Press Release

Juergen Voss

WARSAW — Republican Juergen Voss, owner of Open Air Garden Center, has filed his declaration of candidacy seeking the Warsaw Common Council District 1 seat.

The position currently is held by Jeff Grose, who is running for Warsaw mayor as Mayor Joe Thallemer chose not to seek re-election.

Voss has lived in Warsaw since 1977. In 2000, Voss and his family moved to their current home on Harrison Street within District 1, according to a news release provided by Voss.

He said, “Warsaw is a great place to live, work, play and raise a family. We are blessed with a strong industrial base, diversified agriculture, recreational opportunities, outstanding schools and a conservative yet progressive city government. We all have to work as a team to preserve and improve our quality of life.”

Additionally, he said, “I believe citizens need to step forward with a commitment to serve and to give voters a choice in every election.”

“Working with the department heads of the cemetery board, the park board and the street department to source thousands of flowers and trees for the beautification of Warsaw has given me a great appreciation for the jobs they do. I respect all past and present Warsaw city mayors, city council members and city employees for their dedication and the hard decisions that have made Warsaw the great community it is today. It would be an honor to serve Warsaw as a part of that team.”

Voss is a graduate of Indiana University School of Business in Bloomington. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing. He also studied German, international business and real estate.

He and his wife, Betsy, have owned Open Air Garden Center and Greenhouses, 965 N. Lake St., Warsaw, since 1986, according to the release. He has been a real estate broker in Warsaw and served many roles, including managing principal broker for Coldwell Banker.

From 1985 to 1989, Voss was appointed to the Warsaw Community School Board, where he was a board member, secretary for two years and vice-president for one year. During his term, he supported the decision to move and build the new Warsaw Community High School, Eisenhower and Harrison Elementary Schools and the Central Administration building. He also was appointed to and served on the Ivy Tech Advisory Board for four years.

The Warsaw Rotary Club nominated Voss to be a member of a Group Study Exchange Team to Calcutta, India, for eight weeks. They traveled throughout India and Nepal, visiting cities, schools, historical sites, industries and hospitals and met with many business leaders and government officials.

Juergen and Betsy have two children, Michelle (Kris) Shipley and Matthew Voss. The Voss family have been active members of the Lake City Skiers Water Ski Show Team for over 15 years.

Juergen has been an active member of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club since 1978. He served as a board member, president and lieutenant governor.

According to the news release provided, when Voss found out that Grose was running for mayor, he realized that this was an opportunity for him to serve and give back to the community that has been his family home for 45 years. Since then, he has received dozens of phone calls encouraging him to file for the District 1 Warsaw City Common Council seat.