Welcome to the House District 71 Newsletter
Dear neighbor,
My name is Wendy Dant Chesser, and I am so glad to introduce myself to you as the newly selected representative for Indiana House District 71. I was sworn into office on Tuesday, June 4.
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to represent the Southern Indiana communities of Indiana House District 71 at the Statehouse. Throughout my career in economic development, I’ve worked tirelessly to build valuable connections, increase prosperity in Southern Indiana and grow educational and workforce opportunities in Clark and Floyd Counties. I will continue to build collaborations in order to support Hoosiers with opportunities and obtain tangible results for our community.
I want to share the culture of Southern Indiana at the Statehouse. House District 71 is a great place to start a small business, raise your children and visit. Our community is passionate about transparency and accountability, skilled trades, affordable childcare, the outdoors and having enough to provide for our families. We’re a group of common-sense people, and I plan on bringing common sense back to politics through bipartisanship. We have invested so much to build amenities and create quality communities that we need to protect our work within the Statehouse.
Some details about my background: I graduated with a degree in business management from Indiana University Southeast. In 2010, I received my credentials as a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council. In both 2022 and 2023, I was named one of the “Indiana 250,” by the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) which recognizes some of the most influential business leaders in the state.
I’ve worked extensively to bring high-paying jobs and business development to Southern Indiana in my past and current positions. For 11 years, I was President and CEO of One Southern Indiana which oversaw a 1,000+ member Chamber of Commerce. I supervised business attraction and talent development programs to foster economic growth in Clark and Floyd Counties. Prior to my time at One Southern Indiana, I’ve served with the Indiana Department of Commerce and the Indiana Rural Development Council.
It’s time the state government works for all Hoosiers regardless of where they live. I look forward to inspiring change during my time as the representative for House District 71.
In service,
Wendy
Wendy is an asset to the region.