Democrat Tim McElderry has announced he will run for the open District 1 seat on the Zionsville Town Council. He will face Republican Bob Harris in the Nov. 7 general election. Republican incumbent Bryan Traylor is not seeking re-election.
“As a long-time resident of Zionsville, I never thought I would run for office,” McElderry said. “In many ways that may make me the perfect candidate for town council.”
McElderry said he is encouraged by the significant change coming in local government.
“We are going to have a new mayor and many new town council members due to the fact that several current members are not seeking re-election,” he said. “This represents a wonderful opportunity to create a local government that serves the needs of everyone in our community, preserving what makes Zionsville a great place to live and work.”
McElderry, 57, is a graduate of Butler University with a degree in public and corporate communications. He has worked in the bio-pharmaceutical industry and has held many commercial leadership roles. Currently, he is the director of leadership and market access training at BeiGene, an oncology biotechnology company.
“I have led hundreds of people over the course of my career, and a few years ago senior executives asked me if I would be willing to train my peers,” he said. “I was honored and felt like I could teach other leaders how to inspire their teams and make the company a better place to work for everyone.”
An increased focus on transparency and civility are among reasons McElderry said he is running for town council.
“I look forward to listening to everyone, not just those that agree with me, and leveraging my business acumen for the benefit of the town that I love,” he said. “As our town continues to grow and change, we need to have government leaders that are willing to find ways to preserve what is great about Zionsville while allowing change to continue in ways that benefit all of us.”
McElderry has lived in Zionsville for 24 years with his wife, Michelle. They have been married for 32 years and have two daughters, both who are graduates of Zionsville Community High School.
“The town of Zionsville has my promise that I will do my very best to represent every resident and make them proud to be a part of this community,” McElderry said.
