Biography
J Thomas Forbes, BA’90, MPA’96, was appointed president and chief executive officer of the Indiana University Foundation on January 1, 2022. He served as interim president and chief executive officer from January 1 to December 31, 2021. He was also the 11th chief executive officer of the Indiana University Alumni Association from June 2010 through December 2021.
J T. returned to IU in 2010 after a stint in the private sector, where he served as director of state government relations for Cummins Inc. and as a principal private sector staff leader for the United States–Brazil CEO Forum.
An experienced higher education leader, J T. has served in communications, marketing, public affairs, and government relations roles at Indiana University and Michigan State University and provided consulting on these issues for other major public research and land grant colleges. His service to the advancement field includes work as a consulting vice president for Grenzebach Glier and Associates and active service with the Council of Alumni Association Executives (CAAE) and Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). A CASE Laureate, he currently serves as a CASE Trustee and Commission Chair.
While attending Indiana University, J T. was president of the student body on the Bloomington campus, founded the All University Student Assembly to unify students from all IU campuses, and served as a university trustee. One of the first three “young people” to work for IU Center on Philanthropy Executive Director Robert Payton, J T. holds a B.A. in Political Science from IU Bloomington and a Master of Public Affairs with concentration in Nonprofit Management from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Indianapolis.
A life member of the IU Alumni Association, J T. is married to Martha Shedd and has three adult children.