Awards

IU Southeast Distinguished Alumni Award - 1999

About Connie Sipes

Connie Sipes was appointed to the Indiana Senate in 1997 and was thereafter elected to full terms. She has served our state in numerous capacities including as a teacher at East Spring Street School and principal at Fairmont Elementary School, both in New Albany. Sipes is committed to the well-being of Hoosiers through her active participation as a member of the Indiana Commission on Autism, the Committee on Childcare, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Committee, the Select Joint Commission on Medicaid Oversight, the Commission on Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities and the Indiana Tourism Council.

On a national level, she is an appointee to the Redistricting and Elections Committee and the Education Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Sipes has received numerous honors including Principal of the Year in District 12, Indiana University Southeast Distinguished Alumna, Tommie Blaylock Award for outstanding leadership from the AFL-CIO, Empowerment Award-Legislation Leadership from the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Autism Commitment Award presented by Indiana's Autism Community.

Sipes is the chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, is the ranking Democrat on the Appointments and Claims Committee, and serves on the Education and Career Development, Tax and Fiscal Policy, Elections and Rules and Legislative Procedure Committees.

Sipes earned her undergraduate degree and two master's degrees in education and administration from Indiana University Southeast. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999 and the Welsh-Bowen Distinguished Public Official Award in 2010 from Indiana University.