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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowOutside of walking on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail where I live or Kirkwood in Bloomington where I spend a lot of time, one of my favorite places in the world is sitting at a bar with my Kindergarten Group—a handful of six friends I met at Parkview Central School in Bedford in 1952. In the 72 years since, our small-town roots have branched out across the country, taking each of us and our families far and wide. Of all those places, I recently found myself in an unexpected spot: on stage at Ruoff Music Center to hear Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen’s State of the City address.
It was a masterclass in authentic, driven leadership.
As Jensen outlined his vision, I couldn’t help but reflect on the principles that have guided my career. One such principle, the Marge O’Loughlin Rule, came to mind: Fess up and take responsibility from the start. Don’t skirt, don’t be cute and don’t blame others. Just get it done so we’re all better off. Jensen’s approach to governance exemplifies this well.
Before taking office, Jensen set a clear vision for enhancing public safety in Noblesville. Even amid a global pandemic, he rewrote the playbook on mental health, paramedicine and funding for law enforcement. The results speak volumes: Noblesville now ranks as the 12th-safest suburb in the United States. The innovative NobleACT paramedicine program proactively addresses mental health issues, saving both lives and taxpayer dollars, and is being implemented in communities around the state including Terre Haute and Columbus. It’s precisely the kind of forward-thinking initiative that builds strong, resilient communities.
The Pleasant Street extension project further illustrates Jensen’s commitment to community-driven progress. Debated for longer than Jensen has been alive, this initiative is finally coming to fruition. What impresses me most is not just the project itself, but how Jensen personally rolled up his sleeves, pressed the pavement and rallied community support to make it happen. The sheer scale of the project Jensen described—1,750 trees to be planted, 70,000 tons of asphalt laid and more than 200 people working on the $125 million endeavor—is a testament to the power of leadership that treats every stakeholder, from field experts to concerned preservationists, with equal respect and consideration.
It sounds to me that Mayor Jensen’s vision for Noblesville embodies the promise of Indiana’s future. It’s leaders like him who give me hope that our state can continue to grow and evolve while maintaining the warm, welcoming community-focused spirit that makes Indiana special. Noblesville offers a blueprint for other communities across our state and beyond. That’s a legacy any Hoosier can be proud of and one that makes me optimistic about the chapters yet to be written for my own Indianapolis and communities like Bedford, Bloomington, Noblesville and everywhere in between.
There are days that I’m concerned that Indiana doesn’t have enough “Chris Jensens”—but that Tuesday wasn’t one of them.
—Charlie Richardson
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