STATEHOUSE (May 12, 2026) – State Rep. Bob Morris (R-Fort Wayne) recently presented a Sagamore of the Wabash to Kim Churchward, honoring her 40-plus years of service in Allen County’s criminal justice system and community corrections leadership.
Churchward's career in public service began before graduating college, serving as an intern with the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office and later as the Allen County field representative for the Governor’s Task Force to Reduce Drunk Driving, where she helped develop public awareness campaigns and secured more than $75,000 in federal grant funding. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Jacksonville State University in 1987 and immediately started working as an investigator with the prosecutor’s office, earning the position of chief investigator at the age of 28 and overseeing staff and criminal case preparation.
In 2001, Churchward joined the Allen Superior Court, where she led supervision programs and later developed Criminal Division Services, a consolidated structure designed to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
"Kim's leadership strengthened public safety and modernized community corrections in Allen County," Morris said. "Her work has made a lasting difference in our community by improving systems, strengthening accountability and expanding opportunities for rehabilitation. She has positively impacted countless lives across northeast Indiana. I want to congratulate her on her many accomplishments and thank her for decades of dedicated service as she enters retirement."
Churchward was appointed the executive director of Allen County Community Corrections in 2014, where she led 140 employees and oversaw a $13 million budget. Under her leadership, the department implemented high-accountability GPS supervision, expanded treatment programming and created both a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Marketplace model and a 230-bed Residential Services program focused on rehabilitation, reentry and jail diversion.
Dating back to the 1940s, the Sagamore of the Wabash award was created by former Gov. Ralph Gates. It is the highest honor the governor can bestow and is presented to distinguished Hoosiers who have made significant contributions to the state of Indiana.
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State Rep. Bob Morris (R-Fort Wayne) represents House
District 84, which includes a portion of Allen County
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