INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana House on Monday saluted retired Northwest Indiana Ivy Tech Chancellor J. Guadalupe Valtierra for his 17 years of work at the community college.
"I don't know of any person who is part of the Lake County community that I respect more than this gentleman," said state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, prior to unanimous House approval of a resolution honoring Valtierra. "He is totally committed to excellence in education."
Valtierra led the region's Ivy Tech campuses in East Chicago, Gary, Valparaiso and Michigan City from 2002 through 2012. During his tenure, enrollment increased by 70 percent and today more than 16,000 students take classes at Ivy Tech in Northwest Indiana.
The Gary native also worked at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond prior to becoming director of student affairs and eventually chancellor at Ivy Tech.
He told lawmakers that he was thankful for the opportunity to "touch the future" through his involvement in education.
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