Senator Mark Messmer’s passion and proactiveness in helping businesses overcome the pandemic’s challenges have earned him the Indiana Chamber’s 2021 Birch Bayh-Richard Lugar Government Leader of the Year award.
Among his achievements were authoring the successful legislation (Senate Enrolled Act 1) which protects businesses that follow accepted COVID-19 safety guidelines from unwarranted lawsuits.
Regarding his authorship of SEA 1, Messmer, a business owner himself, contends it was “critical to moving our state forward and allowing businesses to return to normal as quickly as possible. Without this law, there was a looming cloud of uncertainty from fear of lawsuits by someone claiming they were exposed to COVID-19 at a place of business.”
In addition, he championed House Enrolled Act 1004, which funds the small business restart grant.
“That program has gone a long way in supporting the businesses that have suffered most during the pandemic with the bridge funding necessary to make it to today,” remarks Chamber president and CEO Kevin Brinegar.
Messmer also tirelessly advocated for employers in other critical areas such as broadband expansion, school choice and certified technology parks.
The Bayh-Lugar Government Leader of the Year Award will be presented at the Indiana Chamber’s 32nd Annual Awards program, presented by Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, November 9 at the Indiana Convention Center. A table of 10 starts at $1,650 and individual tickets are $165 each. All can be purchased online at www.indianachamber.com/ad or by calling (800) 824-6885.
The ceremony will feature three other statewide honors: the NextEra Energy Resources Community of the Year (announced as Greater Lafayette on August 26), Dynamic Leader of the Year (announced as Megan Glover of 120Water on September 2) and Ogletree Deakins Business Leader of the Year (to be announced September 16). Recognitions in volunteering also will be given.
The event speaker sponsor is OneAmerica and PNC is the opening reception sponsor. Corporate sponsors are AT&T Indiana, CBRE, French Lick Resort, NIPSCO, Tilson and Zimmer Biomet.
Contributing sponsors are AECOM Hunt; Community Health Network; Corteva Agriscience; Fineline Printing Group; Indiana Soybean Alliance/Indiana Corn Marketing Council; Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick; Markey’s Rental & Staging; MCM CPAs & Advisors; Roche Diagnostics Corporation; Subaru of Indiana Automotive; Sweetwater Sound, Inc.; The Kroger Company; and UPS.
Additional sponsorships for the Indiana Chamber’s 32nd Annual Awards program are available by contacting Jim Wagner at jwagner@indianachamber.com.
