The Evolution of Service
One graduate’s 45-year engagement demonstrates the various ways to connect throughout one’s life.
Kelsey Kelly grew up with stories of her father, Don Dumoulin, ’82, inputting alumni address changes for three hours a day while working a student job at the Alumni office. She heard about Sigma Chi Fraternity formals and the “good ol‘ days” during Homecoming tailgates.
“I love seeing my dad involved with Ball State because I know how much the University means to him,” said Kelly, assistant vice president for development for the Ball State Foundation. “His engagement inspires me and others to stay involved in our alma mater at some level. Everyone can give back in some way; you just have to find the right space.”
Mr. Dumoulin found that space at Ball State. The CEO and owner of Precise Tooling Solutions and Next Chapter LLC has served the University in some capacity every year since he started at Ball State in 1978.
Upon graduating from the University, Mr. Dumoulin would serve the Ball State University Alumni Council for 15 years. That dedication and expertise earned him a 1999 Benny Award, the University’s top award for service to Ball State or the Alumni Association.
“This is where I and so many of the 210,000 Ball State graduates got our start, and we all owe a bit of gratitude to the University,” said Mr. Dumoulin, who also served the Miller College of Business Advisory Board. “I understand it’s not always the easiest thing to do, but there are many ways to get involved and give back. And once you see the impact you make on students’ lives, you can’t stop. It’s so rewarding.”
Mr. Dumoulin joined the Ball State Foundation Board of Directors in 2014, and he continues to advocate for student involvement on campus. That engagement, he said, creates a pipeline for alumni involvement. The numbers support his claim: members of the Foundation board were involved in a total of 51 student organizations, and the Alumni Council members were involved in 100.
“Some of the most active alumni volunteers began their involvement as students, so it is important for the University to continue to find ways for students to get involved and understand all that goes into their college experience,” Mr. Dumoulin said.
Mr. Dumoulin is also proud Kelsey works for his alma mater and that his son, Ryan Dumoulin, ’08, was one of the first fourth-generation Cardinals and also a Sigma Chi. Don Dumoulin’s wife, Lynda (Brown) Dumoulin, ’82, graduated from Ball State. Her mother, Joyce Brown, ’58, graduated from Ball State Teachers College, and her grandmother, Mildred (Peck) Lee, graduated from the Eastern Indiana Normal School in the late 1920s.
