Nancy Adams of Valparaiso has announced her candidacy for County Commissioner in the fall election.

According to a statement released today, Adams has been active in the Porter County community since she came to Valpo to attend Valparaiso University in 1980. She and husband Russ Adams own Strongbow Inn and have also owned and operated other successful businesses, including Pastimes and Frostop.

Adams holds a degree in business and worked for Indiana Information Controls before committing full time to the expansion and operation of Strongbow’s. “Today she is an integral part of the restaurant’s leadership team, managing more than 150 employees and organizing countless events each week,” the statement said.

“Adams is also a dynamic community volunteer, having served as Treasurer for the Valparaiso Swim Club, running her church’s Sunday school program, and is an active member of the philanthropic Tri Kappa sorority,” the statement said. Russ and Nancy Adams have three children.

Nancy Adams became interested in county government as she researched tax policies and helped establish the group Indiana People Advocating Reasonable Taxation in response to concern over inequities in the state’s property tax assessment policies. “Rather than complain, we chose to learn more about the process,” she said.

As County Commissioner, Adams hopes to position the county to maximize jobs. “The jobs drive our local economy and quality of life,” she said. “I want to see us do all we can to keep good jobs in our county – and add more new opportunities. I want Porter County to be a place of economic growth where businesses can afford to pay their taxes and still hire more workers, and where our young people will want to stay and put their educations to work,” she said.

Adams filed the paperwork for her candidacy today. She added, “I have a lot of listening to do. I’m doing this to help make Porter County a better place to live, work, and raise our families.”

Posted 2/19/2010