Mayor Kerry Thomson: take a risk these days, and that's the only place that we're gonna get innovation. You have to believe that it's possible.
Nate Spangle: You were riding your bike from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.. You come through Bloomington for 36 hours, and it made such a lasting impression on you that you moved here.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: And it's really a, a fluency in the language of possibility here.
People really see what's possible, and they wanna work on it.
Nate Spangle: When you think about what's coming for the future of Bloomington, what can we expect?
From South Bend to Evansville and everywhere in between, this is Get IN, the show focused on the Hoosier State and the incredible stories happening here today. I'm Nate Spangle, founder of Get Indiana, and I will be your host for today's conversation. This is our special Mayor's Megaphone series that we're doing in partnership with Make My Move, the platform where communities attract new residents with cash incentives, networking, and local perks.
We're sitting down with mayors across the state to get their pitch about what makes their community a great place to live and why you should think about moving there. My guest today is Mayor Kerry Thomson. She became the 33rd mayor of Bloomington on January 1st, 2024, after an incredible career in nonprofit leadership and community development.
She previously served nearly 20 years as CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, where she helped grow the organization into a multimillion-dollar operation serving over 400 people. Now, she also led Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement, expanding its work to 50 counties and impacting over 20,000 Hoosiers through 300-plus projects.
This is our, I believe it's our second Mayor's Megaphone episode, powered by our friends at Make My Move. I'm so excited to dive into everything that makes Bloomington a great place to live, a great place to work, a great place to play. Mayor Thomson, welcome to the show.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Thanks so much for having me, and thanks for coming to Bloomington.
Nate Spangle: I'm honored to be here. This is my first time at The Mill. It's my first... I think it's called the Trades District?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Trades District.
Nate Spangle: the Trades District. That's right. It is beautiful here, and there's a, there's a legacy story here. This is a place where things have been made in Bloomington, in Monroe County, for many, many years.
I do have to know, what's the, what's the history?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Yeah, so, uh, this is part of the Showers Furniture complex. And of course our City Hall is, um, is part of that as well. The main furniture factory, uh, was, uh, just, uh, south of here. Um, and, uh, then there was a mill up this way- Yeah ... and a kiln to dry the wood.
And, um, so it's... This is, this is a foundational part of Bloomington's maker history.
Nate Spangle: Yes. It was like a... It's a whole sprawling campus where stuff went from, somehow from wood, where it would be like, you know, in the kiln, at the mill, assembled and shipped all over. It was just incredible.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: All over the world.
Yeah. And, um, and it was all built, of course, along a rail line so they could, they could load it right up. And that rail line is now our B-Line Trail- Oh ... which is, um, Indiana's favorite greenway.
Nate Spangle: Oh, I love that. Indiana's favorite greenway, down here in, in Monroe County. I do wanna start by talking about your journey and how you got so plugged into Bloomington.
Are you a lifelong Bloomingtonian? What do you say?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Bloomingtonian.
Nate Spangle: Is that
Mayor Kerry Thomson: I, I'm not, but I think in, in... My heart is a lifelong Bloomingtonian. Yeah. But I actually didn't find Bloomington until after I graduated from college. I was, um, riding my bicycle from San Francisco back home to Washington, D.C., and, we stopped in Bloomington for, uh, we had a whole day off here actually, so I was here for almost 36 hours, and I fell in love.
And I said, "I have to live here."
Nate Spangle: I mean, talk about a first impression. You were riding your bike from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., you come through Bloomington for 36 hours, and it made such a lasting impression on you that you moved here.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: That's right. And that's what Bloomington does, right? I mean, if it's the right place for you, you know it.
And, and I knew it. It was the first and only place I ever said that about. And, um, and sure enough I, went- back home and started looking for a job.
Nate Spangle: How many days, like how many nights did you spend on that journey?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: We were on the journey for a little over 10 weeks.
Nate Spangle: Okay, so 10 weeks. So- 70 days.
You're probably spending... You know, you visited well over 50 different cities across America. You spend 36 hours in Bloomington and you instantly know that this is the place. Do you ... How, how quick after you got back to DC did you move out here?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Uh, it took me about two years to move out here. Okay. Uh, that's a, that's a- a- another long story, but, um, but that's how long it took me- Yeah
to get a Habitat job here.
Nate Spangle: Okay.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: And
Nate Spangle: so
Mayor Kerry Thomson: then you got a job- And that's what I was looking for ...
Nate Spangle: so your first job in Bloomington was with Habitat?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Yes. I was working, uh, for Habitat already, and already, already knew that was my right spot. Mm-hmm. I just needed to find the Habitat job in Bloomington.
Nate Spangle: That's so cool.
Okay, you move out here, you show up day one. So f- from visiting to living here, was your first day as a resident just as, uh, impactful as your, your day as a visitor?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Absolutely. Uh, you know, Bloomington is just a, a warm and welcoming place, and it's a place that has all of this arts and culture, but it doesn't have a traffic report, right?
And it has all of this possibility in, in the entrepreneurship and the, um, biopharma and defense tech and everything else that we have going on here. And so in, in so many ways, it is, um, it, it is an international city, right? But we don't even have an international airport here. We go up to Indianapolis for that.
Um-
Nate Spangle: It, it is so wild to me how much culture there is in Bloomington. When you think of, like, you know, places through ... Like, there are specific neighborhoods in Indianapolis or there are specific places around the state, but, like, Bloomington is this bed, Monroe County is this bed of culture in the state of Indiana.
Where do you think that stems from?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: The university has a lot to do with it, and we're really proud of that. Um, we have an elementary school here, um, where when my kids were, um, coming up through elementary school, they didn't attend this one, but, um, they had 93 flags in their, um, cafeteria representing the different countries that their students were from.
Nate Spangle: 93 different flag- like-
Mayor Kerry Thomson: And, and that, that's in an elementary school.
Nate Spangle: That's incredible. Right.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: And so you have, you have people coming from all over the world to do research here, to learn here. And, um, and what we love about Bloomington is, um, what we call these creative collisions that happen. And so, um, you know, uh, my husband is actually here, um, after, uh, after a couple of post-docs.
Um, but a physicist that he followed forever, that he read when he was a child- in another country is here in Bloomington. And it turns out he lives two blocks from us.
Nate Spangle: Well, first off, incredible that your husband was reading a physicist's work when he was a child. Like, that's, that says, that speaks volumes right there.
He's a
Mayor Kerry Thomson: nerd. That's what it, that's what it
Nate Spangle: says. We, we love that, right? And so what was ... If you had to distill it down, what was the thing that really convinced you to plant roots here? It's one thing when you're driving through and you're like, "I wanna live here," but to spend, you know, over two decades really ingraining yourself in the culture, what was the thing that kept you rooted in Bloomington?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: The, the, the further you get into Bloomington, the more you wanna stay. Um, it's, you know, it's the people, that you get to be with on a daily basis that you run into and you, you may have a spark of an idea with, but then they wanna work with you on that idea. And it's really a, a fluency in the language of possibility here, um, where people really, um, see what's possible and they wanna work on it.
And that's what you get, uh, obviously in a R1 university, right? You're, you're researching what we can do, um, as humankind with our knowledge. Um, but you also are, are figuring out how to get it done. And I think you combine that with a Hoosier work ethic and Hoosier hospitality and you get to, um, you get to a community that really sticks together and believes in each individual's potential.
Um, and this is a place where each one of those individuals can reach their potential.
Nate Spangle: Well, when you talk about people reaching their potential, what are the few, let's say, innovations or interesting things that are happening right now in Bloomington where you see people reaching their potential that get you fired up?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: There, there's so much going on in Bloomington right now, but I think, um, some things that people don't know about is the, um, is the amazing music scene that we have here. Um, and we, we secretly, uh, have a company here called Secretly Canadian. Oh. Um, and it is top-tier music label. Wait, what? But people
Yeah, people have no idea that, um, that they're here. And when you have Jacobs School of Music and all of these students who are playing, um, world-class music every day- Where y- you know, our, our population can go hang out and, um, and see it mostly for free. Um, then you also start to have innovation come up around that, and, um, you start to grow businesses a- around that.
Um, so that's one of the really cool things that's happening here. You know, I think we have also a lot of, um, incredible ... You probably already know the story of Bill Cook, who was tinkering in his garage and, um, and invented medical devices. Yeah. And, uh, then became one of the, um, biggest privately owned medical businesses in the world.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. When you think about, um, the Cook Group and their impact on not just Bloomington, but Monroe County and even the surrounding, like, this kind of corridor- The state even ... yeah, the state. I mean, the world, obviously. But in, um, in this specific part of the state, what does their impact and their investment into Bloomington mean to you, and, and how does that support this community?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Really, when you look at our quality of place and you look at the legacy that the Cooks have built here and, and those associated with, um, the Cook Group companies, what you see is, um, not only an investment in, um, in what our city looks like. We've retained a lot of historic buildings because of that. Our downtown square is gorgeous, um, and is really a community gathering space.
They've invested in that and they continue to. They, um, they own a lot of the properties and rent them so that businesses can stay downtown and, um, and we have a really vibrant downtown. But of course, they've also, um, invested, uh, south of here in French Lick and West Baden, um, which is now a world-renowned golf course is there, a Pete Dye course.
So we additionally have people coming from all over the world to even play golf in this region because of the Cooks. Um, but I think, you know, if you look at Bill Cook's story, um, maybe that's the, that is the top, um, potential getter, um, story in Bloomington. It's the one that people know. Um- Yeah ... you know, this, this person that, um, whose, whose name nobody knew before he made this invention, and then he, he believed in not only manufacturing that in Bloomington, but continuing to insist on growing his company here.
Nate Spangle: Yeah, and in a time where, you know, you could build this huge company, buy a compound in, on the coast of Florida or wherever and, you know, just chill and play golf, to continue to invest in, yeah, places like French Lick. I was in Solsberry at the Yoho General Store.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Yes. Isn't it cool? And
Nate Spangle: so cool- Yeah ... and I was like, "This is wi- This is a town of, like, uh, way less than 2,000 people, maybe less than 1,000 people."
And they're like, "Oh, yeah," like, "The Cook Group was, like, helping and, like, renovate and remodel this," and it's beautiful.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Right.
Nate Spangle: It is like a, a, in again, this part of the state, a, like, must-see for, like, a little lunch spot to grab some ice cream and hang out. It's, it's awesome and, and, uh, seeing the, the Cook Group, um, their investment, not in just in Bloomington, but this whole area is so cool 'cause it's important for quality of place-
Mayor Kerry Thomson: That's
Nate Spangle: right
which is how businesses, you know, if you're thinking talent, attraction, retention, getting, you know- very smart individuals to come to an area. Like, what you're gonna do outside of your nine-to-five is very important. What are some of the biggest upgrades or innovations that have happened for quality of life in, quality of place in Bloomington?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Yeah, well, I, I can't say enough about our parks here. Um, we have award-winning parks, um, and our newest is... Well, not our newest. We have an even newer one now called Hopewell Commons, um, which is, uh, which is right on the B-Line, and, um, we're developing housing really targeted to young professionals and young families a- around that park.
But our, our most significant and a recent completion is Switchyard Park. Um, and you can sort of think of that as the, um, Central Park of Bloomington. It is massive, uh, it has a skate park, a, a- an amphitheater, uh, which will have, um, top-notch music concerts during the summer. Um, also a pavilion space that, uh, can be rented for weddings and events and things like that.
But then two dog parks, trail, community gardens, bocce, pickleball, everything is at Switchyard Park. Um, and, ah, so we find that, um, creating these community gathering spaces is incredibly important to quality of place, and Switchyard is one of those. Um, but we also have just an abundance of natural resources here that are different than people think about, um, when they're thinking about Indiana.
You think it's flat, right? That's, that's the, that's the national picture of Indiana, flat with corn fields. But Bloomington's below that great glacial line, and so we have these gorgeous rolling hills. It's, it's lush and green, and we have the, um, largest lake in Indiana outside of Lake Michigan in Lake Monroe, but we also have Lake Lemon and, um, and Griffy Lake as w- as well.
Um, we have great mountain biking trails and, um, and then of course regular cycling trails- Yeah ... um, bike infrastructure.
Nate Spangle: Bloomington is such a hotbed for outdoor recreation. Monroe County is a, a hotbed for outdoor recreation. Whether it's, you know, going out on the double-decker pontoon on Lake Monroe and having yourself a day or hitting the trails, all that, it is, it is definitely not- The stereotype of Indiana.
I think a lot of people think... It's almost like three geographic regions across the state. You have the big city in Indianapolis. You have, you know, like that northern section that is a lot of, a lot of, like, smaller lakes and stuff up there as well as, you know, the corn fields and the straight grids. And then when you get down into Southern Indiana, it is a totally different landscape.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: That's right.
Nate Spangle: It's very cool.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: It's a pretty well-kept secret right now that, um, a lot of folks come here just for, um, enjoying the outdoors. We, we definitely have events that celebrate that, and people come in from all over- Mm ... for those. But, um, we also have a lot of weekenders that'll come here, um, just to do outdoor rec and top-tier dining.
Nate Spangle: If you were a new resident, let's say you, you know, someone moves to Bloomington. They don't know anyone. They didn't go to college here. Their grandparents don't live here. They didn't grow up in Bloomington or even in this part of... Let's say they didn't grow up in Indiana. They moved to Bloomington. How, over the first month, can they get plugged in and start to build community?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: If you are an active person, I would, um, hands down start going to some of our parks events or even join a league that is, um, that's sponsored by our parks. I would go to as many events as you can. Um, you can fill up your calendar any night of the week with, um, with music, comedy, trivia, any of, any of that.
Um, if you're an animal lover, um, go to the dog parks, um, play some pickleball, and, um, definitely try out our, um, our great downtown dining.
Nate Spangle: I was gonna say, I hear from several sources if you wanna meet the who's who of Bloomington, you gotta go have breakfast or lunch at the Uptown Cafe. That's where you just bump some shoulders and start talking with people.
You're gonna find some, uh, some welcoming hosts in, uh, in Uptown Cafe apparently.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: A- absolutely you will. But, um, there's also, you know, each, each spot attracts its crowd. Oh. And so, um, the, the uptown's one. Um, but y- I was shocked because you don't tend to look at Tripadvisor for, for where you live, right?
Yeah. Um, but I was shocked that Samira is, um, actually the top rated in, um, Tripadvisor and, and has had that spot for a long time, and we have a lot of loyalists to, um, Samira. So you'll see a totally different crew there. We have phenomenal pizza. Um, we ... You and I have already talked about Nick's- Yeah
which is sort of the historic institution downtown, um, where, um, where it's great viewing for college games and, um, and meeting a whole other cast of locals. So there's just a, a plethora of, um, of great dining.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. One thing that makes Bloomington so interesting and so great is that it is truly embraced, uh, as a college town.
You know, Indiana University is synonymous with Bloomington, Indiana. Like, you can't have one without ... Yin and yang, right? Uh, if other mayors around the state or around the country listen to this podcast and are working on, one, increasing ties with their university or really just embracing what it means to be a true American college town, do you have advice?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Yeah. Embrace the youth. They've got big brains. They've got a lot of energy. And, um, there's a reason that they love being here, and those reasons are the things that we build on- Yeah ... in Bloomington. Incorporate them into every- everything that you do, um, everything possible. And what we're doing now is, how do we retain them?
How do we ensure that, um, the, uh, you know, more than 50% of college grads who wanna stay where they went to school, how do we ensure that we keep the top tier of those in Bloomington? Um, because it's a special place to be, and it continues, um, through many stages of life, as I now know.
Nate Spangle: Oh, and every IU grad that I have talked to says the, the classic line, "Bloomington is such a special place."
Mayor Kerry Thomson: It is.
Nate Spangle: And it's like, how do you get, you know, a, a portion of them to believe that it's such a special place that they wanna stay and help make it even better for the next generation of people that, that come get to explore Bloomington?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: We did, uh, some focus groups recently, and one of my favorite comments was, "Bloomington's like summer camp that you get to live every day."
And I thought, "This is, this is really the essence of who we are." If you want a life that really is just so rich, Bloomington is a great place to create that. And people frequently call us a college town. Um, the great thing about Bloomington is that we, we do keep that college town feel. And we're a city.
Um, we're a city with this bustling trades district and, and, ah, you know, economy that is, um, attracting all kinds of folks here. And, um, and so it's a, it's a great balance of feeling known, but also feeling like the world of possibility is at your doorstep.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. I, I'd love to talk a little bit about the industry that's happening in Bloomington as these college graduates are finishing up their time, whether it's at Indiana University or, or anywhere across the country, and are thinking about, "You know, I might like to build a life in Bloomington."
What are the companies and the innovation that's happening here that get you really excited?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: I get excited about, um, some of the tech companies that are happening now. And, um, right here at The Mill, um, with Amplify Bloomington, we have a really cool, um, startup drone company. If you go out on the grassy field on a nice day, um, you can see Derek and his crew, um, testing drones, um, during lunch.
That's just super cool, right? Yeah. Um, and so we also have the second largest naval base, ah, in the States, um, which is, ah, just south of here. It's called Crane. They are really specializing in some defense intelligence now. Um, and so some of the, um, some of the collaborations that happen between our Luddy School at Indiana University and the startups that are happening here in the Trades District and, um, at Crane, that bridge gets built.
And, um, it, it is some really incredible things that happen.
Nate Spangle: Mayor's Megaphone is sponsored by Make My Move, where you can find all the places that will pay you to move with up to $15,000 in cash and perks, professional networking and relocation support. Make My Move is an Indiana-based company, and they've already helped more than 2,000 people move to communities across the state.
So who do you know that should move here to Indiana? Send them this podcast and tell them about Make My Move. Or if you're a leader excited about welcoming new residents into your community, go to impact.makemymove.com and
Mayor Kerry Thomson: get in touch with the Make My Move team. I love that our state is thinking about direct talent attraction like this.
It's just another example of Hoosier hospitality in action. Now let's get back to the episode.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. W- and when you think about the research that happens at, ah, Indiana University, it's a R1, is that what they call it? That's right. An R1 research institution, top tier. How is that research then being commercialized and, like- I mean, shared with the entire world.
Are there a few examples you have of, you know, work that's b- been done at IU Bloomington that's been, you know, commercialized or, or a company made out of it that then has impacted the world?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Crest toothpaste was invented at Indiana University. A lot of people don't know that. Um, so in terms of, um, figuring out what, what's gonna really have, um, legs, Crest toothpaste, you know, is the first toothpaste.
We figured out, put some fluoride in a tube and make it taste good. 100 years later, we, um- Yeah ... we're all still brushing our teeth, right? S-
Nate Spangle: seems like- I hope ... somebody did work there. Yeah, right.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Yeah. There's just a wide range of what is commercialized that comes out of these, um, R1 institutions, and I think importantly, um, Indiana University has a new 2030 plan, um, that, ah, they're really looking at how they can help their, um, faculty, but also their students commercialize, ah, what they're studying.
And, um, th- so the- there's a, um, there's a movement on both sides of that. Importantly, the, um, university has set up a, um, center called IU Innovates, and it's working with students that, ah, are, are doing startups. And, um, so we shouldn't limit where these startups come from to seasoned professors, right?
Mm-hmm. Um, sometimes the best ideas come from people who, um, haven't learned yet why you can't do something, and it's such an important voice to have at the table.
Nate Spangle: Yeah, so often, you know, you'll hear entrepreneurs talk about when they're seasoned and have done a few reps, they're like, "Well, I don't know.
If someone would've told me all the challenges and hurdles would... and time and everything it would've taken to get to where we are, I might not have done it." You know? And when you're young and you're, "Oh," you're like, "I don't know. We'll figure it out as we go," that's like the beauty of, you know, the college entrepreneurship, and there does seem to be, uh, especially through the state of Indiana, such a pouring into student entrepreneurs, which I love to see.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Frequently, you need voices telling you to take a risk these days instead of to be more conservative, and that's the only place that we're gonna get innovation.
Nate Spangle: Yeah.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: You have to believe that it's possible.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. Well, speaking of taking a risk, you know, in 2023, you set out on this campaign to become the mayor of Bloomington after, you know, working in the nonprofit sector, making a huge impact.
And, and that's one thing where when you're in the sector and, you know, it's, ah, you, you were the CEO of the Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County. You're making a huge impact. What led you to take the risks to run for mayor?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: I saw what's possible when you, um, put a team of people together and, um, just- Get them focused on trying to creatively solve a problem.
Mm. Um, and we did that time and again at Habitat, and um, when I moved to the Center for Rural Engagement, um, that's what we were doing. We were working with, um, community-initiated, community-engaged projects. And so, um, a, a community member would have to say, "You know, we don't... We need some renewable energy here.
We don't have a, um, we don't have enough healthcare workers here. How can we figure this out in a rural area?" And, um, we'd put a team together of faculty and students to figure it out. And, um, what I saw time and again is it is possible, and you need somebody, um, at the helm who will continue to believe that it's possible, and that's what, um, ultimately led me to run for mayor.
Um, you know, so often the national political rhetoric, especially right now, is about us and them. We need to talk about what we can do, not what you're not doing, right? What can we do? Let's focus on that because together, first of all, obviously we're gonna get a whole lot more done, and I am much more interested in the assets that we already hold and how to build them, um, and into something bigger than into whatever deficits that you or I have.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. And I think that, uh, being the mayor is a cool spot to, to really make a change in your local community to your residents, you know? If you think you're just over halfway through your first term- That's right ... two years in, what are some of the, the biggest changes and biggest impacts you and your team have made in two years that you are, uh, incredibly proud of?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Well, an- our public safety track record and, um, staffing is in a, in a whole new place. Um, we really had, uh, both fire and police were really struggling with staffing. Um, we had unanimous union contract negotiation approval from both of those unions. Um, and, and that means that, uh, what, what that's resulted in is, um, that we're fully staffed in fire and we're about there with police.
We haven't been in that position in, um, in over a decade. We are seeing a reduction in violent crime, a reduction in crime with weapons, et cetera. What's really important to me is that we're, we're lengthening the retention, not only of our public safety workers, but of all of our, um, civil city employees.
And, um, that is critically important because, first of all, it costs any, any company or organization that has high turnover, it costs a lot of money. Um, but not only does it cost a lot of money to train people and, and onboard them, um, but it also means that you get less done because there's a ramp-up period for any, any position.
Um, so we are getting a lot done. We had more, um, more streets paved, uh, in my first two years in office than we did in the, uh, f- previous eight years combined. We're taking care of the infrastructure, and we're working hard on housing. Um, and that's, that's gonna be critically important to our businesses.
Nate Spangle: One, you're speaking to the heart of every Hoosier. I think that anyone who comes from, like, an asphalt or paving background could go to probably any city in Indiana and say, "The number one thing, we're gonna get rid of the potholes and repave the roads," and you'd probably win the election there. It's, uh, it's something that infrastructure is so important, and, and that's something that people just...
You know, you're driving down the road, you hit a pothole, you have a flat tire, and it's like, "Ugh, I'm so..." You know, that's something that frustrates a lot of local residents. And, you know, investing in that and taking care of that instantly, you know, improves quality of place, quality of life for your residents.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Absolutely, and if you can't get to work on time or you can't get to the concert that you paid for, um, we're, we're having an impact on that. Yeah. So these basic city services are, um, critically important to, um, to how we do life. I would like to be a mayor, uh, that guarantees that you don't have to think about those things.
Yeah. Right? That's, that's the best kind of city, when you don't have to wonder, "Is my water clean? When I flush the toilet, is it gonna go to the right place and get treated? Are, are my, are my streets paved, and, you know, traffic lights working," et cetera.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. When you think about what's coming the next two years of your, your...
Is mayor four years?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Four. Mm-hmm.
Nate Spangle: It's four, right? So you're halfway through your first term. That's right. When you think about what's coming for the future of Bloomington, what can we expect?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Uh, you can expect housing. Yes. Um, so we have a great new neighborhood that's gonna come on the B-Line Trail. It's called Hopewell.
It is specifically targeted, um, to attract, uh, uh, young professionals who wanna buy a home here. It's a incredible mix of, um, of affordability levels, and so we have, um, very modestly sized houses on modest size lots. And they, um, and they start at 100... A- at under $100,000.
Nate Spangle: Whoa.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: The generation that's graduating from college right now, they feel like homeownership is always gonna be out of reach for them.
We are gonna dispel that myth. Yeah. And, um, even in a housing economy like Bloomington's, we know we can do that. And so, um, the first phase, which will be nearly 100 homes, uh, is in front of city council right now, so we should be breaking ground on those next summer. Um, so housing, um, is, is one of the things you can expect.
Um, but we also have, um, these vibrant partnerships, uh, with Amplify Bloomington and the university. And so, um, we are- we're working hard on economic development and, um, and that growth. You'll also see a new convention center, uh, before the end of my term. Um, so brand new convention center going in, gonna be able to hos- host much larger events, and even some sports tournaments and things.
Um, so it'll, it'll bring a different, uh, tourist population to Bloomington. Yeah. And of course, we plan to get ano- another national championship, so these football weekends are just making us all happy.
Nate Spangle: Oh, yeah. Well, a- as I talk to m- and I wanna dive into, we have to talk, we're gonna close out the episode- Okay
talking about IU's, you know, historic run. I had to, had to wear my 16-0 hat today. I,
Mayor Kerry Thomson: I, I see you're
Nate Spangle: all- Oh, yeah ...
Mayor Kerry Thomson: footballed up
Nate Spangle: there. Come on. Go Hoosiers. Well, I'm, I'm excited to talk about that. As I've talked to mayors from across the state of Indiana, housing seems to be the topic at the, the top of mind for all mayors, it seems.
W- why is housing so important? You know, let's say your residents that might be established here, have been here for, you know, 20, 30 years, they may- maybe they own their house and they've paid for it, why should they still be considering housing a top priority for their community?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Without the housing that we need, we're not gonna grow businesses, which means that we're not gonna grow our economy.
And, um, in Bloomington, we're working on wage growth, and unless we can do startups and, um, and start to grow some new businesses into mid-size businesses, we're gonna have, um, relatively... They're stable, but they're, you know, they're not growing, uh, quickly- Mm-hmm ... um, uh, in terms of, uh, wages. So we need those businesses to come, and if people don't have a place to live, our companies can't grow.
Nate Spangle: It's like the chicken or the egg, right? Like do, do you attract a new business and then build the housing? Do you build the new housing and then attract. Like it's, it's, uh, like yeah, that balance between those two.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Yeah, and it's, it's a critical quality of place issue as well because we all wanna live close to where we work.
And right now we have 16,000 people commuting into Bloomington from outside of our county. Um, that's unacceptable. We want those people to ha- to be able to have their kids in daycare here. And, um, you know, when you have a kid who needs to be run to a, a doctor's appointment in the middle of the day- Y- your services are here, and you, you swing by school, grab them, and, um, and take them.
Being close to where you work is, uh, also means that you're investing in the community beyond just driving in and driving out every day. Mm-hmm. Um, you are known, and you belong. And, um, that's what we love about Bloomington is, um, it is a place where anyone can belong.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. And you talk about i- belonging and you know, you're known.
One thing that Bloomington is known for is now all of a sudden having a heck of a football team.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: That's right.
Nate Spangle: Like you ... the, the town of Bloomington, Indiana University, has gotten, I mean, a ton of national and international global press over the past two years. Talk to me about the change and the shift in Saturdays in Bloomington since Curt Cignetti took the helm and, and Indiana won a national championship in football.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Right. It's, uh, it's pivoted significantly on football weekends. Um, and now even when we don't have a f- home football game- Yeah ... uh, we sold out our hotels for the national championship. The national championship was in Miami, Florida.
Nate Spangle: Wait, people just wanted to be in Bloomington?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: They wanted to be in Bloomington.
Nate Spangle: I mean, I saw some videos and pictures that will be like iconically remembered forever.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: It ... I mean, I was down on Kirkwood until 3:00 AM.
Nate Spangle: Yes.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: It was ... I mean, it was such a great celebration, and, um, and it was really just epically Bloomington. Yeah. Um, people having a really good time, but being really respectful.
Yeah. Right? Um, so it was safe, and it was just, it was the community coming together to celebrate a story that is classically Bloomington. You know, kids who went to college, and they were sort of overlooked, but all of a sudden they become the, the rockstar- Flipping, flipping
Nate Spangle: champs ...
Mayor Kerry Thomson: the flipping champs, right?
Um, but, um, but also, you know, even the team was, um, really spoke of Bloomington. Um, there was a humility, um, that came with that team that they're really, they're just real people. Um, so they, they were humble, but they also showed up every single game hungry as if they hadn't already achieved great things.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. I mean, they have to remake the movie Hoosiers, right? Like, there's just no way they don't. For football, right? Yeah. Yeah. For football. They have to do like a Hoosiers 2. That's right. The story from the most losses of any team in all of college football to national champions. Incredible. I do have to ask, what was your
Like, what was it like the first time you met Curt Cignetti?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: First time I met Curt Cignetti, um, was at our downtown square lighting, um, last year, and it was freezing cold. And so I think he really wanted to get in and get out, um, because it was, it was just bitter cold. But he, he's so clear Right? He's, um, he'll, he'll say hi and, uh, you know, he has a, um, a, a classic Cignetti kind of efficiency to him.
Um, but he's also very clear about w- what he's here for. And, um, and he, he made sure that no matter what we're competing in, even if we are coming from being one of the top underdogs, Bloomington can win.
Nate Spangle: I love the way you phrase it. One of the top underdogs. Incredible. Where in that journey did you truthfully, and the city of Bloomington truthfully start to believe that IU football could win a national championship?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: I think I probably believed by the second game this year- Okay ... um, that we could do it. Um, you know, there was a lot of, um, a lot of talk about the schedule being stacked last year, et cetera, but you know, we just kept winning. Yeah. And it wasn't just because the schedule was stacked. Um, there is a, a methodology and there is a lot of, um, teamwork that goes on.
And I think it's important to, to realize, and this is, this is a illustration for how community works. It's not one person, right? And, and any of those interviews with Cig or Mendoza or any of them, they gave credit to everyone. And that's how we rise together, which is it doesn't matter who gets the credit.
We rise together.
Nate Spangle: Yeah. I mean, I, I'll tell you when mine was, the Penn State game. Like-
Mayor Kerry Thomson: That was something ...
Nate Spangle: I was like, okay, you know, again, the, the schedule, the this or that, like, they're good, but are they great? Like, are they, are they really national champion contenders? And the, just the how you respond in the face of adversity and you just will this team to win incredible. I, I was, I was hooked.
That moment, that touchdown, ugh, I was all in. I was like, they're, they can really do this thing. And time and time again, they showed up, they showed up, they showed up. And I mean, it was b- which is nuts that it was actually a home game in Miami, and just the way that the 800,000 strong, uh, w- IU fans, yeah
Alumni Association, like the way they travel, it was a home game for the Hoosiers down there. That's right.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: It's
Nate Spangle: insane.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: That's right.
Nate Spangle: Did you... Okay, where were you at when you watched the national championship?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Uh, well, I watched part of it at Nick's, and then I, uh, w- and part of it from our operations center that was running public safety.
Nate Spangle: Ah, yeah, yeah.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Uh, and finished up the, uh, championship watching at a, um, neighborhood, uh, house party. Um, but of course, as soon as we won, I was on Kirkwood.
Nate Spangle: Oh, you and a lot of other people. That's
Mayor Kerry Thomson: right.
Nate Spangle: That's right. Talk about just a memory, especially for these seniors, um, not only the football players, but just seniors at IU in general.
You know, like, no one, you know, coming as a freshman to IU, this would be the, the class of 2026. None of them as freshmen had IU wins a national championship in football on their bingo card. That's
Mayor Kerry Thomson: right.
That's
Nate Spangle: right. And like, congrats to all. Like, that's just a memory that will, you know, go forever, lifelong.
As we've come to the end of the show and we get to wrap up talking all things Indiana, I would love to know, when you think about your time with the, um, was it the, the- Center for Rural Engagement ... Center for Rural Engagement, and you think about problems that you guys helped solve in rural Indiana, what is one of those, uh, solutions that you guys created that still sticks with you today?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Our home health initiative, where we took, um, nursing students that were supervised, of course, by a professor, into homes of people who, um, were mostly homebound, and they weren't able to see their primary care provider. Um, but they needed their basics checked. They needed their blood sugar and their blood pressure and things like that checked.
And, um, what those nursing students were able to do was communicate back to the physicians and sometimes, um, get them in for an appointment. Um, other times, you know, um, schedule follow-ups. These kinds of things are pivotal to healthcare, and what we look at now in the healthcare system is not just physical healthcare, um, like you go to the doctor and do wellness checks and things, but we look at social determinants of health.
And those nursing students, um, frequently were able to identify some social determinants that were not working out well, that were really having impacts on their physical health.
Nate Spangle: Wow.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Um, so that was a ripple effect project, um, that was really successful, and I think, at least I hope, it, uh, is still informing our healthcare system in Indiana.
Nate Spangle: Incredible. Okay, this question is brought to you by our friends at J.C. Hart. They're a leader in creating enjoyable living experiences at apartment communities all across Indiana and beyond. Check them out at homeisjchart.com. My question for you, why do you call Indiana home?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: I call Indiana home because Bloomington is the most incredible city in the world.
And I would not call Indiana home if I were not making my home in Bloomington.
Nate Spangle: Heck yeah. Okay, what's your favorite part about being mayor of Bloomington?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: The opportunity, um, to convene around problems that other people call intractable. Um, and to be able to have conversations that are rooted in possibility of actually solving them.
Nate Spangle: Heck yeah. If you could give one piece of advice to young, uh, let's say, politically ambitious or people that wanna get involved in public service, what advice would you have for them?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Listen. Listen first. Your best ideas will come from others, and, and all of your ideas will be improved by others.
Nate Spangle: Incredible. Okay, these are the same three questions we ask every guest who comes on the show. First, what's something the world needs to know about Indiana?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Indiana is, uh, hardworking and hospitable and incredibly innovative.
Nate Spangle: Heck yeah. Now, this is your opportunity to shed some light on a part of the state that more people need to know about.
What is a hidden gem in Indiana?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: I think our natural resources are a super, uh, you know, an incredible hidden gem, from lakes and trails and, um, and, uh, forests to, um, to our quarries and greenways. Indiana is not often thought of as an outdoor destination, but it is.
Nate Spangle: Heck yeah. I totally overlooked. Like, no...
People don't think of this as a from the coastline of Lake Michigan to the rolling hills down here to the lake, the whole nine yards. It's incredible. Finally, this is your opportunity to shed some light on a, on a Hoosier that people need to be talking about, someone that's up and coming, someone that's making a big splash.
Who's a Hoosier we need to keep on our radar, someone who's doing big things?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: We've talked so much about football, but, um, I, I have to say, I'm watching Mendoza. And, um, he, he won't be a Hoosier for long, but, um-
Nate Spangle: He'll always be a Hoosier in my heart ...
Mayor Kerry Thomson: the humanity that he brings to everything that he does.
And, um, I think, you know, the team as a whole did this, but, um, if you want me to pick one person, those Hoosiers played a different game. And when I watched the Ohio State-Michigan game and the fights that happened during that, our Hoosiers don't engage, right? They, they float above, and they respond with excellent sportsmanship, they respond with kindness, and they respond with humility.
And I think we should keep our eyes on those principles because it is possible, no matter how other people are playing the game, that we can always play that way.
Nate Spangle: It's real? Like, when you... What you see on the interviews and what you see on social media of Fernando Mendoza, authentic?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: 100% real. The first time I met him- I said, um, somebody, somebody asked if, uh, they could get a picture of us, and, um, Fernando said, "I should be asking her for her picture.
She's the mayor." I'm like, "And nobody knows me, but everybody in the nation knows your name, dude."
Nate Spangle: Dude. Okay, I love it when you hear that people are just as authentic as they appear- They, he is ... like, in real life. Incredible. He is. The final thing I have for you, if you could be in everyone's earbuds, if you could give a sales pitch for Bloomington, Indiana, to the entire world, how would you sell Bloomington in 30 seconds?
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Bloomington is the place where you can create the network and, um, really fulfill your, um, top-line vision for your life. Um, it is the place that will help you meet your potential.
Nate Spangle: Heck yeah. I love it. That is such a great way, meeting your potential, exceeding your potential, a place where innovation is happening, where incredible natural resources and quality of life and creative collisions all come together.
Uh, it's been an incredible time to share the mic with you on this Mayor's Megaphone episode, learning all about Bloomington, learning about your passion and how a bicycle trip from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., led you to become the mayor of Bloomington, Indiana. Incredible. Keep up the great job. Uh, I, I just love it.
I'm fired up for Bloomington. I'm excited to go eat at Nick's. That's where we're headed for lunch today.
Mayor Kerry Thomson: Enjoy your lunch. You won't be disappointed.
Nate Spangle: There you go. Thank you. This show is made possible by our friends up at Sweetwater. Whether you're looking to start a podcast or take your content to the next level, click the link in the description to see all my gear recommendations at Sweetwater.
If you want a behind-the-scenes look at everything we're doing across the state, make sure you follow me on Instagram and TikTok @natespangle. Thank you so much for listening and being a part of what makes the Hoosier State great. We'll see you next time here on Get IN.
