Mayor Hamilton re-ignites controversial annexation proposal
Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton announced in coordination with City Council leadership that the city annexation process underway four years ago is scheduled to resume in early May. The City was in the middle of an annexation process, heading for more public discussion and ultimately a council vote, when the state legislature ordered action halted in April 2017.
Mayor Hamilton’s annexation proposal began in February of 2017 but was interrupted in April of 2017 when the Indiana legislature passed legislation which terminated the process. The Indiana Supreme Court overturned that law with a December 15, 2020 decision that the legislation was unjustly targeting the city of Bloomington. Mayor Hamilton stated, “All of us in city government look forward to continued discussions with and ideas from our county and local government colleagues, and from residents in the region, and employers and nonprofits and other institutions.”
Public comment sessions from 2017 demonstrated an overwhelming majority of Monroe County residents opposing the measure, as well as several vocal Monroe County elected officials. A popular sentiment was that the Mayor’s proposal was ‘an attempted land-grab with little preparation for the true future consequences.’
Ivy Tech hires new Chancellor for Indianapolis campus
Ivy Tech Community College has named Dr. Lorenzo Esters as its next Indianapolis campus chancellor, effective July 1, 2021. Current chancellor Dr. Kathleen Lee announced her retirement after serving 36 years with the College. The Indianapolis chancellor position will include oversight and leadership of the College’s largest service area, including Marion, Hendricks and Boone counties. Dr. Esters currently serves as vice president for Advancement and Member Engagement with the Association of American Colleges and Universities, a higher education association representing more than 1,200 two- and four-year institutions located in 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. Territories and 25 countries.
Dr. Esters previously served as executive director for Higher Education Partnerships within the Global Education Division of Educational Testing Service, where he led the “Skills for a New Economy Initiative. His prior experiences also include serving as vice president for Philanthropy at Strada Education Network, a nonprofit corporation located in Indianapolis, Ind. He also was the inaugural vice president for Student Success and Enrollment Management at Kentucky State University where he managed the co-curricular and holistic development of students. Dr. Esters earned his undergraduate degree in English literature from Rust College in Holly Springs, MS. He earned his MA in English from Jackson State University and holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration/Community College Leadership from Morgan State University.