Also, Aber named dean at Ivy Tech; Coroner rules on vehicle accident; Stellantis recognizes 60-year Kokomo employees
This article is brought to you by Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region. Dueling Pianos will be back by popular demand Friday, Oct. 9, to headline the 2026 Scholarships for Student Success fundraiser at Ivy Tech Kokomo.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. in Hingst Hall on the Ivy Tech Kokomo Campus with the program starting promptly at 6 p.m. The evening will feature Dueling Pianos, dinner catered by Rozzi’s Catering, a cash bar, and a live scholarship “auction.”
Tickets for the Scholarships for Student Success are $50 each and may be purchased at https://link.ivytech.edu/2026kokomoduelingpianos or by calling Miriam Thomas of the Ivy Tech Foundation at 463-298-0925. Tickets will be available until Thursday, Oct. 1, unless sold out sooner.
The Community Foundation of Howard County has awarded $1.5 million in Impact Grants to six local nonprofit organizations, supporting large-scale projects designed to address needs and opportunities identified throughout the county.
The grants were made possible through funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of the ninth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT IX) initiative.
The funding was designed to give community foundations flexible funding to address compelling, near-term needs in their counties. This flexibility allowed the Foundation to create the Impact Grant program, giving nonprofit organizations the opportunity to pursue significant projects at a scale beyond its grantmaking capacity.
In Howard County, the minimum grant request was set at $100,000, an amount that would typically represent an exceptionally large request through the Foundation’s grant programs. For the Impact Grant program, however, it was the starting point, allowing nonprofits to think on a larger scale and pursue projects that may not have otherwise been possible.
“This was an opportunity for us to think beyond what is possible through our traditional grantmaking and give local nonprofits the ability to dream big,” said Todd Moser, president of the Community Foundation serving Howard, Clinton, and Carroll Counties. “These projects represent significant investments in organizations already doing important work in Howard County, giving them the ability to expand their reach, strengthen their services and create lasting impact throughout the community.”
The Foundation’s 2024 Community Conversations report helped inform the Impact Grant process by identifying the community’s aspirations, concerns, and priorities for Howard County’s future. While proposals were not required to address one of the priorities identified in the report, nonprofits were asked to demonstrate a clear community need and explain how their project would make meaningful progress toward addressing it. Together, the projects selected respond to a range of community needs and opportunities, including housing, healthcare access, youth and family support, and transportation.
The six nonprofit organizations selected to receive Impact Grants and their projects include:
Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo — Trauma Death Reduction Through Advancing Prehospital Critical Care
The project will establish a prehospital blood administration program and equip emergency response vehicles with advanced life-saving equipment, allowing paramedics to provide critical interventions before patients reach the hospital.
The expanded capabilities are designed to improve trauma survival and strengthen access to advanced emergency medical care for residents across Howard County.
Crossroads Community Church — Godsend Garage Expansion
The Godsend Garage expansion will relocate the program from its current two-bay facility to a larger eight-bay facility, significantly increasing its capacity to provide vehicle repair services to qualified individuals and families in need.
The expanded space will allow Godsend Garage to serve more residents while creating a better equipped facility for its growing community-based operation.
DADCAMP, Inc. — The Valley
The project will support DADCAMP’s acquisition and restoration of The Valley, preserving the property as a community asset while creating opportunities to expand programming for Howard County families.
The investment will strengthen DADCAMP’s ability to engage fathers and children, directly supporting a community-identified priority of increasing parental engagement and support for local youth.
Indiana Health Centers, Inc. — Enhancing Dental Care for Underserved Populations
The project will expand dental services available at Indiana Health Centers’ Kokomo clinic, adding the ability to provide crowns, root canals, and dentures for patients in Howard County.
New dental equipment will allow the clinic to provide more comprehensive oral healthcare locally, improving access to treatment for underserved residents.
Kokomo Rescue Mission and Bridges Outreach — Homelessness to Home Ownership
The project will create new transitional housing for men, women, and families moving out of emergency shelter, including 12 apartments within Kokomo Rescue Mission and a three-unit transitional housing development in partnership with Bridges Outreach.
Together with Bridges Outreach’s existing homeownership program, the project will create a more complete pathway from homelessness to stable housing and eventual homeownership for Howard County residents.
Kokomo Urban Outreach — ReachUP Capital Campaign
The ReachUP Capital Campaign will complete Kokomo Urban Outreach’s youth development facility at 813 S. Union Street, addressing remaining facility needs and creating a fully functional space for the UP™ Program.
Completion of the facility will allow the program to expand its reach from more than 300 to more than 600 youth annually while supporting academic progress, workforce readiness and long-term stability for local families.
“The ideas organizations brought forward gave us an opportunity to see just how much meaningful work is happening throughout Howard County,” said Amy Pate, chair of the Community Foundation of Howard County Board of Directors. “Selecting the projects to fund was not an easy decision, but we’re grateful to be able to support organizations taking on significant needs and opportunities in our community. We look forward to seeing what these investments make possible.”
The Foundation will remain engaged with Impact Grant recipients throughout the grant period to help ensure projects move forward as proposed and create meaningful impact for Howard County residents. As those projects continue, the Foundation looks forward to providing updates on their progress.
Aber named dean at Ivy Tech
Industry veteran Tracey Aber has been named dean of the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering & Applied Sciences (AMEAS) at Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo.
Aber brings to his new role more than four decades of experience in manufacturing, engineering, facilities management, construction, and operations leadership. Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions with organizations including General Motors, Stellantis, Abbott Laboratories, and Premier Manufacturing Support Services. His experience spans engineering, continuous improvement, facilities management, project management, labor relations, and organizational leadership.
Aber joined Ivy Tech a year ago as department chair for HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) and Building Construction.
“Tracey quickly established himself as a collaborative leader, dedicated educator, and strong advocate for student success,” said Laura Hapner, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “His commitment to building relationships with faculty, staff, students, and industry partners has already made a positive impact on our campus and programs.”
In addition to his extensive professional experience, Aber earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees from Indiana Wesleyan University and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.
“Tracey’s career has been defined by a commitment to innovation, workforce development, and operational excellence—qualities that align closely with Ivy Tech’s mission of developing talent and strengthening our communities,” Hapner added.
As dean of AMEAS, Aber will provide leadership for programs that prepare students for high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing, engineering, skilled trades, and applied sciences. Hapner said, “His combination of industry expertise, academic leadership, and passion for student success will serve our students, faculty, and community partners well as we continue to grow and strengthen these programs.”
For Aber, the switch to education has been a continuation of a life of teaching and learning. “When I finished my apprenticeship in electrical engineering many years ago, one of the instructors said, ‘Now that you have your journeyman’s card, you have a license to learn,” Aber said, noting the value of every new experience. “In the classroom, I find that when students ask a question, it’s just another level of learning for the instructor.”
Coroner rules on vehicle accident
On Wednesday September 9, 2026, at approximately 7:48 p.m., The Howard County Coroner was dispatched to US 31 N and State Road 26, Kokomo, in reference to a decedent who had been involved in a motor vehicle accident.
The decedent has been identified as Joshua Randall Rhoads, a 47-year-old male from Indianapolis, Indiana. His family has been notified. The cause of death is multiple blunt force injuries with the manner of death being accidental.
This case remains under investigation by the Kokomo Police Department, Indiana State Police as well as the Howard County Coroner’s Office.
Stellantis recognizes 60-year Kokomo employees
Two Kokomo-area employees were among three employees recognized by Stellantis CEO and North America COO Antonio Filosa for their more than 60 years of service during a special event on Sept. 9 at the company’s headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. In his remarks, Filosa said their achievements reflect a remarkable legacy of commitment and contributions to the company.
From left to right: Raymond Washington, Sterling Heights (Michigan) Assembly Plant; Charles Ferguson, Kokomo Transmission Plant; Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO and North America COO; William (Bill) Kendrick III, Kokomo Casting.