Becky Skillman

Becky Skillman
Becky Skillman
49th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
	In office; January 10, 2005 – January 14, 2013
Governor	Mitch Daniels
Preceded by	Kathy Davis
Succeeded by	Sue Ellspermann
Member of the Indiana Senate; from the 44th district
	In office; November 4, 1992 – November 3, 2004
Preceded by	Joseph V. Corcoran
Succeeded by	Brent Steele
Personal details
Born	September 26, 1950 (age 74); Bedford, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Steve Skillman
Alma mater	Indiana Wesleyan University
Profession	Politician, Economic Development Leader

Rebecca S. Skillman (born September 26, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, from 2005 to 2013. She is a member of the Republican Party.

In the 2024 Indiana governor's race, Skillman endorsed Suzanne Crouch in the Republican Primary.

Early life and career

Skillman is a native of Bedford, Lawrence County, Indiana. An alumna of Indiana Wesleyan University, she began her career in politics in 1977 when she was elected to the office of Lawrence County Recorder. Eight years later she was elected as County Clerk. Skillman served as President of the Association of Indiana Counties.

State senate

In 1992, after 16 years as an elected official in Lawrence County, Skillman was elected to the Indiana State Senate, where she represented all or part of Lawrence, Monroe, Jackson, Washington, and Orange Counties. Rising quickly through the leadership, she became Majority Caucus Chair, the first woman in history to serve in the Senate Republican leadership. During her 12 years in the Senate, she led the charge to include the state's small towns and rural communities in its economic development agenda. There, she authored plans for development in distressed counties and for the revitalization of downtown areas.

Lieutenant governor

Mitch Daniels selected Skillman to be his running mate during the 2004 election. The ticket was elected over incumbent Governor Joe Kernan and incumbent Lieutenant Governor Kathy Davis and she took office in January.

As Indiana's 49th Lt. Governor, Skillman held more legal duties than any other Lt. Governor in the country. Upon taking office in 2005, Skillman also served as the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development under the state's Department of Agriculture and Office of Community Rural Affairs. She managed five state agencies in total, and administered more than $1 billion in programs. Other agencies under Skillman's direction as Lt. Governor included the Office of Energy Development, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, and the Office of Tourism Development. Additionally, she chaired the state's Counter Terrorism and Security Council, the intergovernmental entity responsible for homeland security, and served as President of the Indiana Senate.

Skillman was also responsible for shepherding Governor Mitch Daniels's Administration's legislative agenda through the Indiana General Assembly and served as President of the Senate.

Radius Indiana

Skillman currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Radius Indiana, an eight-county economic development corporation in South Central Indiana. Prior to accepting the board chair position in 2017, she served as president and CEO, beginning in February 2013; during her tenure, Radius rose in prominence among economic development organizations in the state. She also served as the co-chair of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, with former U.S. Congressman Lee Hamilton.

2012 election

Skillman had considered a run for Indiana Governor in 2012 but announced she would not due to a minor medical condition.^[4]

Personal life

Skillman and her husband Steve have a son, Aaron. Skillman is a member of the Church of Christ. In August 2010 Skillman earned an associate degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University.^[5]

References

^ "Offices". March 3, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
^ "4 Dec 1992, Page 13 - The Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
^ "Lt. Governor: Previous Lt. Governors". In.gov. June 16, 2009. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
^ "Pence for governor? Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman bows out". The Washington Post. December 19, 2010. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
^ "Skillman's valuable example: finish what you started". NWI.com. September 9, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.

External links

"Official site". Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved 2014-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
"Campaign site". Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved 2014-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Appearances on C-SPAN

Party political offices
Preceded by J. Murray Clark	Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Indiana 2004, 2008	Succeeded by Sue Ellspermann
Indiana Senate
Preceded by Joseph V. Corcoran	Member of the Indiana Senate from the 44th district 1992–2004	Succeeded by Brent Steele
Political offices
Preceded by Kathy Davis	Lieutenant Governor of Indiana 2005–2013	Succeeded by Sue Ellspermann

[1] "Offices". March 3, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

[2] "4 Dec 1992, Page 13 - The Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

[3] "Lt. Governor: Previous Lt. Governors". In.gov. June 16, 2009. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-04.

[4] "Pence for governor? Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman bows out". The Washington Post. December 19, 2010. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2010.

[5] "Skillman's valuable example: finish what you started". NWI.com. September 9, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]