August 27, 2014 at 5:30 p.m.
Davis is retiring from OCRA
Bill Davis is retiring as executive director of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs as of Sept. 2.
The former Jay County resident held the position for just 10 months.
Elected five times to the Indiana General Assembly as state representative for District 33, Davis had resigned from the legislature Nov. 3, 2013, to take on the leadership role at OCRA, working for Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann.
“I loved the job,” he said this morning. “I got to work even closer with communities than when I was state representative. … What I didn’t anticipate was the amount of time involved in the commute itself.”
He and his wife, Mary, had sold their home in Portland and moved to Fort Wayne, where they have three children and eight grandchildren. A large part of the move was so they could be more closely involved in their grandchildrens’ lives.
But with travel to and from Indianapolis taking four and a half to five hours out of the day, Davis, 66, said his personal life was being squeezed.
“There were things we wanted to be a part of, and I couldn’t get there,” he said.
Davis had nothing but praise for OCRA and the staff he worked with there.
“OCRA is so important and what we’re doing in Indiana is so important, it needs someone who can give it full attention. … I’ll miss doing what we were doing,” he said, “but there are some things more important in life.”
Davis was first elected to the Indiana House representing Jay, Randolph and part of Delaware County in 2004 and won re-election in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
He had served as chair of the Committee on Public Policy and was a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Davises were owners of Limestone Products Inc. in Portland, selling the business in 2009 to Andy Landon.
Prior to running for office, Davis had been deeply involved in local economic development, serving as president of the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce and in leadership roles at Jay County Development Corporation.
Retirement, he said this morning, will not translate into being idle.
“I’m not done,” he said. “I’m not going to just do nothing.”
The former Jay County resident held the position for just 10 months.
Elected five times to the Indiana General Assembly as state representative for District 33, Davis had resigned from the legislature Nov. 3, 2013, to take on the leadership role at OCRA, working for Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann.
“I loved the job,” he said this morning. “I got to work even closer with communities than when I was state representative. … What I didn’t anticipate was the amount of time involved in the commute itself.”
He and his wife, Mary, had sold their home in Portland and moved to Fort Wayne, where they have three children and eight grandchildren. A large part of the move was so they could be more closely involved in their grandchildrens’ lives.
But with travel to and from Indianapolis taking four and a half to five hours out of the day, Davis, 66, said his personal life was being squeezed.
“There were things we wanted to be a part of, and I couldn’t get there,” he said.
Davis had nothing but praise for OCRA and the staff he worked with there.
“OCRA is so important and what we’re doing in Indiana is so important, it needs someone who can give it full attention. … I’ll miss doing what we were doing,” he said, “but there are some things more important in life.”
Davis was first elected to the Indiana House representing Jay, Randolph and part of Delaware County in 2004 and won re-election in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
He had served as chair of the Committee on Public Policy and was a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Davises were owners of Limestone Products Inc. in Portland, selling the business in 2009 to Andy Landon.
Prior to running for office, Davis had been deeply involved in local economic development, serving as president of the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce and in leadership roles at Jay County Development Corporation.
Retirement, he said this morning, will not translate into being idle.
“I’m not done,” he said. “I’m not going to just do nothing.”
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