Get to know our Foundation Volunteer Leaders! Each month, the Foundation will be featuring its esteemed Board and Alumni Council members for you to get to know a little bit better. Below are some fun facts as well as a peek into what each of these board members do in their professional careers.

Kathy Arbuckle — Foundation Board (2016-Present)

Kathy, also known as Missy, began her public accounting career right after earning her degree from Ball State University. For 15 years, she honed her expertise at Ernst & Young (E&Y), specializing in healthcare. Her career path then led her to significant finance roles at Methodist Health, IU Health, and St. Vincent’s, culminating in her positions as CFO at Bon Secours Mercy Health in Baltimore and Ascension Health in St. Louis.

Now enjoying her well-deserved retirement, Kathy returned to Indianapolis in November 2023, where she and her husband, Dan, have found their dream home. Her days are filled with shopping, gardening, reading, exercising, and golf.

Kathy is also dedicated to giving back to her community. She volunteers at a free tax clinic for low-income seniors and serves on several healthcare boards. Her connection to Ball State remains strong, especially with the Miller College of Business, the Accounting Department, and the Ball State Foundation.

What Kathy cherishes most about her volunteer work with the Foundation is the staff’s creativity and enthusiasm. Their excitement for their work and love for Ball State is infectious and continually inspires her.

Kathy Furnish — Alumni Council (2024-Present)

Kathy is a proud new member of our Alumni Council, elected in June 2024. She eagerly embraces the opportunity to give back to an institution that has impacted her life, providing her with an excellent education, lasting friendships, and unwavering confidence.

Ball State University holds a special place in her heart because it’s where she met her husband, who proposed to her under the iconic statue of Benny.

With a distinguished advertising career, Kathy excels as the Senior Media Planner and Buyer at BCH Agency in Louisville, KY.

Her dream is to one day live where she can wake up to the soothing sounds and invigorating scents of the ocean and beach every morning. In her free time, she is passionate about traveling domestically and internationally, and countless destinations are still on her must-visit list.

Kathy highly recommends “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott, a cherished novel celebrating the bonds of women and family, as an essential read.