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My fellow constituents,
As a third-generation combat veteran stretching from WWI through Desert Storm, my family knows the value of good leadership in times of panic, anxiety and uncertainty.
In this current environment of panic, anxiety and uncertainty – now is the time for successfully tested leadership. Kent Abernathy has been a servant leader for Hoosiers and Americans over the years in his various business and military roles.
With “Duty. Honor. Country.” in mind, Kent went back on active duty in 2003. He had three deployments: Two to the Pentagon and one to Iraq. During 2005, when Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Kent was the Crisis Action Team Chief on duty in the Army Operations Center and responsible to brief the Secretary and other senior Army leaders on the horrors of what mother nature would do to New Orleans and the Army’s response. Later, in 2009, he was part of the team that coordinated and tracked military assistance during the H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic.
A few years later, when we had the Avian flu, also known as H5N1, Kent played an integral role in keeping Hoosiers safe. As BMV Commissioner, he was a voting member of the Indiana Counter Terrorism and Security Council where they were responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive state strategy to address terrorism, cybersecurity and public safety.
In times of crisis, we look for people who are able to calmly sort through the facts and make the necessary plan of action to keep Americans safe. Long before COVID-19 there was a level of uncertainty here in Indiana.
When Kent returned from Iraq, he joined the administration of Governor Mitch Daniels as Chief of Staff of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. He observed first-hand the effects of overreach and over-regulation by federal agencies. He remained in that role in the administration of Governor Mike Pence until February 2015, when he was appointed by Governor Pence as the 25th Commissioner of Motor Vehicles (BMV). While BMV Commissioner, he instituted transformational change within the agency and oversaw bipartisan passage of landmark legislative reform which simplified and streamlined the Indiana motor vehicle code, leading the Agency to a 96.3 percent customer (= citizen) satisfaction rating.
Kent Abernathy, a dear friend of mine, is exactly the kind of Congressman we need in our modern times. As a veteran of both peace and war, he knows exactly what we are dealing with in foreign affairs. As a businessman and state employee, his proven record of communicating with all parties and finding solutions for Hoosiers is astounding. His motto, no matter the political climate will always be: “Duty. Honor. Country.”
When you vote in the Republican primary – I humbly ask that you vote Kent Abernathy.
Sincerely,
CPT Arne Pedersen
Zionsville