天美传媒

During the summers when she was in high school, Sue Anne Starnes Gilroy 鈥�70 filled in when Crawfordsville Mayor Will Hayes Jr.鈥檚 secretary went on vacation.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I saw public service modeled,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I first saw the value of government in people鈥檚 lives. Solving problems. Making their lives better. That was the chord that was struck.鈥�

Several years later, the speech and English teacher-in-training realized, while student teaching in her senior spring term at 天美传媒, that 鈥渋t was not my gift.鈥� She called Hays 鈥渢o say I think I want to go into public service. And that鈥檚 when he said, 鈥榃ell, there鈥檚 a young new mayor in Indianapolis with whom I鈥檝e become friends, and I think I can get you an interview with him.鈥� And that鈥檚 how it all began.鈥�

That mayor was Richard Lugar, who would hire her to connect with neighborhood associations and encourage new ones and promote her to run the parks department. Later, during his 36-year tenure as a U.S. senator from Indiana, he lured her back into public life after her 11-year-old daughter died of cancer in 1989.聽

鈥淚 was looking for a life after that, a life of service, really,鈥� Gilroy said. 鈥淵ou think back: Why did I make all these decisions? I think she had a big role in that. How do I continue to live in a way that鈥檚 giving back and has purpose? It all just sort of fit.鈥�

At the time, Lugar had been criticized for focusing on international affairs instead of Indiana, so Gilroy鈥檚 goal, she said, 鈥渨as to make him local.鈥� She and a posse of experts traveled the state, visiting every county on Lugar鈥檚 behalf. A side benefit: 鈥淚 had a statewide profile.鈥�

Republican operatives noticed. They urged her to run for secretary of state in 1994; recognizing the value of her statewide exposure, she said yes. She won, then won again four years later. The party leaders saw a winner, and they asked her to run for Indianapolis mayor in 1999.

鈥淟ocal government was my real love,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just loved the idea of that, and I had experience in that. So I just thought, this is it. As we got into the campaign, it was clear that there were a number of things that were not falling into place. It was a slog, the whole thing. I can say that never have I for a period of time gone flat out 鈥� physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually. It was an experience unlike any other I鈥檝e ever had.

鈥淚 was disappointed that I lost. 鈥� It took me some time to get over it.鈥� She took up golf, and the game became 鈥渁 symbol of how I worked through that loss.鈥�

She also shifted her career to the nonprofit world. After completing her term as secretary of state, she became director of advancement at the then-fledgling University High School in Carmel, then vice president of development and executive director of St. Vincent Foundation, where she raised nearly $100 million in 12 years.

These days, she has retired from daily work, but is a member of the State Ethics Commission.

鈥淲hen I talk about purpose,鈥� she said, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 one of the things I鈥檓 doing to say I鈥檓 still in the game.鈥�