Rebecca S. Skillman (born September 26, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, from 2005 to 2013. She is a member of the Republican Party.
Becky Skillman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 49th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana | |
| In office January 10, 2005 – January 14, 2013 | |
| Governor | Mitch Daniels |
| Preceded by | Kathy Davis |
| Succeeded by | Sue Ellspermann |
| Member of the Indiana Senate from the 44th district | |
| In office November 4, 1992[1] – November 3, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph V. Corcoran[2] |
| Succeeded by | Brent Steele |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 26, 1950 Bedford, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican[3] |
| Spouse | Steve Skillman |
| Alma mater | Indiana Wesleyan University |
| Profession | Politician, Economic Development Leader |
In the 2024 Indiana governor's race, Skillman endorsed Suzanne Crouch in the Republican Primary.
Early life and career
editSkillman is a native of Bedford, Lawrence County, Indiana. An alumna of Indiana Wesleyan University, she began her career in politics in 1977 when she was elected to the office of Lawrence County Recorder. Eight years later she was elected as County Clerk. Skillman served as President of the Association of Indiana Counties.
State senate
editIn 1992, after 16 years as an elected official in Lawrence County, Skillman was elected to the Indiana State Senate, where she represented all or part of Lawrence, Monroe, Jackson, Washington, and Orange Counties. Rising quickly through the leadership, she became Majority Caucus Chair, the first woman in history to serve in the Senate Republican leadership. During her 12 years in the Senate, she led the charge to include the state's small towns and rural communities in its economic development agenda. There, she authored plans for development in distressed counties and for the revitalization of downtown areas.
Lieutenant governor
editMitch Daniels selected Skillman to be his running mate during the 2004 election. The ticket was elected over incumbent Governor Joe Kernan and incumbent Lieutenant Governor Kathy Davis and she took office in January.
As Indiana's 49th Lt. Governor, Skillman held more legal duties than any other Lt. Governor in the country. Upon taking office in 2005, Skillman also served as the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development under the state's Department of Agriculture and Office of Community Rural Affairs. She managed five state agencies in total, and administered more than $1 billion in programs. Other agencies under Skillman's direction as Lt. Governor included the Office of Energy Development, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, and the Office of Tourism Development. Additionally, she chaired the state's Counter Terrorism and Security Council, the intergovernmental entity responsible for homeland security, and served as President of the Indiana Senate.
Skillman was also responsible for shepherding Governor Mitch Daniels's Administration's legislative agenda through the Indiana General Assembly and served as President of the Senate.
Radius Indiana
editSkillman currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Radius Indiana, an eight-county economic development corporation in South Central Indiana. Prior to accepting the board chair position in 2017, she served as president and CEO, beginning in February 2013; during her tenure, Radius rose in prominence among economic development organizations in the state. She also served as the co-chair of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, with former U.S. Congressman Lee Hamilton.
2012 election
editSkillman had considered a run for Indiana Governor in 2012 but announced she would not due to a minor medical condition.[4]
Personal life
editSkillman and her husband Steve have a son, Aaron. Skillman is a member of the Church of Christ. In August 2010 Skillman earned an associate degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Offices". March 3, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ "4 Dec 1992, Page 13 - The Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ "Lt. Governor: Previous Lt. Governors". In.gov. June 16, 2009. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
- ^ "Pence for governor? Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman bows out". The Washington Post. December 19, 2010. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
- ^ "Skillman's valuable example: finish what you started". NWI.com. September 9, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
External links
edit
- "Official site". Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved 2014-10-31.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - "Campaign site". Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved 2014-10-31.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Appearances on C-SPAN