The newest member of the Carmel Audit Committee has unique qualifications for the role.
Kelly Mitchell served two terms as the state’s treasurer, stepping down because of term limits at the end of 2022. Before that, she served as director of TrustINdiana and as a Cass County commissioner.
The Carmel resident answered the following questions from Current about her career and continued service on the local level.
Why did you move to Carmel?
We were in Indianapolis for 15 years and moved to Carmel about three years ago (for) downsizing. We had a lovely big old house, and it was down to my husband and I and our various animals. I was running for Congress at the time in the 5th (District) and I was eight blocks outside of the 5th and I thought, “Well, let’s just move eight blocks north.” We ended up all the way in Carmel and have absolutely loved it.
What have you enjoyed about living in Carmel?
We moved here in January 2020, and then of course it shut down in March of 2020. So, I feel like we’re still learning Carmel in a lot of ways. (I enjoy) the walkability. We’re just a few blocks from the Monon. We are in a great neighborhood with people who have lived here a long time and couldn’t be friendlier.
What have you been up to since leaving the state treasurer’s office?
It’s only been a couple of months. I am still figuring out what’s next, and I’m loving the opportunity to really be thoughtful about it. I was so fortunate to have a job I adored for eight years and the diversity of the work I got to do. It was just wonderful. So, I have been very deliberate in moving slowly and picking what’s next.
That’s why I love this opportunity to serve on the Carmel Audit Committee, because it’s the way to give back already and get more involved in this community.
Why did you decide to join the Carmel Audit Committee?
I was talking to a couple of the city councilors, and they know that I come from local government, that I was a county commissioner in Cass County for eight years. So I’ve seen many a local audit statement. At the state, as chair of the bond bank, we worked with local governments all over Indiana. Carmel is just such a vibrant, thriving city and to get to look behind the scenes and just really get to know the fiscal health of the city is a great opportunity.
How will your background serving in various levels of government benefit the audit committee?
Having an understanding of how all the puzzle pieces fit together will be a unique perspective on the audit committee. My degrees are not finance, they are strategic studies and philanthropic studies in political science. Those are bringing critical thinking and economics, as well, to the picture.
What did you most enjoy about serving as state treasurer? What do you miss?
I love that no day was the same. Every single day I knew that the work I did served Hoosiers. It’s amazing to wake up knowing you’re going to have that kind of impact in a positive way on the state and the community that you live in, and of course, I am going to miss that. But I’m most proud of the team I built, because all of the wonderful things we did could not have been done without that team.
