By SUZIE JAWOROWSKI
Guest Columnist
I was brought up in the hustle, bustle burbs of Washington, D.C. in Annandale, Va. It was a great place to grow up with the economic security of the federal government employing most people and government contractors employing the rest.
Sounds good, but you know what was missing? The “Honest to Goodness” community we have here in Hamilton County. Hamilton County, Indiana has been able to strike the right balance of growth, culture, jobs and a sense of community while maintaining low taxes and a great quality of life.
Our family moved to Hamilton County in 2010 after living in many different places, including Virginia, Canada, Pennsylvania, New York and a short stint in Vienna, Austria. None of those places can beat the quality of life we have right here in Hamilton County. Our many farmers markets, the Christkindlmarkt, the Circle of Lights Tree Lighting, Artmobilia, the Carmel International Arts Festival, Late Night on Main, The Center for the Performing Arts, Second Saturday Gallery Walks – these are just a few of the many memory making events that have made our family fall in love with this area.
More than just fun community events, we have a robust, diverse economy. I have a friend who is a pig farmer and another friend who is a research scientist. They both love their jobs and contribute to our world in important ways.
Hamilton County is also unique within the Hoosier State. We are home to three of the largest 20 cities and towns in the state (Carmel at No. 8, Fishers at No. 9, and Noblesville at No. 14). We have needs that are more diverse and larger scale than most of the rest of the state – not better or worse, just different. And if we are not careful this dream can become a nightmare.
For a community to continue to thrive, it needs a vision for the future. Our leaders have pursued the vision for an innovative, prosperous, safe and welcoming community. To see that vision through and maintain our community spirit, we need to focus on security, economy, infrastructure and community; ensuring that while we grow, we focus on the essential infrastructure to keep our growing community a wonderful place to work and play.
A resident of Fishers, Ms. Jaworowski is formerly the Chief of Staff in the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy and served as an Advisor to the Director General at the International Atomic Energy Agency.