Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH WEBSTER - Recipients of the Kosciusko County Republican Party Woman and Man of the Year awards inducted Thursday night at the 51st GOP Hall of Fame Dinner were former County Councilwoman Joni Truex and current County Commissioner Bob Conley, respectively.
In presenting the Woman of the Year Award, Republican Party Chair Mike Ragan, surrounded by the rest of the GOP Central Committee, said, “Our 2026 Woman of the Year has been a tremendous asset to Kosciusko County government and a tremendous friend to the Kosciusko County Republican Party. As a private citizen, she has been involved with business, agriculture and education. She brought the skills she honed in those areas to elected office, distinguishing herself over two terms of service, with her knowledge of the issues, her attention to detail and her willingness to speak up on what she believes.”
He said Truex has always been an enthusiastic Republican volunteer, she steps up to the plate whenever help is needed and has been invaluable to the party’s day-to-day operations. Truex runs the party’s mass mail email list, and for the past couple years she has served every election as a poll inspector “and she has done a wonderful job,” Ragan stated.
Surprised at receiving the honor, Truex said, “I would just like to say that I am honored, surprised, not sure I’m worthy but I’m proud to be a Republican in Kosciusko County, Indiana. I was not born here, but this is definitely home and I appreciate everything and I appreciate the Central Committee for giving me this honor.”
She said she also really appreciated her husband, Dale, who joined her at the dinner and after receiving the award she knew why he wanted to attend the event with her.
“Thank you, all, very much. I’m very touched,” Truex concluded.
On the Man of the Year, Ragan started out by saying, “Our next inductee into the Hall of Fame has given decades of his life to serving Kosciusko County, from business to law enforcement to elected office. Our Man of the Year has enjoyed a distinguished career in public life. As an elected official, he gained a reputation of having his finger on the pulse of the average voter, probably because the average voter knows exactly where to find him in his day job.”
Ragan said Conley gets an earful from people at his place of business and “becomes their spokesman in his elected position.”
Ragan noted Conley had a tough election this past spring and had his first loss of his political career, “where he is otherwise undefeated.”
Conley lost his re-election bid in the race for southern county commissioner in the Republican primary to Don Wiesehan, who is unopposed in Tuesday’s general election.
“But that defeat at the polls didn’t lead to the defeat of the spirit. He has continued to serve with the same integrity and dedication as before,” Ragan said. “Just a few weeks ago, at our fall fish fry, he was there as always, carrying a tray of fish, not because of anything to gain, but because he is a true public servant.”
Conley thanked God, who he said is his creator, his redeemer and his life revolves around him and his family and their salvation.
“That’s what I’m dedicated to most of all. But I just do what I do,” he said, adding that he was called to serve. “The people I worked with in the last 20 years have just been phenomenal - Brad Jackson, Ron Truex, Sue Ann Mitchell. Tremendous, tremendous people.”
Conley said the wind beneath his wings was his wife, Sue, and they’ve been married 54 years and have three “tremendous” children.
He talked about how he has listened to what the people said they wanted and didn’t want, and that’s why he voted against the data center in the Clunette area.
Earlier in the dinner, Kosciusko County Republican Party Central Committee Vice Chairwoman Rhonda Helser presented the Jackie Walorski Award from the Kosciusko County Republican Women’s Club to Warsaw Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen.
“Tonight, our award winner is a lifelong resident of Warsaw and has been a Kosciusko County Republican Women’s Club member for several years. In 2023-2024, she served as the secretary for our club,” Helser said in presenting the award.
In March 2010, Christiansen began serving as the city of Warsaw’s clerk-treasurer. Her employment with the city started in 1980 as a parking control officer, a position she held through 1985. She rejoined the city in 1989 as the records clerk for the police department, where she was responsible for the proper maintenance of the department’s records and implementing new methods as Indiana statutes and technology changed.
