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Lt. Gov. Skillman: Springtime is Boom Time in Indiana

It's springtime and great things are happening for Hoosiers all over the state. I traveled to 18 different Hoosier towns and cities in April to celebrate jobs for Hoosiers, join in the inauguration of Purdue's new president, and honor some remarkable youth.

Jobs Boom for Hoosiers
This month our jobs announcements ran the gamut from the automotive industry to broadband Internet. I joined Miasa Automotive in Delaware County to announce their plans to create 55 new jobs and invest $8.4 million over the next several years. I traveled to Ellettsville for Smithville Broadband executives' announcement that the company will invest $90 million over the next 36 months to bring fiber-based broadband to 29,000 customers in 17 counties in southern Indiana. And POET Biorefining opened its new $115 million ethanol plant in Alexandria.

Lt. Governor Skillman talks to members of the media after announcing the opening of POET Biorefining in Alexandria.

Since 2005, our partnership with the state's economic development corporation has led to 544 business deals-businesses that have committed to create nearly 67,000 jobs and invested more than $15.5 billion in Indiana. Watch for even more jobs to come to Hoosiers in May.

Indiana's Economic Progress Continues Strong
Many countries are realizing the benefits Indiana offers. I greeted the Taiwanese food buyers' delegation to Indiana a second time since taking office. Indiana has a strong economic partnership with Taiwan. The past two years, the Taiwanese have purchased huge amounts of corn and soybeans. This time around the delegation is looking for more of Indiana's agriculture products to introduce to Taiwanese consumers.

It is always a pleasure to share the state's progress with visitors and with business and community leaders who are partners in moving Indiana forward. The Governor and I are proud of the fact that independent sources are taking notice of the benefits Indiana offers. According to Governing magazine, Indiana is an island in a sea of surrounding states that are drowning in debt. The Hoosier state is the only state in the Midwest with a balanced budget and solid surplus, while other states are grappling with deficits of millions and even billions of dollars.

This month I traveled to Dearborn and Grant counties and to the Greenwood and Greater Indianapolis Chambers to talk about the state's economic progress. At each place, I enjoyed meeting with our local partners and hearing about their challenges and successes. I look forward to visiting again with even more good news.

One Step Closer to Closing the Door on Homelessness
The Governor and I want all Hoosiers to have safe, affordable, quality housing. And we have many partners who are making that vision a reality. Last month I joined many of those partners at the Northwest Indiana Housing Summit in Merrillville as they tackled a variety of issues, from homelessness to homeownership. Read more about the summit in the Northwest Indiana Times.

More than 600 community partners came together to focus on providing Hoosiers permanent supportive

Lt. Governor Skillman speaks to more than 600
people at the Northwest Housing Summit. The summit focused finding housing solutions
for all Hoosiers.

housing. Permanent supportive housing is a new model of providing services to the chronically homeless. It reduces the strain on hospitals, shelters, jails and other emergency care systems. It combines social services, such as medical care, mental health services and addiction treatment with stable housing. Permanent supportive housing is an effective method that not only helps chronically homeless Hoosiers, but builds strong communities as well.

New Program Gives Inmates a Chance to be Mothers while Serving Time
New mothers at the Indiana Women's Prison are getting the opportunity to raise their newborns and build long-term family stability. I helped open the Wee One's Nursery program, which allows pregnant women, who are low-level offenders, a chance to raise their babies instead of giving them up to a family member or foster care. The inmates will be released within 18 months.

Lt. Governor Skillman visits with a new mother
and her baby after announcing the opening of the
Wee Ones Nursery at the Indiana Woman's Prison. The program is designed to build long term stability.

One of the eleven mothers in the program told me that she is thankful for this opportunity. She said she has learned some things from the parenting classes that are part of the program that she didn't know before, even though this is not her first child. Her baby is only a few weeks old, and her son would have gone to child protective services if it weren't for the Wee One's Nursery program. Having her son with her is her inspiration to get things right and reunite her family.

Experts see the Wee Ones program as a huge motivation for the mothers to keep on the right path. There is really no more important time for mothers to bond with their children than in the first few months of life. I'm proud of this unique program and the incredible gift it gives to those babies.

I know it will help these women find success as they learn to be good mothers, and also will help them once they re-enter society.

Research Holds Promise for Hybrid Cars
I announced a research project on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles during an Earth Day celebration. With rising fuel prices, hybrid vehicles hold promise for more affordable transportation alternative for Hoosiers. This research will look to increase current

Lt. Governor Skillman and Kellie Walsh,
Executive Director for Central Indiana Clean
Cities Alliance, Inc., talk before the Earth Day
news conference promoting plug-In hybrid electric vehicle research.

fuel efficiency, which is 35 to 45 miles per gallon for hybrid vehicles, to as much as 100 miles per gallon.

This is also the first research to look into the impact the use of hybrid vehicles on the power grid. The research is being conducted by Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and sponsored by the Lt. Governor's Office of Energy Development, Indianapolis Power and Light and Central Indiana Clean Cities. Indiana is quickly becoming a national leader committed to investing in alternative energy, and the horizon looks bright.

Hoosiers Rise to Serve Their Communities and State
Katie Logan and Grant and Amanda Mansard are young Hoosiers who hold great promise. These young people are the 2008 recipients of the Lt. Governor's Hoosier Rising Star Award. Their friends and family were on hand when I traveled to their hometowns of Columbus and Terre Haute to personally present Katie, Grant and Amanda with this honor.

Katie Logan of Columbus founded fundraising projects for pediatric cancer research and domestic violence prevention, co-founded a local chapter of Students Take Action Now: Darfur (STAND), began educational programs on worldwide issues such as the war in Iraq and global warming, and created and taught a chemistry lab to 5^th graders that was inspired by the Harry Potter books.

Brother and sister Grant and Amanda Mansard from Terre Haute have a proven record of leadership and initiative in the community. They founded the United Way-affiliate nonprofit Youth Embracing Service (YES), which organizes youth volunteers for various community projects such as military outreach and

Lt. Governor presented Katie
Logan of Columbus the Hoosier
Rising Star in a ceremony in her hometown. Katie was honored
for her community service.

Lt. Governor Skillman talks to Grant and
Amanda Mansard, siblings. Grant and Amanda
of Terre Haute were honored for their work in developing and leading their own youth non-profit.

literary service. YES has a leadership board of 20 students who help to plan the events. More than 100 volunteers participate in the organization.

I established the annual Hoosier Rising Star Award last year to acknowledge the contributions youth make in their communities. The Mansard siblings and Katie are making Indiana a better place for all Hoosiers, and proving age is just a number. They are an inspiration to us all, and I know they will continue to make the world a better place.

Indiana Legends Receive Recognition
Bill and Gloria Gaither Honored with the State's Highest Award

It was a great day when I joined Governor Daniels to honor Bill and Gloria Gaither, gospel music singing and songwriter pioneers. The Governor presented the Gaithers with the Sachem, which is the state's highest honor. It is given to individuals in recognition of a lifetime of excellence. Bill and Gloria are legendary and they have brought credit and honor to Indiana through their significant contributions to the Christian music industry over the past four decades. We were pleased to honor two of Indiana's finest.

Southern Indiana Dedicates a Section of SR 50 for Former Governor Ed Whitcomb
I also helped honor former Governor Ed Whitcomb for his dedicated service to the state. The ceremony took place in Perry

Lt. Governor Skillman meets with Bill
Gaither, gospel songwriter, who was
honored with his wife, Gloria Gaither. The
duo received the state's highest honor, the Sachem.

County in Rome, the Governor's home. Rome has a population of 36. Don't let the size fool you. The town may be small, but it has a lot of heart, and they played host to a big group that day. I joined the former Governor to dedicate a new section of SR 50 in Jackson and Jennings County in his name. More than 100 of the Governor's friends and family gathered in Rome's courthouse to honor his contributions to the state. It was wonderful to be among them and to hear all of the Governor's stories and memories.

France Córdova Inaugurated as Purdue's 11^th President
It was history in the making as Dr. France Córdova was inaugurated in West Lafayette last month. Purdue University's new president is a trail blazer. As Purdue's 11^th president, she is the university's first female president, and I was pleased to speak at the celebration.

Lt. Governor Skillman joins Purdue University's President France Córdova for her inauguration.
Córdova is Purdue's first female president.

In the past few months, I have had the honor and privilege of getting to know France. I have been impressed with her both professionally and personally, and I know she is uniquely equipped to lead Purdue to even greater heights, making our state stronger for many years to come.

Since taking office, the Governor and I have made Indiana's economy our number one priority. A key piece to this is providing opportunities for all

Hoosiers to receive an education at world-class public universities that are in their own backyards. I'm proud of our universities and their ability to recruit and retain excellent faculty, like Dr. Córdova.

The Governor and I want Hoosiers to know they can earn an education here at home and work and live here when they graduate. Indiana's universities are preparing our graduates for the jobs available now and in the future.

Sincerely,

Becky Skillman

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Lt. Gov. Skillman: Springtime is Boom Time in Indiana

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