training. I spend time thinking through how to best help students gain the education and skills they need to succeed in the workforce—for example, making credentials stackable. Helping learners of all ages change their lives never gets old.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Industrial Engineering

    Purdue University

  • Graduate Degree

    Industrial Engineering

    University of Louisville

  • Doctorate

    Industrial Engineering

    University of Louisville

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

I've taken a lot of twists and turns

  • 1.

    I chose to study industrial engineering because I wanted to break the mold and do something different than what was expected of women.

  • 2.

    At 26, I launched my own consulting firm, pioneering creative problem-solving services before most people knew what that even was.

  • 3.

    Earning my Ph.D. gave me the credibility I needed to confidently walk into the offices of CEOs and lead major initiatives.

  • 4.

    I transitioned from consulting to higher education, founding a center for applied research at the University of Southern Indiana.

  • 5.

    Inspired to serve my community, I ran for public office and became a state representative, despite having no political background.

  • 6.

    While serving as lieutenant governor of Indiana, I realized the deep impact community colleges have on the future of our workforce.

  • 7.

    I took a leap by stepping down from public office to apply for and ultimately lead Ivy Tech Community College as its president.

  • 8.

    Now, entering retirement, I’m excited to continue serving through corporate board leadership and mentoring future generations.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Society in general:

    Women should work as nurses, teachers, or accountants.

  • How I responded:

    When I graduated high school, women were essentially allowed to become nurses, teachers, or accountants. I knew that I wanted to break the mold and do something different, so I pursued engineering and proceeded to work for several years as an engineer despite what was expected of women.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • I was told by a local four-year engineering school that they only accept men and I'm not welcome to be there. I chose to go to Purdue instead, which was a great choice for me as it had the largest population of women engineering students at the time.

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