She Biked Across America… Only One City Felt Like Home | Kerry Thomson, Mayor of Bloomington

Today's show marks another episode in our Mayor's Megaphone series, as I sat down with Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson at The Mill in the Trades District.

Mayor Thomson shares how a 36-hour stop in Bloomington during a cross-country bike trip led her to move there and build a career in nonprofit leadership, including nearly 20 years leading Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and later IU's Center for Rural Engagement.

She discusses Bloomington's culture and "language of possibility," quality-of-place investments like Switchyard Park and Hopewell Commons, outdoor assets like Monroe Lake, and local innovation spanning music, Cook Medical's legacy, drones at The Mill, and defense ties to NSA Crane.

Mayor Thomson highlights public safety staffing improvements, major paving progress, housing as a top priority, a new convention center, and IU football's championship impact on community pride.

If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:
- Mayor Thomson's Cross-Country Journey and Making Bloomington Home
- Her Nonprofit Career and Becoming Mayor
- Bloomington's Culture and Assets
- Priorities to Make Bloomington a Great Place to Live, Work and Play

Thank you to our partners:
Make My Move

Check out these great clips from the show:
00:00 Belief and Risk
00:29 Guest Introduction: Kerry Thomson, Mayor of Bloomington
01:53 Trades District History
03:05 Mayor's Bloomington Story
05:38 Culture and Creative Collisions
08:31 Innovation and Music Scene
09:59 Cook Group Legacy
12:46 Parks and Outdoor Life
15:40 Getting Plugged In
17:41 Embracing College Town Energy
19:54 Tech and Defense Corridor
21:49 IU Research to Market
23:33 Risk And Innovation Mindset
24:14 Why Run For Mayor
26:28 Early Wins In Office
29:10 Future Plans For Bloomington
31:07 Why Housing Matters
33:02 IU Football Weekend Boom
36:07 Believing In The Title Run
38:43 Rural Health Initiative
40:16 Rapid Fire Indiana Love
43:48 Bloomington In 30 Seconds

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