Charlotte Pfeifer is a pillar of our South Bend community. Her work in public affairs and the nonprofit sector has been extensive, demonstrating the versatility of an MPA degree from IU South Bend and her commitment to public service and justice.
Across her career, Pfeifer has served in elected office, founded a nonprofit and served as its executive director, and worked as a lead administrator in higher education while also teaching classes. In all of these areas, Pfeifer says, she has applied skills and context gained from earning her MPA degree at IU South Bend.
“Getting my MPA was the most practical thing I ever did,” Pfeifer, who also holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from IU South Bend, says. “The MPA is related to everything. I established lifelong peer relationships, developed leadership skills, and negotiation skills.”
Pfeifer put these to use in founding the DuComb Center, a community-based corrections center for St. Joseph County, and serving as executive director for over 14 years. The Center has a residential component, electronic monitoring, and an out-patient based program. In other nonprofit work, Pfeifer has served as a Volunteer and Counseling Coordinator at Planned Parenthood North Central IN., where she recruited and supervised volunteers, counseled women about birth control and pregnancy options, and developed and taught educational modules.
Pfeifer was elected to represent the 2nd District of the South Bend Common Council on three consecutive occasions and served in the role for 12 years. As a member of the Council she focused on issues close to her MPA training—human rights, neighborhood development, and public safety. During this time she also organized the 2nd district into neighborhood associations and did the research, planning, and organizing that lead to the passage of the Human Rights Ordinance.
Once on the job in these leadership roles, Pfeifer utilized specific skills from the MPA curriculum to improve efficiency within organizations. For example, Pfeifer “learned how to develop, read, and initiate a budget for my institutions, departments, and the city.”
In her work at IU South Bend Pfeifer took on several roles, including Director of Campus Diversity. She taught classes in several departments during this time, including the MPA program, supervised the Child Development Center, the Counseling Center, Housing, and retired as the Director of Judicial Affairs where I enforced the Student Code of Conduct. As Director of Campus Diversity, Pfeifer developed programs, brought in national speakers, supported student groups, developed and taught campus-wide modules on understanding diversity. At IUSB she also developed Conversations on Race, worked with the Black Man’s Think Tank, served as an organizer of Celebrations of Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA+ celebrations and Disability Awareness Month while supporting the corresponding student groups.
With her scope of impact, it’s difficult to identify just one or two highlights of her work, but Pfeifer points to one aspect of her career across all these fields as the most rewarding: “standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.” She has done this in myriad ways, including passing legislation, organizing community activism, supporting distressed faculty, students, and staff on campus.
Pfeifer’s concentration in the MPA program was Criminal Justice, a concentration that will soon be available again to MPA students at IU South Bend. Whether potential students select Criminal Justice or another field in the program, Pfeifer says they should pursue an MPA if they want to be at the top of their organizations and lead in the community.
“I wanted to be in a leadership position. I wanted to be in charge,” Pfeifer says. “I wanted to be in a position to control my own destiny. I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Students can do the same thing and more.”
More recently, Pfeifer has worked with IU South Bend School of Education Dean Dr. Hope Davis in 2021 to develop an Educational Symposium. She is also currently working with Dr. April Lidinsky, Director, Master of Liberal Studies at IU South Bend on organizing and developing the community around Reproductive Justice. Another working project focuses on local women authors at the St. Joseph County Public Library with retired IU South Bend professor, Dr. Gabrielle Robinson.
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