Candidate Website: lizbergeron.com

What office are you running for? La Porte County Commissioner District 1

What political party are you affiliated with? Republican Party

What is your education? I graduated in 1998 from Munster High School. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Healthcare Administration with a concentration in Long-Term Care. I am currently working toward my MBA in Public Administration. 

What is your occupation? I am an Indiana Medicaid Waiver Case Manager working with those who receive the Family Supports Waiver and the Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver. I am also certified as a Care Manager for those who receive the Aging and Disabled Waiver. I currently work with individuals in Lake, Porter, La Porte, St. Joseph, and Pulaski counties. 

What is your candidate platform? 

My platform is based on three core issues: Growth, Respect, and Accountability.

1. Growth: I will work to grow La Porte County's economy, population, and housing opportunities. When we grow, we win. We have seen a loss of approximately 93 residents each year or more for decades. We have seen business opportunities pass us by for years. We are in need of increased housing opportunities and the introduction of high-tech companies to make La Porte County their home. For every 1 high tech job, two support jobs and ten community jobs are built. As Commissioner I will work closely with Economic Development groups to attract new business to our county. I will work to find a solution to the housing crisis we are facing and work to grow our gateway communities. I will work to make La Porte County the envy of the state.
2. Respect: I respect our first responders, highway department, and county employees and will be their biggest cheerleader in county government. I will respect those in our agricultural community as the backbone of not only our county but our nation. I will respect the taxpayers of our county by ensuring their government runs efficiently and does not waste money on things like a county website that does not run properly or quickly or things like continuing to support the idea that Commissioners deserve to each have a county vehicle, instead using that money for the betterment of the county. I will respect our Gateway communities and work to make those communities, which are the first community seen by those coming from surrounding areas, more vibrant and successful. I will respect the small towns and areas that seem to only matter at election time.
3. Accountability: I will work to ensure our county government works as it should. I will ensure the bidding process is respected and followed, allowing the public to have the access to this process that they are entitled to but often banned from. I will work with others to ensure our county is properly zoned and coded. I will work to ensure that our infrastructure is protected and safe for everyone in the county. This includes clean water, paved and painted roads, reliable internet access, bridges that work and are cost-effective, and ensuring unseen infrastructure is working and safe. 

 

Give three reasons why voters should consider you this election.

1. I'm not a career politician. I don't have anyone I owe favors to. I have no backs to scratch. I only have a duty to serve the county and those that call it home. My job requires me to travel to our surrounding areas and allows me to learn and get ideas about what could work in our county and how to make it better. I will work hard and fight hard for this county and always have time for you.
2. I have varied professional experience that no other candidate or current Commissioner has. I spent six years in Law Enforcement as a Correctional Officer at Indiana State Prison which will allow me to have the knowledge and experience needed when it comes time to decide to renovate or rebuild the county jail and to also have knowledge in the debate of moving Indiana State Prison that is currently happening in Michigan City. This allows me to know what plans will work and which ideas are best for these capital projects and issues. I also have professional experience in IT, Project Management, Insurance, Finance, and Social Services. I've handled budgets of all sizes and have worked for Fortune 500 companies to save them millions of dollars. I've coordinated and managed cross-country movement and established collection cities for Apple, making me responsible for staff and equipment valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have experience in team building and management, and in finding solutions and resources to problems. I'm not someone who is okay with only working 10 weeks out of the year.
3. I will work to ensure organizations such as Paladin receive the funding and support that they have gone without. This organization is near and dear to my heart as is the population they serve, and I feel it's time they had a voice in county government. 

 

Is there anything else you'd like voters to know about you?

I've been married to my husband, Dion (Indiana State Rep District 9 candidate), for twelve years this March and together we have five kids. I'm a La Porte County Special Olympics Pickleball volunteer. I'm a third and fourth-generation American on both sides of my family, raised in a family that has worked in the steel mills for generations, and a Volunteer Firefighter daughter. I have lived in La Porte County for almost 19 years. It wasn't until 2020, when the world slowed down, that I was no longer able to distract myself with other things, that I realized for our County to grow and succeed, things needed to change. I could either sit back and just complain or I could try to be the difference I wanted to see. So, in August, I decided to become a candidate and started talking to people about their issues and concerns. I learned a lot and became very vocal with what I had learned. I began to publicly share my findings and ideas on Facebook. I am active on Facebook and my website. I am always out and about and always willing to have discussions and learn about the concerns of my neighbors. I care all the time, not just for a vote or at election time. I will continue to care, and I will always work hard and fight to make La Porte County the best place to work and live.