Indiana Dunes Tourism (IDT) announces the election of two new members to its Board of Directors: Kurt Gillins and Matthew Soliday.
Gillins was appointed by the Porter County Commissioners and will complete Jesse Harper’s term, who was elected as a Center Township Trustee for Porter County. Gillins is the Vice President of Programs and Communications for the Valpo Chamber. He is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Valparaiso and has been involved with numerous productions at the Memorial Opera House. Gillins lives in Valparaiso with his wife, Patty, and daughter, Lilly. Soliday, who was also appointed by the Porter County Commissioners, will serve a full term, replacing Dr. John Johnson, who has since retired. Soliday is a staff attorney at the nonprofit Federal Community Defenders in Hammond Indiana, and he is a graduate of Valparaiso High School, Indiana University, and Valparaiso University School of Law, where he served as an adjunct professor. He was also the co-founder of the Valpo Triathlon, and he continues to enjoy outdoor sports. Prior to working for the Federal Community Defenders, Soliday had a private law practice in Valparaiso and served as a Porter County deputy prosecuting attorney. He and his wife live in Chesterton.