Evansville, IN – Daniela Vidal, vice president of operations at Vidal Plastics, will be the next chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College’s Evansville campus. She will begin her work with Ivy Tech on March 16, replacing Jonathan Weinzapfel who left the college in November following five years of service. The Evansville campus serves a 10-county region with additional sites located in Princeton and Tell City.

Sue Ellspermann, Ivy Tech President, welcomed Vidal and cited many of her areas of accomplishment that will benefit Ivy Tech. “We are pleased to welcome Daniela. Her higher education, economic development, innovation and entrepreneurship experience will serve her well as we continue to reshape the College and programming to meet the changing needs of southwest Indiana communities, employers, and, most importantly, our students,” Ellspermann said. “Ivy Tech is critical to the success of the region’s Talent 2025 strategy. I am confident that Daniela will help us grow and better serve our richly diverse community ensuring all of our citizens are pursuing post-secondary credentials which lead to their prosperity, elevate our communities, and strengthen southwest Indiana’s economy.”

Ellspermann also noted her thanks to Kelly Cozart for her leadership as interim chancellor. “She has been instrumental in moving the campus forward during this period of transition and we are thankful she will return to her leadership role as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the Evansville campus,” she said.

Vidal expressed gratitude for a new career that will continue to impact the community. “I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and platform to continue to work for a community that I have grown to love dearly,” Vidal said. “I strongly believe in southwest Indiana’s potential and Ivy Tech’s excellent team of faculty, staff and partners who play a key role in fully realizing this potential. We have an opportunity to equip our population, including those hidden and underrepresented parts of our society, with the skills needed to support our vision for economic growth and quality of life. I am committed to fully leveraging my experience, cultural background and passion to make Ivy Tech a beacon of hope for our community.”

State Board of Trustee Andrew Wilson shared his appreciation for the role the community played in the selection process. “This is an important moment for Ivy Tech and our Evansville campus. It was evident during our search that the Community is excited about the opportunities that come with a new Chancellor. And as State Trustee, I am encouraged by the important role our Chancellor plays in the communities we serve,” he said.

Prior to her work at Vidal Plastics, Daniela served for more than 10 years in a variety of roles at the University of Southern Indiana. Her last role was as director of Opportunity Development, which housed the Center for Applied Research, Eagle Innovations Accelerator and Tech Commercialization, Resource Development, USI @ Innovation Pointe and the I-69 Innovation Corridor initiative.

Previously, she was coordinator of the Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Supervision degree programs and Engineering instructor. Vidal has also served as a consultant and trainer in the fields of operational excellence, new product introduction and leadership.

She has also served in a variety of roles at Proctor & Gamble Latin America, Mead Johnson, GE Plastics and Berry Plastics. She holds a chemical engineering degree from Universidad Metroplitana in Caracas, Venezuela, and a Master of Business Administration from USI.

Some of the recent economic and workforce development and strategic planning projects Vidal has been involved in include:

• Growth Alliance Innovation & Entrepreneurship Committee Chair
• Rural Indiana Technology Commercialization Initiative (RITCI)
• Led region in application for Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership initiative
• I-69 Innovation Corridor leadership team and steering committee; this included the Brainpower and Innovation & Entrepreneurship task forces

Vidal is active in the community serving on several boards, and is a founding member and president of HOLA. She has been recognized for her leadership and community involvement through such honors as being named an Athena Award finalists, Leadership Evansville award, Top Five Most Influential Women in Evansville, Sydney Berger Community Award, and YWCA 100 Years 100 Women.

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