News Release

NAPPANEE – What does your mayor do during his working hours?

A mayor is effectively the top manager of a city or town, but his/her role is not well understood. 

Phil Jenkins, Nappanee’s first full-time mayor, speaks at the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce Annual Appreciation and Awards Dinner. File photo.

The event begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 8, and is open to the public via ZOOM and hosted by ACT Nappanee-Wakarusa.

The event will feature Nappanee Mayor Phil Jenkins talking candidly about how he governs, and the challenges and joys of serving his community.  After his presentation, viewers can ask questions.

Jenkins became the first full-time mayor of the city in 2016. His public service prior to that included serving as a Nappanee City Council member, and on the Board of Public Works & Safety.

Jenkins is a lifelong resident of Nappanee who graduated from NorthWood High School there. He holds a B.A. in architecture from Ball State University. His years working as an architect honed skills he uses in governance, such as analytical and problem-solving, team-building, communications skills, and business and legal knowledge.

“I continue to be optimistic about the future of Nappanee,” he said in his 2021 State of the City message.  “Despite the obstacles we all faced in pandemic year 2020, the city entered 2021 with an improved financial position, positive signs of additional businesses coming to Nappanee, safety and infrastructure improvement, and initiatives to strengthen and improve the overall health of our residents.”

Former mayor of Goshen, Allan Kauffman will introduce Jenkins. Kauffman was mayor for 18-years and was recently elected as a member of the Goshen School Board. He will moderate questions at the end of the program.

This free ZOOM meeting is open to everyone. To obtain the sign-in information, contact [email protected].  At this email address, you can also submit questions for the mayors to answer during the presentation.