Gregory ‘Greg’ Coulter, a seventh-generation Westville resident now living in Michigan City, serves as a city council member and community garden director at the Pax Center.
The Brighton Street Green Space is a community garden in La Porte County. Through this garden, local families have access to fresh vegetables, including carrots, cabbage, onions, beets, peas, and more.
“We're all about keeping people well fed, and the garden provides more opportunity for people to get fresh produce,” Coulter said.
The seed for Coulter’s strong interest in food accessibility was planted while growing up on his family's pumpkin farm in Westville. One of his first contributions to the farm was creating posters with face cutouts that visiting families could pose and take pictures with.
Coulter went to Ball State University and studied history; he had originally wanted to be an English teacher. After deciding that wasn't the right fit for him, Coulter finished with a degree in history and eventually got started in politics.
As a city council member, Coulter serves his community through advocacy and hard work. Recently, Coulter has been working with community groups to organize neighborhood cleanup days. Task organizations like this keep the community running.
Coulter was essential in the proposing and passing of legislation that will lead to the creation of a designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA). A DORA will allow adult community members to get an adult beverage at select restaurants and then leave the restaurant, drink in tow, to walk around a designated area.
“In Michigan City, that looks like getting a drink at Fish Camp and being able to walk out to the lighthouse,” Coulter said. “During the boat race parade, you can get a cocktail and walk out to the parade.”
Coulter has been working to get this project on its feet, and hopes for the community to launch it sometime this summer.
As vice president of the Democrats of La Porte County, Coulter also commits time to community outreach to get people informed about local policy and involved in local politics. Coulter’s role involves a lot of social media management and communication.
“Part of my job is working on creating attractive materials to post,” Coulter said. “We can't just reshare things from people on the coast; the Democratic Party is present in La Porte County. It’s important that we make things relevant to members of our community.”
An important aspect of this responsibility is Coulter’s ability to translate local and national news, making it more digestible for the everyday person. While Coulter has spent time mastering social media, he is not afraid to go door-to-door with his advocacy.
“I was really intimidated by the idea of knocking on doors at first. Now, I absolutely love it,” Coulter said. “I really enjoy knocking on doors and talking to strangers about what's going on in their neighborhoods.”
For community members looking for ways to get involved, Coulter has advice.
“What comes naturally to a lot of people is to follow groups on Instagram and Facebook, which can be great,” Coulter said. “Joining those groups in real life and carving out time to participate in committees and initiatives in your neighborhood can make an even bigger impact.”
In his personal life, Coulter and his family are huge fans of the Indy 500 and make an effort to go every year. He spends a lot of time developing his art and loves to paint. This summer, he looks forward to getting back on the beach and reading a good book.