Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear received the 2019 Russell G. Lloyd Distinguished Service Award from Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (Aim) on Wednesday during the Presidents’ Reception at the 2019 Aim Ideas Summit.
“I am extremely humbled to be honored by my peers. It’s taken the hard work of our employees, council members and other community leaders to make Noblesville what it is today. And we can all be proud of that,” said Ditslear. “To be recognized out of the 120 Indiana mayors for my work in Noblesville and as a leader of AIM was gratifying and unexpected.”
Since taking office in 2004, Ditslear has led Noblesville through tremendous growth and change. The community’s population has grown 57 percent to more than 61,000 residents today. By welcoming commercial development and bringing thousands of new jobs to Noblesville, his initiative and leadership guiding that growth have greatly strengthened the local economy – overseeing an increase in assessed value of taxable property by 134 percent to more than $6 billion.
“Mayor Ditslear exemplifies what it means to be a true public servant,” Aim CEO Matt Greller said. “He’s charted a strong course for Noblesville that will benefit the community for generations to come. And his dedication to municipal government extends beyond the city, as he’s worked as a tireless advocate for all of Indiana’s cities and towns. The legacy Mayor Ditslear leaves following four terms as Noblesville mayor is one of high integrity, and it shines through in the countless ways he’s positioned the city for continued progress.”
While his time in office is coming to an end, Ditslear has brought about several quality of life initiatives, including a major expansion of trails which has increased to more than 100 total miles. He also has added four new city parks including the purchase of 200 acres for the future Finch Creek Park, the first phase of which will open this year.
Ditslear oversaw the improvement and expansion of roadways throughout the city including the introduction of the first roundabout intersection in Noblesville. The connection of 146th Street to Interstate 69 as a major traffic artery across the city also led to Simon Property Group’s Hamilton Town Center outdoor mall, which helped fuel major commercial growth for both Noblesville and nearby Fishers to set the stage for significant regional development that continues to this day.
Under Ditslear’s leadership, the city has focused on strengthening and renovating the historic downtown through façade grants, road and sidewalk improvements and constructing the Riverwalk trail. Noblesville also recently broke ground on the Levinson, downtown’s first apartments in more than a century. The $24.3 million mixed-use project with 83 high-end apartments and a 300-space parking garage, ensures a successful and sustainable downtown for generations to come and is part of the mayor’s Noblesville NOW capital improvement plan.
“As his time in office is coming to an end, one of the most transformative ideas to come about thanks to the vision of Mayor Ditslear has been expanding the downtown across the White River,” said Deputy Mayor Steve Cooke. “To do this, he orchestrated the construction of Federal Hill Commons, a $6 million urban park and amphitheater, which led to BlueSky Technology Partners choosing to build its new 40,000 square-foot international headquarters next to the park.”
The Russell G. Lloyd Distinguished Service Award, named after the former Evansville mayor, is given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to local government. Nominees for this prestigious award must display accomplishments beyond their community, including contribution to Aim and public service, leadership and personal initiative.
In its 43rd year, the Aim Annual Awards program, presented by Baker Tilly, recognizes communities and individuals in municipal government for excellence and outstanding achievement. A nine-member panel of qualified judges selected this year’s winners from a competitive field of nominees from around the state.