Riecken tailor-made to represent Hoosier families

Candidate Bio

Gail is no different than most. Her parents, Ed and Millie Engel were surely the most impressive human beings she had ever met. Her mom came from a very poor German immigrant family. Her family settled in southern Illinois and she left them at an early age to live and work for another family. With a stipend from the miner's union upon her Dad's death, she went into nurses training.

Her dad went to college on sports scholarships and, as he often told the story, because he couldn't hit a curve ball, went to medical school. He served in the Army during World War II and afterward settled in his hometown, Evansville. Ed delivered over 17,000 babies before retiring. He pioneered the then strange concept of "rooming in" - babies staying with Mom after birth. He and one of the Sisters from the hospital traveled the nation promoting the concept.

Both Gail's Mom and Dad are gone now.

Ron, her husband, should be up there with her Mom and Dad on her "Most Influential" list. He comes from a Navy family. His father also served in World War II; Carl, his brother, served in the Korean War; and Ron himself served three tours in Vietnam. Ron and his brother dug a hole in the ground at mile 791 on the Ohio River and built Inland Marina in the 60's and early 70's. Ron knows how to work hard; play hard and love much. Ron & Gail will be married 40 years this September.

Julia Belle is the oldest of their two children. She is named after the Julia Belle Swain paddlewheel steamboat. Ron and Gail both love paddlewheels. They owned the Winnie Mae, which Gail piloted on the Ohio River at Evansville. Julia taught high school for a while and then decided she wanted to become a lawyer. She and her husband, Joe, are both practicing attorneys in Evansville. They have a baby boy, Joey.

Katie is their younger child. She is Vice-President and Manager of Inland Marina. She runs two nice apartment buildings in their old neighborhood, the downtown historic neighborhood. Katie occasionally moves boats off-shore for a captain out of Miami, South Beach; she followed the family tradition of having a marine pilot's license.

Education

	Benjamin Bosse High School, Evansville
	Indiana University - Sociology/Social Work

Continuing Education

	Real estate and appraisals
	Child abuse and neglect prevention training
	River piloting
	Marketing
	Return on investment planning
	Advance manufacturing theory and practice

Public Service:

	Executive Director, Evansville Parks and Recreation
	Business Relations Specialist, Indiana Workforce Development
	At-Large Councilmember - Evansville Common Council

Work Experience:

	Real Estate Broker, Branch Manager and Corporate Relations
	Neighborhood Coordinator, Community Action Program
	Riverboat Captain, Winnie Mae

Current Community Involvement

	Sunday School teacher, First Presbyterian Church
	Board Member, Little Lambs
	Coordinator/Chair of first regional Eco Tour
	Ladies Auxiliary, VFW Post 1114, Ladies Auxiliary to Shrine, Philharmonic Guild, Nature Conservancy, Junior Leage member and former President

Past Community Involvement

	Pigeon Creek Greenway Advisory Board Member and Chair of Marketing/Education
	Ark Crisis Prevention Nursery Co-Founder and Co-Honorary Chair of first Fundraising Campaign and Steering Committee Member
	Church Membership Directory Committee
	Local and State Child Abuse Prevention Board Member and Task Force Coordinator
	Family and Children Services Board Member
	Conrad Baker Foundation Director
	Preservation Alliance Board
	Original Evansville Preservation Commission Member
	Evansville Dance Theatre Board President and volunteer Manager
	HOPE of Evansville President
	Riverside Neighborhood Association Co-coordinator
	Citizens Against Rape in Evansville President
	Welfare Board member

Goals

Property Tax Relief
Property taxes have skyrocketed and families and senior citizens are facing the possibility of losing their homes. If elected, Gail will fight to ensure homeowners receive meaningful and lasting property tax relief.

Job Creation
Indiana's economy may be facing a recession and jobs are being shipped out-of-state and overseas. Gail will work to end the outsourcing of jobs and develop programs that help create quality jobs in Southwest Indiana.

Fully-Fund Our Schools
It is paramount that we prepare our children for good paying high-skilled jobs. Gail will fight to make sure Southwestern Indiana receives their fair share of state funding. She also believes education begins at an early age and supports funding all-day kindergarten and continuing research to fund pre-k education.

Affordable Healthcare
Thousands of working families are uninsured in Indiana and have little to no access to quality healthcare. In Indianapolis, Gail will work across party lines to find meaningful solutions to provide health coverage for children and working families.

"As a lifelong public servant and community activist, I can think of no greater honor than to earn your trust and serve you in Indiana General Assembly. If elected, I promise to always put the needs of our district first. Quality jobs, lower taxes, and good schools will always be a top priority at the State House."

To email Gail: click here.