Alumni Spotlight
Josh Kornberg
Josh Kornberg attending an IU Southeast Alumni event.
Josh Kornberg selected as new executive director of the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County
Josh Kornberg, B.A. ’12, was recently selected as the next executive director of the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County—a fitting role for one so passionate about southern Indiana.
While originally from Philadelphia, Kornberg moved to southern Indiana in middle school and has since been a familiar face in the community. He chose to attend IU Southeast because it was close to home and affordable. During his time at IU Southeast, Kornberg became involved in many extracurricular organizations, including Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, the IU Southeast Student Alumni Association and the Student Government Association, that would influence him for years to come.
“I was an officer in my fraternity, and my main role was community relations and community service,” said Kornberg. “With the Student Alumni Association, I always ensured that we were doing community-focused events, and from that point, I very much knew that’s where I was focusing.”
Kornberg first learned about fundraising in a professional communications course during his sophomore year of college.
“That was my first exposure to fundraising, and I had never even heard of this as a profession before. I kind of fell in love with the idea and concept of fundraising,” he said. “I decided that was what I wanted to do professionally, and that was a lot of what shaped my engagement on campus as well.”
Josh Kornberg attending an IU Southeast Alumni event.
From left to right: Stephanie Collins, Shane Thomas, Chancellor Ray Wallace, Debbie Tackett, Josh Kornberg and J.T. Douglas.
After graduating from IU Southeast in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies, Kornberg pursued his love of fundraising and community relations and began working full-time for Volunteers of America as a volunteer manager. From there, he stepped into a more traditional fundraising role at the Kentucky Science Center, where he eventually served as director of development. Kornberg also spent almost six years at Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg, Indiana, where he served as executive director of development.
Kornberg holds a Master of Science in business communication and a Doctor of Education in organizational leadership from Spalding University. In 2020, he was named Young Professional of the Year by One Southern Indiana.
Kornberg said that when the executive director position opened at the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, he had to take a chance on the opportunity.
“In my opinion, it is one of those jobs that just doesn’t come around very often,” he said. “For someone who is in development, it is such a prestigious and meaningful role to our community, and I thought to myself, I have to be a part of that.”
Since its creation, the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County has awarded more than $27 million in grants to local organizations, $8.4 million in scholarships, $3.1 million in low-interest loans to small businesses and $51.5 million in gifts to the community.
As the new executive director, Kornberg will serve as the spokesperson of the foundation. He will also oversee the disbursement of funds for non-profit grants, scholarships and small business loans. He will replace Jerry Finn, a fellow IU Southeast alumnus, who announced his plans to retire after nearly 20 years in the position.
“The Foundation Board of Directors made a great choice in hiring Dr. Josh Kornberg as the new Executive Director for the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County,” said Finn. “As a graduate of New Albany High School and IU Southeast, his connections and local network will serve him and the foundation well. It is comforting to know the foundation is in good hands and will benefit from Josh’s community engagement and leadership.”
Kornberg is most excited that the position advocates for southern Indiana and the region as a whole.
“I’m starting to find myself in the middle of conversations about community growth, quality of place and what we can do as a foundation and as a community to ensure that southern Indiana is a great place to live, work and play,” he said.
Among the goals he hopes to accomplish in his new role, Kornberg wants to be a champion for early childhood education.
“Early childhood education is such an underrepresented area, and I want to give that attention,” he said. “In the next couple of years, I want to make sure that we’re doing things that are impactful and that are meaningful to our community and our constituents throughout our region.”
Kornberg attributes some of his success to his education and experiences at IU Southeast.
“I feel so fortunate that I had the opportunity to receive a local education that covers a lot of different areas of thought,” he said. “If higher education is designed to create better, more engaged citizens in society, then I think IU Southeast has been incredibly successful, at least with me.”
Josh Kornberg and Sue Sanders, longtime IU Southeast supporter and alumna.