News Release
April 11, 2016
Candidate for County Commissioner John Whikehart Calls for Regional Economic Development Alliance of County Governments

John Whikehart, former Ivy Tech chancellor and Democratic candidate for Monroe County Commissioner District 3, called today for creation of a formal alliance of county governments along the Crane corridor to collaborate on economic development and job creation initiatives.

Whikehart pointed out that an alliance will demonstrate that the recently announced $42 million Lilly grant to military, business, academic and non-profit leaders for changing the educational and economic landscape in southwest Indiana will be strengthened by the collaborative support of county elected officials.

“From my time as chancellor at Ivy Tech-Bloomington, I have established relationships with elected and community leaders in Brown, Lawrence, Greene, and Owen counties, ” Whikehart stated. “In a partnership with town and county elected officials in Orange County, we opened a workforce development center in French Lick. I served for 7 years as the education representative to the Region 8-Indiana Workforce Board, which included membership from all 11 counties in the Lilly initiative,” Whikehart said. “ I have worked with the leadership of this area.”

Whikehart pointed out that in addition to Monroe County industry and education leaders, one of the strongest educational partnerships he developed was with Bedford Mayor Shawna Girgis and Lawrence County Growth Council leader Gene McCracken. “I served for 13 years on the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, along with Monroe County Commissioner Iris Kiesling, and I have worked with elected and economic development leaders in Lawrence and Orange counties,” Whikehart said. “If elected county commissioner, those experiences and relationships will help open doors to create this alliance in support of the Lilly grant efforts,” Whikehart said.

s “We need to begin education and training initiatives for the jobs that will be created across the 14 identified industry sectors,” Whikehart said. “I have already worked successfully with industry partners across this service area to create degree and training programs in life sciences and advanced manufacturing, and we have incorporated those in programs in area high schools,” Whikehart said. “Of utmost importance is that we see outcomes in the creation of quality jobs in southwest Indiana that pay a living wage for Monroe County residents,” Whikehart concluded.