Dee Reed, associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, was honored with the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Aspire Higher Award by President Dottie L. King, Ph.D., on Friday during the general session meeting of the SMWC Board of Trustees. The Aspire Higher Award honors leaders from the community and from the College who prove a passion for using the present to create a better future.
“A champion for higher education, who has been both professionally and personally dedicated to seeing students of all walks of life grow and persist so that they might go out into the world and do great things, Dee Reed is someone who embodies the tenants of the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Aspire Higher Award,” said President King.
Reed, a graduate of WED (now known as Woods Online) in 2008, began her career at SMWC in 2010 as the executive director of marketing and communications. In 2020, she was tasked with establishing a diversity initiative and was named associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. King announced that Reed will retire in May.
When Reed was recognized as a 2018 Women in Business, she was quoted as saying, “Live in the present. Resist the urge to become too enthralled with the future that you miss the real moments of being present…embrace now.”
“Dee embodies this mantra exceptionally well at The Woods through her work with the faculty, staff and most importantly, students,” King said.
Throughout the presentation of the award, King shared that Reed’s service and passion for the students are truly admirable. “Her diligence in pushing The Woods forward to establish our first diversity initiatives during a time that was not easy, and her dedication are among the reasons she has earned this award.”
In addition to her role at The Woods, Reed is very involved in the community. She serves on the boards of a variety of community organizations including the Wabash Valley Community Foundation, Art Spaces and she has served on the Mayor’s Diversity Counsel. She is president of the Lost Creek Grove board and is actively involved in many community initiatives, including meeting with leaders at every level.
In conclusion of the award presentation, King added, “Dee Reed’s work at The Woods stands on its own merit. She has established a lasting legacy in this place by her thoughtful, brave and mission-centered creation of our thinking about true belonging. I am proud to be her colleague and so very happy to consider her a friend!”