Kathryn Warther and Thomas William Dindo Endowed Scholarship

The Kathryn Warther Dindo and Thomas William Dindo Endowed Scholarship was established by Mr. Thomas Tom Dindo and Mrs. Kathryn (Kitty) Dindo in July 2013 to assist students pursuing degrees in the College of Business Administration at The University of Akron. As alumni and benefactors of the College, Tom and Kitty desire to give back to their alma mater through this endowed scholarship fund.

Tom was born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, and graduated from New Philadelphia High School in 1965. He attended Muskingum College and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967. After a year in Vietnam, he worked as an instructor at the petroleum lab school in Ft. Lee, Va.

Kitty was born in Dover, Ohio, and graduated from St. Joseph High School (now Tuscarawas Central Catholic) in 1967. She attended Bowling Green State University until she dropped out to get married.

Kitty and Tom were married in September 1969. They lived in Virginia until completion of Tom’s active duty in the Army when they moved to Akron and enrolled at The University of Akron for the spring quarter of 1970. Both majored in accounting and were inducted into Beta Alpha Psi, a professional accounting fraternity, where Tom served as president his senior years. In May 1971 Kitty and Tom were cited in the Akron Beacon Journal as the first husband and wife to earn perfect 4.0 GPAs for the same quarter.

Tom, a certified public accountant, graduated in 1972 with a B.S. in accounting. He worked at Rea and Associates in New Philadelphia and Medina, as well as Polysar Inc. and Akron Paint, both in Akron. In 1982 Tom made a career change choosing to stay home and raise their three children, becoming a real Mr. Mom. He was active at his children’s grade school, coaching basketball, volleyball and soccer, as well as serving as treasurer of the parents’ association and being named president of the school board at St. Hilary School. He also volunteered for several years with the Friends of Scouting Campaign of the Great Trail Council Boy Scouts of America.

Kitty, a certified public accountant, graduated magna cum laude from The University of Akron in 1971, earning a B.S. in accounting. She began her professional career with Ernst & Ernst (now Ernst & Young) in Northeast Ohio, where she worked for 23 years in the audit profession. She was named one of the firm’s first women partners. She left E&Y in 1994 to join Roadway Services (later Caliber System) in Akron, where she was vice president – chief accounting officer until the company was sold to Federal Express in 1998. She joined FirstEnergy in Akron in 1998 as vice president unregulated services and was named vice president and chief risk officer in 2003. Mrs. Dindo retired from FirstEnergy in 2008.

She is currently a member of the board of directors of The J. M. Smucker Company, an Ohio-based food manufacturing company on the NYSE (SJM) and a member of the S&P 500. She chairs the Audit Committee and serves on the Compensation Committee. Kathryn also is a member of the board of directors of ALLETE Inc., a Minnesota-based energy company on the NYSE (ALE), where she serves on the Audit Committee. She is also a member of the board of directors of Bush Brothers and Company, a privately owned food company based in Knoxville, Tenn., where she chairs the Audit Committee. Kathryn is also a member of the board of trustees of The Shoebox Private Trust Company LLC. in Knoxville, Tenn.

She currently serves on the distribution committee of The GAR Foundation and the St. Hilary Parish Foundation. She also has been a member of numerous Community boards, including the Akron Community Foundation as past chair, Akron General Health System, Community Health Ventures, Hospice Care of Ohio as past chair, Greater Akron Chamber, and Walsh Jesuit High School.

Kitty is a 1987 University of Akron Dr. Frank L. Simonetti Distinguished Business Alumni Award recipient and received the University’s Alumni Honor Award in 2005. She is currently a member of The University of Akron Foundation Board of Directors and has served as chair of the Investment Committee. She is also a former member of the College of Business Administration Advancement Council and has been a trustee of The University of Akron Research Foundation. A donor to the University since 1976, she is a member of the Lamplighter’s Club of the John R. Buchtel Society.

The Kathryn Warther Dindo and Thomas William Dindo Endowed Scholarship award will be given to a student in the College of Business Administration who has lived in and graduated from a high school in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Preference is given to a junor or senior student. Applicants with financial need must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Preference will be given to a repeat recipient if he/she has maintained a 3.0 GPA. Selection will be made by the College of Business Administration and the Office of Student Financial Aid.