Six seeking At-Large seats on Dubois County Council
Incumbent Republican Dubois County Council At-Large members Michael Kluesner, Sonya Haas, and Doug Uebelhor are being challenged in the general election by three Democratic candidates: Daniel Kreilein, Matt Johnson, and Adam Mann.
Early voting is underway now, and the General Election is November 5, 2024. Voting information is available at the bottom of this story.
Voters are reminded that if they choose a straight-party ballot, their votes will not automatically be cast for the political party they choose in the at-large race. However, those votes can be added during the ballot review process.
The three candidates with the most votes will fill the three seats on the Dubois County Council.
Here is a bit about the candidates in their own words.
Michael Kluesner
Republican Mike Kluesner is seeking re-election to the at-large seat on the Dubois County Council.
Kluesner is the president of the council and is very excited about continuing his work to serve the citizens of Dubois County. Being a lifelong resident of Dubois County, Kluesner states, “I can acknowledge and appreciate the quality of life that we all share as citizens of the county. I will commit to continuing the work necessary on the council to make common sense decisions in a fiscally conservative and transparent manner. It is my goal to work with the taxpayers and local government to assure that tax dollars are spent wisely.”
While serving on the county council, Mike serves on the Dubois Strong and Radius Indiana Board of Directors, the regional sewer district committee and other county boards and committees. He is a member of the Association of Indiana Counties. Kluesner provided oversight of the design and construction of the recently completed additions and renovations of the Dubois County Justice Center.
Kluesner is a retired businessman that was the former owner of various successful, small businesses in Dubois County and retired from Seufert Construction in 2014. He graduated from Jasper High School and holds an Associate Degree in Architectural Engineering. He served in the Indiana National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve where he retired after 21 years of honorable military service. He is a member of Holy Family Church where he serves on the Facilities Management Committee and Bereavement Luncheon Ministry. Mike is a member of various civic organizations and a member of the American Legion. He was a member of the Ferdinand Kiwanis for 28 years, serving two separate terms as president. He was given the Outstanding President Award for his service.
Mike was recently awarded the “Distinguished Hoosier Award” by Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. This award honors a Hoosier Citizen who has distinguished themselves through significant contributions to their communities, has qualities and characteristics that reflect the best of the great State of Indiana, and whose actions endear them in the hearts and minds of Hoosiers.
“With considerable business knowledge, past military experience and having served on the county council for the last eight years, I feel uniquely qualified to continue to hold a seat on the Dubois County Council. Being fully retired gives me time to dedicate to public service and available to listen to the concerns of the county’s citizens and taxpayers. I am very proud of our county and if given the opportunity, I will provide the leadership and hard work it deserves. I look forward to continuing the fine working relationship I have with the other county council members, county commissioners and county employees for the betterment of Dubois County.”
Mike and his wife, Nancy, live in the Maltersville area and have two grown sons, Jarrod and Jonathan and his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Nolan.
Adam Mann
Adam Mann is one of the three Democrat candidates for Dubois County Council At Large.
Mann was born and raised in Dubois County, living most of his life here. Mann attended the Greater Jasper School Corporation before earning a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science at University of Southern Indiana.
“The reason I am running is to give the people of Dubois County more candidate options on the ballot, in addition to getting my feet wet in politics,” Mann said. “In order to have better candidate options for the various elected positions, people must be willing to run for those offices, and said offices cannot be left vacant.
“I am not a person to make promises when said promises involve factors beyond my control. As such, I can only promise to do the best I can to commit to the duties of being a County Councilman, to be responsible with the powers I will be given, and make the best decisions possible,” he added.
Mann stated he was interested in pursuing quality of life for all people over the profits of a few.
“I have no tolerance for poor planning on any projects nor ‘pencil whip’ tactics,” he said. “I want everyone to coordinate and make effective use of our resources. When funding is decided for projects, I want to ensure the people managing the projects understand their project, have proper plans, and determined a path that reach the intended goals.”
Sonya Haas
Sonya Haas is seeking re-election to the Dubois County Council.
Haas resides in St. Anthony with her husband, Neal, and is a graduate of Forest Park High School. After earning two associate degrees from Vincennes University Jasper Campus, she was employed as the office manager at Hedinger CPA Group, formerly David Bromm CPA.
Haas currently serves as Vice President of the County Council, the Southwest District Leader for the Indiana County Council Association, and is Treasurer of the Dubois County Republicans. She also serves on the Tax Abatement Board and as Secretary on the Solid Waste Management District Board.
During her 32 years of working in a CPA office, Haas has dealt with multiple Indiana government agencies and has helped countless companies and individuals with all manner of licenses, permits and filings, as well as payroll taxes and tax returns. She values hard work, honesty, and giving exceptional customer service to her company’s clients.
Haas believes the knowledge she has gained through serving on the County Council, her business experience, and dealing directly with government agencies will help her continue to be responsible and transparent in serving the taxpayers of Dubois County. With your support and vote in the November election, she will continue working to keep Dubois County thriving and safe for you and future generations.
Daniel Kreilein
Daniel A. Kreilein, Democrat, is seeking the election to one of the three Dubois County Council At-Large seats.
“I am running to make sure everyone in Dubois County is represented in decisions made by the county Council,” said Kreilein. “I believe in transparency and accountability in government. My goal is to bring the views of the next generation of Dubois County leaders to County government”
Kreilein is a lifelong resident of Jasper, attended Jasper High school, became an Eagle Scout, and is a Southwest TEC Core Group member. Dan and his wife, Maci, have a four-year-old son, Daniel Jr., and are members of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ireland. His parents are Mike and Dr. Norma Kreilein of Jasper, and he has one brother who lives in Sullivan County.
Dan earned an associate degree in Business Management in 2015 from Vincennes University.
Dan has always had an interest in public service and was part of a team from Jasper that organized and delivered donations to the 2021 Tornado victims in Maysville, Kentucky. He heads the Community Service Committee for the local Democrat Party and also serves as the vice chair.
Doug Uebelhor
Republican Doug Uebelhor is seeking re-election to the Dubois County Council At-Large seat. Uebelhor was elected to the position in 2016 and is eager to continue serving the citizens of Dubois County.
“I want to continue to give back to the community that has given my family and me so much.”
Doug lives in Jasper with his wife Kaitlin, daughter Emma, son Aidan, and soon-to-be baby boy. He graduated from Jasper High School in 1999 andIndiana University Bloomington in 2003, where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education with a concentration in Mathematics. He also earned his Elementary Education, Computer Education, and Middle/High School Mathematics teaching licenses from Indiana University Bloomington. He is currently employed at Washington High School as a mathematics teacher.
As a former internal and branch auditor at Jasper Engines, Doug conducted internal process audits, taught company-wide educational classes, and provided branch operations management and logistic support. Always encouraged to improve company processes, Doug submitted company continuous improvement ideas to help streamline company processes. Prior to working at Jasper Engines, Doug worked for 7 years at Jasper High School as an educational instructor, summer school teacher, club sponsor, athletic worker, and in-school tutor. “I just feel comfortable helping others excel and achieve their potential.”
Uebelhor has served on multiple boards for the county while he was a commissioner and a councilman, including the EMA Advisory Board, the 9-1-1 Advisory Board, Dubois County Public Health Partnership, and the Dubois County Health Wellness Committee just to name a few. Doug has shown his support and encouragement of countywide safety and health awareness through his continued effort to promote and advance these boards and committees. As a Dubois County Commissioner, Doug demonstrated a proven record for positive change by focusing on increasing local government transparency and accessibility. He increased county transparency by insisting on audio recording commissioner meetings for accuracy, and he insisted the meetings be accessible to the public. He also initiated a cost savings wellness program for county employees. “Having extensive experience in multiple community, school, and local government leadership roles, I feel uniquely qualified to continue serving you on the county council.”
Doug is currently a Republican Precinct Committeemen, member of the Association of Indiana Counties, and member of the Indiana State Teachers Association. He is a life-long member of the St. Joseph Church where he has served as choir member, server, and volunteer usher for mass. Doug has shown his leadership and community involvement through his many years of work with Junior Achievement. He completed many EMA training courses to keep the county eligible for grants and certifications. He attended many AIC training classes, seminars and meetings, served on boards and committees, completed program management training, worked on the traveling voter board, and was an election poll inspector.
Doug loves spending time with his wife and children. His interests include biking, watching movies, spending time with friends and family, and Disney. Doug has completed many local and statewide half marathons, 5k runs and bike races including the RAIN Ride, which is a one day, 165-mile bike ride across Indiana.
“Dubois County has been my home my entire life, and I appreciate the great quality of life we enjoy. We have a rich community culture, excellent school systems, and a strong work ethic. I want to continue making a positive difference and give back to my community. I feel blessed to be able to live and raise my family in Dubois County, and I want to continue to do my part to help our community improve and thrive. I have a fiscally conservative approach when it comes to managing your tax dollars, and I keep that in mind with every decision I make as a council member. I base all of my decisions on what is financially beneficial for the citizens, and I want to continue to represent the best interests of the county. I have focused on making local government transparent as accessible to you and I want to continue making sure it stays that way.”
Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson is a Democratic candidate for one of the at-large seats on the Dubois County Council.
Mr. Johnson owns Focused Fitness, a personal training facility located on the west side of Jasper. Matt started his own business in 2021 after 20 years of personal training with a local gym and was voted “Best Personal Trainer in Dubois County” in 2021.
Matt is married to Michelle, a teacher at Jasper Middle School, and they have three children.
