Within a week of the resignation of former long-time Indiana Dunes Tourism Board President Mitch Peters, the remaining members of the executive committee met Thursday afternoon and unanimously elected Don Ensign to be their new president.
Scott Tuft was elected vice president while treasurer Richard Riley and secretary Barb Lusco will maintain their positions.
“I sadly take this position,” said Ensign, who had been the vice president, following the vote. “I will do my best to lead us through what we have to go through and bring back some calm.”
Despite surviving a tie vote for his removal at the April 23 Porter County Council meeting, Peters chose to resign saying the criticism of his leadership and efforts to oust him would not stop. Peters and the IDT Board have been roundly chastised for entering into a severance agreement with former IDT CEO Lorelei Weimer without consulting the council.
The county council appointed Peters to the board and he served in that capacity for 14 years, the last 13 as president. The council is seeking his replacement and is scheduled to make a decision at its May 28 meeting.
The IDT Board agreed to pay Weimer $225,000 for a buyout of the last two years of her three-year contract. The board also has been questioned about why a county employee had a contract to begin with.
In other business, the board unanimously approved an addendum to its legal services agreement that identifies Patrick Lyp as provider of legal service to the board. Lyp, who is the full-time attorney for the city of Valparaiso, will take over for David Hollenbeck, who has been IDT’s attorney since its formation over 30 years ago.
No one on the board could remember exactly how long the board stretches back, but Ensign said it was at least 34 years.
“Dave is going to be still a part of us,” he said.
Hollenbeck has been named “of counsel” in the addendum, meaning Lyp can consult his expertise as needed.
“It will be invaluable to me to have that,” Lyp said. “In terms of what you’re paying for, the exact same contract will be used.”
“If there were some extraordinary circumstances, the framework is there to pay him,” Lyp said of Hollenbeck, but said otherwise the longtime attorney has offered his guidance pro bono.
Hollenbeck has served as attorney for decades for a number of county boards including the Board of Health and the Park Board.
“I don’t know what we can do as a board to recognize his service for the last 30 years, but I think we should do something,” said Riley.
The board will meet again at 4 p.m. on June 20, the location to be determined, as it has begun holding some of its meetings with sister entities such as the Porter County Expo Center, Memorial Opera House and Sunset Hill Farm County Park.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune
