A local couple known for their leadership and support of community efforts throughout northeast Indiana will be honored in November during the 37th annual Indiana Philanthropy Awards celebration, presented by Aly Sterling Philanthropy.

Drs. Rick L. and Vicki L. James of Auburn will be one of two recipients of Lifetime Achievement awards. They were nominated for the honor by Trine University.

Rick James, a 1977 business administration graduate from Tri-State University, now Trine, serves as chairman of Metal Technologies Inc. (MTI), a company he co-founded. MTI employs 1,127 individuals, of which 378 are in in Indiana. Rick serves as chairman of Trine Universitee's Board of Trustees, of which he has been a member since 2010.

Trine's University Center was named in honor of Rick and Vicki James in May 2012. They provide annual support to the Trine Fund and have financially supported The Metal Technologies Inc. Health and Fitness Center in Fred Zollner Athletic Stadium, a stadium suite in the Athletic Stadium and a flagpole near the football field, an additional house for use by Campus Christian House, the Jim and Joan Bock Center for Innovation and Biomedical Engineering, the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts, the Ford Hall renovation, Reiners Residence Hall, the expansion of Best Hall, the Thunder Ice Arena and MTI Center, the Fawick Hall expansion, and creation of the Books and Beyond Scholarship.

Rick serves on the board of directors for the Foundry Educational Foundation, which provides scholarship support to promising individuals who desire to enter the foundry industry, and has been named to the Board of Directors of the American Foundry Association.

Vicki serves in multiple roles at Auburn First United Methodist Church and has served on the Board of Directors for PBS-39 TV in Fort Wayne and RISE, Inc.

They also have led and contributed to several revitalization efforts in Auburn, including a 100-acre public park, a public arts and culture square, and acquiring and renovating selected buildings to enhance and preserve the historical character of the downtown area and encourage private investment by others.

Individual tickets are available for $50 each, and a table of ten is available for $1,000. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.