Timothy R. Frame knows on a personal level how important IU East is to Wayne County.

Timothy R. Frame

He’s a graduate. So is his wife. His son, too. And just recently, his stepdaughter graduated. “It’s an important part of my family,” he said.

But, Frame also knows IU East is extremely important on professional and community levels.

The university’s recent growth has been a major boost to the economic and social environments of the region.

About 85 percent of graduates live and work in Richmond, Wayne County and the immediate area. “IU East is such a great community asset,” he said.

And Frame knows a lot about assets. He is president and CEO of West End Bank and its charitable foundation.

He is thrilled that the foundation has donated $100,000 toward the completion of the Student Events and Activities Center. “We’re proud to do it,” Frame said. “This (gift) shows IU East’s great value and our support for them.”

The gift matches the foundation’s and the bank’s missions to support education, which ranges from running banks in elementary schools to helping dozens of community social-service organizations. “It’s a great fit,” Frame said about supporting the Student Events and Activities Center.

In honor of the gift – the largest ever awarded by the foundation – the outdoor area that includes the main entrance to the Student Events and Activities Center has been designated as West End Bank Plaza. “Everyone that visits there will walk through that plaza,” Frame said. “We’re pleased to get that kind of recognition.”

He appreciates the growth, too, because the bank is in an expansion mode in infrastructure four years after becoming a public company. “We’re building a new corporate headquarters,” he said, while noting that he could see concrete foundations being poured from the bank windows.

It’s been delayed a bit by wet weather, but is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2017. In addition to the construction project, West End Bank offers two sites in Richmond and one each in Hagerstown and Liberty.

Frame believes the new Student Events and Activities Center will further stimulate growth of IU East – which has more than doubled enrollment in the last decade – and make it even more popular for visitors. “They will be able to take part in more college activities and experiences,” he said about people in the community.

It also will help potential students and their parents see a wider range of opportunities in educational and extracurricular activities. “It’s going to make their decision a little easier,” Frame said.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1994 from IU East. The native of Richmond is a graduate of Northeastern High School.

Frame was named president and CEO of the bank, its holding company and the charitable foundation in 2015. His IU East connections have continued through the years with service on various boards; he currently is a member of the IU East Board of Advisors.

His wife, Cherie, works as a nurse practitioner at Reid Health and is an adjunct professor in the IU East School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Frame has worked all 31 years of his banking career in Wayne County. “Being from this community has been so valuable,” he said. “It helps me know the needs of the community and give service to everyone of all backgrounds. I find it very rewarding.”

It’s been rewarding for the bank, too, because many of its 100 employees have attended IU East including Shelley Miller, executive vice president and chief financial officer, who attended classes at IU East before graduating from IUPUI in 1986.

The tendency to give back is strong throughout the bank. The employees have their own charitable group that makes monthly awards. “We have some fun with it,” Frame said. “It’s a nice spirit within the organization to give back.”

That goes all the way to the top. “The vast majority of our shareholders are local,” he said. “We set aside a significant dollar amount to support the community. We are glad to do so.”

This gift counts toward the $2.5 billion campaign, For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign. IU East’s campaign goal is $7 million, which will help fund a variety of campus initiatives, student scholarships and strategic projects. Find out more about IU East and ways to assist the campus at iue.edu/development.

For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign is taking place on all IU-administered campuses including IU Bloomington, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. The campaign will conclude in December 2019 to coincide with IU’s bicentennial year celebration in 2020. To learn more about the campaign, its impact, and how to participate, please visit forall.iu.edu.

Founded in 1936, the Indiana University Foundation maximizes private support for Indiana University by fostering lifelong relationships with key stakeholders and providing advancement leadership and fundraising services for campuses and units across the university. Today, the IU Foundation oversees one of the largest public university endowments in the country, with a market value of approximately $1.9 billion. In fiscal year 2015, IU received $359.3 million in support from the private sector. IU is consistently ranked among the top four of Big Ten universities in annual voluntary support.