Goodbye to Gov. Holcomb, who ‘dared us to dream bigger dreams’

Every once in a while, you come across leadership that is truly inspiring. Someone who makes you want to make the world a better place. Someone who exudes grace and compassion while still driving toward excellence and knocking goals out of the park. Gov. Eric Holcomb is such a leader.

When he joined the state administration as lieutenant governor in March 2016, who would have thought that he would be elected governor in November that same year. Thrown into the deep end of the pool as current Gov. Mike Pence picked up the baton to become vice president, Holcomb did not waver, did not hesitate but ploughed forward to advance opportunities for the Hoosier state. After a 106-day campaign, Holcomb became the 51st governor for the state of Indiana.

As we look back on his eight years of leadership, I am in awe of the amount that has been accomplished and the amount of generational change he has made for the state and for our Northwest Indiana Region.

In his first legislative session, Holcomb laid out his plan to take Indiana to the “Next Level.” His work focused on diversifying Indiana’s economy, infrastructure, workforce, public health and providing great government.

He worked diligently with the state legislature to craft a road funding plan that began to address diminishing returns on the gas tax (HB1002 Soliday). He made part of his agenda economic development legislation that would reimagine the opportunities for Northwest Indiana through an upgraded and improved commuter rail system and its community surroundings (HB1144 Slager).

He vowed to continue to grow the Hoosier economy by bringing the world to Indiana and taking Indiana to the world.

Holcomb led the state through the uncertain times of 2020, showing up on our televisions every Wednesday for an update to help calm fears and continue to lead in a very pragmatic and trustworthy manner. He always kept the health and wellbeing of the constituency at the top of his decision-making priorities. People felt comforted by his leadership, not because he was a top-down, yell out orders type of leader, but because he was a real person dealing with information as it came in and making tough decisions for the wellbeing of the state.

Friends from across the country would comment to me on how thoughtful and reasonable Holcomb was throughout the height of the pandemic.

In 2021, Holcomb reimagined the Regional Cities Initiative to be more robust and inclusive. He crafted the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), which not only incentivized regional cooperation but encouraged regions to dream big. Seventeen regions encompassing all 92 counties competed for $500 million.

This initiative didn’t just favor three or four regions; it supported all 17 with an award. Northwest Indiana was fortunate to get the largest award of $50 million. We have managed to turn that $50 million award into over $700 million of direct investment in the Region throughout 42 projects.

While the dollars are important to moving the regions forward, the true secret sauce is the collaboration and daring to dream. This type of thought leadership that inspires cooperation and meeting others where they are is very rare.

Leaders like Holcomb understand that it is not a zero-sum game. That if we act in abundance, more opportunities are created. His philosophy continues to grow as we look toward investing another max award from READI 2.0 of $45 million that will translate to over $2 billion of direct economic investment in Northwest Indiana.

The leadership of this governor has run headfirst into opportunities to grow our state, forging the way for record-breaking investments in microelectronics, biotechnology, advanced energy and quantum communications. He has dared us to dream bigger dreams for our state and our Region, while working with the legislature to empower regions to take control of their own destinies.

As one of the greatest leaders I have met, he has not only inspired us to be our best but is leaving us with the tools for continued success long after he has moved on. The sign of a true leader is not the impact they have at the time of their leadership, but the ripple effect it will have on generations to come.

I feel confident that my child’s future children will be grateful to the leadership of Gov. Eric Holcomb.

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