Katherine holds a bachelor's degree from Ball State University, a master's degree in social work from Indiana University, and received an honorary doctorate in Public Service from Christian Theological Seminary. She is certified in mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution by Ki ThoughtBridge. Following a career as a clinical social worker, Katherine developed and directed the Lilly Endowment Leadership Education Program, a statewide leadership education initiative for professionals in the youth service. She also developed leadership training programs and resources for the Community Leadership Association, a consortium of community leadership programs across the country.
From 1990 to 1994, Katherine chaired the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Race Relations History Project, during which time she helped develop a training curriculum, Finding Common Ground, for community-wide dissemination. She is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Program in Indianapolis and, as president of the SKLA Board, served on the Commission for Downtown and on the boards of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee. Katherine is a founding member of the Indianapolis chapter of the Coalition of 100 Black Women, past president of the board of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes, and is a trustee of the Church Pension Fund for the Episcopal Church.
Katherine is the 1988 recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest honor the governor of Indiana can bestow on a citizen and was awarded the first Indiana Youth Institute's Pathfinder Award in 1989 for her work in leadership education. She was the 1990 recipient of the Edna B. Lacy Service Award for her contribution and service to the Indianapolis community and the Stanley K. Lacy Alumni and received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership. Katherine was named a “Woman in the Forefront” in 1998 by the Indianapolis Business Journal and Indiana Lawyer publications. Most recently, she was honored by the Indianapolis YWCA as a 2002 Woman of Achievement and was presented with that organization's Phillis Wheatley Award for her work toward eliminating racism. In 2004 she received the Hoosier Heritage award for her achievements.
Katherine is the author of Creating Caring and Capable Boards: Reclaiming the Passion for Active Trusteeship, published by Jossey-Bass in 2000, and The Inner Work of the Leader: Discovering the Leader Within, published in 1999. She is the co-author of several other publications, including, Stories From the Circle: Women's Leadership in Community, published in 1991, and is a contributing author to Cutting Edge Leadership 2000, published in 2000, and Spirit at Work, edited by Jay Conger (Jossey-Bass, 1994). Katherine is currently working on a book on change and leadership.
EducationB.S. Ball State UniversityMasters in Social Work Indiana University
"True transformation happens when the character of individuals and the culture of institutions and communities are perceived as related and their development is equally valued and intentional. The capacity to accomplish this involves the adaptive skills of leadership, the management of change, and the negotiation and resolution of conflict. Our work equips our clients with these abilities and in so doing equips them for sustainable success."
- Katherine Tyler Scott