KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — The field of candidates for the Kosciusko County Council at-large seat has grown to five.

Kimberly Cates, Syracuse; Josh Finch, Warsaw; and Brett Harter, Leesburg have filed their declarations with Kosciusko County Republican Chairman Mike Ragan. Paul Finley, Warsaw and Tressa Nichols, North Webster, had filed earlier in the week.

The caucus, due to the death of long-time councilman and council president, Robert Sanders, has resulted in the need to fill the vacant seat. The caucus of county precinct committeemen and vice committeemen will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, in the county courthouse.

Cates

Kimberly Cates, Syracuse, feels the county needs someone who is experienced and versed and has a good demeanor in working with other board members, which she has a lot of experience in board negotiations, in listening, dealing with issues going to affect everyone knowing it is going to be a tough choice because someone is not going to get what they are asking for and be sensitive to people presenting information. “The biggest attribute a person coming onto the board can do is to commit to attending meetings, attending the committee meetings, be involved, following through, doing what you say,” said Cates.

“This is a huge void of Mr. Sanders. I believe it is going to need to be filled with someone who has board experience, whose familiar with budget experience, which I am. I’m familiar with working with personnel issues, purchasing equipment, budgets, I deal with it with the township and with other boards. We need someone with quality and qualifications to be proactive to do the best job, which I can do.”

Cates was elected in 2012 to the Turkey Creek Township Advisory Board and appointed to the Turkey Creek Fire Territory Board where she has served as president for the past five years. Cates is a Warsaw native, graduating from Warsaw Community High School with honors and attended Indiana University South Bend and Fort Wayne where she studied public financial administration focusing on community infrastructure, town management and policy creation and implementation policies relating to public entities.

She has resided in Syracuse for the last 30 years and is a master tax advisor with 32 years experience having owned the H & R Block Franchise in Syracuse for the last 16 years.

She has managed four major insurance offices, was a media buyer for a multi-million dollar retail marina, was a financial controller for an RV manufacturing plant and spent five years as a media seller and account executive.

She is a member of the Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Club and on the Muskies Inc. International board of directors as well as the regional vice president and representative. She has served as precinct committeeman for nine years and a local Republican delegate at the state convention. She is a past member of the Lakeland Community Services board of directors, Wawasee Kiwanis Club, served on various committees for the Wawasee-Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce and Syracuse-Wawasee Area Development Co., and United Way speakers bureau.

She is the wife of Kosciusko Superior Court 1 Judge David Cates.

Finch

Josh Finch, Warsaw, is making a second attempt for a county council position. Finch threw his hat into the ring in August 2016, to fill the vacancy for the county council District 3 seat, with the resignation of Brad Tandy.

Finch is a member of the board for City County Athletic Complex, allowing him to work with budgets and provide fiscal responsibility. He has also been a member of the Kosciusko County Economic Development Committee.

Finch has a double major in business management and marketing, earning his degree from Taylor University. He is a member of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club.

He could not be reached for comment at this time.

Harter

Brett Harter, Leesburg, wants to give back to the county that has given him a good living and where he plans on living the rest of his life. “Bob and I were great friends, for almost 30 years. He was a great mentor and leader. I have missed a chance to work beside him,” Harter said. “Bob would have wanted me to do it. He talked to me in years past about getting involved.”

Harter is a general contractor in residential construction. For the past four years he served as president of the Builders Association of Kociusko Fulton Counties, stepping down the first of the year to become secretary of the Indiana Builders Association.

“I have a passion for Kosciusko County. It is the best county in the state to live in,” Harter stated, adding “Kosciusko County has a lot to hang our hat on and I want to give it a shot to serve to help protect what we have and grow for the future. When I have a passion I get involved. My passion is for our county.”

Harter and his family live near the Barbee Chain of lakes, where he has lived his entire life. Shortly after graduating from Wawasee High School in 1988, Brett met his wife, Nikki. Brett and Nikki have a son and a daughter.