Elkhart businesswoman and philanthropist Alice A. Martin, is this year's recipient of the Lewis S. Armstrong Award from Indiana University South Bend.

The award recognizes distinguished achievement, leadership and contributions to the advancement of business and the quality of life in Elkhart County. Martin will receive the award at a dinner on Oct. 3 in Elkhart. The invitations have been sent.

Martin is vice chairman of the board of directors and chief people officer of NIBCO, Inc. She was the lead director of the board from 2004-2006. The company manufacturers flow control systems for residential and commercial construction.

She also is co-founder and president of the Rex and Alice A. Martin Foundation, which funds projects for children at all of NIBCO sites.

In addition to the corporate and foundation work, she has served on more than 40 national, state and local charitable boards, such as Ruthmere Foundation, Indiana University South Bend, and Middlesex School, Concord, Mass.

Martin was honored with a number of awards including a Sagamore of the Wabash, Rotary International award, President's Summit for America's Youth, Public Broadcasting National Leadership Award and Michiana's Public Television Volunteer of the Year in 1997 and1992.

She received concurrent resolutions from the Indiana Senate and House honoring her work in 1998.

She received a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University and a master's in business administration from the University of Illinois.

Past winners of the Lewis S. Armstrong Award include: Basil S. Turner, Walter O. Wells, Lee Martin, Ramona T. Middleton, Lehman F. Beardsley, William P. Johnson, Jon Armstrong, Jonathan W. Housand Jr., Thomas Dusthimer, Leroy F. Ott, Geraldine F. Martin, Robert J. Deputy, Frank K. Martin, William O. Phillips, Al Bias, Rex Martin, Gail T. Martin, Phid Wells and Richard J. Jensen.

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