Five members of the local community have filed for election for Fishers City Council, including current Fishers Town Council President John Weingardt, Cecilia Coble for Fishers Council-At-Large, Eric Moeller for the North Central District, Greg Purvis for District 4 – South Central and Richard (Rich) Block for Fishers City Council At-Large.
Promoting economic development and growth
Weingardt was elected to the Fishers Town Council in 2011 and has served as council president for the past year.
“I am excited to announce my candidacy for Fishers’ first city council race,” Weingardt said. “I have been honored to serve my constituents over the past two years on the town council and look forward to continuing conservative leadership on the council by promoting economic development and growth and continuing to make Fishers a great place to live, work and play. This is a time unlike any other in the history of our community and I look forward to being part of it.”
Under Weingardt’s leadership, several projects have been completed, including the Nickel Plate District, which has helped to reinvigorate downtown Fishers and has brought new projects and events to the community. Weingardt has also been a proponent of the new interchange that will be built at 106th Street and I-69, which will help relieve congestion and open up land for more business opportunities.
While serving on the town council, Weingardt voted for the creation of Launch Fishers, an entrepreneurial workspace dedicated to people wanting to start and grow their own business. As a principal partner at Peachin, Schwartz & Weingardt, Weingardt knows firsthand what it takes to create and maintain a successful business. Weingardt’s leadership and private sector experience have cultivated an atmosphere that is ideal for entrepreneurs in Fishers.
Weingardt has lived in Fishers with his wife, Tina, and three children, Ashley (husband Chris), Abby and John R., for the past 21 years. He is an active member of Geist Christian Church and is currently the treasurer of the Fishers Police Foundation. He is the former treasurer and secretary of the Little Red Door and the former treasurer of the Fishers Soccer Club and HSE School Foundation. In his spare time, he enjoys auto racing, golf and spending time with his family.
Coble wants to inspire and engage citizens
“We live in a great community and the best is yet to come for Fishers as it transforms from a town to a city,” Cecilia Coble said.
If elected as a council member, Coble, 44, said she will use her passion, leadership skills and common-sense principals to represent the citizens, families and businesses that are “the heart of Fishers.”
Coble and Mike, her husband of nearly 20 years, have two school-aged daughters, one with special needs. She earned her law degree at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. Coble volunteers for a number of philanthropic organizations, including the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities and the Town of Fishers – ADA Advisory Taskforce. In addition, she has served as the Indiana Coordinator for the Indiana Chapter of Talk About Curing Autism. Coble is a member of the Christamore House Guild and is a board member of the Bev Hartig Huntington’s Disease Foundation.
“I have tremendous experience working with budgets and know how to generate revenue through private and corporate sponsorships,” she said. “I have helped to raise a considerable amount of money for these organizations. In addition, my law degree and my previous work experience in Government Relations for Bank One will serve me well. I am a critical thinker and I approach problems and issues with common-sense solutions.”
Coble also said she desires to be the community voice of Fishers and wants to serve its citizens.
“I want to inspire and engage the citizens of Fishers to share their voice, their values and their vision for Fishers,” she said. “I believe in being accountable and accessible to the constituents, so starting throughout my campaign, I will be initiating ‘Coffee with Coble’ around the Fishers community. This will allow me to get to know the citizens and to learn what is on their minds as we begin to form a stronger sense of place.”
If elected, Coble said she wants to continue to advance the quality of life for all citizens of Fishers by promoting long-term sustainable economic growth and infrastructure, and maintaining the highest standards in public safety.
“I want to work closely with city leaders and the citizens to establish a strong positive identity for Fishers with a long-term vision for the future,” she said.
Moeller “passionate about community”
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve the community of Fishers and represent the residents and businesses in the north central district,” Moeller said. “I believe my background and experiences will help ensure that our city will continue to be built on sound, fiscal principles that will attract businesses and investments from all corners of Indiana.”
As the finance manager for FORUM Credit Union, Moeller oversees the day-to-day operations of financial reporting, treasury, asset/liability management and investments. Moeller is also the cofounder of So No Mo Studios, a photography company he runs with his wife, Beth.
“I’m running because I’m passionate about our community and I believe that each of us in some way should give back to ensure we remain a great community for decades to come,” he said. “We have a one-year-old daughter and I want her to be able to grow up in a city that is friendly and safe and has great schools and, when it’s time, opportunities to live and work.”
Moeller said he believes his academic (B.S. degree in finance and economics and master’s degree in business administration) and professional background provides him with a skill set that is essential as a member of the council.
Moeller is a member of the Fishers Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Council and Fishers Redevelopment Commission and has completed the Town Government Academy.
“I would be one of the younger council members and that will allow me to make critical decisions with a long-term perspective,” Moeller said. “It’s also essential to bridge the gap between those moving toward retirement and those seeking to call Fishers home to raise their family.”
Moeller said his goals include ensuring the town maintains sound fiscal principles as it transitions into a city and creating and maintaining existing partnerships with the state, county and neighboring municipalities that produce efficiencies and provide long-term benefits to taxpayers.
He said that, along with the mayor and other members of the council, he wants to develop a proactive economic development plan that is both comprehensive and reflective of the community’s skills and expertise.
“I believe this plan should include entrepreneurs, expansion and retention of current businesses, and relocation of businesses from other parts of the state/nation,” Moeller said.
Purvis to “listen to the people of Fishers”
Purvis, 62, a practicing attorney for 37 years, has lived in Fishers for 10 years and is a father and grandfather. A native of north-central Indiana, he earned a B.S. degree in political science from Ball State University and graduated from the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis.
As the founding chair of CityYes, Purvis assisted in paving the way for Fishers to become a city. His idea for this journey began in 2007.
Purvis is active in the Geist Kiwanis Club as a charter member and is starting his eighth term on the board of the Sandstone Homeowners Association. He is a past president of the Hamilton County Democratic Club and is a 2013 graduate of the Fishers Town Government Academy. He was also a member of the original City-Town Study Committee.
Purvis said he seeks to become the first genuine outsider elected to office in Fishers.
“I seek a more open, diverse and transparent government in Fishers,” Purvis said. “Having all local offices held by just one party is not healthy. It leads to an ‘echo chamber’ effect, where like-minded people talk only to one another, but not to others with different viewpoints. I would be immune to the pressure on dissenting council members to conform.”
Purvis said he will listen to, and be responsible to, the people of Fishers.
“I would be willing to sit down and talk with you about issues, such as my concern about overuse of TIF districts and my opposition to others of varying political beliefs and other issues,” he said. “Please let me know what other questions you have.”
For more information, check out the Purvis for City Council Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PurvisforFishers or e-mail Purvis directly at [email protected].
Block believes in “continued responsible development”
Having lived and raised a family in Fishers for more than 20 years, Block said he envisions this already excellent community taking the next steps to become a dynamic, next-generation city with increased opportunities for all ages.
“I have been active in supporting Fishers’ growth and development to date, and want to continue to plan responsibly for the future of our new city. With three of our four children in college, my wife, Betsy, and I both hope that they will decide to make Fishers their long-term home,” he said. “I am interested in working to enhance our city so that they — and their children — will enjoy Fishers even more than we have.”
Block said he believes in continued responsible development within the Fishers downtown and Nickel Plate areas to build a strong central business district. He added that he supports the tech incubator initiative, Launch Fishers, and would like to replicate its success within other businesses and industries. Recognizing the importance of Fishers’ excellent school system in attracting residential growth, Block said he plans to ensure Fishers’ schools have the support necessary to remain high-performing and highly ranked. He said he also wants to create venues to serve the families of Fishers and make the city a community of choice for all ages.
Block serves as the current president of the Fishers Town Hall Building Corporation, which handles municipal building lease transactions, and served on the Hamilton Southeastern SPORTS (Youth Sports Organization) board for five years and as President of HSE SPORTS for three years. President and owner of Paragon Realty commercial real estate for more than 20 years, Block said he believes he can add value to Fishers with his experience in land planning, business partnering and financial and tax matters.
“Collaboration and strategic planning are needed now more than ever,” he said. “By working closely with other fellow council members, I want to continue the innovation that has begun and develop creative planning solutions to ensure Fishers evolves into an even stronger city with opportunities for all of its citizens.”