Mayor Jones will be missed

Working with Mayor Tom Jones for the last four years has given me a respect and tender affection for this man.

Having worked with a number of mayors both here and back in Arizona, when I was a regional representative for the State Department of Commerce, I can truly attest that Tom was one of the absolute finest. There is a reason he was elected as chairman of the Indiana Association of Cities & Town's Conference of Mayors and affectionately dubbed "the Mayor of Mayors." He proactively and aggressively sought out opportunities for his home town, the City of Linton, for the Greene County community and the region. He was a mayor who recognized that no community is an island and, if the region prospers, we all prosper.

Tom understood and played well in my world, too. Economic development is a complex system with many components. He recognized the importance of it and so had educated himself in its various aspects. He also groomed a small local support team and paid for them to at least get the basic training in this field. Working with him on a Linton project, whether it was a business relocation or a community capacity-building project, was that much easier for me because Tom had, not only a firm grasp on the concepts but also, experience in many aspects of it.

On a personal level, he was one of the most caring persons I know. If he saw a need in someone's life, true to form, he didn't wait to be asked. He would identify a solution and then seek out the person in need to share that solution with them and, in so doing, relieve them of some burden or worry. For example, he was the first, besides the GCEDC Board members who had hired me, to welcome me to the community -- even while I was still in Arizona. Plus, Tom was instrumental in finding my first Greene County home.

If I could only say two words about Tom, they would be, "He cared." Five more and I would say, "He will be sorely missed."

Joan Bethell is the executive director at Greene County Economic Development Corporation and can be reached at (812) 847-4500 or jbethell@gcedc.us.