A photo of the Willis Family Pedestrian Bridge at night

Alumni

DPEA Alumni

A Featured Alumnaphoto of Ann Fumarolo, president of Science Central, leaning on railing overlooking the interior of the museum.

Ann Fumarolo

Ann spent her entire life living in Fort Wayne, eleven years as President of Science Central and being an active member of the community as well as a graduate of the MPA program at IPFW. But, one day, opportunity knocked and in August 2007 she was named President of Sci-Port Discovery Center (Sci-Port) in Shreveport, Louisiana. Sci-Port is much like Science Central, only larger. They have an IMAX and the only interactive planetarium in the United States. It was named the Number One Museum in Louisiana in 2007.

She says, "But, the one thing that does stay the same in my life is that my roots in Fort Wayne and IPFW have helped pave the road for my success. The education and experiences obtained from the Division of Public and Environmental Affairs provided me with sound skills and confidence in my abilities. There is not a problem that can't be solved if you find the right team."

While she is over a 1000 miles away from IPFW, she plans on attending sporting events when IPFW plays Centenary College. She will be the one with the Mastodon shirt and proudly waving the blue and white. She is certain she will be easy to find.

A Featured Alumnus photo of Nelson Peters standing in the Allen County Courthouse

Nelson Peters

Nelson Peters felt somewhat uneasy about hitting the Fort Wayne job market after graduating from IPFW in 1982. The city’s economy was suffering from the departure of International Harvester and high unemployment. “The prospect for employment did not look good.”

The transition from the classroom to the workplace, however, proved less difficult than expected. Peters credits much of the ease to the faculty and the Bachelor of Science in public administration that he earned at IPFW.

In 1984, Peters went back to IPFW in pursuit of an M.P.A. which he received in 1989. During the latter part of 1984 he became personnel director for Allen County government, which he served until 1988, when he was appointed director of human resources for the City of Fort Wayne by former Mayor Paul Helmke.

In 1991, Peters was elected to an at-large seat on the Allen County Council. In this position, he emphasized better strategic planning at the county level. In March 1998, Peters proposed a criminal justice task force that would help guide the county council in long-term budgetary decisions. Many of the recommendations have since been implemented. Peters’ accomplishments include the implementation of a budget analysis, participation in the development of an economic development tax abatement program, and the creation of the Northeast Indiana Regional Alliance (NIRA) health insurance consortium. In 1999, Peters became director of human resources at Taylor Made Systems, Inc. after five years as vice president of human resources for Connor Corp., a Fort Wayne manufacturer.

After leaving county council in 2000, Peters joined a partnership in the purchase of Calico Precision Molding, LLC. In 2004, Peters was elected as an Allen County Commissioner. His term began on January 1, 2005. As a county commissioner, Peters “gets the opportunity to help people on a macro level and to do this on a full time basis”.

Nelson and his wife, Tammy, lead an active life while supporting their two children who attend Indiana University-Bloomington.

IPFW Alumni Relations