Fondak brings ‘consistency, warmth, integrity’ to community life at Purdue and county

When Ted Fondak was called to assist at a College executive council meeting, he thought he was going to help solve an IT problem.

Instead, education colleagues and Purdue Management and Professional Staff Advisory Committee (MaPSAC) members surprised him with the 2026 Community Spirit Award (Nov. 10). The award recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond to make a meaningful difference through volunteerism, generosity, and a commitment to serving others – at Purdue and in the community.

Fondak serves as the College of Education’s Lead IT Site Specialist and Technician. He is known throughout the College as a competent, responsive, calm, and pleasant colleague who cheerfully and quickly solves fellow employees’ IT problems so they can get on with their work.

Christine Kiracofe, head of the Department of Educational Studies, nominated Fondak in July for the award for “significant contributions to the life and welfare of the local community through sustained service, civic generosity, and a unique and special ability to bring people together.”

Kiracofe said that Fondak brings “consistency, warmth, and integrity” to community life at Purdue University and Tippecanoe County.

“He has built community-mindedness into the ordinary rhythms of life—soccer practices, neighborhood events, youth programs, and the work of his unique Tippecanoe Pizza Lab—so that people feel seen, appreciated, and connected,” she said.

Fondak’s Tippecanoe Pizza Lab is an innovative, entrepreneurial, family-friendly, caring, interdependent, mutually supportive community – “a community-building cargo bike pizzeria twenty years in the making.” In 2025, it was a finalist for the Indianapolis Pizza Festival’s Best Pizza in Indiana.

“We built this pizzeria to contribute to and amplify all of the wonderful things we’ve found here,” Fondak said. “We’re on a mission to nourish, by baking pizzas and helping you learn how to make your own.”

The lab uses recyclable or compostable packaging and utensils, supports local conservation efforts, and donates a portion of the proceeds to Tree Lafayette.

MaPSAC liaises between Purdue management/professional staff and the university’s administration, and recognized Fondak’s contributions to Purdue and the community. Membership and Communications subcommittee members Kelly Dold, Daniela Ribeiro Beard, and Adrianne Heimbach presented the award to Fondak.

Dold said that Fondak embodied the spirit of community service by finding creative and heartfelt ways to bring people together, support local organizations, and make others feel valued and appreciated.

“From volunteering as a youth soccer coach and sponsoring local teams to organizing fundraisers benefiting Food Finders and LTHC Homeless Services, [he] consistently demonstrates that even the simplest acts of kindness can have a lasting impact,” Dold said. “His kindness, enthusiasm, and genuine commitment to building connections remind us that strong communities are built one thoughtful gesture at a time,”

“What distinguishes Ted from others is the sincerity and consistency of his commitment to belonging,” Kiracofe said. “Whether he knows people personally or not, he wants them to understand that they matter and that they are part of a community that cares about their welfare. He does this without fanfare, and that is precisely what makes his service so meaningful.”

Fondak was surprised by the award and, true to form, credited others as he received it.

“It’s an award made possible by so many people,” Fondak said. “Lessons on community-building I’ve learned from inspirational leaders I’ve worked with, especially Christine Rienstra-Kiracofe; my coursework in the College of Education; the examples set by inspirational figures in my life, such as Louis Taylor, a West Lafayette fourth-grader who organized an effective fundraiser for LTHC in which Tippecanoe Pizza Lab participated; and the unwavering, essential support of three generations of my family.”

“My gratitude list is endless and I’m looking forward to contributing ever more to this wonderful community,” he said.

“Ted is a remarkable member of the College family,” said Phillip J. VanFossen, Suzi & Dale Gallagher Dean of the College of Education. “His unfailingly cheerful disposition and authentic passion for helping others shines through in all he does. I have never seen him without a smile and a ‘can do’ attitude for making others’ lives better. I cannot think of a more worthy recipient.”

Congratulations, Ted!

Source: Kelly Dold