The Town of Zionsville announced Thursday morning that Deputy Mayor Kate Swanson submitted her resignation after running in the 2023 election alongside Mayor John Stehr.
Stehr released a statement regarding Swanson’s resignation, stating that while he elected to accept her resignation, the situation was bittersweet.
“It is with great regret that I have accepted the resignation of Deputy Mayor Kate Swanson,” Stehr wrote. “Kate has chosen to step away for personal reasons. She has been a great advocate for Zionsville, our business community and our people for more than two decades, well before her service in Town Hall began at the beginning of this year.”
Stehr announced the inclusion of Swanson on the ballot as his choice for Deputy Mayor in March 2023 ahead of the May 2 election, stating that the decision to appoint Swanson as the Deputy Mayor if elected during the primaries and general election was based upon her experience within the town.
Swanson was the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce Director since 2018 and served as the organization’s president in 2020 where she aided in the launch of the Chamber’s Advocacy Committee, which supports Zionsville businesses in front of policymakers, in 2021.
Swanson also served as the zWORKS Executive Director and the first Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Executive Director. Swanson sought to continue the work of zWORKS through her time with the organization, a coworking and entrepreneurial center, and the mission of the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on creating a network of change between Indiana’s current and future leaders across the state.
Swanson also served as the administrative director of 120Water, which stands as a water testing and software company in the town, and the community engagement director for NineTwelve LLC, which stands as a consulting firm with a mission to focus on national defense technology and economic development.
Swanson found her way into the political landscape through her work to revitalize the Boone County Republican Women’s Club in 2021, where she served as secretary.
Upon the Stehr’s election and Swanson’s appointment, she dedicated herself to continuing the development and business partnerships surrounding the community of Zionsville, a place she called home for 20 years before seeking the Deputy Mayor position.
“We are a better town today because of her, and I will miss her daily advice and counsel,” Stehr wrote.
No further information has been released on the plans for a new appointment for Deputy Mayor as of 11 a.m. on June 20.