- When & where were you born?
I was born in 1957 in Gary, Indiana, and we lived there until I was ten.
- Tell us about your childhood.
I lived in an ethnically diverse area – we had many Jewish friends in our neighborhood and I went to a school that was racially diverse. I enjoyed my upbringing in Gary. We moved to Valparaiso when I was ten and I had a normal childhood. I grew up in an agnostic home – my parents did not know Christ and we didn’t go to church. My dad owned a supermarket in the Gary area and my parents divorced when I was ten. This was a tough experience for me and it rocked my world. However, out of that, my father, who was causing the problems before the divorce, came to Christ through some contacts through Campus Crusade for Christ. This had a profound impact on his life – it changed it in every way and his zeal for the Lord did not dissipate for the next 30-35 years until he passed away. His conversion had a tremendous impact on my life, as I had never heard of a personal relationship with Christ. I had never read the Bible or heard any Bible stories, but when he became a believer, he shared his faith and scriptures daily with me. I was probably fourteen at the time and as odd as it was to me at the time, I saw the positive changes in his life. He became the dad that I never had & it was very moving & a living testimony for me.
- When & how did you commit your life to Christ?
I went to St. Joseph’s College and through his testimony and a few others in my life, I became convinced that Jesus is who He said He is. I came to Christ at the end of my senior year and I too had a profound life change at that time. I started going to church and I met my wife, Sharon, at a college-age singles youth group in Valparaiso. We were discipled there and we were married a year later. Sharon had been a believer for many years and we raised our four children in the ways of the Lord. They are adults now and are doing well in finding their own way in the world and with the Lord.
- Tell us about your education.
I graduated with a BA in Administration from St. Josephs College and in 1989, I graduated with a law degree from Valparaiso University. I practiced law in Indianapolis with a larger firm for a while before we moved back to Valparaiso. About 3-4 years ago, I earned a Masters in Practical Theology from Wesley Seminary. I had always wanted to go back to seminary and at the end of that program, I started the DMIN in Transformational Leadership.
- Tell us about your Wesley Seminary story.
What I like about Wesley Seminary is that it is accessible as a lot of it was online. There were also intensives in class and I like both settings. It was affordable and I really love the professors. They exhibited a real love for Christ and a passion for the students and for the mission that we have to build God’s Kingdom. So, it was both a learning experience intellectually and spiritually. I really enjoyed the Masters of Practical Theology experience and have really enjoyed the DMIN.
- Why the DMIN?
I did the DMIN because I like to learn and I thought that it would be a really challenging experience. I felt that as I begin to transition out of some of my roles as a lawyer and as a mayor, as I am finishing my sixteenth year and am not running again. So I thought that it would be good to have the education since I will be involved in Kingdom work. I have been the Elder Chair of Calvary Church in Valparaiso, which is a larger independent Evangelical church. I am pretty engaged as the Elder Chair and I really enjoy it, so this has better equipped me to take on that role and additional roles in the church.
- What got you interested in politics?
My dad got involved in politics in the 80’s out of the Evangelical Movement to be engaged more so with the Moral Majority. He served in the Indiana State Senate for eight years, so I got involved because he got involved and I helped him. I worked on a bunch of other campaigns in Indianapolis and did speech writing and position paper writing for candidates. When I moved back to Valparaiso, I ran for City Council – won that and then four years later, I ran for mayor and lost to a twenty year incumbent by a few votes. Four years later, I won a rematch in 2003 and have won three more terms. We have a fantastic team here and have transformed the city in many ways - it has been a wonderful experience. The voters have appreciated what we have done and the city is in great shape to transition. Now my son who has been a part of the family business is running for City Council. I hope to continue to be engaged in some way on a local level. I did run for Attorney General about ten years ago and lost at the convention, which was probably a good thing for me. It worked out better as I have really enjoyed the local government experience. I serve on the State’s Higher Education Commission and I have enjoyed being a part of that important commission for the last ten to twelve years. I enjoy local politics because you can really move the needle and it is all about people and creating a team. The best thing is trying to improve the quality of life for citizens, listening to what their aspirations are and seeing the community thriving – it is just a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
- What is the best thing about being mayor? What will you miss?
The connection to the people and the ability to enhance their lives. We have created one the most robust downtowns in the Midwest – it is a fabulous place with a huge park and lots of events. It has been a real game changer here, we have created an express bus service to Chicago that is growing, and there are 150 people a day that are commuting. We have also created an inner-city bus service that has a lot of people. It has been a wonderful partnership with the citizens, the schools, the churches, the businesses and the non-profits - all of the different sectors working together. I have really tried to build bridges of trust and worked to further a spirit of collaboration, which is a part of our history here in Valparaiso.
- What is the most challenging thing about being mayor?
There are a lot of voices out there and some of them are not so nice. Social media has certainly complicated a lot and some would say that it has given a voice to those who have not earned one. People can be very emotional, especially when there is a lot of change. You just have to learn to ask God to let things roll off your shoulders and to be forgiving. Sometimes the criticism is hard when you know that the change is really important and necessary for the betterment of the city. You just have to try to solve the real issues and people are usually pretty happy. It has taught me a lot of patience and to trust the Lord in new ways.
- What is one thing that you want people to know about you?
Next to love, humility is the most powerful force in the universe. Humility is not weakness but power under restraint. As Believers, we see that humility is the gateway to God’s favor and blessing. Really trying to encourage people to see the power and the beauty of humility in their work and in their service to people and in their personal and spiritual lives. As a mayor, this has been something that I have really tried to come back to as I have tried to encourage others. In the Doctorate of Ministry in Transformational Leadership program, I have learned about the importance of leadership and the power of Godly leadership. I hope that as I have grown through this program and through my experience of putting these theories into practice that I will encourage effective leadership within our community for years to come.
