Becky Skillman

Infobox_Lt_Governor
name= Becky Skillman


caption=
order= 50^th
office= Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
term_start=January 10, 2005–
governor= Mitch Daniels
predecessor= Kathy Davis
successor= Incumbent
birth_date=birth date and age|1950|9|26
birth_place=Bedford, Indiana
death_date=
death_place=
party= Republican Party
profession= Politician
spouse= Steve Skillman
footnotes=

Rebecca "Becky" Skillman (born September 26, 1950 in Bedford, Indiana) is the 50th and current Lieutenant Governor of the State of Indiana. She is the first female elected to hold this office and is a member of the Republican Party. She was sworn in on January 10, 2005.

Skillman is a native of Bedford, Lawrence County, Indiana. A high school graduate with some college education but no degree, she began her career in politics in 1977 when she was elected to the office of Lawrence County Recorder. Eight years later she was elected as County Clerk.

In 1992 Skillman was elected to the Indiana State Senate, where she represented Lawrence, Monroe, Jackson, Washington, and Orange Counties. Rising quickly through the leadership, she became Majority Caucus Chair, the first woman in history to serve in the Senate Republican leadership.

Now, serving as Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, Becky Skillman is responsible for shepherding Governor Mitch Daniels's Administration's legislative agenda through the Indiana General Assembly and serves as President of the Senate.

In addition to her legislative responsibilities, Skillman also oversees the Office of Tourism Development, Energy Group and Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. She chairs the Indiana Counter Terrorism and Security Council, the intergovernmental entity responsible for homeland security. She also serves as the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development under the state's, new and first ever, Department of Agriculture and Office of Rural Affairs.

Skillman served as President of the Association of Indiana Counties. During her 12 years in the Senate, she led the charge to include the state's small towns and rural communities in its economic development agenda. There, she authored plans for development in distressed counties and revitalization of downtown areas.

Skillman and her husband Steve have a son, Aaron. She is a member of the Church of Christ.

External links

* [http://www.in.gov/lgov/ Official site]
* [http://beckyskillman.com Campaign site]
* [http://capwiz.com/infb/bio/?id=3325&lvl=S Indiana State Legislative Directory - Indiana Farm Bureau]