Wendy Dant Chesser was raised in Jeffersonville and graduated from

Jeff High before attending Indiana University Southeast. She grew up on Maple Street near downtown Jeffersonville and has been active in the community since returning back home over a decade ago to raise her daughter near her family.

 

After graduating college, Wendy moved to Columbus, Indiana for work before joining the O'Bannon/Kernan administration in 1997. She served in various roles in the administration before ultimately becoming the Executive Director of the Indiana Rural Development Council. In this position, she worked to push positive policy for Hoosiers across areas that are often left behind at the state level.

 

After spending eight years in Michigan, Wendy returned home to Jeffersonville in 2012 to become President and CEO of One Southern Indiana (1si), an organization focused on economic growth in Clark and Floyd Counties. In this role, she worked with community partners to help create 10,000 new jobs in Southern Indiana with a focus on higher-paying opportunities for Southern Indiana workers. Wendy now works for an economic development partner in Clark County and continues in her professional ambitions to creating opportunities for Hoosiers.

 

Outside of her professional career, Wendy has served on many local boards for organizations including the YMCA of Greater Louisville, Ivy Tech-Sellersburg, Louisville Zoo Foundation, and the Kentucky Derby Festival. She currently lives in Jeffersonville with her 16 year old daughter and her partner Eric.