CVB Board has 11 members once again

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

With the naming of five county appointees to the Putnam County Convention and Visitor Bureau Board of Directors Monday night by the County Commissioners, the board once again has its full, 11-member complement.

The commissioners have selected as their new CVB board appointees:

-- Page Cotton, a Republican, for a two-year term.

The former DePauw University athletic director, soccer coach and basketball coach is currently part of the DPU presidential staff.

-- Tanya Mentgen, an independent, for a two-year term.

She and her husband Bill own and operate Three Fat Labs Bed and Breakfast in Madison Township

-- Donna Houser, a Republican, for a two-year term.

Retired from Duke Energy, she is also a member of the Mary Allison Children's Trust Board of Directors and has served as CVB board secretary.

-- Steve Greeson, an independent, for a one-year term.

A Floyd Township resident, he is past president and longtime supporter of the Putnam County Fair Board.

-- Don Gedert, a Republican, for a one-year term.

A Cloverdale resident, he is a longtime local developer and businessman.

The selections of Cotton, Mentgen, Houser and Greeson were all made unanimously by Commissioners David Berry, Rick Woodall and Don Walton.

The choice of Gedert -- who was not reappointed last week when the Cloverdale Town Council made its selections -- came on a 2-1 commissioners' vote.

Fellow Cloverdale resident Walton made the motion to choose Gedert as the commissioners' fifth and final selection, and Woodall seconded. Commissioner President Berry, however, voted no.

The five appointees join six previously appointed members chosen to restock the CVB board after all 11 positions were vacated by the appointing bodies, beginning with the commissioners on April 20.

In earlier action, Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray appointed Democrats Eric Wolfe and Gail Smith, each of whom had been serving on the CVB panel before the seats were all vacated. Wolfe will have a one-year term, while Smith gets a two-year term.

The mayor's new appointee is Michelle Faison, an independent representing the Inn at DePauw. She will serve a two-year commitment.

Meanwhile, the Cloverdale Town Council last week appointed Rick Patel, an independent who owns the Super 8 Motel; Manoje Kantilal, an independent who owns the Cloverdale Econolodge and the Greencastle Inn; and Dianna Gorrell, a Republican involved in Friends of the Park in northern Putnam County. Patel's reappointment is for two years, while Kantilal and Gorrell were appointed for one year.

That means five members of the old CVB board have been reappointed -- Gedert, Houser, Patel, Smith and Wolfe.

The six former CVB members who will not be returning are Dick Wells, a Cloverdale appointee; David Jackman, Mike Hanlon, Allen Gibson and Eric Hayman, county appointees; and Diana LaViolette, mayoral appointee. Wells, Hayman, Gibson and LaViolette did not seek reappointment.

The new CVB board lineup now includes five independents, four Republicans and two Democrats. By statute, no more than a simple majority of one party or another is allowed in the composition of the board.

Persons interested in the county-appointed positions had until May 13 to submit resumes or letters of interest.

County Attorney Jim Ensley then asked each commissioner to narrow the field to his five choices, which he announced at the outset of discussions Monday night.

Woodall's first five were Cotton, Houser, Greeson, Mentgen and Theresa Patel.

Walton's five picks were Cotton, Gedert, David Jackman, Mike Hanlon and Jennifer Soster.

Berry's five choices were Cotton, Houser, Mentgen, Greeson and Kit Newkirk.

Next step for the appointees, Ensley said, will be for them to be sworn in and have an oath of office placed on file with the County Clerk's Office in the courthouse.

The CVB meets regularly the fourth Tuesday of each month with the May meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 26.

The board meets at the Convention and Visitor Bureau office, 12 W. Washington St., Greencastle. Meetings are open to the public.

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  • hmmmm.......is there more to this than meets the eye?

    -- Posted by Falcon9 on Tue, May 19, 2015, at 1:49 PM
  • Well the county guys put their buddy Gedert back in, sure wish somebody would open their eys up.

    -- Posted by becker on Tue, May 19, 2015, at 2:01 PM
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