Gary Lemon sets Democrat bid for at-large seat

Gary Lemon has announced that he is running for an at-large seat on the Greencastle City Council on the Democrat ticket in the May 5 city primary.

Lemon, 66, of 805 Highwood Ave., said he is excited about the possibility of helping Greencastle city government continue the positive momentum that has developed over the past several decades.

"It is important that the City Council and the mayor work in tandem to project a positive image of the city to other Indiana communities," he said. "It is also equally important that the Council and the mayor work to make sure that all tax money allocated to the city is allocated such that the city receives the most benefits for each dollar spent."

Lemon said he hopes that he can be part of the next chapter of Greencastle's history.

"The past 40 years have seen a remarkable change in the Greencastle community from the closing of the IBM plant to the winning of the Stellar grant," Lemon said. "The Stellar grant from the state of Indiana gave the city a chance to make a quantum leap forward which the city has seized. It is important that the city continue the movement forward by bringing together all of the elements of the city."

He has taught at DePauw University since 1976. He is currently a professor of economics and management at the university. He has served as chairman of the Economics Department, as the director of the McDermond Center for Management and Entrepreneurship and as director of the Management Fellows Program.

While working at the McDermond Center Lemon established internships not only in the U.S. but throughout the world, including England, Switzerland, Germany, India and Argentina.

The candidate grew up on a farm in Kansas that his ancestors had homesteaded. Prior to coming to DePauw he worked in the finance department for General Electric in Syracuse, N.Y. Besides teaching at DePauw, Lemon is a trustee at Lincoln Variable Insurance Trust/Lincoln Advisors Trust where he chairs the investment committee.

Lemon currently serves on the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission and on the Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center Board. He previously served as a member of the Putnam County Community Foundation finance committee.

He has led DePauw student groups to help better integrate the university with the city of Greencastle. These projects led to students being able to use their meal cards at restaurants in Greencastle, a free bike rental program for students and community members, a feasibility study to investigate having the Indianapolis Colts hold their summer camp in Greencastle, and two consulting projects with local restaurants among other ongoing projects.

As part of the DePauw senior seminar on entrepreneurship which he taught for many years he invited members of the community to come to his class to share their vision for the community. At the end of the semester the community members were invited back to class to evaluate how the students had taken their ideas and turned them into practical projects.

"If elected," Lemon said, "I hope these varied experiences will allow me to be an effective spokesperson for the city and an effective manager of the city's resources."

Gary and Susan Lemon have been married for 43 years. They are the parents of two adult sons who both attended Greencastle Community Schools K-12 and are graduates of Greencastle High School. Mark resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife Beth and Michael and his wife Meredith reside in New Orleans.