Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders named 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients

15th May 2017

NEW ALBANY, Ind. — IU Southeast named longtime supporters Judge Carlton Sanders and Sue Sanders as the recipients of the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Sue Sanders accepted the couple’s award on behalf of her late husband at the 2017 Commencement ceremony on May 8.

Judge Carlton Sanders graduated from IU Southeast with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management in 1972 and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Louisville in 1976. He opened a law firm and later served as Harrison County Superior Court Judge for 12 years until his retirement in 1997. An active member of the community, Judge Sanders served on the board of the LifeSpring Health Systems, The Harrison County Hospital Foundation, The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and The Next Step, which is a recovery program for overcoming addiction. Judge Sanders passed away in October 2016 leaving behind a legacy of philanthropic giving.

Sue Sanders earned her Bachelor of Science in Business from IU Southeast in 1981. Her career spanned a variety of information systems positions until her retirement in 2000. She was named Harrison County’s Philanthropic Woman of the Year in 2006. She serves on the board of the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, the Salvation Army and the IU Southeast Board of Advisors and alumni board. She was recently named the recipient of the Cornerstone Award at the 2017 IU Foundation Partners in Philanthropy Awards Ceremony.

At IU Southeast, the Sanders have financially supported the Honors Program, the Judge Carlton E. and Sue Sanders Chair in Business and Economics and the Sanders Speaker Series endowment. They have funded the Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders International Study Scholarship, the Sanders Trading Lab, the Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders Laboratory for Nursing and the new Sanders Professional Sales Center.

The Distinguished Alumni Award honors outstanding IU Southeast alumni who have made significant contributions to the community and are leaders in their professions. Each year, this award is presented to the recipient at Commencement. The following criteria are considered when selecting a recipient:

  • Personal and professional accomplishments
  • Community service
  • Post-graduation university involvement

Joey Rivera ’93 was the 2016 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. He is the founder and CEO of the Rivera Group and provides expertise in cyber warfare.

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