Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana; master’s degree of arts in adult education and student development from Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois.
Resume: Field artillery officer, United States Army, 1990-1993; assistant vice president, Old National Bank, 1993-1998; president, Evansville Titles Corporation, 1998-2001; U.S. director, TeachBeyond, 2003-2013; director of youth development, Church of the Resurrection, Wheaton, Illinois, 2013-2016; Christian union ministry fellow (2016-2017) and Christian union ministry director (2017-2019), Columbia University, 2016-2019; executive director, Evansville Water and Sewer Utility, 2020-present.
Hometown: Evansville
Family: Wife Michelle and three adult children, Jefferson, Meghan, and Emma
Lane Young is a man of many talents. Few people experience a career path as diverse as Young’s. His distinct background has helped him grow in his career and understand the importance of engaging and serving the community. Now in his new role as the executive director of the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility, Young is looking to apply his wealth of experience to support the city he loves.
You have an expansive resume that covers a variety of fields. How has that prepared you for your role at the EWSU?
It is a varied background, which has allowed me to see a lot of different organizations at work and its various levels within those organizations. My strengths really lie with people and relationships — seeing how people interact, how they develop in their roles, and what it takes to do that. When it came time for this role, it was a perfect culmination of all the work and experience I’ve had because there is arguably no greater need for humanity just to exist on this Earth than water. It is a core need for all people and to be able to accomplish that mission for the city I was born in and love and to serve the citizens in this way, I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.
What made you want to lead the EWSU and what are some of your goals for the utility?
The last time I had sought a role and did the typical job search with a resume and looking at the job board was when I left the Army to go to Old National Bank back in 1993. From that point forward, the roles have often found me.
I didn’t really know anything about utility work. I’ve never had that in my background, but as my predecessor Allen Mounts would say, “I knew how to turn on the faucet and flush the toilet.” My goal for the utility is to be a company that serves our people well and listens to them. We always want to be better with helping them understand the impact our services have on our customers.
Mayor Winnecke said one of your best qualities is leadership. What do you think are the most important characteristics of an effective leader?
I was so fortunate to learn that very early on, when I was a young, 23-year-old second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. I came out of my leadership training and was placed in a position of authority over others at a very young age.
I was really blessed to have a non-commissioned officer who had been there a long time, but he still reported to me. He sat me down one morning and said, “Your troops will do what you ask them to, but if you engage them in the process, they will not only do what you ask them, but they will go above and beyond to make sure you are successful and that the group is successful.”
For me, leadership is understanding the people you’re leading — the things that matter to them, the strengths they bring to the table, ensuring they are in the right place.
