Friday, March 13, 2026
Bright Lion’s Club 9:00 AM
Next meeting
Date/Time: April 10, 2026
Location: TBD
Tonya Wolfe called the meeting to order and all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Thank you to our 2026 Sponsorships
Friendship State Bank – Gold Sponsor
St. Elizabeth Healthcare – Bronze Sponsor
Sign in sheet was circulated. Members present (Listed alphabetically by Business Name)
- Bebe Kinnett-Absolute Web Marketing
- Nicole Wuestefeld-Andres-Wuestefeld Funeral Home
- Tamara Taylor-Beacon News
- Eoghan Reade-Cincinnatus Savings & Loan
- Sara Uhlenbrock-Heath-DMF Contracting LLC
- Lonny Barnett-Edward Jones
- Amy Fryman-Friendship State Bank
- Susan Hoffman-Friendship State Bank
- Lisa Cox-JDC Remodeling
- Jody Blasdel/Karen-Jody Blasdel
- Rachel Lutz-Lutz Auction Services
- Randy Lutz-Lutz Auction Services
- Joni Helton-MaryKay Cosmetics
- Gage Pace-One Dearborn
- Mark Munchel-Optimum Chiropractic LLC
- Tonya Wolfe-Tonya Wolfe-City Wide HM
- Robert von Gerds, Matt Gates-Triplecrown Wealth Management
- Larry Shideler-Union Center Blvd Merchant Association (UCBMA)
- Jeannette Huelseman-WorkOne Southeast & LookingGlass Antiques+
Guests:
- Doug Baker for County Council
- Carl Pieczonka for Dearborn County Sheriff
- Patricia Little for Miller Township
Old Business
2026 Board of Trustees
President Tonya Wolfe
Vice President/Secretary Jeannette Huelseman
Treasurer Kim Stock
Membership Mark Munchel
Past President Nicole Wuestefeld
Member at Large Bebe Kinnett
Member at Large Sara Uhlenbrock-Heath
Treasurer’s Report: Kim Stock
- Beginning Balance: $14116.58
- Deposits: $3500
- Expenditures:
Membership Works: $-100 (reimbursements)
- Ending Balance: $17516.58
*Membership Works did not come out until March 2nd
Membership Report Dr. Mark Munchel:
- Current memberships are at 43
Golf Fundraiser
- We are accepting any and all volunteers to help us have another banner year in 2026.
- Please consider donating a door prize and swag. These are great opportunities to promote your business.
- Our goal is to have one door prize for every golfer.
- Swag is collected and each golfer receives a bag of gifts.
- Sponsorships and 4-somes can be signed up on the website and upon renewing your membership.
Golf Outing Needs:
- gifts for the goody bags
- door prizes
- teams
Sponsorship Opportunities:
- Silver
- $2,500—Membership in BABA, Medium Sized Advertisement on the BABA Website, Medium Sized Advertisement on the BABA Facebook Page, Recognition of Sponsorship at all Meetings and social events put on by BABA, 2 Foursomes of golfers, 2 Hole Sponsor signs, recognition on the sponsor signage and will be shown as a Silver Sponsor on the registration flyer (if signed up as the sponsor before the flyer is printed—mid February). Medium Banner at events throughout the year and will be shown as a Silver Sponsor on any flyers (if signed up as the sponsor before the flyer is printed).
- Bronze
- $1,500— Membership in BABA, Small Sized Advertisement on the BABA Website, Small Sized Advertisement on the BABA Facebook Page, Recognition of Sponsorship at all Meetings and social events put on by BABA, 1 Foursome of golfers, 2 Hole Sponsor signs, recognition on the sponsor signage and will be shown as a Bronze Sponsor on the registration flyer (if signed up as the sponsor before the flyer is printed—mid February). Small Banner at events throughout the year and will be shown as a Bronze Sponsor on all flyers (if signed up as the sponsor before the flyer is printed).
- Breakfast sponsor – Thank you to Robert Von Gerds with Triplecrown Wealth Mangement for his generous sponsorship.
- Lunch Sponsor – Needed
- $ TBD promote your business with signage at breakfast table
- Hole sponsors – Needed
- $125 promote your business through signage on one hole
New Benefit: Weekly Member Spotlights on Social Media
We’re excited to launch weekly Member Spotlights to help shine a light on our members and share their stories with the community.
A short Questionnaire (with instructions):
Once completed, please email your questionnaire and photos to sara@uhlsee.com.
This will be the only way we can accept spotlight submissions.
Member Spotlights are available to current members only.
You can sign up here: https://brightareabusinesses.com/member-registration/#join
Guest Speakers:
- Randy Lutz for County Council
- Doug Baker for County Council
- Carl Pieczonka for Dearborn County Sheriff
- Patricia Little for Miller Township
Randy Lutz – County Council District 4 Candidate Summary Contact: 513-266-1860
Randy Lutz explains the role of the county council, describing it as essentially the “bank of the county.” The council oversees the annual budgets of all county departments, including the highway department, sheriff’s office, prosecutor, and judges. It also manages funding for protective services, such as ambulance and firefighting services, which are supported by the Local Income Tax (LIT). He notes that upcoming changes from Senate Bill 1 may affect local funding.
Lutz is running for the District 4 county council seat, which represents five townships: Logan, Kelso, Jackson, York, and Manchester. Voters only vote for the council candidate in their district.
He introduces himself as a fourth-generation resident of Logan Township, living on his family farm with his wife and two children. He is a small business owner involved in auction and real estate businesses, raises Angus cattle, and has run a school bus business for over 20 years with multiple routes and buses serving local schools.
Lutz highlights his community involvement, including supporting 4-H, the county fair auction, and the North Dearborn American Legion Post 452.
He says he is running because he believes in common-sense principles, financial responsibility, and protecting taxpayer dollars. His priorities include making sure county spending focuses on needs over wants, staying within the county’s budget, and ensuring District 4 receives its fair share of funding, especially for roads and bridges.
Finally, he describes himself as straightforward and approachable, preferring direct conversations with constituents rather than relying heavily on social media.
Doug Baker County Council Member, 3rd District Contact: 812-290-6799 dbaker@dearborncounty.in.gov
Doug Baker is the current County Councilman for District 3 and lives in Dillsboro. He grew up in Rising Sun and graduated from high school there in 1978, later raising his family in the area. Baker previously served 20 years on the Ohio County Council before moving to Dillsboro in 2016. Although he initially did not plan to return to politics, community members encouraged him to run for the Dillsboro Town Council, where he was elected to two terms. He later joined the Dearborn County Council through a caucus appointment and is now seeking reelection.
Baker is a strong supporter of youth activities and local sports, having served as a high school basketball official for over 40 years. He currently serves on the Redevelopment Committee and is a member of American Legion Post 292.
Among his accomplishments, Baker helped create a Park Advisory Board in Dillsboro, which developed a comprehensive parks plan and saved the town $80,000 by doing the work locally. He also served as co-chair of the Stellar Pathways Committee, which helped bring $8 million in development funding to Dearborn County. This includes potential improvements such as streetscape and sidewalk upgrades in Dillsboro and support for projects like Bright Meadows Park.
Baker emphasizes that the county council’s primary role is fiscal responsibility—managing the county’s budget and prioritizing essential needs over non-essential spending. He believes in teamwork among local officials, staying within the defined responsibilities of the council, and making financial decisions locally rather than having them imposed by the state.
He encourages residents to contact him directly with questions or concerns and remains committed to serving the community.
Carl Pieszonka – Candidate for Dearborn County Sheriff Contact: pieczonka4sheriff@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578703884108
Carl Pieszonka is a Republican candidate for Dearborn County Sheriff with over 21 years of experience in the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Department. He began his career in 2005 as a jail officer, later becoming a patrol deputy and then serving 15 years as a detective in the Dearborn County Special Crimes Unit, where he focused primarily on narcotics investigations along with burglaries, robberies, homicides, and arsons. He also worked with the Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force and became a certified forensic cell phone examiner to assist with cases involving child exploitation.
In 2025, Carl was promoted to Chief Deputy, where he now oversees daily operations of the department, manages an $8.8 million budget, and supervises jail operations to ensure safety and efficiency.
Carl lives in Hidden Valley with his wife of 21 years, a dedicated local school educator. Together they raised their son Carson, who is currently a freshman at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Outside of law enforcement, Carl spent 14 years coaching youth and high school football, including four years as defensive coordinator at East Central High School. He is also active in the community, serving as chairman of the Emergency Management Board, a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, and a precinct committeeman.
If elected sheriff, Carl plans to build on the strong foundation established by previous leadership. His priorities include maintaining public safety, using data-driven policing strategies, hiring and retaining qualified deputies, strengthening community partnerships, supporting deputy mental and physical health, expanding jail recovery programs to reduce repeat offenders, and improving communication with residents through community town hall meetings. Carl’s goal is to ensure Dearborn County remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.
Patricia Little Miller Township Trustee Contact: 812-637-9183 patsyandart@aol.com
Patricia Little grew up on a dairy farm in Ripley County and graduated from East Central High School. After marrying in 1986, she moved to Dearborn County while continuing to help on her family farm. Her husband worked in construction and was active in local civic and political roles, serving as a precinct committeeman and on the Miller Township Board. After his death in 2006, she was asked by the local Republican Party chairman to step into some of the roles he had held.
Patricia began serving on the Miller Township Board in 2006. In 2011, when Indiana required townships to increase transparency by posting budgets and financial information online, she handled the computer work and online reporting for the township.
In 2014, she became Miller Township Trustee after the previous trustee—her father-in-law—was elected county commissioner and his replacement chose not to run. She has served in that role since then.
As township trustee, Patricia oversees several key responsibilities for the community of about 10,000 residents, including:
- Funding fire protection and EMS services by allocating tax funds to two local volunteer fire departments.
- Planning for emergency equipment, including establishing a cumulative fire fund to help replace expensive equipment such as fire trucks without borrowing money.
- Providing emergency financial assistance to residents facing short-term crises (such as utility shutoffs, rent issues, or burial expenses).
- Handling local disputes, such as fencing issues between neighbors.
- Maintaining abandoned historical cemeteries in the township and restoring gravestones and grounds.
Patricia emphasizes accessibility and community service, often taking calls at all hours and making house visits to residents who cannot travel. Her focus as trustee has been financial responsibility, emergency preparedness, and preserving local history while supporting residents in times of need.