Meet the Fellows: Jacob Blasdel

Jacob Blasdel

Clerk-Treasurer, Town of Speedway

We’re excited to welcome Jacob to MDLF! Jacob is the Clerk-Treasurer of the Town of Speedway, where he lives.

About Jacob:

A lifelong Hoosier growing up in Columbus, Indiana, I remained in state to attend DePauw University, and then moved to Indianapolis after graduating. I started my career in banking and never thought I would work in any kind of government capacity, but was intrigued by an especially inspiring governor and left to work for the State Budget Agency during the recession in 2009. I recently became the clerk-treasurer for the Town of Speedway after serving for three years as its town manager. My career has spanned public and private sector work, but has always remained focused on finance and infrastructure.

I live in Speedway with my wife and 4-year-old son. We enjoy being outside, biking, hiking in parks, or being on a lake. I can also sometimes be found on a tennis or pickleball court. A few years ago, I clipped into snow skis for the first time and it has been a hobby (maybe an obsession) ever since.

I will likely pick up any reference or quote from The Office, no matter how obscure.

What's your vision for Indiana? How does this relate to your decision to join the program?

There’s a quote attributed to George Ade: “A lot of smart young people have come out of Indiana. The smarter they are, the faster they come out.” While this quote is dated (Mr. Ade passed away in 1944), the sentiment still seems to persist today, at least with some people. My vision for Indiana is for it to become a place where this opinion is a concern of the past. A place where people know they can become the best in their field or successfully build whatever business they choose and compete globally, all while living in a state that offers an exceptional quality of life in culture, education, healthcare, housing and neighborhoods, and recreational opportunities. This should hold true in all corners of our state.

The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation and its Fellowship impressed me as an opportunity to learn and improve while connecting with a group that wants to make tangible progress in our state in critical, meaningful areas.

What's your favorite quote?

“It isn't what we don't know that gets us into trouble. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so.”

What's something you're reading now?

The Tennis Partner, by Abraham Verghese

Check out our blog to see more about our newest class of Fellows.