Highlights

GOVERNOR ERIC HOLCOMB

Governor Holcomb will be joining us at the Annual Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, August 23. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear directly from the 51st Governor on important issues that effect local leaders and all Hoosier communities.

A lifelong Hoosier, Gov. Holcomb is a veteran of the United States Navy, served as the state’s 51st Lt. Governor, was a trusted advisor to both Gov. Mitch Daniels and Sen. Dan Coats, worked for Congressman John Hostettler and is a former state chairman of the Indiana Republican Party. He was elected governor in November 2016, following an unprecedented 106-day campaign and was sworn in on Jan. 9, 2017.  In 2020, he was elected to his second term with the most votes for governor in Indiana history.

Earning a reputation as a pragmatic consensus builder, Holcomb frequently travels throughout the state, visiting with Hoosiers about how to make Indiana the best place in the world to live, work, study, play and stay. Under Holcomb’s leadership, Indiana’s economy is strong, the state’s finances are honestly balanced, and the state is streamlining government services and returning dollars to Hoosier taxpayers, while simultaneously delivering significant investments and advancements in infrastructure, education, workforce, quality of life and public health.

To accelerate the state’s economic growth, Indiana launched the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), a bold, transformational initiative that will dedicate $500 million in state appropriations to promote strategic investments that will make Indiana a magnet for talent. In the 2022 legislative session, Gov. Holcomb successfully positioned Indiana to compete at an even higher level for economic development opportunities by modernizing the tools available to the state’s economic development arm and continues to maintain a high level of reserves while returning funds to Hoosiers through an automatic taxpayer refund and lowering individual income taxes.

During Holcomb’s terms, Indiana employees and employers are enjoying consecutive record-breaking years of job commitments. In 2022, companies committed a record-breaking $22.2 billion in capital investment. In 2023, Forbes ranked Indiana the number one best state in the U.S. to start a business. Actively seeking to build global relationships and attract investments in Indiana’s economic growth, Holcomb has made 14 international trips as governor, visiting more than 20 nations.

Holcomb created the Governor’s Public Health Commission in 2021 to study and make recommendations about how Indiana can improve the delivery of public health services throughout the state. For his efforts in the public health arena and focus on helping Hoosiers with substance use disorder recover, the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation honored him with the Circle of Hope Award in 2019.

The governor is a graduate of Pike High School in Indianapolis and Hanover College in southeastern Indiana where he majored in U.S. History with a focus on the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era. He is a collector of presidential signatures and currently has documents signed by all 45 of our nation’s presidents. He and his wife, Janet, live with their Miniature Schnauzer, Henry, and their cat, Topper, in the Governor’s Residence on North Meridian Street in Indianapolis.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SUZANNE CROUCH

Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch will being giving remarks to Aim Ideas Summit attendees at the Opening Business Session on Tuesday, August 22. 

Proud to have been born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, Suzanne previously served as Indiana’s State Auditor since January 2014. Before becoming Auditor, she served as the State Representative for House District 78 which encompasses parts of Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. She was elected to the seat in 2005, and served as the Vice Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and on the Public Health Committee. Throughout her years of public service, Suzanne has been focused and committed to programs and services for people with disabilities.

Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Suzanne spent eight years as Auditor of Vanderburgh County. During that time, her office received its first clean bill of health in decades from the State Board of Accounts. She then went on to serve as a Vanderburgh County Commissioner until joining the Indiana House of Representatives. She presided as president of that body during her third year in office.

Constitutionally, as lieutenant governor, Crouch serves as the President of the Indiana Senate. Statutorily, the Lt. Governor oversees a portfolio that includes the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), and Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC).

Additionally, she chairs the Roundtable on Mental Health, the Intellectual and Development Disabilities Task Force and the Civics Education Commission. Other initiatives she and her office oversee include the Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program, the Golden Hoosier Award, Hoosier Women Artists and Brilliant Firefly.

Lt. Governor Crouch graduated from Mater Dei High School in Evansville. She went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue University, majoring in Political Science. She is married to Larry Downs and together they have a grown daughter, Courtney.