Meet Judy Roy.

Judy Roy has been a leader in the finance and accounting industry for nearly 35 years, currently serving as Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration at Indiana Tech. Her first job after college was in the accounting department at General Electric on Broadway; she’s been encouraged by the progress of the Electric Works project in transforming her former workplace. She has also played an integral role in Indiana Tech’s participation in the project.

Prior to joining Indiana Tech in 2005, Judy worked for Parkview Health for 15 years. At the start of her time at Parkview, the organization was comprised of its hospital on Randallia Ave. and two small for-profit entities. During her time with Parkview, the health system began a period of major growth, and she has enjoyed watching the tremendous expansion of its services and locations over the last 15 years.

Judy was the charter CFO for Indiana Tech upon her hiring at the university, and has been an essential leader in the transformation of its main campus in Fort Wayne and the growth of its regional locations ever since. Her motivation each and every day has remained the same since she started at Tech: helping students earn their education and go on to live lives of significance and worth. Education and life-long learning are a passion of Judy’s.

Judy graduated from Indiana University in Fort Wayne in 1982 with a BS in Accounting. In 2016, she earned her MBA with a dual concentration in Ethical Leadership and Healthcare Administration. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.

A lifelong resident of Northeast Indiana, Judy believes in giving back to her community. She currently serves as Finance Chair of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, board member of Healthier Moms and Babies, and as the president of the Fort Wayne chapter of Financial Executives International. In the past, she served on the board of the Questa Foundation, Consumer Credit Counseling Service, the YWCA, St. Vincent DePaul School Board, and the St. Vincent DePaul finance
committee.

Personally, Judy spends time with her two grown daughters, their husbands and her seven grandchildren (soon to be eight) on a regular basis. She is already mentoring her granddaughters, and is sure they will grow into self-confident women who believe in themselves. Her youngest son graduated in May 2020 from Ball State and relocated to Austin, Texas. She is mentoring him from afar as he learns the fine skill of “adulting.”

YWCA Asks:  What does an “empowering woman” mean to you?

Judy: An empowering woman is one who is not seeking to lift others up in order to help herself, but because she simply believes in helping other people. In the end, she gets as much, if not more, out of the experience or relationship, but that is not what drives her. An empowering woman is not always someone who is out there on center stage. She can simply be a woman who leads the way through example, through encouraging and supporting others, which can be done very quietly. Each woman’s approach matters less than the impact she has on others.

YWCA Asks:  In what ways do you feel that you empower other women?

Judy: I believe there are many ways to empower women. From one-on-one mentoring to leading others at work or in my volunteer activities, I’ve found that women, by nature, long for that personal interaction. I most enjoy one-on-one conversations over a good cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Those conversations can be powerful. I also seek to empower other women by example. I’m currently the president of the Fort Wayne chapter of Financial Executives International, a well-respected national association for finance professionals. I am the first female president of our chapter. My goal is to bring other women along behind me. Now that the glass ceiling is broken, we need to keep the hole open, make it larger and bring the ceiling down entirely.

YWCA Asks:  Please share an experience or tidbit of knowledge that would help other women. This could be a lesson learned, or motivational story, or information that you would like to share to help educate others.

Judy: My advice for women is not only to give back to others, but also to be a happy giver. I find giving back to my community to be very empowering. Whether you are giving your expertise, your time, or your treasure, do it with joy. I have been giving back to various organizations in the community for many years. My first service experience for the YWCA was with a group called MADIA, Mothers and Daughters in Action. My two then pre-teen daughters and I volunteered with other women and their daughters. Among other things, we planted tulip bulbs at the Wells Street location and hosted holiday parties for the women and children in the shelter. It was the start of many years of giving to the YWCA. I have been involved with many other organizations in Fort Wayne. I try my best to give with joy and to follow through on my commitments. Be a giver, but take on what you can do thoroughly and well. If you do that, you will get more out of it than you put in. I guarantee it!