HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-01-08 King honored with 2008 F. Jay Nimtz Public Service Award (2)
Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, December 1, 2008
4:00 PM
Contact:
Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
King honored with 2008 F. Jay Nimtz Public Service Award
The F. Jay Nimtz Exemplary Public Service Award was presented to Karl G. King, at the annual
st
Award Ceremony and Reception Monday, December 1, at the Charles Martin Youth Center.
This award was established to honor the late F. Jay Nimtz, a former U.S. Congressman, long-time
President of the South Bend Redevelopment Commission, attorney, and community preservationist. F.
Jay set the standard for community advocacy and commitment to building a better South Bend. Created
in 1989, the award is given by the City of South Bend and South Bend Heritage Foundation to an
individual in the community who has shown exemplary public service through long and varied volunteer
activities.
Karl G. King, this year’s honoree, is recognized for his outstanding professional career and
commitment to public service within the Greater South Bend area. Through his tireless efforts, South
Bend and the surrounding community is a more vibrant, more modern, and more prosperous place in
which to live and work.
"Karl was our unanimous choice this year because of his lifetime of achievement and dedication to
serving the Greater South Bend area. Just like F. Jay, Karl is a champion and an advocate for our
community," said Mayor Steve Luecke. "The most recent example of his leadership, and one that
may have the most lasting impact, is his work on the development plan for the North East Neighborhood
including the Eddy Street Commons which creates a permanent bridge linking the University of Notre
Dame and the South Bend community. None of this could have happened without Karl's steadfast
determination and commitment."
-more-
Page 2.
Born on December 15, 1942, Karl King attended John Adams High School in South Bend. He
received a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Notre Dame, earning the distinction of Magna
Cum Laude. Mr. King then went on to the University of Michigan where he received his M.B.A. with a
Cum Laude honor.
Karl was first employed by Crowe, Chizek and Company in 1966. He served many roles in the
company as a member of Crowe Chizek’s Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, and as a
member of the Management Advisory Services Group from 1966 through 1990. After becoming a
partner in 1974, he served as Managing Partner of the Management Advisory Services Group until 1990.
Following that, he was Managing Partner of Crowe Chizek’s Software Products Group until his
retirement in 1999. During his time spent as a CPA at Crowe, Chizek and Company, his excellence in the
field was recognized by appointments to various committees within the American Institute of CPAs such
as Chairman of the Computer Services Division Executive Committee and the Information Technology
Research Subcommittee. His numerous other memberships within the Institute include Member of the
Editorial Review Board of The Journal of Accountancy and of the Special Advisory Committee on
Internal Controls in the Federal Government. He presently serves as President of King Research, a
company he founded in 2004, which performs commissioned public policy research projects.
Upon accepting the award, Karl stated, “I can't think of a better way to honor the memory of Jay
Nimtz than to follow his example and dedicate ourselves to doing things that will make our community a
better place. Doing things that count, things that make a difference, things that have a lasting impact--
makes our community a better place.”
Karl’s personal commitment to public service in the community began well over 35 years ago with
countless invaluable contributions throughout the community. A few of his past career highlights include
twenty-six years on the Board of Directors of the Family and Children’s Center, eight years on the Board
of Trustees of the Child Welfare League of America, a member of the Strategic Planning Committee for
the United Way of St. Joseph County, the South Bend Common Council from 1998 to 2003, representing
th
the city’s 4 District, and three years on the Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County Technology
Task Force which produced a study leading to initiatives to develop a fiber optic network—now known
as St. Joe Valley Metronet—and a technology park—now known as the Innovation Park at Notre Dame.
-more-
Page 3.
Karl King truly believes in service to his community and he always means what he says: “Often
we can serve by sharing a skill or talent that we've come to take for granted, but one that can make a
difference in the life of somebody else if properly put to use. Mentors, tutors, and coaches share strength.
So do college students and senior citizens who read to kids in elementary schools, Chefs who teach
nutrition to low-income families, and CPAs who work in free tax preparation clinics for low-income
people.”
King currently serves the community as Vice President of the Area Plan Commission of St.
Joseph County, Vice President of the Century Center Board of Managers, Secretary of St. Joe Valley
Metronet, Inc., and Treasurer of Madison Center, Inc.
In addition to his outstanding commitment to public service, Mr. King proudly served our nation
in the United States Army as a Field Artillery Operations and Intelligence Specialist and is an active
member of St. Anthony’s Church. He has been married to his wife Margaret since 1965, and they have
two children, Emily and Samuel.
-30-