MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State University Foundation recognized Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) and American Electric Power (AEP), I&M’s parent company, as its 2021 Corporate Partner of the Year during the annual Alumni and Benefactors Recognition Dinner on October 22, 2021.
The Ball State Foundation recognizes, on a yearly basis, a corporation that has enhanced philanthropy at Ball State University through dedicated effort, time, leadership, passion, and generosity. During the event, Katie Davis, vice president of External Affairs and Customer Experience for I&M accepted the award on behalf of the company.
“We appreciate the excellent work that Ball State University does to help the local community thrive, and we are honored to be a leading partner in making that a reality,” Davis said about the recognition. “I&M is always focused on Powering the Next Collaboration with community partners and Ball State is a clear choice in achieving that mission.”
I&M, along with AEP, continually focuses on Powering the Next Collaboration to better the communities each company serves, including East Central Indiana, Muncie and Ball State University.
Ball State recognized I&M and AEP because of a focus on improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math, and by meeting basic needs for emergency shelter, affordable housing, and the elimination of hunger.
“Indiana Michigan Power, and the Ball State Foundation are a perfect match because they share the same values,” Ball State Foundation president Jean Crosby said. “Both organizations are committed to serving their communities and making the world a better place. We are grateful for Indiana Michigan Power’s generosity and look forward to continuing this partnership in coming years.”
Over the past year, an AEP grant empowered the Muncie Mission to buy the first new box truck in its history in early 2020. That truck has been critical to their mission and helps the Mission feed 300-plus people per day.
AEP has also supported the Rinard Greenhouse renovation project with a $300,000 grant, which will double the size of the greenhouse and bring the addition of an environmental education center.
Additional philanthropic priorities for the partnership have included grants for the Charles W. Brown Planetarium, the Glick Center for Glass, Cardinal Varsity Club and BSU athletics.
Both I&M and AEP look forward to continued partnerships with Ball State University for years to come.
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ABOUT INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER: Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its approximately 2,100 employees serve more than 600,000 customers. More than 85% of its energy delivered in 2020 was emission-free. I&M has at its availability various sources of generation including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, more than 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 35 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,620 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.
ABOUT AEP: American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP’s approximately 16,800 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 223,000 miles of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 30,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 5,600 megawatts of renewable energy. The company’s plans include growing its renewable 2 generation portfolio to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2030. AEP is on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieving net zero by 2050. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.
News releases and other information about I&M are available at IndianaMichiganPower.com