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Last updated on Wednesday, January 25, 2017
(BEDFORD) - Becky Skillman has devoted her life to public service and to the enrichment of the lives of citizens of Indiana.
Now she has agreed to serve as the Lawrence County Bicentennial Co-Chair with Marla Jones, business and community development director for the City of Bedford.
"The Lawrence County Bicentennial Commission will greatly benefit from Becky's enthusiasm, expertise, leadership and vision," Jones wrote in a press release.
Skillman and former U.S. Congressman Lee Hamilton recently completed their duties as Co-Chairs of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission. In this capacity, Skillman and Hamilton oversaw the planning and execution of a statewide celebration for Indiana's 200th birthday.
Throughout the 2016 bicentennial year, Skillman lead a statewide celebration of Indiana history and worked diligently to "ignite the future" for the next generation.
Skillman began her career in public service in 1977 and served 16 years as an elected official in Lawrence County.
In 1992, Skillman was elected to the Indiana State Senate, where she represented Lawrence, Monroe, Jackson, Washington and Orange counties. Rising quickly through the ranks to become Majority Caucus Chair, the first woman in history to serve in the Senate Republican leadership. During her 12 years in the Senate, she led the charge to include the state's small towns and rural communities in its economic development agenda. There, she authored plans for distressed counties and for the revitalization of downtown areas.
In 2004, she was selected by Mitch Daniels to be his running mate in his bid for Governor.
Serving as Lt. Governor for the next 8 years, Skillman had more legal duties than any other Lt. Governor in the country. Since first taking office in 2005, she soundly managed five state agencies that administered more than $1 billion in programs, including the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, the Office of Energy Development, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the Office of Energy Development, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, The Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Office of Tourism Development.
Additionally, she chaired the state's Counter Terrorism ad Security Council and served as President of the Indiana Senate.
Skillman turned the reigns of Radius Indiana over to new CEO Jeff Quyle, in January 2016 and currently serves as Senior Adviser of Radius Indiana.
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