HEDC leader to retire after 25 years with organization

Randy Sorrell will conclude service at end of 2026 as HEDC searches for successor

The Hancock Economic Development Council seeks a new Executive Director as longtime leader Randy Sorrell prepares to retire at the end of 2026.

Sorrell has served as HEDC Executive Director since 2019, but his involvement with the organization spans more than 25 years. During that time, Hancock County has experienced significant growth, HEDC has expanded its staff and membership, and the organization has broadened its work into areas including workforce development, quality of place and agricultural innovation. A search for Sorrell’s successor is underway, with plans for the incoming Executive Director to work alongside him during his final months at the helm to help ensure a smooth transition.

“Economic development has always been a team effort, and I’ve been fortunate to spend more than two decades working alongside people who care deeply about Hancock County and its future,” Sorrell said. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, but I’m even more excited about the position Hancock County is in for the years ahead. This is the right time to begin preparing for HEDC’s next chapter.”

An attorney with an office in Fortville, Sorrell joined the HEDC Board of Directors in 1999 as a representative of the town. Four years later, he joined the organization’s Executive Committee, where he served until becoming Executive Director.

Since taking the helm, Sorrell has helped foster the development of more than 30 industrial buildings in Hancock County totaling more than 18 million square feet and more than $900 million in assessed value. Those projects include Yamaha Marine Precision Propellers, an Amazon fulfillment center and Walmart’s largest fulfillment center in the company’s history.

Sorrell and HEDC have also played key roles in projects aimed at preparing Hancock County residents for the jobs accompanying that growth, including the recently opened Amplify Hancock Innovation Center.

HEDC President Matt Brauer said Sorrell’s influence extends beyond the individual projects completed during his tenure.

“Randy has helped position HEDC to think not just about the project in front of us, but about what Hancock County will need 10 or 20 years from now,” Brauer said. “That long-term approach has strengthened the organization and helped create an environment where employers, communities and development partners want to invest. Finding his successor is an important responsibility, and we’re committed to identifying someone who can build on that foundation.”

That foundation includes a larger organization than the one Sorrell inherited as Executive Director. During his tenure, HEDC grew from one and a half full-time staff positions to four, expanding its capacity to work with existing businesses, prospective employers, communities and regional and state partners.

HEDC membership also reached its highest level during Sorrell’s tenure and currently stands at 46 organizations, the largest membership in the Council’s 41-year history.

Dr. Harold Olin, Superintendent of Greenfield Central Schools and a past president of the HEDC Board of Directors, said Sorrell has helped strengthen connections between economic development and other community priorities.

“One of Randy’s strengths has been his understanding that economic development doesn’t happen in isolation,” Olin said. “It intersects with education, workforce development, infrastructure and quality of life. He has consistently brought people from those different areas together around the same table, and Hancock County is stronger because of it.”

That collaborative approach has increasingly extended beyond traditional business attraction.

Earlier this year, Sorrell and HEDC were part of teams whose work on both the Hancock County State Road 9 Innovation Corridor Plan and the Hancock County Quality of Place Plan received Honorable Mentions from the Indiana Chapter of the American Planning Association.

The State Road 9 initiative is designed to capitalize on Hancock County’s agricultural assets while creating opportunities in areas such as agtech, bioinnovation, food is health, and farmer-focused innovation. The Quality of Place Plan, meanwhile, identifies opportunities to strengthen the amenities and characteristics that help Hancock County attract and retain residents, workers and employers.

The effects of Hancock County’s economic progress can also be seen in the county’s financial standing. In October 2025, S&P Global Ratings assigned Hancock County an “AA+” rating and specifically recognized economic development as an important contributor to the county’s growth. Its report cited significant economic development initiatives, particularly those benefiting from Hancock County’s location along Interstate 70, while also noting the county’s continued emphasis on workforce development, including Amplify Hancock, and investments in transportation, utilities and site readiness designed to attract further investment.

Hancock County Council Member Jim Shelby said the growth experienced during Sorrell’s tenure has had implications well beyond individual development sites.

“Economic development is ultimately about strengthening the community’s long-term financial position and creating opportunities for the people who live here,” Shelby said. “Randy has understood that throughout his time with HEDC. The investment Hancock County has experienced has expanded our tax base while helping support the infrastructure, schools and services a growing county needs.”

Sorrell will continue leading HEDC through the end of 2026 as the organization conducts its search for a new Executive Director. HEDC plans for his successor to begin before Sorrell’s departure, allowing the two to work together during a transition period.

“For more than 25 years, I’ve had the opportunity to watch Hancock County grow and change in ways that would have been difficult to imagine when I first joined the HEDC Board,” Sorrell said. “There is still tremendous opportunity ahead, and I look forward to helping make this transition successful and leaving the organization ready to take advantage of it.”