State Sen. Chris Garten (R-Charlestown) has been named 2022 Legislator of the Year by the Indiana Bankers Association. The award was announced Monday, Sept. 12, at the IBA Annual Convention in French Lick.
The Legislator of the Year award recognizes Sen. Garten for his stewardship of a strong banking environment in the Hoosier State. Garten was chosen for his work in two key areas: implementing the electronic lien and title system in Indiana, and laying the groundwork for virtual currency policy at the state level.
“Simply put, if we don’t have strong, reliable financial institutions, then we don't have a strong, reliable economy,” Garten said. “It's critical that Hoosiers and small businesses have reliable access to capital and that our financial institutions can meet their needs efficiently. Every small business needs a trustworthy bank for a partner and every Hoosier needs a bank they can trust."
Garten represents Senate District 45, which spans Jefferson, Scott and Switzerland counties, as well as portions of Clark and Jackson counties. He serves as Senate Majority Floor Leader, is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Public Policy and serves as a member of the Senate committees on Appropriations, Environmental Affairs, Homeland Security and Transportation, and Veterans Affairs and the Military.
Before coming to the Statehouse, Garten served two tours in Iraq as a gunnery sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a member of the Marine Corps League and American Legion, and a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Garten is also a youth baseball and basketball coach, vice president of the Scott County Chamber of Commerce, and is involved in many other organizations including the One Southern Indiana Advocacy Council, the Building & Development Association of Southern Indiana, the Indiana Farm Bureau, Scottsburg Kiwanis Club and the National Rifle Association. He is the founder and president of Signature Countertops Inc. in Jeffersonville and a graduate of Indiana University-Southeast.
“Sen. Garten is a true champion for our state and southern Indiana,” said Dax Denton, chief policy officer for the IBA. “He is very passionate about his service to Indiana, and we are fortunate to have him at the Statehouse authoring key bills to maintain a healthy banking environment. The Indiana Bankers Association is pleased to name Sen. Garten as the 2022 IBA Legislator of the Year.”