Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
FRENCH LICK – Step up. Get in the trenches.
That’s what Steve Ferguson has done for the past 60 years when he saw a problem begging for a solution. It’s what he encouraged others to do to solve problems holding back their communities during remarks he made after receiving the Becky Skillman Regional Leadership award.
Ferguson was honored for his six decades of work to improve the Indiana Uplands April 13 at the French Lick Resort Event Center. Ferguson is an attorney, current Chairman of the Board of Cook Group Inc. of Bloomington and former state legislator.
The Becky Skillman Regional Leadership Award recognizes an individual or organization that has shown uncommon dedication to bringing the Indiana Uplands region together in pursuit of regional success and prosperity. The award was presented during the Regional Opportunity initiatives Annual Report to the Region.
Skillman wasn’t able to attend but in remarks read by ROI CEO Tina Peterson, Skillman said, “Steve leads by taking bold action and inspires others to do the same.”
From his involvement in the redevelopment of downtown Bloomington, the incredible transformation of the French Lick Resort, and saving the historic West Baden Hotel, Ferguson has been a driver of sustaining the places that make the Indiana Uplands unique.
Workforce housing in Owen and Orange counties, rebuilding the old Springville gym, planting trees across the region and a new reading program called Readable English that has benefitted 700 children are a few examples of his work.
Through his leadership at Cook Group, Ferguson’s impact extends across the state, the nation, and the globe. But his heart has always been in the Indiana Uplands, where he raises Hereford cattle on his Lawrence County farm that has been in his family for more than 200 years.
“His passion for this beautiful region comes naturally and for that we are all so incredibly grateful. Steve is one of the reasons that today we can call the Indiana Uplands a Region on the Rise,” said Skillman.
In accepting the award, Ferguson said he was honored to receive the award named for Skillman, a former state senator, lieutenant governor of Indiana and current chairman of the board of Radius Indiana.
Ferguson told the gathering of 350 people that he sees good things going on in the 11-county area of southern Indiana that make up the Indiana Uplands but many challenges lie ahead.
“There are a lot of communities here with declining populations and we have to address that,” he said. “We can’t have half the counties in Indiana having declining populations. All of us in this room have an obligation to step up and put our effort into this.”
He said workforce development can’t happen without adequate housing, which is why Cook Group has invested in single family housing projects in Spencer and Orange County.
He pointed to the innovation awards that ROI presented as positive signs that those communities are willing to “get in the trenches.”
Children who can’t read and adults who lack a high school education are two other problems facing cities in the Indiana Uplands and he challenged those in the audience to step up.
“These are trench issues and not something we can do at the legislature. We’ve got to get these kids reading, one kid, one teacher at a time, we’ve got to get down in the trenches.”