JoAnn McElfresh, At-large
JoAnn McElfresh and her husband, Rick, live in rural Rensselaer. They have two children, Luke and Logann, who both graduated from Purdue University. The McElfreshs recently became grandparents.
McElfresh graduated from Ball State University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
She operated her own graphic design business, Bright Ideas, for 15 years. She has been selling real estate since 1994 and has been the managing broker at Jenkins Realtors since 2007.
McElfresh has been on the Jasper County REMC Board since 2017 and has received her Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate from our national association of electric cooperatives, NRECA. She currently serves on the Jasper County Economic Development Organization board and has been appointed to the Jasper County Economic Development Commission. McElfresh has also been on the Farm Credit Advisory Committee and Jasper County Hospital Foundation board.
In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities, creates hand-thrown pottery, and spends time with family and friends.
Jeff Hillan, At-large
A lifelong Indiana resident, Jeff Hillan has lived in the local area since attending Saint Joseph’s College, where he met his wife, Cheryl, of 36 years. They established their home in rural Rensselaer in 1990 and have remained deeply rooted in the community ever since. They have four sons: Isaac, Benjamin (Regan), Jacob, and Zachary.
Hillan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management, marketing, and information systems from Saint Joseph’s College and a Master of Science in global management from UOP.
He retired in April from Corteva Agriscience, where he served as senior director of global integrated operations. Throughout his career, Hillan held leadership roles with General Motors, Donaldson Company, Isuzu Motors, Bayer Crop Science, and Corteva. His professional expertise includes global logistics, operational efficiency, contract management, and large-scale business transformation. He is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt with extensive experience serving on senior leadership teams and currently works as an independent strategic consultant.
Hillan has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, with past involvement including the Jasper County Fair Board, St. Augustine Parish Council, 4-H, and mentoring first-generation students through the Starfish Initiative. He is currently a member of Sorrowful Mother Catholic Church, Holy Name Men’s Society, Bishop Dwenger Knights of Columbus, and volunteers with the Jasper Newton Foundation Education Committee.
Hillan and his family have deep ties to the local agricultural community, and he remains actively involved in family farm operations, assisting during harvest season. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, traveling, golfing, pickleball, and following his favorite sports teams.
Kerry Miller, District 2
Kerry Miller is the incumbent director candidate from District 2. He and his wife, Amy, live in rural Francesville and have two sons, Zachary (Katelynn) and Kody (Clarissa), and four grandchildren. Miller is a grain and livestock farmer on the family farm.
After graduating from West Central High School, Miller went through the Purdue Ag Short Course. In the past, he sat on the Jasper County Farm Bureau board, the Jasper County Fair Board, and the Indiana Young Farmer committee. He is a member of Bethel Bible Church.
Miller has been on the Jasper County REMC Board since 2011. He has received his Board Leadership Certificate from NRECA. He enjoys looking at cattle, going antiquing, and spending time with family.
Austin Metzger, District 2
Austin Metzger and his wife, Stacy, live in rural Rensselaer with their six children.
Metzger attained his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and is currently the senior electrical engineer at BraunAbility.
He is a member of the Rensselaer Central High School (RCHS) engineering and technology advisory board, a RCHS football coach, and on the boards of Rensselaer Baseball Inc. (RBI) and Rampage football youth programs.
Metzger is involved with his church, likes to camp, hike, fish, coach youth sports, and spend time hobby farming and with his family.
Mark Kingma, District 3
Mark Kingma lives in rural DeMotte with his wife, Linda. They are members of the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in Wheatfield.
After graduating from Kankakee Valley High School, Kingma attended Lincoln Technical Institute in Indianapolis, where he studied auto and diesel technology. He is a lifelong grain farmer and has retired from selling seed and crop advising.
Kingma serves on the Jasper County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board and on the executive board of the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD). He previously served on the Farm Bureau Board. He enjoys boating with friends and family.
Daniel Amsler, District 3
Daniel Amsler and his wife, Audrey, reside in DeMotte with their two daughters, Mattie and Eliza. A 1999 graduate of Rensselaer Central High School, he studied Earth Sciences at Vincennes University and Education at Purdue University.
Amsler’s professional background includes serving as a customer service and operations manager at Fifth Third Bank and as a realtor with Jenkins Realtors. He currently works as a loan officer for New Millennium Mortgage and is also self-employed as a social media forecaster, spotter, and storm chaser.
He is a former youth group leader at Trinity United Methodist Church and a former member of the Rensselaer Chamber of Commerce. He is currently active with Kankakee Valley Band Boosters. In his free time, Amsler enjoys fishing, gardening, storm spotting, reading, and kayaking.
