Local businesswoman Janie Marksberry said Tuesday she will file papers to run for East District County Commissioner in the November 2022 election.
Marksberry has lived most of her life in Daviess County. She grew up on a dairy farm in the Philpot area and has lived on the east side for the last 21 years. She resides with her husband, Carl Ringwall, and they have operated Pleasant Valley Stables since 2000.
Marksberry cites her qualifications for running for office as 35 years of business experience in real estate, also noting her leadership role in opposing the recent proposal by the state transportation department of an outer loop around Owensboro.
Marksberry said she advocates a “smart growth” strategy for the county, which she describes as “a business-friendly approach to development that protects private property rights while it encourages business development in existing available locations.”
“I recently had the honor of being the president of the Stop the Outer Loop Association,” Marksberry said. “This large group of concerned citizens came together to fight a surprising and misguided road proposal. Citizens spoke out when they learned some of our coveted land could be taken away from us for public roadway use.”
Marksberry said people in our community felt that they had not been properly informed or represented in the discussions.
“Thankfully we were successful in stopping this damaging proposal,” she said. “But as we learned by listening to our elected officials, and some other government entities when they announced the project was not feasible, they used the term ‘for now.’ We must stay vigilant and that will be a huge focus of my time in office.”
Marksberry said for the majority of her business career, she has been a small business owner and entrepreneur.
“I have a heart for those who wish to live out their dream of owning their own business and have heard of many struggles with obstacles that I wish to correct once I am elected,” she said. “I believe I am the most qualified candidate for this position because of my vast experience in the area of private property rights plus my driven entrepreneurial spirit.”
Marksberry has more than 35 years of experience as a real estate sales and marketing associate, with the last 12 years in the role of being a broker/owner of her company Marksberry Real Estate, LLC.
Her real estate career also took her into the real property appraising business, where she spent 15 years as an appraiser.
Marksberry said she is proud that her family has a history of serving Daviess County.
“In recent years, I created an educational reading and horseback riding program for underprivileged children,” she said. “We worked in cooperation with the St. Joseph Peace Mission and the Owensboro Public Schools. These kids had never even been out of the city to experience country life. The joy on their faces will stay with me forever. And their reading scores improved over 300% in just 8 weeks. These are the type programs that I would like to see offered to our kids who are struggling with issues that can’t be addressed in a classroom setting.”
Marksberry said there is a real need for more programs for local senior citizens.
“I will encourage the county government to do all it can to help our seniors with affordable quality housing, and to live more independent lives with the in-home care they deserve,” she said.
Marksberry said if she is elected she promises several things to residents.
Among those promises: “I will be open and transparent on all dealings with any matters that affect the livelihood of our citizens. I will communicate regularly with you. I will always put the rights of property owners above any government or commercial use if it is in conflict with the owner’s property rights. I will be an advocate for all business owners and entrepreneurs.”
Said Marksberry, “I am a Christian conservative. I am pro-life, pro-business, and will promote equal opportunity for all.”
