New Chamber of Commerce leader Rowray plans to continue in Indiana House seat as well

MUNCIE, Ind. — State Rep. Elizabeth Rowray, R-Yorktown, has been chosen to lead the Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Alliance under the Delaware Advancement Corp.

Rowray will replace Jay Julian, who is retiring. Rowray's anticipated start date is April 1, the Chamber of Commerce announced in an email.

The state representative said she has already filed to be placed on the ballot in the spring GOP primary and she will continue to seek re-election.

Search committee co-chair Kelly Shrock, president of the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, said the committee has been working on finding the right candidate since June.

"We worked with a great pool of candidates," Shrock told The Star Press.

She said the committee researched and determined that Rowray would be able to remain in the General Assembly while also serving as Chamber and Economic Development Alliance head.

"It's not unprecedented," Shrock said.

Greg Beumer served as a member of the Indiana House while also serving as economic development director for Randolph County, she said.

Terry Pence, vice president of operations at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and also selection committee co-chair, said the committee considered Rowray with the assumption she would pursue re-election, but added it was her decision whether to continue with her role at the Statehouse. Rowray was elected in 2020 to the District 35 seat, which encompasses Yorktown and much of the west side of Delaware County.

Rowray said the combination of economic development work, through Delaware Advancement Corp. and the Alliance, with the work of the Chamber representing business in the community is a "marvelous collaboration" that she brags about to people from other parts state.

Once at the Chamber, Rowray said she will embark on a "three-month listening tour," talking with Chamber members from across the community to assess their needs and opportunities.

Regarding economic development, she said the community must find a way to marshal the education institutions of Ball State University and Ivy Tech Community College to upgrade the local workforce and use that to attract more employers to Delaware County.

Rowray is executive director of Ivy Tech’s Career Coaching and Connections program for Delaware and Henry counties and has previously worked for the Delaware Advancement Corporation. She also has worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

Those experiences made her an excellent candidate for the job, said Shrock

Pence said he didn't know Rowray well until she interviewed for the position and he realized how deeply she cared about Delaware County.

"She has the passion for the community," and that was major factor in her selection, Pence said.

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Pence said Rowray's experience with the U.S. Chamber would be very different from what she would encounter as leader of the local organization, but she has the knowledge to do the job well and her previous experience working as a staff member at DAC gives her a head start.

A Delaware County native, Rowray is a graduate of Ball State University and Burris Laboratory School. She completed the four-year U.S. Chamber of Commerce Organization Management program with an Institute for Organizational Management Designation, according to a release from the local chamber.

Rowray also complemented the work of Julian. "Jay is a tremendous asset to the community," she said.

David Penticuff is the local government reporter at the Star Press. Contact him at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Elizabeth Rowray hired to lead Delaware County Chamber of Commerce