COLUMBUS, Ind. – Ivy Tech Community College Columbus has awarded John Burnett, Executive Vice Chairman of the Community Education Coalition, with the 2023 Honorary Associate of Science in Community Service Degree.
Burnett was chosen for the honorary degree, awarded at the Ivy Tech Columbus commencement ceremony in May, for providing leadership across the region in developing high-quality learning systems that support learners of all ages. Burnett served as the president and CEO of the Community Education Coalition for more than two decades, greatly helping shape the region’s community learning system and its alignment with economic growth and improved quality of life.
“John has been instrumental in the growth of the Ivy Tech Columbus campus through both direct, tangible involvement and humbly imperceptible influence,” said Dr. Steven Combs, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Columbus.
Burnett served on the Ivy Tech Columbus Campus Board of Trustees in the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, providing a thoughtful voice for the direction and development of the campus. Through the Community Education Coalition, Burnett helped form a regional education structure with a guided, intentional approach that ensures all students from kindergarten to college have a viable pathway through education.
In addition to building the roadmap for education, the Community Education Coalition under his leadership secured millions of dollars in grants designed to drive innovation and support programming, equipment, and other needs for Ivy Tech and other institutions.
Courtesy – Ivy Tech.
