A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Rob Slagle

Overseeing an entire town and the various departments within the local government, managing his family owned business, supporting his family, and keeping on top of his hobbies leaves Indiana native and Wakarusa Town Manager Rob Slagle with a full plate, and it’s not one he intends to put down anytime soon.

As town manager, Slagle oversees the daily business of running Wakarusa — a quaint, beautiful town located in Elkhart. Overseeing the public works department, the police department, and working closely with the volunteer fire department is no small feat. It requires a daily dialog and a well-organized schedule. Slagle also works closely with the town clerk in terms of budgetary concerns and related issues.

One of his current priorities is spearheading liveliness in Wakarusa.

“One of the primary reasons they hired me is to engage the community in a push towards more vibrancy and vitality. It’s a lot of initiatives,” he said. “A lot of directives towards, for example, beautification and adding amenities like pickleball courts and placemaking.”

Managing the town isn’t too different than managing a business. Marketing, budget balancing, frugal spending, all while serving both employees and customers — or in Slagle’s case, the community — are all critical things to keep in mind with each decision made.

Wakarusa presents a unique challenge. With no features like the river walk in Elkhart or a lake, such as the one in Syracuse, Slagle feels the town has its own distinct obstacles when it comes to keeping both the community happy and bringing in new visitors.

The key for Slagle has been a concentrated effort to make Wakarusa a more event-centric town. Whether it’s festivals, concerts, or new events, Slagle’s mind is set on stimulating economic growth and drawing in people from neighboring cities and counties.

Keeping a town in top shape while working on new ideas to better the community isn’t a small task. Slagle credits his entrepreneurial mindset and past career experiences with preparing him to be successful in this role.

“I was very comfortable in a leadership role and leading the charge,” he said. “I’ve always said that the speed of the coach is the speed of the team; the speed of the leader is the speed of the group, so take that mentality with how we govern here in Wakarusa.”

Slagle’s career path took him into education before it took a turn to business and town management. Graduating from Grace College with a major in communications and minor in psychology, Slagle would go on to receive his master’s degree at Indiana University. He always knew he would end up in a classroom, and after receiving his certification to be a secondary educator, Slagle would go on to teach English courses such as communications, composition, and literature.

After a short stay teaching at Argus Community Schools, Slagle moved on to Northwood High School, where he would stay for 10 years.

“I loved my tenure as an educator. A lot of the residents of Wakarusa are former students of mine,” Slagle said. “They come into my office and still call me Mr. Slagle.”

After a decade however, Slagle felt the urge to look elsewhere to expand on his entrepreneurial mindset, as well as feeling that teaching wasn’t necessarily where he wanted to spend the rest of his career. Shortly before he left his role as an educator, Slagle began his construction business.

“While I was still teaching, I started a construction business which has suited me well for this particular job — working with contractors, looking at plans, and coming up with ideas and strategies to improve whatever situation,” Slagle said.

In his construction business, Slagle would continue working with people, and transitioned into this role after leaving the classroom. Not only does he enjoy working with his hands, but it was a good way to keep busy.

Later, in a state of semi-retirement and beginning to plan his next steps, Slagle was approached by employees from the town street department who were out working, and asked if he would ever consider keeping his options open and come work for the town.

“I knew Wakarusa as a municipality and its leadership. I was very familiar with the town council and how that all worked, and I’m fairly well known in the community,” Slagle said. “I had time, I love working with people, so I interviewed. They hired me in August of 2023. About a year later, they started courting me regarding taking over as town manager.”

Experience working with students and starting his own construction company wasn’t the only thing that made Slagle a good fit for the job. In 2006, his family began their own all-star competition cheer company called Indiana Ultimate, housed in what was previously Elkhart Ultimate.

“It was Pam who decided to purchase Indiana Ultimate in 2006 with a partner, and they’ve been swinging for the fences ever since,” Slagle said.

Today, Slagle functions as the general manager for Indiana Ultimate, and is prouder than ever of the incredible team behind the gym. This includes his wife and co-owner, Pam, and their children, Tyler and Emily. Tyler’s daughter is involved at the gym, and Emily has taken over to run the facility after growing up in the cheer industry herself.

The last 20 years have been full of work for Slagle, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Not only does he love Wakarusa, but he’s always looking to better his family and keep his hands busy.