50th anniversary retrospect: Cindy Brinker

After Byron Wright, vice president emeritus for Business Affairs, interviewed Cindy Brinker in 1979 for personnel director at Indiana State University Evansville (ISUE, now USI), his wife said "You need to hire her."  Wright, a smart man, listened to his wife and hired the young, energetic Brinker. The personnel department (now Human Resources Department) consisted of only three employees at the time and Brinker saw enormous growth in the number of staff in her department throughout her time as director.

She worked closely with Wright, often accompanying him to Indianapolis when he went to legislative meetings. In time he decided to hire someone to take over the legislative sessions and enlisted Brinker's help in finding and hiring the right person. After completing a search, Wright felt something just wasn't clicking with the candidates he had interviewed. After some contemplation, he phoned Brinker and said "I've really given a lot of thought to this, why don't you do it?"

Although Brinker's background wasn't in government relations, Wright saw her potential to succeed in the role. "I told him I don't know anything about that stuff," she said. "He told me what matters is that you know USI - who we are, what we are and you know our students - I can teach you everything else."

So in 1991 when Cindy Brinker stepped into her new role as assistant vice president of Business Affairs, she set out to blaze new trails. Unfortunately, during her first solo legislative session in Indianapolis, it was more than trails that were ablaze when a fire broke out in the hotel she was staying in. Brinker had to crawl out of an upper story window to be rescued. Friend, Sherrianne Standley vice president emerita of Advancement called it her "baptism by fire." Brinker remembers calling Wright after the incident, "He said 'you know Cindy, I've been in a lot of hot situations in Indianapolis, but I've never been in one that hot.'" She wasn't deterred by that fire and, in the years that followed has made hundreds of trips to Indianapolis to represent the University.

Brinker was promoted in 2002 to her current title of vice president of Government and University Relations. It's a competitive spirit and a love for the University that motivates Brinker to fight hard for its success. "I believe in what we are doing. It changes lives," she said. But she doesn't fight alone. "It's not just me. It's our students, trustees, alumni and president that represent our institution. I feel like I'm just in the background, like a choir director bringing things together."

A bonus during her 36 years at USI was meeting her husband, Ed Jones, vice provost emeritus for Outreach and Engagement, who was honored earlier this year as the inaugural recipient of his namesake award, the M. Edward Jones Engagement Award for his contributions to the University.

Brinker has played an enormous role in coordinating events to celebrate USI's 50th anniversary; bringing together numerous people including current and former faculty and staff, to plan a year-long celebration. "We're celebrating our founders; the remarkable growth and accomplishments of the institution. It's like a big family we're bringing together," she said.

The feeling of familiarity and approachability is something Brinker hopes continues at USI. "I hope people feel that everyone is approachable throughout campus. I know students who know and talk to the president because she is visible on campus," she said. "It feels like a family and I hope we never lose that feeling."