IUPUC honored David Elwood with the 2018 James G. Simms Leadership Award during its annual Circle of Leadership Celebration at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Columbus, on Thursday, November 1, 2018. The award—established in honor of the late James G. Simms for his vision, perseverance, and dedication in founding the IUPUC campus in the 1970s—recognizes inspiring individuals who have generously given their time, talent, and treasure to advance IUPUC’s mission.
David Elwood graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, and began his career in Columbus as a psychologist with Bartholomew County Mental Health and Guidance Center. David went on to earn his master’s degree from Southern Illinois University and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Purdue University.
In 1980, David and his son, Mark, founded Elwood Staffing®, where he continues to serve as chairperson of the board. With offices in the United States and Canada, the privately-owned corporation supports companies through the entire employment life cycle, from talent acquisition through staff development and employee retention.
In 2013, David authored Two Factor Theory of Customer Service, a guide written to help organizations increase profits. In his book, he suggests that customer service is a real business product, similar to any primary business product, and goes hand-in-hand with profits.
David began serving on the IUPUC Board of Advisors in 2008, and now also serves on the IUPUC Mental Health Counseling Advisory Council, offering wisdom and insight into the evolving programmatic needs and emerging opportunities for both of these IUPUC groups.
In 2018, David and Ella Elwood generously supported IUPUC’s first ever crowdfunding campaign by pledging a $25,000 matching gift for the Mental Health Counseling (MHC) program. Because of their support and advocacy, the MHC program has received additional support from donors toward the future Mental Health Counseling Clinic and the Cheryl Warner Mental Health Counseling scholarship.
David and Ella continue to make their home in Columbus. They have three adult sons and six grandchildren.