Supporting the City of La Porte isn’t hard to do when you see everything the city has to offer, but it does require significant commitment from many individuals to not only survive but to thrive. Each of the members on the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP) board works towards helping La Porte grow, and GreatNews.Life is shining a spotlight on why they do so in this second part of the three-part series featuring LEAP board members.
Many board members joined LEAP after seeing the organization in action, such as President & CEO of Figment Group Mary Wellnitz.
“LEAP has invested in our community in so many ways! From directly impacting our local economic development to supporting the many improvement efforts of Mayor Tom Dermody, LEAP has contributed noticeable progress,” said Wellnitz. “I’m investing valuable time in LEAP and its community programs to make a difference in my community — to strengthen my knowledge of the community and help bring together people from diverse backgrounds and expertise to work toward common goals.”
LEAP’s community programs help businesses learn what’s happening in the La Porte community, giving new businesses in the area an opportunity to get their foot in the door while more established businesses get a chance to keep up on current trends.
“One of the biggest strengths of LEAP is how they bring the business community together,” said Dawn Zigler, senior account manager at Meridian Title Corporation.
“LEAP brings economic development and workforce development to our growing community,” added President of Boss Industries Todd Hudson. “I joined the board to support LEAP and learn more about the planning to support and strategize for my company.”
LEAP’s work often combines the needs of the community with the needs of business. The organization works to maintain a delicate equilibrium between the two, and that attracts community leaders like President of Reframing Leadership Trudy Menke who understand that improvements in one area improve the other as well.
“LEAP attempts to present ‘one voice’ to advocate for business as well as the community people who work in and support local business,” said Menke. “It’s exciting to share in progress and find ways to contribute.”
“LEAP is always supporting the businesses and events happening in our community. You can always find someone from LEAP attending these,” added Brittany Smith, director of marketing and communications with CompressAir.
While LEAP maintains a visible presence in the business community, CEO of Qubit Networks, Ryan Seaburg, appreciates the work the organization does behind the scenes. Many of LEAP’s investment initiatives are long-term goals that may take years to come to fruition but greatly impact the community.
“LEAP spends a lot of time and effort promoting the community. A lot of their work is not seen for years. They do the work behind the scenes to help drive business development,” said Seaburg.
Above all though, many LEAP board members stay involved with the organization because they live and work in La Porte. The city has welcomed them and helped them achieve personal goals, and many board members are trying to give back.
“I love La Porte and want to see it grow the right way. I am very invested in the community between work, church, school board, and family; this is another way that I can serve,” said Seaburg.
“I grew up here and live here,” added City of La Porte Attorney Nicholas Otis. “I want to leave it better than I found it.”
Reflecting on their reasons for continuing to support LEAP’s endeavors caused several board members to grow excited about the future. Several board members have been working towards the betterment of the city since before the merger that formed LEAP, so their thoughts are naturally looking towards the next step.
“It is necessary to collaborate and plan for the future,” Mark Francesconi, superintendent of La Porte Community School Corporation, said.
“We’ve had the NewPorte Landing, the industrial projects, and the downtown projects. Now, it’s critical we support quality leaders to support community growth,” agreed Director of Economic Development and Community Relations with Purdue University Northwest (PNW) Don Babcock.
This is a LEAP and LaPorteCounty.Life mission and member spotlight. Check out Part One to get more information on the growth LEAP and its board members have brought to the City of La Porte and Part Three to learn where they think the City of La Porte is heading next.
