Colette Irwin-Knott ’81

Colette Irwin-Knott ’81, spent her career in the field of public finance with Umbaugh in Indianapolis. She provided financial advisory services by working closely with educators throughout Indiana on hundreds of school and library projects involving the issuance of municipal bonds. She has been an instrumental leader at local, state, and national levels of public finance. The Indianapolis Business Journal recognized her as a “Woman in the Lead for Financial Services.”

She has been an active community volunteer in her church, as well as serving on the boards of arts and library organizations throughout Indiana. In addition, she serves on the board of a longstanding company in Indianapolis.

Colette graduated from Valparaiso University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and continued to be active through the University Guild and College of Business Administration’s National Council. In 2009, she joined the University’s Board of Directors and has since chaired the Finance and Administration Committee and Academic Affairs Committee. In the latter part of 2020 and early months of 2021, she served as the interim president of the University.