“Kerry Thomson is a breath of fresh air. While she’s never run for office before, her 20 years of executive experience, deep connections across the community, and leadership skills are just what Bloomington needs right now in our next Mayor. Kerry cares about the right issues, she listens and she knows how to bring people together to make things happen. I’m excited to endorse Kerry Thomson for Mayor and look forward to doing everything I can to help her get elected.”

Vi Simpson
Former Indiana State Senator

“I know what it takes to be Mayor. It takes someone who cares about people, who listens, who works to build consensus and who knows how to get results. Throughout her nearly 30 years working in Bloomington, Kerry has repeatedly demonstrated these skills,” said Allison. “Kerry’s collaborative style of leadership, her vision and her energy are just what Bloomington needs to get back on track.”

Tomi Allison
Former Mayor of Bloomington

“Kerry Thomson is the right person at the right time to lead our city – and lead it well. She has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience. She’s managed large teams, complex systems, and multi-million-dollar budgets. She’s a consensus builder who listens, learns and then leads with compassion. And most importantly for this year’s election, she has a proven record of turning troubled organizations around. Kerry will use her leadership skills to get city government back on track so that it’s working with all of us for all of us.”

Mark Kruzan
Former Mayor of Bloomington

“I’ve seen Kerry in action for years, unlocking homeownership opportunities for hundreds of our neighbors through her leadership at Habitat for Humanity and working with communities as they tackle some of their biggest challenges by driving 'bottom up' strategies. While I respect all the candidates in this race and their service to our community, Kerry brings a fresh perspective and the new energy needed for this job. Kerry’s management approach values inclusion – she knows that the smartest person in the room is the room. Her clear vision for creating a better Bloomington for everyone, together with her skills to develop and execute strategies have earned my strong support.”

John Fernandez
Former Bloomington Mayor

“Kerry Thomson will be a Mayor for ALL of Bloomington. As she’s demonstrated throughout her career, Kerry puts people first. She shows up, she listens, and she cares. Her experience, approach to leadership, and dedication to lifting up all voices in our community is just what we need to move Bloomington forward.”

Carven Thomas
Partner at CRG Services
Former IBEW Local 224 President and Business Manager

“We need Kerry’s kind of leadership. She has demonstrated not only that she knows how to organize people and get things done but also that she hears what needs to be done and is willing to sit down and listen to people.”

Charlotte Zietlow
Former public servant

“Kerry is results-oriented, seeing the hill and taking it but never alone... She believes we can have a dynamic business environment that is compassionate enough to leave no person behind, and I believe in Kerry’s ability and skills to achieve those goals.”

Suzanne Aquila
Local business owner

“I have watched Kerry lead not only a local nonprofit to unprecedented heights with grace, determination, professionalism, and humility but also community members through exercises resulting in a comprehensive plan rooted in collaboration and consensus. Kerry is what this community desperately needs.”

Jeff Baldwin
Local nonprofit leader

“I have watched Kerry build awesome teams and inspire great work at two complex organizations for over 20 years. She simply makes organizations better. How? Through vision and clarity about the organization’s mission and the importance of doing it well to improve people’s lives… she made [Habitat for Humanity and IU’s Center for Rural Engagement] wildly effective by building highly functioning teams of people who understood why what they were doing was important and what they needed to do to make a real difference… She leads with compassion and high expectations and the great people she identifies rise to the challenge. At IU, her group has consistently been at or near the top in the university’s annual employee engagement survey, an indication of how effective her leadership is. I am confident she would bring that same energy, passion, and capacity to inspire to her work for the City as mayor.”

Lauren Robel
Former Dean of the Maurer School of Law
Former Executive Vice President and Provost at IU
Val Nolan Professor of Law at the Maurer School of Law

“As Director of Construction for Habitat for Humanity, I worked under Kerry for nine years until my retirement. During that time Kerry demonstrated strong leadership that put our local affiliate as one of the top seven in the nation. Kerry's drive and loyalty to Habitat guided those under her to go the extra mile to make the affiliate one to be proud to work with. The staff at Habitat was a well-oiled machine under the direction of Kerry. When I first came to Bloomington Kerry made me feel welcome by her friendly nature and smiling face. It was a pleasure to work every day knowing we were making a difference in our community, and Kerry was a strong force in making that happen.”

Thomas Boudreau
Former colleague

“Over the past several years, I’ve had the pleasure to work with Kerry and see first-hand her approach to leadership and people engagement, creating an atmosphere that brings out the very best in people, emphasizing personal value and dignity, transparency, and belonging. There is a leadership saying that states that “the best predictor of future success is past performance.” Kerry is a results-driven leader, evidenced by the positive change she has brought to our Bloomington community, and across South Central Indiana over the past many years. Kerry has been an inspiring and successful leader of people in her various roles here in Bloomington. I hope she will be given the opportunity to bring this same type of servant-oriented leadership approach to City Hall and our community.”

Craig Medlyn
Current colleague

“I worked for Kerry for almost 2 years. She is one of the most empowering women and humans I know. I worked at Habitat for Humanity as a site supervisor after I moved to Bloomington and was starting a new life with my two children. She was a wonderful mentor and leader for me in my position. She made me feel like I was valuable and instilled confidence in me that I had recently lost. Because of her leadership, I successfully opened my own business that is led with the message of inclusivity with a focus on building confidence in other humans. She was a tough but reliable boss. I appreciate and value the time I was working directly for her.”

Andrea Warner
Former colleague

“I had a great experience working with Kerry for two years as her direct report. Kerry was clear, approachable, fun and regularly expressed her gratitude for what I brought to the team. One thing, in particular, stood out. No matter how chaotic the day was or how full her schedule, she always made time for me if I had a question or needed guidance. In those moments, she would give me her full and focused attention as though my question were the most important item on her agenda for the day.”

Tamera Theodore
Former colleague

“Kerry is a remarkable leader and will be an outstanding Mayor for all the people of Bloomington. During my long career in the health and human services arena I have been fortunate to work - as well as volunteer - directly with many respected leaders in the public, nonprofit and private sectors at the local, state, national and international levels. The first time I met Kerry I knew she had those qualities that make a great leader – a keen intellect, strong analytical skills, a good listener, a seasoned collaborator, brilliant communicator and a tireless champion for those in need… Kerry lives by the humble belief that you can achieve amazing results if you don’t care who gets the credit. These attributes coupled with her remarkable executive leadership track record and her love for our community make her an ideal candidate for Bloomington’s next Mayor.”

Jeff Richardson
Retired health and human services executive
Former Bloomington City Council member
Former IU Student Body President

In a race with several outstanding candidates, I have been drawn to Kerry because I feel she can accomplish important goals in an inclusive way. Our community faces important challenges to be more sustainable and just; and some of these debates have been polarizing. I have taken my doubts and questions to Kerry and been astonished how deeply she has listened to my concerns.  I am hopeful that as Mayor she will courageously lead us through difficult community choices with the greatest mutual understanding and public support.

David Keppel
Writer, author, activist

“I have surveyed the landscape for mayor and have come to the conclusion that Kerry Thomson is the best prepared to lead our beloved Bloomington. I believe that she possesses the leadership skills that we need to make Bloomington a better place for all. She is organized, caring, strategic and open-minded. I am impressed at how she is running her campaign in a thorough and thoughtful manner. That bodes well for how Bloomington will be run with Kerry at the helm. From past business experiences, I believe that she will be a consensus builder when it comes to putting ideas and plans into action. She knows how to assess talent, build strong teams, apply efficient processes and leverage technology to assist in decision-making. She is the only candidate that has released a 5-point housing plan that will start the process for a wholistic review of our housing ecosystem. She is humble, hard-working, and she is ready to face some big issues in a complex environment. That’s the kind of leadership we need in the mayor’s office. We need Kerry Thomson for mayor!”

Herbert Caldwell
IU Foundation

“I support Kerry Thomson for Mayor. There are some fine candidates running for mayor in Bloomington this Spring. We are fortunate. I want to share my view that Kerry comes with the clearest and most detailed ways to address housing insecurity. I have known Kerry for many years -- back to the earliest years leading Habitat for Humanity in Bloomington. Kerry listens and builds connections among people. She is a person of faith-filled action. Kerry includes diverse stakeholders and values the gifts all bring to the table. As you decide whom you will support and how to vote in the upcoming election, please consider Kerry's strong history of leadership and her history of addressing challenging issues by building community.”

Rev. Phillip Amerson
Retired Pastor at First United Methodist
Community encourager/Builder

"We need the true leader that KerryThomson is. We need the proven housing expert that Kerry is. We need Kerry’s boundless energy and laser-sharp focus. She is a political outsider, but she has working relationships with nearly every stakeholder, institution, and public agency on the local, state, and federal levels. Kerry Thomson would start her term as Mayor at a full sprint and she would run the marathon of her time in office just as she has approached all her positions of leadership: as a happy warrior who is guided by optimism for the work at hand and love for all the people she will serve."

Matt Press
Owner, Neighborhood Solutions

“Some 30 years ago, in a 36-hour Bloomington pause in her cross-country bike trek, Kerry felt an immediate sense of community in her soon-to-be home. This was the draw that led her back to Bloomington and would be at the heart of all she would do going forward. For her, human connection and a sense of belonging lie at the center of community, as do social cohesion and shared interests, none of which can be achieved without partnership, collaboration, and extensive listening. This outlook has been central to her success at Habitat for Humanity and the Center for Rural Engagement, and is readily seen in her process of input to outcome, and in her looking beyond established positions for their underlying interests in order to develop a shared vision. Reminiscent of the chamber musician, and not the conductor, she strives to engage all stakeholders, assuring that they are seen, heard, and respected so that out of many, may come a united vision. Could the moment for such leadership be more timely?”

Gwyn Richards
David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean Emeritus
Professor of Music (Choral Conducting)