Profile: Colette Irwin-Knott ’81

Colette Irwin-Knott ’81 has worked for one company since graduating from Valparaiso University. Celebrating her 25th anniversary with H.J. Umbaugh and Associates of Indianapolis, she realizes just how rare that is in today’s business world. Umbaugh provides financial advisory services for local governments, and Irwin-Knott has worked with Indiana schools, cities and towns, counties and libraries. She has been instrumental in implementing long-range capital improvement programs totaling billions of dollars in the Indianapolis area and throughout Indiana.

Residence: Zionsville, Ind.

Family: Husband, Gary; sons, Aaron and Stefan

Education: Bachelor of science degree with a specialization in management and finance, College of Business Administration, Valparaiso University, 1981.

On her education: “I had wonderful experiences while at Valparaiso. I was very active on campus serving as president of my sorority, Phi Beta Chi, and studying abroad at Cambridge, England. I continued to stay very connected with VU by joining the Guild upon graduation and now serve on the National Council of the College of Business Administration. For me, VU provided excellent academic programs, interwoven with a Christian environment that enhanced my faith.”

On her career: “I feel richly blessed and recognize that my job is to simply be an instrument for God’s work. We often think of the mission field being off in another country, but for me it is right here in my everyday life in Indiana. Hopefully, my faith is made evident in the business decisions and interactions I have with Umbaugh partners and staff, clients and the many others I work with on a daily basis. Approaching business in an ethical manner was the fabric of what was always fostered at Valparaiso.”