SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – After 12 years in office, Sullivan Mayor Clint Lamb (D) will leave the position January 1, 2024 to pursue new opportunities, but becoming mayor was a dream fulfilled.
“I announced my candidacy in 1986 for the 2011 municipal election, I think in kindergarten,” Mayor Clint Lamb laughed. “Whenever, the teacher was going around the class talking to kids about what they wanted to do when they grow up, I said, I wanna be the mayor.”
According to Lamb, his great-grandfather was Mayor of Sullivan from 1948 to 1952 and that intrigued him. His grand-parents then taught him the importance of helping others.
“My grandmother served on several civic organizations. My grandfather played taps for the American Legion. He was a World War II veteran. A man of a lot of pride,” added Lamb.
Lamb faced some harsh skepticism when he first became mayor, but went on to make several positive changes in Sullivan. He says he’s proud of many things he accomplished while in office.
Those accomplishments include turning a former elementary school gym into the Civic Center and creating Central Plaza where events can take place.
He tore down blighted properties and brought in new homes, apartments and duplexes. He worked to enhance the beauty of the downtown area, establishing a program to fix sidewalks and created a trail system.
He also worked to update and re-open the city pool. All of that was among several other projects. He says while creating those positive changes, he was also able to change people’s minds. He wanted them to know great things can happen in Sullivan.
“As crazy as they might think that the mayor’s ideas might be, I think at the end of the day, even our biggest critics are saying, oh, that actually, you think he could pull that off, because the community’s come together and really excited about that. So I really think, the greatest accomplishment is people believe again,” said Lamb.
Once he leaves office, Lamb will take his enthusiasm to other cities. He’ll be working for a non-profit group called “AIM”. It helps leaders in communities like Sullivan figure out what they can do and where they can get help to revitalize their towns. He’s also starting a consulting business and even plans to add a few apartments of his own to the downtown area.
