Development Center annual luncheon highlights year of change

Monday, June 21, 2021
Kristin Clary

As Kristin Clary and Tami VanRensselaer prepared for the annual meeting of the Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center, it wasn’t the words of some titan of industry that put the last 15 months into perspective.

Instead, it was the lyrics of the Starman himself, David Bowie, blasting from the stereo that rung true.

Turn and face the strange.

That’s what the COVID-19 era has really been about, Clary told Development Center board members and supporters Friday in the library at Ivy Tech - Greencastle. For major industry, small business, the arts, medicine, public policy, education and everything in between, COVID-19 has carried one thing with it:

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

“All of us here had to adapt to a change that was sprung upon us with no warning,” Clary said.

She noted that it’s often small things that bring about change — such as a microscopic virus.

On Friday, it was the weather, as the event was set to be outdoors at Ivy Tech’s pavilion, but 90-plus degree temperatures and the threat of serious storms changed that.

Clary pointed out that the Development Center as an entity was born of change. The golden years of IBM came to an end in 1987 and city leaders had to figure out what came next. In those early days, original director Dick Andis was among the heroes spearheading the effort to bring new industry to the community.

For more than three decades, the center has continued with three more directors — Phil Junker, then Bill Dory and now Clary, who took over five years ago, shortly after Dory was elected Greencastle mayor.

Even after all that time, change is sometimes necessary, such as leaving the downtown Partnership Center in 2020 after 31 years.

Friday provided an opportunity for Clary to announce some positive changes, such as the addition of $99,000 to the Center’s USDA Revolving Fund Program, bringing total funds in the program to $274,000.

It’s a program that has brought some fame to Putnam County among other communities, as loans have been made to 15 local businesses with zero delinquencies.

“We currently have 15 businesses taking part in that and now have room for a few more,” Clary noted.

Another significant addition in 2020 was the Putnam County Leadership Academy, which forged ahead even amidst the oddity that was COVID-19.

Even with former facilitator Lynn Ringis stepping away from the program, Putnam County native Karen Nelson Heavin is taking over, announcing Friday that the 2021 program is taking applications. Meetings in the 12-week program will be on Monday afternoons beginning in September.

Anyone wanting more information may contact the Development Center at 653-2474.

These newly-trained leaders are already paying off for the Development Center, as one of the class of 2020, Jared Grable of Global Construction Management, is already a board member. A second, Melissa Ensor of Endeavor Communications, is a newly-appointed board member.

The complete slate of new members, approved unanimously on Friday, includes Ensor, Mike Teso of Liberty Trailers, Morgan Mullinex of Phoenix Closures and Brian Sylvia of Force Construction.

The board also thanked departing members Liz Cheatham and Phil Gick, though Gick will continue serving as the appointment of the Putnam County Council.

Mike Teso

One of those new board members, Teso, had a story of change of his own to tell Friday. The Mulberry, Ind., native first met Liberty founder Curt Clearwaters when he was a young American living and working abroad in Poland.

Teso took over as president of operations for the Fillmore-based manufacturer in February 2020, just in time for the bottom to fall out of everything.

“They don’t teach you how to manage a company through a pandemic in MBA school,” Teso said.

Initially, it meant furloughing all 23 Liberty employees. Things didn’t get too low, however, as after three weeks the workers were back manufacturing trailers for Miller Pipeline, a task deemed essential even in the midst of the pandemic.

From there, things continued to get better. Teso said the company actually ended 2020 with 48 percent growth over 2019. Current projections have the growth from 2020 to 2021 at 80 percent.

The company now employs 57 and will be adding a second shift.

“I’ve built a team of industry veterans,” Teso said. “I was very conscious of getting people who can grow Liberty.”

Teso said Liberty also has plans to add an employee equity program, noting that workers who have some stock in the company become even better employees.

During his comments, Teso encouraged fellow business leaders to keep doing the things this community does well, even in the face of change.

“Greencastle is very impressive, very progressive and I think we need to continue that,” Teso said.

Lea Anne Crooks

Another stakeholder with a story of change to tell was Ivy Tech, not only in how COVID changed things, but in the Greencastle campus moving from the Indianapolis region to the Terre Haute region.

Terre Haute Chancellor Lea Anne Crooks explained how Ivy Tech is contracting the Indianapolis Region down to two counties, starting a new region in Hamilton County and distributing counties such as Putnam to other campuses.

“We’re so excited to be in Putnam County, in Greencastle, again,” Crooks said. “Hopefully what you’ll see is our commitment to growing.”

Even in the months of the COVID pandemic, when nothing in education seemed hunky dory, Crooks said Ivy Tech professors and administrators were learning. She believes these lessons will now bring better service to Greencastle.

The size of the Greencastle campus has previously meant that some services such as mental health and a number of academic programs could simply not be offered.

Now, previously obscure concepts like telehealth and remote learning have opened the possibilities.

“These things we learned, I think, are going to help us as we work with the Greencastle site,” Crooks said. “We could have students in a full academic program and the teacher might be in Terre Haute or on another campus.”

Programs that should help all students include no tuition increase and flat rates for both tuition and textbooks in the coming school year as well as a future goal of getting free laptops to all students.

“We know we will only be successful if we partner alongside you as well,” Crooks said.

Treg Hopkins

Ivy Tech - Greencastle Site Director Treg Hopkins explained how there was less panic in the local staff when COVID hit last March, as they had switched from desktop to laptop computers in January and had already gone to virtual advising.

This turned into what Hopkins called “prepared change” when the campuses all closed in March.

Hopkins also explained another change coming to the campus, as he is transitioning from being site director into the classroom, back to his passion.

“We are looking for that next great leader,” Hopkins said.

The most welcomed changes Hopkins discussed involve returning to normal, as 100 percent of staff will be back on July 15 and students will be back on campus in the fall.

“We’re doing great things here,” Hopkins said, “and great things are to come.”

Even emerging from an extended season of uncertainty, the tone of Friday’s annual gathering was positive, with Clary concluding the event by encouraging leaders not to wilt under pressure.

“Change is unavoidable, but in business it is essential,” Clary said. “So embrace the change and let it make you better.”

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  • So glad to see the Leadership academy revived. Great communities do not exist without great leaders. Karen Nelson-Heavin is an excellent choice to be the next facilitator.

    The work of the Development Center is not well known or understood by those outside the business community. The good work they do is critical to the success of Greencastle and Putnam Co. Hopefully, some effort will be made to profile more successes in our community. The story of Liberty Trailers is very interesting. Other stories like theirs need to be told.

    Keep up the good work!

    -- Posted by rawinger on Tue, Jun 22, 2021, at 4:00 AM
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