County Clerk JoLynn Behny

The evening included panelists and speakers who covered all the ins and outs of running for office.

Moderator and facilitator Amy Beechy (Project Matters, LLC) opened the seminar by sharing background on democracy and why we hold elections. She then introduced Pulaski County Clerk, JoLynn Behny, who addressed the paperwork and legal side of being a candidate. She covered topics ranging from understanding the office you are running for (qualifications, job description, term limits, etc.), party politics and utilizing the knowledge of the party chair, campaigning and campaign finance, election deadlines, election day and post-election day dos and don’ts. She also made available resources such as the 2022 election calendar, Indiana election laws regarding political signs, ads and more, brochures on county government and county commissioner roles and a packet of campaign forms.

Democrat party chair Doug Denton and Republican party chair Daniel Murphy each gave more in depth knowledge of the party process, party chair roles and both stressed the importance of remembering that running for office involves listening to and serving all your constituents, and to be mindful of why you may choose to be a candidate for an elected position.

The evening concluded with a very informative panelist discussion sh State representative Doug Gutwein, county councilor Kathi Thompson, and sheriff Jeff Richwine. They shared their “real-life” experience and knowledge of areas such as doing your research before running for office, looking at what kind of support from family, friends and others you may have, who you’ll need on your campaign team, what campaign materials are useful, raising a candidate’s profile, fundraising and the campaign plan and timeline.

All attendees were provided a packet of various resources including a list of current Pulaski County elected officials, their respective political party affiliation and term of service dates.

“This event was a fantastic opportunity for individuals to learn more about running for office and to ask questions of current officials. The more prepared leaders who step up will make for a stronger community,” remarked Wendy Rose, Community Foundation executive director. “Helping to educate new or existing leaders is one way the foundation is investing in the future growth of our county.”

This seminar was part of the Forward Thinking Leadership Initiative launched in 2020 in response to community input and with support from Lilly Endowment Inc. and the Community Foundation of Pulaski County. For more information about the work of the Community Foundation, view its website at www.cfopc.org, telephone 574-946-0906 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Panelists Doug Gutwein, Jeff Richwine Kathi Thompson, Doug Denton, Dan Murphy