Angela Coar

Biography

Angela serves as the Business and Departmental Administrative Coordinator at the IDEA Center. In this role, she supports the smooth functioning of the IDEA Center team, including financial support and generally keeping us all on time and at the right places. She also interacts with key external constituents including Advisory Council members, as well as with multiple groups both within NDR and across campus. 

Angela is a lifelong South Bender, and brings her deep knowledge of the local business community to her role at the IDEA Center. She began her career working for the city, in the office of the South Bend City Engineer & Director of Public Works. Angela was a key member of Project Future, which was a not-for-profit economic development organization focusing on South Bend, Mishawaka, and greater St. Joseph County. As the Executive Assistant for the Executive Director of Project Future, she played many important roles beyond making sure that the office was functioning well: she was a key member of the Finance team, had primary responsibility for managing the group’s Board and their meetings, and oversaw production and dissemination of Project Future’s annual review. Angela also supported two successful fundraising campaigns, helping to secure commitments of $10 million to support economic development in South Bend. (Of note, Project Future was a key partner in the community for organizing and advancing the discussion of the creation of Innovation Park; and also provided funds for development of the business and architectural plans as well as early support of staff members’ salaries.)

Angela joined the University staff as an on-call employee in May of 2012, supporting the Electrical Engineering Department, ND Nano, and LEAST, as well as providing assistance in the College of Engineering Dean’s Office. Angela joined the IDEA Center (and Notre Dame) as a full-time employee shortly after its creation, in July 2017.