 Mayor Kerry Thomson announced a leadership transition in the City of Bloomington Controller’s Office. City Controller Jessica McClellan will depart the administration later this month to pursue a new professional opportunity. Geoffrey (Geoff) McKim has been appointed to serve as the City’s next Controller, effective mid-January.
McClellan has served as Controller since 2024, overseeing the City’s financial operations, annual budgeting process, capital and maintenance fund management, and compliance with state and federal financial requirements. “Jessica has been an extraordinary partner to this administration and our city,” said Mayor Thomson. “She brought deep expertise, steady leadership, and a level of professionalism that set a high bar. Managing the City’s finances is a complex and often invisible job, and Jessica has done it with clarity, transparency, and poise. Bloomington is better for her service, and we are grateful for the foundation she leaves as she takes this next step in her career.” Municipal Investment Fund Grant Supports Planning for Reliable, Affordable Building Upgrades12/1/2025 The City of Bloomington, in partnership with the Indiana Energy Independence Fund, has received a $250,000 Municipal Investment Fund (MIF) grant to advance its newly created Bloomington Energy Works program, which offers free energy audits and provides educational opportunities on the benefits of energy efficiency and clean energy projects.
The Municipal Investment Fund is a 50-state strategy launched by Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI USA) to empower communities to use public/private investing to accelerate the development and construction of smart energy infrastructure projects across the country. Bloomington Energy Works will drive a public-private partnership plan to develop finance ready clean power and energy efficiency projects. The program will use a ‘whole community approach’ to accelerate the development of a project pipeline that grows the local economy, lowers energy costs, and builds grid resilience. Further, participation in this program opens the door to potential $2 million in additional funding to accelerate energy projects that benefit Bloomington residents and businesses. Amplyfire is hosting this complimentary webinar to help small and local businesses get ahead in 2026 with a fast, actionable breakdown of the marketing shifts that matter. Make sure you're spending time on marketing that will help you move the needle & not wasting time on things that won't. Register with the QR code or by visiting amplyfire.co.  Ivy Tech launches career-based projects that help students meet new high school diploma requirements11/24/2025 Hands-on projects in culinary arts, robotics, semiconductors and others will help students explore career fields and count toward Indiana’s new work-based learning standards Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington has launched new High School Challenges designed to help students explore career fields through hands-on, project-based experiences. Each challenge is designed to take about 25 hours, making it an ideal option for fulfilling a portion of Indiana’s new high school diploma work-based learning requirements. Prizes will be awarded for the top outstanding submissions.
Students can choose projects from a variety of fields, including advanced manufacturing/robotics, biology and biotechnology, culinary arts, design technology, human services and social work, or semiconductors and electronics. The challenges will help students learn more about the industries and apply their classroom knowledge. Focus will be on Fleet, Sanitation, and Street Divisions of the DepartmentThe City of Bloomington Public Works Director Adam Wason announced today that Joe VanDeventer has been appointed as the Deputy Director of the City of Bloomington Public Works Department. The Director of Street Operations since 2014, he will assume his new role on January 1, 2026.
Joe is a seventh-generation Monroe County resident with more than two decades of leadership experience in Public Works. He has been a long-time contributor to the Indiana Farm Bureau, 4-H of Monroe County, and many other local organizations. “Joe is the perfect person for this role in the Department, having several years of dedicated leadership to the City have prepped him well for this larger role,” said Adam Wason, Public Works Director. “Joe is respected by his teammates and peers, and we’re lucky to have him take on this new position.” This new role in the Public Works Department was approved by the City of Bloomington Common Council during the 2026 budget hearings. The Deputy Director will assist with the overall administration of the Public Works Department, with main oversight areas being the Fleet, Sanitation, and Street Divisions. The Deputy Director will also assume the Director’s responsibilities in their absence. The City of Bloomington has partnered with Yiftee, Inc. to launch the Shop Local Bloomington Card, a digital community gift card that can be used at participating independent shops and restaurants in Bloomington.
The Shop Local Bloomington Card functions like a standard credit card and can be purchased online and delivered by email or text. Buyers select an amount, send the digital card to a recipient, and the recipient can use it at any participating business. Merchants receive the full purchase value directly through their regular payment processor and do not need special equipment to participate. Community gift card programs like this one have been shown to generate new revenue for local businesses, encourage customers to explore new stores and restaurants, and provide a simple tool for employers, universities, and civic groups to give locally through employee rewards, event incentives and community giving. The program consolidates these opportunities into one easy-to-use platform, amplifying the impact of every dollar spent within Bloomington.  Program Overview
The City of Bloomington has partnered with Yiftee, Inc. to launch the Shop Local Bloomington Card. This digital community gift card program helps keep spending within Bloomington’s small business economy. Purpose
How It Works
Who Can Use It
Why It Matters Community gift card programs like this have been shown to:
Availability
Learn More / Get Involved
The Thomson administration has released a comprehensive report outlining how the City of Bloomington is responding to homelessness and the community’s evolving housing landscape, while working to maintain public safety and quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors.
The report summarizes work undertaken since Mayor Kerry Thomson took office in 2024, including investments in affordable housing and prevention, support for local shelters and service providers, daily field operations to keep public spaces functional, and efforts to rebuild public safety capacity and expand non-police crisis response. Released near the administration’s midpoint, the report shows how early crisis response and systems stabilization have progressed into targeted, long-term strategies aimed at building a more durable and coordinated regional approach to homelessness. |
Check out our Chamber Members news on this blog!
Submit your news to the Chamber by the 10th or 26th of each month to be included in the bi-weekly Membership Matters emails. 
Webpage Square Ad Banner spaces are available for members. Download our sizes and pricing sheet for more information by clicking the button below.
|
|
|
Copyright The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved.