Township trustees are responsible for maintaining emergency services and connecting community members to poverty agencies and medical agencies when needed. Trustees are elected to four-year terms.
These are the 17 candidates running for the 11 township trustee positions in Monroe County.
Benton Township
Michelle Bright ( D)
Bright has served as the trustee for Benton Township for two and a half years . She graduated from IU with a bachelor’s degree in family studies and human development and is currently a graduate student studying information science at IU. Bright said her goal, if re-elected, is to reach out to more people and educate them about the resources of the trustee’s office.
Jarrod T. Neal (R)
Neal works for the Monroe County Sheriff’s department. Born and raised in Bloomington , he said he hopes to give back to the community by becoming the trustee. Neal also owns and operates a seasonal business, the Barn of Terror.
Bloomington Township
Lillian Henegar (D)
Henegar has been the Bloomington Township Trustee for the past year and a half. She has a master’s degree in public administration from the City University in New York. She said she wants to keep working on providing assistance to those in need of affordable housing and transportation.
Bill Eggleston (R)
Eggleston graduated from IU in 1963 and went on to attend Harvard Business School. After Harvard, Eggleston worked at a number of small businesses under Eggleston Associates. Eggleston said he wants to be Bloomington Township Trustee because it is the position in government most involved with helping people on a day-to-day basis.
Bean Blossom ?Township
Pam (Stewart) Cook (D)
Cook, who is running unopposed, has been Bean Blossom Township Trustee since being appointed to the position in August 2013. She has lived in Bean Blossom Township most of her life and said her long relationship with the community has helped prepare her for the office.
Clear Creek Township
Steve Hanson (D)
Hanson, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, previously ran for the Clear Creek trustee position in 2010. He was on the board for Homeward Bound, a group dedicated to helping the homeless. Hanson said his involvement in community service helps qualify him for the trustee position in Clear Creek.
Thelma Kelley Jefferies (R)
Jefferies has been the Clear Creek Township Trustee for 24 years. Prior to becoming trustee, Jefferies worked as an insurance agent and owned a convenience store in Harrodsburg.
Indian Creek Township
Vicky Sorensen (D )
Sorensen was first elected as township trustee for Indian Creek in 2010. Sorensen, who graduated from IU with a degree in social work, has worked as program manager for Healthy Families and for Monroe County Community School Corporation. She said her experience in social work helped prepare her for her job as trustee.
Le Ann Freeman (R)
Freeman previously worked 11 years in the Indian Creek Township trustee’s office in addition to having worked as an insurance sales agent. Freeman said while working in the trustee’s office, she learned how to manage budgets, audit reports and work with relief for the poor.
Perry Township
Dan Combs (D)
Combs has been the trustee for Perry Township since 1987. An IU alumnus, he works as an adjunct professor of history at Ivy Tech. Combs said that his main focus as trustee is on social programs.
John Newlin (R)
Newlin has managed concrete stone and gravel plants for more than 40 years. A Bloomington native, he is now semi-retired. He said he wants to apply his management and financial skills to the Perry Township Trustee office.
Polk Township
Christopher Spiek (R)
Running unopposed, Spiek has been the trustee in Polk Township for eight years. Originally from Chicago, Spiek was first appointed trustee after his predecessor resigned.
Richland Township
Marty Stevens (R)
Stevens is in his fourth year as trustee for Richland Township and is running unopposed this November. Stevens, an IU alumnus, has spent much of his life in law enforcement. After working 20 years for the Indiana State Police, Stevens spent seven years as a special adviser to the commissioner of police of the U.S. Virgin Islands. He said that with his experience in government, he is well suited for the position of trustee.
Salt Creek Township
Donald F. (Donn) Hall (D)
Hall took over the Salt Creek Township job in 2012 after his predecessor, David Lane, died. He graduated from IU after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. Now, in addition to his duties as trustee, Hall works as a history professor at Ivy Tech.
Coy Timbrook (R)
Timbrook has worked for the City of Bloomington Fire Department for the past 14 years. He said his background as a firefighter has motivated him to campaign for the trustee position and qualifies him to work as the Salt Creek Township trustee.
Van Buren Township
Rita Barrow (R )
Barrow, who is running unopposed, has served as the Van Buren Township Trustee since winning the election in 2010. Barrow has a degree in business management from Indiana Wesleyan University. Prior to working as trustee, Barrow worked in sales and marketing for 27 years at Thompson Consumer Electronics.
Washington Township
Barbara L. Ooley (R)
Running unopposed, Ooley has lived in Bloomington her entire life. Ooley has served as trustee since she was elected in 2010. In addition to working as trustee, Ooley is an office manager at Jest Technologies.
