2020 was the year of the unexpected, the unknown, and the unexplainable. However, at GreatNews.Life, 2020 was the year of videos. We shared hundreds of videos this year, including interviews with local, county, and state leaders; live streams of exciting events like groundbreakings and company reveals; awards ceremonies; sports recaps; socially-distant parades and celebrations; and one of our personal favorites, weekly news updates with Jenny Craig-Brown on the Great News Weekly show and podcast. There has been so much going on throughout Valparaiso and Porter County, and it is safe to say that we have plenty of video coverage to prove that.
In no particular order, here are the top 10 videos from Valpo.Life in 2020.
Leadership Life Series: Jon Groth, Principal, Porter County Career & Technical Center
Jon Groth discovered the value of vocational training primarily by accident when he was a young man. He aspired to play football at Notre Dame, but nobody told him that likely would not happen, so when it did not happen, he needed a plan. After a stint in the military, he discovered his passion for teaching vocational skills in the Peace Corps. For the last 26 years, Porter County has benefited from that. Discover how the now-retired Groth, the former Director of Porter County Career & Technical Center, motivated his students and set them up for a lifetime of success and career fulfillment.
Leadership Life Series: Laura Shurr Blaney, Porter County Commissioner
A biology and chemistry teacher by trade, Laura Shurr Blaney was inspired to get more involved with local government after navigating a challenging issue with the property around her home. After serving on the Porter County Council through a caucus appointment for six years, she is now serving a two-year term as a Porter County Commissioner. Blaney is well-known and respected for her sensible approach to leadership and serving her constituents. In this series, she reveals why she is successful in working across party lines, and the importance of connecting with constituents as a county leader.
Valpo.Life, celebrating 11 years of good news
We have had 11 years of celebrating good news and nice people. Valpo.Life began in 2009, and now more than ever, we appreciate the opportunity to be the home for positive news. We are blown away by the volume of good being done right now by so many.
Leadership Life Series: Pete Visclosky, U.S. Rep., 1st Congressional District
U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky represented Indiana in the 1st Congressional District for the last 35 years. On the 35th anniversary of being elected to Congress, he announced that he would not seek reelection in 2020. We sat down with the longest-serving member of Indiana’s delegation to learn the inner-most workings of his mind when it comes to leadership, resilience, and cooperation before seeing what is next for Pete Visclosky when his term is over.
Valpo VS Chesterton Boys Basketball Sectional Championship
Watch this Valparaiso High School vs. Chesterton High School boys basketball recap to see the most exciting plays made by both teams.
Harley-Davidson Paint Shop 2020
Watch our video to learn more about Harley-Davidson of Valparaiso and Harley-Davidson of Michigan City's Custom Paint Shop employees, Randy Melton and John Galloway. Both are custom painters and mechanics at Harley.
Leadership Life Series: Ed Charbonneau, Indiana State Senator, District 5
First elected to the Indiana State Senate in 2007, State Senator Ed Charbonneau began a leadership journey focused on educating leaders of the future and supporting strong fiscal plans for his home state. Charbonneau earned a bachelor’s degree from Wabash College, an MBA from Loyola University, and a law degree from the South Texas College of Law. He has directed government and community affairs for US Steel Corporation/Marathon Oil and served as interim president and CEO for Methodist Hospitals in Northwest Indiana before taking office.
In this Leadership Life series, Charbonneau touches on the value of teaching young individuals about their civic responsibility to understand how government affects their lives and the lives of those around them. He reflects upon some of the positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the state faces some belt-tightening in the near future. Charbonneau lives in Valparaiso with his wife, Sharon, and has two children and several grandchildren.
Leadership Life Series: Matt Vessely, Regional President, 1st Source Bank
Matt Vessely, Regional President at 1st Source Bank, has more than 29 years of diverse banking and management experience. The North Judson native started his banking career as a teller right out of high school, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who had a fruitful 40-year career in the industry. Vessely holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wabash College and a master’s in business administration with a finance concentration from Indiana University. He has served in senior vice president-level roles in business banking, commercial banking, and product management before leading this particular market at 1st Source Bank. In this series, he delves into the leadership influences on his career and how a strong, positive company culture can benefit the communities served by 1st Source Bank.
The family legacy of Cooper and Mason Jones
Cooper and Mason Jones strive to be the hardest working student-athletes both on and off the field. Their parents, Eric and Kassey Jones, instilled that in them from a young age. Listen in as Mason and Cooper touch on the impact their parents have had on them, and the impact that they have had on each other.
VNA of Northwest Indiana Meals on Wheels Program
Come along with GreatNews.Life Founder, Chris Mahlmann, and CEO of VNA of Northwest Indiana, Bob Franko, as they deliver food to a few recipients of the Meals on Wheels program. Learn about the Meals on Wheels program along the drive and all of the different ways it has helped give food to those in need around Northwest Indiana. Meals on Wheels is about much more than food: it is really about human contact.
