Menu
Sue Murray named 2015 Citizen of the Year
A woman who started her professional career locally by holding parenting classes in her own home and culminated it by spearheading a revival of the city's own "living room" is the 2015 Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year.
Fresh from a well-earned Florida vacation after eight years as mayor of Greencastle and five years of monitoring the city's $19 million Stellar Grant, Sue Murray was honored Saturday night after being coerced home for the Chamber's annual dinner meeting at the DePauw Tennis and Track Center under the pretense of being there to help honor Gail Smith, whose Almost Home operation won the Business of the Year honor (see separate story).
The circumstances of the moment weren't lost on Chamber Executive Director Brian Cox, who was conducting his first annual meeting without being sure the chosen Citizen of the Year "was even going to be in the state or not" while he was equally unsure whether the Business of the Year owner (Smith) would show up with all the responsibilities of her busy business.
After listening to new Chamber President Amy Trusty list a litany of accomplishments and accolades -- including but not limited to strutting the tango at Dancing with the Stars, a performance "people are still talking about," to serving as president of the Step Ahead Council, the Putnam County Foundation, Putnam County Mental Health Association and more over three decades -- Murray came forward to express how she was "humbled and absolutely honored" by the award.
She remembered how husband Dave broached his pending job offer from DePauw University so many years ago with the question: "How'd you like to move to Indiana?"
She said she told him, "How would you like to stay married?"
Of course, she quickly came around to love her adopted Greencastle hometown, saying she has been "overwhelmed by the people we have met and the quality of life," calling it "an amazing place to raise a family."
Early on she became social services director at Putnam County Hospital, hence those aforementioned living-room classes.
Stints on the Greencastle City Council and Board of Public Works and Safety followed prior to taking on the mayoral role and serving two terms before handing over the reins to Bill Dory at the end of 2015.
The local community and its citizen involvement, Murray said, offers people a chance and a choice to do great things. "You can build a community foundation, you can build a skate park or build a splash park," she said.
As mayor of a city that has reached the quarterfinals of the America's Best Communities (https://frontier.com/corporate/community/abc-winners) contest, Murray has presided over the creation of 15 significant economic development projects that have in resulted in more than $212 million invested in the community, more than 1,000 new jobs and more than $33 million in additional payroll.
Such numbers, President Trusty noted, "do not reflect the jobs and investments retained in the community, nor do these numbers reflect other significant investments in the community."
In accepting the Citizen of the Year honor, Murray said she was "truly indebted for the opportunities you have given me."
"And you know what?" she said in conclusion, "Greencastle's best days are ahead."
Meanwhile, incoming president Trusty, taking over the Chamber reins from Beth Flint, laid out her goal for 2016 as helping people "get more engaged" as members of the Chamber.
To that end, she plans to form a women in business group, noting that in Greencastle and surrounding areas, exist "a multitude of women-owned and operated businesses."
"Nothing would please me more," she said, "than to start the wheels turning for that."
Another mission, Trusty said, is the revitalization of the Chamber's Buy Local campaign, announcing that Laurie Hardwick, who shepherded that project during her tenure as president, has "accepted the challenge of getting the program back in place and making it better than ever."
Trusty also wants to see the Chamber "make a conscious effort to join forces with as many of our community partners as we possibly can, such as DePauw University, Ivy Tech Community College, the City of Greencastle, Convention and Visitor Bureau, Hometown Visions, First Fridays, Putnam County Hospital and anyone else willing to partner up.
"It will only make us stronger as a community."
Also handed out during the evening was the Chamber's 2015 Director of the Year award, presented by outgoing President Flint to Susan Lorimer of Big Bounce Fun House Rentals.
Flint also took time to recognize the outgoing board members, namely Adam Becker, Tiffany Deer, Bret Hurley, Steve Jones, James Knoebel, Josh Richardson, Tyler Wade, Jenny Sullivan, Heather Taylor and Nick Woodall.