When Wendy Noe ’00, chief executive officer of Dove Recovery House for Women, received word she was chosen as a 2023 Woman of Influence, the Marian University alumna, who earned her bachelor’s degree in communication and was in the first graduating class with her degree, was surprised, honored, and humbled.
“It was amazing to be grouped with other women in our community who are making such a tremendous difference,” Noe said. “I also know there is no way I could have received this honor if it hadn’t been without my amazing team, and the board of directors who I’ve partnered with throughout my tenure at Dove House.”
The Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) honored 23 women including Noe at their October 2023 recognition event. The business journal said their reason for choosing Noe was clear: Her championship of women and being instrumental in Dove Recovery House’s growth in assisting women overcome substance use disorder, homelessness or physical, emotional or sexual abuse, free of charge was significant. “I believe as a leader, you have to reach back and pull other women up,” Noe said. “We have to be cheerleaders and guides for other women.”
Being a supporter of women began as a Marian University student 23 years ago. The Crawfordsville, Indiana native credits her success as a transformational leader to those who mentored her. “It was because of Marian’s amazing professors that I found champions who believed in me far before I believed in myself,” Noe explained. “They helped me develop my voice and find my confidence. I appreciated that Marian required seniors to have an internship and because of that, I learned about non-profits and fell in love with the work.”
The IBJ said the Dove Recovery House once had six employees and an operating budget of about $250,000; now, it has 35 employees and an operating budget of $2.5 million. Noe helped lead the creation of a best-practices client care model that increased client success rates from 64% to more than 75% within three years. “We are considered a best-practice treatment program for women in the state of Indiana, and it’s been a true honor to lead this organization to where it is today.”
Noe formerly worked for The Julian Center, the Domestic Violence Network and Susan G. Komen Central Indiana. When introduced to Dove Recovery House, Noe “Fell in love with the mission of the organization and its commitment to empowering marginalized and discarded women due to their disease.”.
And what about a work-life balance? Noe, a wife and mother to two daughters explained, “I wanted my girls to learn from things I had experienced, tough moments and how we work through them and use those opportunities to grow. I wanted the girls to know that we can have a career and still be a great mom.”
Congratulations to our amazing Marian alumna Wendy Noe!
