LG Press Release Header


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE




December 18, 2023





Lt. Gov. Crouch selects Terre Haute Mayor Bennett to lead Office of Community and Rural Affairs

*STATEHOUSE (Dec. 18, 2023) ??*Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch [ [link removed] ] announced today Terre Haute Mayor Duke A. Bennett will become the new Executive Director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) [ [link removed] ].

Bennett will begin in his new role at OCRA in Indianapolis on Jan. 8, 2024.

?The next chapter in Indiana?s history is quality of life, in large and small communities around the state, and Mayor Bennett understands this,? said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana?s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. ?As communities and cities strive to build economically thriving places where people want to live, work and grow, Mayor Bennett will spread the collaborative spirit he cultivated in Vigo County around the state. Indiana will be in good hands with Mayor Bennett leading the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs into the future.?

Bennett, from Terre Haute, is finishing his last term as that city?s mayor. He was first elected mayor in 2007, and his four terms ties him for second longest serving mayor in Terre Haute history. In addition to being mayor, Bennett has also served as a Special Deputy Sheriff with the Vigo County Sheriff?s Department for more than 20 years.

He sits on the board of Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (AIM), which is an organization representing more than 460 cities and towns as?members.?AIM?s goal is to help shape the dynamic municipalities of the future?and make government work better for the benefit of all Hoosiers.

?I am thankful and honored for this opportunity from Lt. Gov. Crouch,? said Bennett. ?As a four-term mayor, it?s obvious I love the city of Terre Haute. But, I am equally passionate about the state of Indiana, and I am excited I have the opportunity to work with mayors, township boards and local officials all around that state who all share a common goal of making their communities ? and Indiana ? the best it can be.?

Bennett graduated with an A.S. from Indiana Vocational Technical College in 1980 and earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2006.

*-30-*

"The Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Indiana Senate, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, chairs the Indiana Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Task Force & Indiana Roundtable on Mental Health, and oversees four state agencies. "

"Click here [ [link removed] ] for a high resolution photo of Lt. Gov. Crouch. For email
"""updates from her office and these agencies, click here [ [link removed] ].""



Indiana State Department of Agriculture [ [link removed] ]Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority [ [link removed] ]Office of Community and Rural Affairs [ [link removed] ]
InIndiana Logo



________________________________________________________________________



*Media Contact:
**Ron Green
[email protected]
*317.502.5337

*Katherine Richardson
[email protected]
*317.605.0827

Follow us: Facebook [ [link removed] ],?Twitter [ [link removed] ]?& Instagram [ instagram.com/lgsuzannecrouch ]

________________________________________________________________________







SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Preferences [ [link removed] ]??|??Delete Profile [ [link removed] ]??|??Help [ [link removed] ]?|?View as Webpage [ [link removed] ]

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: State of Indiana ? 402 Washington Street? ? Indianapolis, IN ?46204?? 800.457.8283 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]
body .abe-column-block { min-height: 5px; } table.gd_combo_table img {margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px;} table.gd_combo_table div.govd_image_display img, table.gd_combo_table td.gd_combo_image_cell img {margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px;}