Hancock on the Horizon

Hancock County was the second fastest growing county in Indiana in 2025. After looking at recent residential construction data, it's easy to see why--with permits filed for nearly 1,160 new single-family homes for the year, a 27% increase from 2024. This episode takes listeners on a deep dive into that growth with the help of three Hancock County homebuilding experts providing powerful insights from unique perspectives:

• Mike Leslie, Bridgenorth Homes
• Sara Joyner, Joyner Homes
• Paul Carroll, Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis

Every three years, Hancock Health administers a Community Health Needs Assessment Survey to gather feedback that will help it continue to meet the community’s healthcare needs. Hancock Health Wellness Strategy Manager Amanda Hinkle and Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator Teri House Gottschalk discuss why this survey is so important and delve into how initiatives like this contribute to Hancock County consistently ranking among the healthiest counties in Indiana.

Do you live, work, or spend a considerable amount of time in Hancock County? Hancock Health wants to hear from you. Take the survey here.

In other news:

• Hancock economic, community development plans earn statewide recognition
• Hancock is state’s 2nd fastest growing county for 2nd year in a row
• HEDC gives $250,000 to Amplify Hancock Innovation Center
• Caldwell's Inc. joins HEDC
• Hancock County Council Member Clark Smith Joins Hancock Economic Development Council Board
• IMPA joins HEDC
• Messer Construction Co. Joins HEDC
• Rural Strategies Group joins HEDC

As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, Hancock Health benefits from the knowledge of world-leading specialists who advise skilled local providers on diagnosis and treatment, including for the most complex health conditions. Jason Wells, Executive Director of Collaboration and Integration and the Mayo Clinic Care Network Relationship for Hancock Health, delves deeper into what this partnership means for local caregivers and those living in and around Hancock County, Indiana.

Workforce, of course, is very front-of-mind for businesses. Before landing or expanding somewhere, they want to know if they’ll be able to hire not only enough employees, but the right kind of employees. So how might a community go about ensuring businesses can do that? We’ll tell you one thing–the forthcoming Hancock County Career Center ain’t a bad place to start. Join HC3 Director Stan Wilkison for the lowdown on this pipeline powerhouse.

Represent a business interested in partnering with HC3? Reach out to Stan Wilkison at [email protected].

Learn more about the Amplify Hancock Innovation Center here.

New Palestine High School in the town of New Palestine in southwestern Hancock County fosters work-based learning partnerships with local employers to prepare students for the local workforce while bolstering a strong local workforce pipeline for employers. Jeremy Large, Work-Based Learning Coordinator for New Palestine High School, discusses how students have paid opportunities at dozens of businesses representing a diverse cross section of the area’s economy. Do you represent a business interested in partnering with New Palestine High School? Contact Jeremy at [email protected].

Tom Miller started as Executive Director of the Hancock Economic Development Council in 1989, not long after the organization was incorporated in September 1985. As the HEDC prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary, Tom takes us back to the early days of the Council–a time of growth and promise for Hancock County.

Check out a web article and video celebrating the HEDC's 40th here.

At the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation in northwestern Hancock County, Indiana, students start learning about the opportunities awaiting them in the local workforce as young as kindergarten. At the high school, popular career and technical education classes like welding and certified nursing assistant allow students to earn industry certifications and college credits during the school day that will give them a head start on their futures. The school corporation also works extensively with the three others in the county on vocational education offerings–a collaboration slated to reach a whole new level next year upon the opening of a new career center. Dr. Jack Parker, superintendent of the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation, tells us all about it. 

Do you represent a company interested in partnering with the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation on work-based learning opportunities? Reach out to Mt. Vernon High School at 317-485-3131 or [email protected].

This month’s episode continues our five-part series on how Hancock County schools are preparing young people for the future workforce. After an excellent interview with Dr. George Philhower of Eastern Hancock Schools in June we’re making Part II all about Greenfield-Central Schools with Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin, Assistant Superintendent Jason Cary, and Greenfield-Central High School Principal Dan Walbaum. In our conversation, we talk about how GC goes about career and technical education and work-based learning, as well as what the exciting future holds for a new career center under development in the county.

If you’re interested in partnering with Greenfield-Central Schools on work-based learning opportunities, please reach out to Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin at [email protected], Assistant Superintendent Jason Cary at [email protected], and/or High School Principal Dan Walbaum at [email protected].

In Hancock County, Indiana, there’s a lot of thought and energy invested into preparing the local workforce, starting with the young people enrolled in its excellent schools. In this episode, Dr. George Philhower, Superintendent of Eastern Hancock Schools, tells us all about how the school district gives students opportunities to explore careers, engage with the real world, and have authentic experiences. He talks about how the school corporation tracks data on students’ career interests and uses that information to secure work-based learning opportunities in the community. Dr. Philhower also recalls his travels to Switzerland, where he learned about that country’s effective apprenticeship model and became part of efforts to build something similar in Indiana.

Reach out to Dr. Philhower about work-based learning opportunities at [email protected].

This episode kicks off a five-part series exploring how Hancock County's public school districts prepare students for the local workforce.

May Bonus Episode! If you’re a fan of this podcast then you know that Hancock County, Indiana is growing. And with that growth comes a growing demand for medical services. Hancock Health has been providing top-tier medical care to the county and region for decades. Right now, it has the means to have equipment transported to the hospital once a week for PET/CT scans, which are instrumental in fighting cancer and other conditions. However, as demand for medical services grows, the healthcare provider knows full well the need to have such capabilities of its own in house far more than one day a week. But they need your help, which is why they’re kicking off a three-year, $3 million fundraising campaign. Nancy Davis and Allyson Smith of the Hancock Health Foundation as well as Dr. Julia Compton, a physician with Hancock Health, tell us all about it.
Donate to the campaign here.
Sign up for the Health Foundation’s Golf Outing here.
Questions about this campaign? Reach out to episode guests at [email protected] and [email protected].