Schellinger to Become Commerce Secretary

Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana Economic Development Corp. President Jim Schellinger will serve as secretary of commerce for the incoming Eric Holcomb administration. He will succeed Victor Smith, who the state says is returning to the private sector. Schellinger took on the IEDC position mid-last year after taking a leave of absence from Indianapolis-based CSO Architects, where he was chairman and chief executive officer. He ran for governor in 2008 as a Democrat and previously served on the IEDC board of directors. Smith was appointed to the secretary of commerce position by Governor Mike Pence in 2013. The state says companies have committed to investing close to $12.2 billion and adding more than 66,000 jobs during Smith’s tenure. Smith had committed four years to the job. Schellinger says he is honored to have the opportunity. Schellinger became CEO of CSO in the late 1980s at the age of 36. He’s a native of South Bend and graduated from the University of Notre Dame.