Prior to joining Sagamore, Teresa Lubbers served as Commissioner for Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education, the coordinating agency charged with ensuring the state’s postsecondary education system is aligned to meet the needs of students and the state. Prior to joining the Commission, Lubbers served in the Indiana State Senate for 17 years, leading on education and economic development issues as Chair of the Senate Education and Career Development Committee.
During her tenure as Commissioner, Lubbers worked to increase college completion, ensure academic quality and student learning, and align postsecondary credentials with meaningful careers. She partnered with policymakers and higher education leaders to develop and implement the state’s higher education strategic plans, including the Commission’s current plan, “Reaching Higher in a State of Change.”
Lubbers served as the Chair of Indiana’s Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. She is a past chair and member of both the State Higher Education Executive Officers and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. Lubbers is the past chair and current member of the Higher Learning Advocates Board of Directors and immediate past chair for the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. Additionally, she served as Commissioner for the Education Commission of the States, a member of the Advisory Council for the Institute for Workforce Excellence, and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.
Lubbers is past chair and current member of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis and Chair of the YMCA Foundation. She is the co-founder of the Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series and serves as an Elder at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church.
Lubbers holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a Master in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.