Redkey native is leading BMV

It’s not uncommon to have multiple careers.
Kent Abernathy started in the military.
He moved on to banking, and then returned for a second stint of full-time military work through the National Guard.
Today the Redkey native is taking the next step in his newest career, public service, as he takes over as commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
“It’s obviously an honor,” said Abernathy, who had served as chief of staff for Indiana Department of Environmental Management and now takes over for outgoing BMV chief Don Snemis. “From time to time (Gov. Mike Pence and I have) passed and he’s suggested there might be some other opportunities … and I’m always open to whatever he thought was in the best interest of the citizens of the state. … I consider myself pretty lucky.”
His appointment last week was announced on the same day the BMV revealed it had overcharged citizens by another $2 million over a six-year span. Those charges involved fees for mobile homes, license reinstatement and a variety of others in what has been a continuing problem.
Since 2013, the state has agreed to refund $30 million in overcharges for driver’s licenses. It also had $29 million worth of mistakes in calculating vehicle excise taxes, and is currently facing a class action suit that seeks repayment of another $38 million in claimed overcharges.
Fixing those problems and making sure they don’t happen again will be Abernathy’s priority as he steps into his new position.
“The good news is we’ve got external auditors in there now,” said Abernathy, noting the evaluation being done by accounting firm BKD. “I think the biggest thing is just trying to get my arms around the operation. I think that audit will be very helpful in identifying some of the root causes. …
“I think the evidence really points to the fact that it’s a very complex operation. The statutes are pretty cumbersome, complex.”

The 58-year-old makes the move to the BMV after a little more than five years as IDEM’s chief of staff, a job he took on his birthday — Jan. 4 — in 2010.
He had no background in environmental management, but policy wasn’t a part of his work. Instead, he was in charge of organizing day-to-day operations within the agency.
The media, finance, information technology and, initially, legal departments reported to him as he coordinated activities and made sure commissioner Tom Easterly got the information he needed to make decisions for the agency.
“He listens,” said Easterly. “Running any major … operation, there’s a lot of things you have to do to keep it running smoothly. And he excels at that.
“He’s accepts challenges that we don’t know the solution to and he persists … until he actually resolves the underlying problem. Over time, that makes things work better.”
Abernathy was born at Jay County Hospital and grew up in Redkey, where his mother Mary Rees and sister Connie Abernathy still live, and was a member of the last graduating class at Redkey High School. He went on to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1979. He became a banker after fulfilling his military requirement but stayed involved through the National Guard, which led to work in the Pentagon as well as Baghdad during the Iraq war.
But he always had an interest in public service, and had expressed that desire to members of Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration leading to his IDEM appointment.
In his role as BMV commissioner, he said he wants to make sure he’s serving his constituents, from Fort Wayne to Redkey to Evansville and everywhere in between.
“Really all my life has been in public service in some way, shape or form, from the time I went to West Point and then served in the military. It’s just something that’s become a part of my life,” said Abernathy, a father of three who lives in Zionsville with his wife Karen. “It’s an opportunity to make a difference, is the way I look at it.
“The bottom line is I’ve got about six and a half million bosses. And I mean that in the most positive (way), I really do. My job is to work for the citizens of the state of Indiana. The governor has chosen me to go into that position, but ultimately it’s to get things aligned so it honestly and fairly serves the citizens of Indiana.”