Republican Adrian Engleberth Files to Run for Jasper Common Council

Adrian Engelberth, 47, is seeking to earn the Republican nomination for Jasper Common Council, representing District 4, the SE part of Jasper, after filling on Thursday. 

Engelberth graduated from Purdue University in 1995 with BA in engineering. He has been working in new product development since graduation, including his own Design and Engineering company. He currently works at Kimball in the new product development group. A

drian believes his training and experience to think out of the box for solutions to problems and develop new ideas is a great fit for the council. “I have always worked with thought leaders, and push boundaries of new ideas and growth. These skills of being able to assess a situation, make judgement calls that drive growth and limit risk, while working with others at all levels, I believe is critical for a councilperson,” said Engelberth. Engelberth has worked over the years to educate the public on multiple local issues such as TIF, EDIT, and the tax abatement structure. 

He says it is about helping people get involved. “To understand the system is very complex, and over the years, I have tried to be a resource of knowledge for the community about how the local government functions,” said Engelberth. Engelberth says making Jasper infrastructure the best it can be, while keeping spending and taxing levels lower, and assessing TIF and the abatement structures are key items for him. 

He says it is about addressing the needs of today while also planning for both the near and long-term future of our area. “As a councilperson we must be mindful of addressing the future but focused on the needs of today too. The Midstate corridor is the one project our area must fund due to its potential to sustain and drive new growth the area will require. 

Additionally, a growing, vibrant local college option is critical for long term business and people attraction and retention today and our area’s future,” said Engelberth. “While we have the big projects on our mind but can never forget we also have work to do on the riverfront, local streets and sidewalks, and lowering tax rate levels. In this we must find the balance in how we spend tax revenue. The ‘brain drain’ still exists, and we must address it, but projects big and everyday items are all part of addressing it, and all parts of Jasper have projects large and small that need addressing.” 

Adrian pointed out that with the amount of small and large projects on the table, the city government must be nimble and flexible to meet requirements to fund these projects. He pointed out, it is like a business, and having frequent analysis of the vision you have and how you accomplish that. Engelberth is the current President of the Dubois County Leadership Academy and has seen firsthand how young leaders have driven change in local communities. As part of the board since 2012, he has worked to have an environment for a diverse group of young leaders, to be bold and bring locally impactful team driven projects to completion. Engelberth added, “I would love to see the city lean on more community involvement in city projects to keep our budget lower.  We tend to look to the city to solve all the problems, but the city is just an outgrowth of the people. I have seen how this team driven approach has had a positive effect with various Leadership Academy team projects, the Astra, and our future library-cultural center. Why not continue to build on these examples? We need more people involved in the decisions being made and helping drive them to completion.” 

Adrian and his wife Angela are members of Redemption Christian Church in Jasper. Angela is a graduate of Purdue University, and a pharmacist at Walmart. Their 3 kids going to school at Holy Trinity and Jasper High School. Adrian is a youth leader in Boy Scout Troop 185 and Designation Imagination. 

Adrian is also President of the Freedom Makers of Dubois County.