Since graduating from DePauw in 1991, Keira Amstutz has been climbing the ladder of success. Currently the president and CEO of Indiana Humanities, Amstutz was recently named as the "Woman of Influence 2012" by the Indianapolis Business Journal.
"I was surprised and honored," Amstutz said of the award. "I think the part that made it special for me was that I was nominated by a woman I consider to be a mentor."
Indiana Humanities is a non-profit organization that focuses on furthering connections between Indiana citizens and their roots. The organization supports various programs in the public humanities sphere designed to enhance cultural understanding while bringing people together.
"I strive to be a strong collaborator in the non-profit world," Amstutz said. "I also enjoy supporting emerging talents by identifying and promoting talented young people."
A small staff of five employees run the company. Their sense of community enables them to impact people all over the state.
According to Kristen Wells, Indiana Humanities' director of communication, Amstutz controls the office with poise and always asks questions to deepen understanding and push her employees to do their best and think critically.
Wells was overjoyed for Amstutz when she received the Woman of Influence Award.
"I was very excited because it's an honor she deserves," Wells said. "One reason I came to work at Indiana Humanities was to work for her. She has influenced my career, and I look up to her as a woman, mom and boss."
Amstutz and her colleagues created and implemented a two-year program called "Food For Thought" across the state of Indiana. According to Anstutz, the multifaceted program is designed to bring people together through a cultural web based around food, a critical element of all cultures. The idea sprouted because of Indiana's investment in agriculture.
The program won the Best Humanities Program Award from the National Humanities Conference in 2011, an award that Amstutz is particularly proud of. Indiana Humanities works to promote ideas like this; there are currently over 100 "Food For Thought" programs in the state.
"Our work impacts people all across the state, and it's a great privilege and responsibility," Amstutz said. "I love being connected to all the people in different parts of the state."
Growing up in Hamilton, Ind., helped establish Amstutz's deep love for the state. She has been working with Indiana Humanities since 2008. Prior to joining Indiana Humanities, she worked for former mayor of Indianapolis Bart Peterson during his first campaign and spent eight years involved with city government.
After graduating from DePauw with a degree in political science, Amstutz became a Governor's Fellow, a prestigious honor for ambitious recent graduates interested in working in the government. She accredits her preparedness for success to her DePauw education.
"My DePauw education allowed me to be a good fit for Indiana Humanities," Amstutz said.
Since Amstutz has a liberal arts background from DePauw, she feels it has prepared her for today's economy.
"DePauw helped me improve my critical thinking and writing skills, which are both critical to today's economy," Amstutz said.
Not only does Amstutz promote non-profit work, she is also an advocate for education, particularly liberal arts education. Last year, she gave the commencement address at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis liberal arts school.
She even pushes the value of education in the work place.
"Kiera was really instrumental in pushing me to go back to school to get a MBA," Wells said. "She was very supportive and helped me make it work with my work schedule. She understands value of additional education."
A mother of two girls, Amstutz said she will be "cheering on the liberal arts education" when her children begin searching for colleges. She also said that being a critical thinker and knowing how to work with different people were the two most important lessons she learned at DePauw. She still implements these critical ideas in her daily life.
"I was just a hard working kid; when I had opportunities, I took advantage of them," Amstutz said. "It's okay to not start out at the top; you just have to start somewhere and realize it is all part of a process."