This content has been paid for by the Alaina Shonkwiler for District 29 campaign. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the campaign and do not necessarily reflect the views of the writer or the publication at large.
Longtime Noblesville resident Alaina Shonkwiler has some thoughts about changing the state for the better. Shonkwiler, a Noblesville native, is the Republican candidate running for state representative in District 29 against Democrat opponent Christopher Hartig.
Her family ties in Noblesville go back generations. The daughter of a retired Noblesville school teacher and retired emergency-room nurse and deputy county coroner, Shonkwiler has lived in Noblesville most of her life, and she has a strong heritage based in service.
She plans to continue her family’s legacy of service and keep enduring ties in the community she loves. “I have the experience and relationships to get the job done, and I’m ready to serve,” she says. “My Noblesville roots run deep. I’m an NHS alumnus, married to an Army veteran and Noblesville police officer, and we’re raising two teenagers that attend Noblesville Schools.”
Upon her return to Noblesville after the conclusion of her husband’s military service, Shonkwiler began her civic duties working part time for the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce. This eventually led to a full-time position as assistant director of economic development for the City of Noblesville. In these roles, Shonkwiler demonstrated a strong commitment to developing the area, launching the business retention and expansion program, Stay Here Grow Here.
Later she served as workforce development coordinator for Noblesville schools, during which she managed the Career Exploration internship program, which strengthened partnerships between students and businesses and helped build a local workforce pipeline.
From that role, she transitioned to director of community and economic development with the Veridus Group, which helped her build critical relationships that she hopes to leverage for the betterment of the Noblesville area and Indiana as a whole.
Currently she serves as manager in government consulting for Katz, Sapper & Miller. “Whether working for the chamber, the city, the schools, or most recently Congresswoman Spartz, I’ve always focused on relationship building and investing my time, talent and experience to make my community the best place to live, work and thrive,” she says.
As state representative, Shonkwiler hopes she can help drive improvements in three key areas: education, workforce development and public safety.
She hopes to level up educational institutions in Indiana, funneling critical resources into schools to improve the reading proficiency in our elementary schools. She also plans to foster partnerships between education providers and employers to fill high-demand jobs. To improve public safety, she’d like to prioritize resources, training and investment to strengthen civic services and first responders.
Shonkwiler is ready to lead the charge and harbors deep passions about her civic responsibilities. “I’ve built my life in service to strengthen my community and communities across Indiana alongside strong leaders and passionate residents,” she says. “I’m running because our families deserve elected officials who share their values and will be a staunch advocate for taxpayers. My goal is to propel Indiana to a prosperous future by fostering unity among Hoosiers and creating a state my children, and yours, choose to stay, engage and thrive in.”
General elections will take place on November 5, 2024. To learn more about Shonkwiler or donate to her campaign, check her out at alainafornoblesville.com.
