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Gov.-elect Pence picks supporter's son for post

January 10, 2013 | Modified: January 10, 2013 at 4:48 pm
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Gov.-elect Mike Pence on Thursday named the son of his campaign chairman as one of the two businessmen who will lead the state's efforts to attract new jobs and investments.

Pence is appointing Victor Smith as secretary of the state's Department of Commerce and Eric Doden as the new CEO of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

Those two positions have been held by one person under fellow Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, but Pence said, "There is a lot of work to go around."

"For all the progress we've made, a quarter million Hoosiers are out of work," Pence said. "We have 8 percent unemployment in this state."

Smith is the son of Van Smith, the longtime leader of Ontario Corp. in Muncie who was Pence's campaign chairman and is a member of his transition team. Victor Smith held several executive positions with a former Ontario subsidiary and is a former aide to then-Vice President Dan Quayle and GOP Sen. Dan Coats.

Pence, who takes office as governor Monday, said Smith will help Indiana's job-creation efforts with his familiarity of Asian, Pacific Rim and West Coast businesses.

"The reason I chose Victor Smith is because he's a native Hoosier, he's had national and international business experience, he had a desire to come home to Indiana and I just think he is uniquely qualified to tell Indiana's story across the country and across the world," Pence said.

Doden, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Fort Wayne mayor in 2011, has worked with a private equity firm based in Fort Wayne and previously was investment director of Ambassador Enterprises.

Doden will take over the economic development agency that has faced criticism under Daniels for touting the attraction of thousands of jobs that never materialized.

A Republican state senator has filed a bill that would require the agency to prepare an annual report showing how each company that's received state incentives is meeting its jobs and investment targets.

Pence said he expected the agency by this spring would have an online portal with details on tax breaks and other incentives given to companies and how those businesses have performed.

That site will give people "better access and more timely access to information without compromising our ability to operate in a competitive environment," Pence said.

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