{"id":98290,"date":"2026-02-23T12:13:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T17:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?p=98290"},"modified":"2026-02-23T12:13:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T17:13:22","slug":"state-of-our-communities-leaves-audience-leaders-energized-for-whats-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?p=98290","title":{"rendered":"State of Our Communities leaves audience, leaders energized for what&#8217;s next"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!--AUTO-AD-BEFORE-->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\"\n        data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\n        data-ad-layout-key=\"-gw-3+1f-3d+2z\"\n        data-ad-client=\"0531879237494766\"\n        data-ad-slot=\"5600453644\"><\/ins>\n    <script>(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});<\/script>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Wabash County, IN\u2013 The theme for Grow Wabash County\u2019s sold out ninth<br>annual State of Our Communities event on Thursday, Feb. 19, centered being energized for<br>the future of Wabash County.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The community speakers featured were Cheryl Ross from the Wabash County Commissioners,<br>Tracie Hensley from the Town of LaFontaine, Andrew King from the Town of Lagro, Adam<br>Penrod from the Town of North Manchester, Bob Ferguson from the Town of Roann, and<br>Mayor Scott Long from the City of Wabash.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tenille Zartman, president and CEO of Grow Wabash County, emceed the annual event.<br>During her opening remarks, Zartman let the audience in on a not-so-secret secret to Wabash<br>County\u2019s past, present and future successes: energy.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis momentum is rooted in our leaders&#8217; buy-in of collaboration and planning with a<br>purpose,\u201d Zartman said in her remarks. \u201cThere is a passion here and an energy here that is<br>hard to replicate.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The presentations delivered by community representatives highlighted achievements from<br>the previous year, expressed gratitude to those who contributed to these successes, and<br>outlined upcoming initiatives designed to maintain progress.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the presentations, two awards were given out.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, Chairman Andy Zay, formerly Indiana District 17 Senator, presented Brian Haupert with<br>the Senator Honorary Award for his dedicated services of 32 years as a Wabash County<br>Commissioner.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, Cynthia Johnson, Executive Director of the Learn More Center, received the inaugural<br>Growth Award for leading the effort to open the Pauline Barker Campus. Zartman shared, \u201cThe<br>Growth Award can recognize a person, project, or community that embodies momentum,<br>collaboration, and leadership. It shows what\u2019s possible when we plan with purpose and move<br>forward with unstoppable energy.\u201d The Learn More Center received the award as a project that<br>brought together partners from across the county and overcame real challenges to become a<br>reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis project came to life last year with the ribbon cutting that represented far more<br>than bricks and mortar. We opened the doors to a place where county-wide collaboration,<br>lifelong learning, and workforce development come together to support our people and our<br>future,\u201d Zartman said.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the event, the presenters participated in a roundtable Q&amp;A session with the current<br>Leadership Development Wabash County cohort. This encouraged further, deeper<br>conversation between the leaders and participants about what progress and growth may look<br>like for Wabash County in 2026 and beyond.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grow Wabash County team is thankful to all of the local and regional companies and<br>individuals who showed their support for this annual event by signing on as event sponsors.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Breakfast Title Sponsors: 1019 Belle\u2019s Place of Wabash; Arc of Wabash County; Bowen Health;<br>First Farmers Bank &amp; Trust; Living Essentials; Manchester University; Nuway Construction;<br>Wabash Small Business Champion;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gold Sponsors: City of Wabash; Community Foundation of Wabash County; Ford Meter Box<br>Company, Inc.; Intertech Products, Inc., Josiah White\u2019s; Parkview Wabash Hospital; Pathfinder;<br>Star Excavating<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Silver Sponsors: Beacon Credit Union; BioNutrients Ag LLC; Crossroads Bank; Lake City Bank;<br>MPS Egg Farms; Wabash County Museum<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bronze Sponsors: Aalberts Surface Technologies; Bachelor Creek Church of Christ; The Bippus<br>State Bank; Bulldog Battery Corporation; Duke Energy; G6 Military Grade I.T.; Halderman Real<br>Estate &amp; Farm Management; Huston Electric; Meyer Building; MKM architecture + design;<br>MSD Wabash County; NIPSCO; POET; Town of North Manchester<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copper Sponsors: Content Creative; Pro Resources Staffing Services<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About Grow Wabash County:<br>Grow Wabash County (legal name Wabash County Business Alliance Inc.) is a not-for-profit corporation<br>that spearheads economic and community development efforts in Wabash County, Indiana. GWC is<br>designed around five pillars of service &#8211; assisting business development needs, promoting livability,<br>fostering entrepreneurship, supporting workforce development, and offering programming and investor<br>services. GWC was formed with the merger of the EDG of Wabash County and Wabash County Chamber<br>of Commerce in July 2017. For more information about GWC, please visit www.growwabashcounty.com<br>or call us at 260.563.5258<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"174\" height=\"118\" src=\"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Outlook-GWC-Logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98291\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<!--AUTO-AD-AFTER-->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;text-align:center\"\n        data-ad-format=\"autorelaxed\"\n        data-ad-client=\"0531879237494766\"\n        data-ad-slot=\"9212395598\"><\/ins>\n    <script>(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wabash County, IN\u2013 The theme for Grow Wabash County\u2019s sold out ninthannual State of Our Communities event on Thursday, Feb. 19, centered being energized forthe future of Wabash County. The community speakers featured were Cheryl Ross from the Wabash County Commissioners,Tracie Hensley from the Town of LaFontaine, Andrew King from the Town of Lagro, AdamPenrod &#8230; <a title=\"State of Our Communities leaves audience, leaders energized for what&#8217;s next\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?p=98290\" aria-label=\"Read more about State of Our Communities leaves audience, leaders energized for what&#8217;s next\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Wade Weaver","author_link":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?author=3"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?cat=1\" rel=\"category\">Uncategorized<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Wabash County, IN\u2013 The theme for Grow Wabash County\u2019s sold out ninthannual State of Our Communities event on Thursday, Feb. 19, centered being energized forthe future of Wabash County. The community speakers featured were Cheryl Ross from the Wabash County Commissioners,Tracie Hensley from the Town of LaFontaine, Andrew King from the Town of Lagro, AdamPenrod&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98290"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98293,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98290\/revisions\/98293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}