President’s Message

A message from 2026 ICC President Suzanne Weirick, Elkhart County Commissioner

Happy New Year!

As I reflect on the transition from 2025 to 2026, I feel the weight and responsibility of continuing my efforts on the local level along with making certain the ICC continues to educate, support, and advocate for all our unique goals, needs, and dreams.  This is more than just beating the mantra “local control”.  This includes understanding that without local control any one of our individual counties will be inhibited.

I firmly believe, the ICC is stronger than ever! 

Understanding the strength our platform was built upon  - by those who recently came before me, I can use the rear view mirror to understand our foundation and strength and not forget the lessons of our past.  However, the rear view is smaller than the windshield and we cannot go back to where we were anyhow.  The ICC needs to look forward.

In looking forward, in looking through the windshield, I turn to one of my life long, personal mantras as I am determining our next steps.  We need to be better, faster, stronger. 

Committing to being better, faster, and stronger, we will build upon our recent growth and make certain the ICC is not only relevant today but will have many future successes.

Better in that we need to always look forward.  Better in that we can AND SHOULD always improve.  Better in that we must always learn.  Better in that we honestly, always want to be a better person, a better servant, a better leader, a better communicator, a better listener and in this situation, a better organization.  By being better, the ICC will be smarter, be smarter faster.

Faster in that we need to not only respond to legislation but anticipate it. Faster in that we will stay ahead of the game by planning for the needs of our communities while including the desires of our state legislators.  Faster in that we need to be agile in our thinking and pivot when necessary.  We need to participate in the discussions earlier, be present sooner but to be welcomed we always need to grow and grow stronger. (strength) (body)

Stronger in that we can always add to our foundation.  Stronger in that we will NOT just raise our voices but speak after listening and learning from each other.  Stronger in that we will raise our ability to advocate and collaborate.  Ultimately, we will be stronger because we will increase the levels in which our respect has been earned.  For with the respect we earn, our individual counties will be respected.

We will do this by increasing our legislative know how.  We will work to work together not just as individual counties but as one band of Commissioners.  If we always remember even in our different needs and visions, we can accomplish our individual goals by focusing the fight on local control. 

Without local control, each county will be stuck to the needs of another.  Whereas with local control, we, the local leadership, the Commissioners, can best serve all 92 of our unique counties. Intentionally working to be better, faster, and stronger we will continue to make the ICC the best it can be.

As the Commissioners for our individual communities and collectively as the Indiana County Commissioners, the last 5 years, this next year, and many years to come, we will continue to be better, faster, and stronger.  Together, we will continue to have the intelligence, mental acuity and respect needed to support each other AND to have lasting, legislative impact for local control. 

Together, we will be: better, faster, stronger.  I look forward to serving with you in 2026.

Sincerely,
Suzanne M. Weirick
ICC President and Elkhart County Commissioner