Proffitt to serve three-year term alongside IU President Pamela Whitten as Board Chair

Ice Miller LLP is pleased to announce Melissa Proffitt, Equity Partner and Partner-in-Charge of Client Relations, has been appointed Vice Chair of the Indiana University Foundation (IUF) Board of Directors. She will serve a three-year term alongside IU President Pamela Whitten, who serves as Board Chair. Proffitt's appointment reflects her longstanding dedication to Indiana University and her commitment to strengthening the IU Foundation’s efforts to advance the university’s most important priorities through charitable giving and engagement.

Proffitt has been a member of the IU Foundation Board since 2021, when she was among five new directors welcomed to the Board. The IU Foundation Board serves as the legal governing body of the IU Foundation, and its members. The IU Foundation has approximately $4.5 billion in assets.

"I am honored to take on this role and to continue supporting Indiana University's mission alongside President Whitten and the outstanding members of the IU Foundation Board," said Proffitt. "IU has been central to my personal and professional journey, and I am honored to help advance its impact for students and communities across Indiana and beyond."

A proud IU graduate, Proffitt earned her bachelor's degree with distinction from Indiana University in 1982 and her juris doctor, cum laude, from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law Indianapolis in 1985. She joined Ice Miller after graduating from law school and made equity partner in 1992. She went on to become the first female Managing Partner in the firm's history, the firm’s youngest Managing Partner and the first female Managing Partner of a major Indiana law firm. She currently leads the firm's business development initiatives while chairing its Food & Agribusiness Group and Energy Group.

Proffitt's civic and philanthropic leadership extends well beyond the legal profession. Her board appointments include serving as immediate past chair of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, former chair of the Indy Chamber of Commerce and the Indy Chamber Foundation, and former Vice Chair of the Indiana Black Expo. She currently serves on the boards of the Indiana Sports Corp, Star Financial Bank, the Ivy Tech Foundation, Indiana Local News Initiative/Mirror Indy and numerous IU advisory boards for the Kelly School of Business, IU McKinney School of Law, and as advisor to Chancellor Latha Ramchand, among others. She has participated in 17 international trade missions with Indiana governors, lieutenant governors and mayors and has been active in economic development and agricultural initiatives at the state and federal levels.

Her accolades include the Indianapolis Business Journal's Michael A. Carroll Award (2024), the Indiana Historical Society's Living Legends Award (2023), continuous recognition since inception as one of IBJ's Indiana 250 Most Influential Leaders, and continuous inclusion in Best Lawyers® in America since 2006 and Indiana Super Lawyers since 2004.

At Ice Miller, Proffitt has spent her entire 40+ year career, becoming the firm's first female Managing Partner and building nationally recognized practices in employee benefits, food and agribusiness, and energy law. As Partner-in-Charge of Client Relations, she leads the firm's business development strategy and counsels regional and international clients on complex benefits, regulatory, and transactional matters. 

About Ice Miller LLP

Ice Miller LLP is a full-service law firm dedicated to helping our clients stay ahead in a changing world. With more than 350 legal professionals across the nation, we advise clients on all aspects of the complex legal issues impacting businesses each day. We serve private equity and venture capital funds, large private and emerging growth companies, Fortune 500 corporations, municipal entities, family offices, and nonprofits. To learn more, visit us at icemiller.com.

About the Indiana University Foundation

The Indiana University Foundation maximizes private support for Indiana University by fostering lifelong relationships with key stakeholders and providing advancement leadership and fundraising services for the university and its campuses. The IUF Board of Directors serves as the Foundation's legal governing body.