County 74: Sullivan

For many Hoosiers there is nostalgia for their community’s downtown square.  The department store, the soda parlor, and the theatre all bring back memories of a time when the square was a flurry of activity.  In recent years, many of those businesses have closed up leaving the locals to shop elsewhere. Now throughout Indiana, small cities and towns are restoring storefronts and improving pedestrian paths to allure residents back to their downtown square.



Lt. Governor Skillman meets with the Streets of Sullivan
Group to talk about their Main Street initiaves



In Sullivan, they’re working tirelessly to make their downtown the place to be. The Streets of Sullivan group, which is part of the Indiana Main Street Organization, formed two years ago out of a passion to revitalize the square and get patrons coming back downtown. Using Indiana Main Street’s philosophy, the Streets of Sullivan group is organizing, planning, designing, and restructuring their downtown in pursuit of additional economic opportunity.

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs not only oversees the Indiana Main Street program, but it also administers millions of dollars every year to help communities with their capacity building plans. Sullivan has received nearly $1.1 million since 2005 for projects like the youth center, wastewater upgrades, and a downtown revitalization planning grant. These dollars are highly competitive, and having a group like the Streets of Sullivan will only help the community’s ideas become reality.

The passion and dedication I witnessed from the local community will undoubtedly result in much success down the road. I look forward to seeing the community thrive and grow in the months and years to come.

County 73: Owen

In 1916 during the state’s centennial celebration the state park system was created with McCormick’s Creek named Indiana’s first state park. At the time not very many states had a park system, making Indiana a model for the rest of the country. Now nearly 100 years later, Indiana still has some of the best state parks in the U.S.  I had the opportunity last week to meet with state park employees at McCormick’s Creek in Spencer.



Lt. Governor Skillman talks with DNR employees
during a Hoosier Crossroads Tour stop at McCormick's Creek



Every year nearly 16 million people visit our state parks and reservoirs. More than 500,000 of those people visit McCormick’s Creek, and I expect that number to increase this year considering the number of warm sunny days we have had.  At McCormick’s Creek, I toured several new updates that have been made to the park in recent years.

The amphitheatre has been restored, which provides space for many events including concerts and weddings. The remodeled dining hall serves campers, like the Boy Scouts. McCormick’s Creek is also home to the Canyon Inn, providing non-campers a place to stay at the park. It also has a restaurant serving many popular Indiana dishes.  These upgrades and facilities make our parks more attractive to visitors, ensuring repeat visits in the future.

McCormick’s Creek consistently brings in more money than they spend making them our most efficiently run state park. This is in part due to the dedicated staff. Even with a tight budget, they still provide an outstanding product for our visitors. I was pleased to have the time to thank them personally for their service to our state.

As the co-chair for Indiana’s bicentennial celebration, I hope to leave a lasting legacy for our state just like those who created our state parks during the centennial celebration.  To read more about the work of the bicentennial commission, visit my blog post from Harrison County where I share news about a land trust that will preserve even more areas in Indiana.

County 72: Monroe

Bloomington hosted the third in our series of four Advancing Women in Business Seminars this year.  I was greeted by an enthusiastic group of entrepreneurs and community leaders at the Bloomington Country Club. 

I spoke about economic development across the state and the recent investments and jobs that have been committed in Monroe County.  I’m encouraged that even in challenging economic times, there are still individual risk takers out there who are ready and willing to jump in when the opportunity is right.  Companies like Circle-Prosco, Employment Plus and Citigal, just to name a few, are investing, committing to new jobs and helping families climb the economic ladder in and around Bloomington. 

Lt. Gov. Skillman speaks during the
Advancing Women in Business Seminar in Bloomington.

Creating a business-friendly environment has been our first priority in state government.  State government is here to provide a helping hand to the business community wherever we can.  Whether a business is big or small, we want to see it prosper. 

One way state government is reaching out is through certification of Women Owned Business.  That puts women at the top of the list for state government contracts, providing a great way for women business owners to expand their business.  There are a lot of needs, lots of purchases in state government, and we keep track of whom we’re working with as we provide services. 

Right now, 1,530 women-owned businesses are certified with the state.  That is nearly a 20 percent increase over last year, and the highest number in state history.  It couldn’t be easier for others to join the ranks and certify their businesses.  Visit www.in.gov/idoa to learn more.

I’ll be traveling to Kokomo soon to finish this summer’s series.  To register for the final Advancing Women in Business Seminar, in Kokomo, visit www.in.gov/ocra. 

County 71: Blackford

The top priority of any community today is economic development, and when I meet with local leaders in our rural cities and towns I find this to be especially true. This is why in 2005 I created the Office of Community and Rural Affairs to help smaller communities thrive and grow. Blackford County, one of our state’s smallest counties, caught my attention with several recent economic development successes.

I met with several local leaders including Rep. Kevin Mahan, Hartford City Mayor Ben Hodgin, and Montpelier Mayor Kathy Bantz. Blackford County was one of the state’s hardest hit areas during the recession. At its peak their unemployment reached 15.5 percent, while today it sits at 9.8 percent. This number isn’t satisfactory, but it is trending in the right direction.



Lt. Governor Skillman talks with local leaders
in Blackford County about economic development



In our rural areas every investment makes a huge impact. Just in the past year, Petosky Plastics made a $1 million investment with the creation of 45 new jobs. While 3M, an industrial adhesive and tape manufacturer, made a $4 million expansion. These announcements will give a significant boost to their local economy.

When businesses look to invest and grow in a specific region of our state, quality of life issues are a major factor in their decision making. Local leaders are working hard to make sure their county is attractive to potential business investors.

Blackford County has strong schools– graduating 85 percent. They are working on funding through INDOT for a greenway project for pedestrians and bicyclists. The reconstruction of highway 26 through Hartford City from Taylor University is also good for the local businesses. Infrastructure improvements are one of the top reasons businesses decide to locate and invest in Indiana.  Montpelier received a $500,000 grant through OCRA to build a community center for their residents.

These projects are all signs of progress and will make the county more enticing to future business. Blackford County’s economic development mission is right on point and moving full steam ahead.

County 70: Warrick

The Community Focus Funds provide a much-needed boost to local development plans.  They can be used to help fund emergency response equipment, like a new fire truck, or they can contribute to other permanent assets, like community and senior centers. 

Booneville’s new senior center provides an invaluable resource for local citizens, thanks to the partnership between Warrick County Commissioners, the Warrick County Council on Aging and our state Office of Community and Rural Affairs.  I was delighted to meet with local leaders and see what they have accomplished at the senior center with their grant money. 

County 69: Vanderburgh

This summer marks the sixth year for the Advancing Women in Business Seminars.  Each year, our Office of Community and Rural Affairs partners with the Indiana Small Business Development Centers and local groups, like the Evansville YWCA, to host a unique networking and educational event for female entrepreneurs.  The first of this summer’s four seminars was in Evansville.    

Lt. Gov. Skillman honors Jeanne Amsler,
a winner of the 2012 Celebration of
Hoosier Women Artists competition.  

I look forward to meeting all the women who attend the seminar, but in Evansville, I was eager to see one in particular.  Jeanne Amsler was one of the 2012 winners of my annual Celebration of Hoosier Women Artists competition.  She was unable to attend our award ceremony in March, but I was happy to greet her at the ceremony and honor her for her winning painting, “The Ross Theater,” now hanging in my state house office.  


Jeanne’s art is her business, and it was good to know we were helping to connect her with the people and tools she needs to promote her work.  ISBDC counselors are there to make connections with women who need help managing the often overwhelming work of starting and running a business.  They are there to ask the right questions and provide valuable, first-hand business experience. 

Last year, the ISBDC helped start 266 businesses, 100 of which were owned by women.  Each of them got their start by reaching out to the SBDC and working with an experienced counselor.


Clients range from physicians and PhDs to stay-at-home moms with dreams of a start-up bakery.  It couldn’t be easier to connect with ISBDC counselors and start a conversation about your business.  Visit www.isbdc.org and fill out their Business Assessment tool to get started!

County 68: Jennings

Less than a week after recognizing Delphi and Princeton as the state’s 2012 Stellar Communities, I traveled to one of the pilot cities in the Stellar Community program – North Vernon.

As we broke ground for the US-50 Bypass, the community came much closer to realizing its Stellar Community plan. State government is working together to provide resources for the big picture projects – projects that are becoming a reality in a three year timeframe. I’m proud of the progress that has been made in North Vernon.

Over the past year or two, North Vernon has seen investments from existing and new companies. These companies are creating jobs for Hoosiers, but are also creating real infrastructure needs. The increase in traffic has made the US-50 bypass a necessity for public safety and the growth of new and existing businesses.

This bypass is an excellent tool to boost economic development in the area. Infrastructure improvements are one of the top reasons businesses choose to locate and invest in Indiana. Businesses, including those surrounding Muscatatuck, will have room to grow.

With funding from the state’s Major Moves program, road projects like the US-50 Bypass are being built.  Since 2006, more than $5 billion statewide has been invested in new and existing infrastructure. Very few states are able to move forward with improvements and major new infrastructure. 

I look forward to the continued growth of North Vernon and Jennings County as they realize their Stellar Community goals.