Evansville Roundtable

I was again reminded by our roundtable discussion of the significant strengths we have in Southwest Indiana. We have a diverse economy that has weathered reasonably well the challenge associated with the loss of manufacturing employment which has plagued the Midwest. We have great post secondary schools in the University of Evansville, the University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College of Southwest Indiana. At the high school level our Signature Charter School was ranked the top public high school in the state. We have an appealing climate and a quality of life that that reflects a conservative family values oriented culture. We are sometimes too conservative and show an unproductive stubborn resistance about investing in quality of life assets which are likely to become more and more important to attracting and retaining young professionals and young families. Our Evansville Regional Business Committee is a terrific organization and vehicle for bringing private sector resources together quickly and effectively to address community issues. All and all the outlook for Evansville and Southwest Indiana while not without challenges is nevertheless bright.

Niel Ellerbrook
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Vectren Corporation