Deep Porter County roots. Pine Township Board Chair. Purdue Engineer. Volunteer fireman. Times of Northwest Indiana 20 Under 40. Lucky husband and proud dad.
Pine Township Board Chair Nate Uldricks is a 3rd-generation Porter County citizen who was born and raised in a working class, military family in Portage, IN. He and his wife, Kim, met on an airplane and have one son, Teddy, who was born severely premature, weighing 1.5 lbs! They have two rescue dogs, one of which they adopted from the Porter County Animal Shelter. He is a lifelong Baptist.
He serves as a county leader as the Chair of the Pine Township Board, where he received the most Republican votes in the history of that race. Under his leadership, the township has been very active and productive in modernizing and digitizing township operations, stewarding and growing township funds, improving transparency and community relations, strengthening public safety, organizing a Wreaths Across America for the veterans lain to rest in the township cemetery, and otherwise bringing new energy and new ideas to the township. He was recognized by the Times of Northwest Indiana as a 20 Under 40 where they noted that he “has a passion for solving problems… and has already led a career of service and ingenuity.”
He previously served the public in finance and management roles at the US Department of Defense and Office of Management and Budget. In these roles he led or was involved with major transformational efforts to cut waste and drive efficiencies that saved taxpayers billions of dollars.
Nate honed his love and passion for problem-solving through his 16+ year career in the private sector as a nationally-recognized Purdue Engineer and technology consultant. He and his team are building an app to help survivors of human trafficking.
Nate also serves the community as a volunteer firefighter, member of the Porter County Parks Foundation Board, a past Porter County Election Judge, the Purdue Engineering Alumni Association Past President, a Master Naturalist, and regular blood donor.
He is a graduate of Portage High School, and earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, MA in Government from Johns Hopkins University, and MBA from the University of Virginia.
Nate’s Vision
Leading a Bold Vision for Porter County.
It’s Nate’s goal to engage the public to shape a proactive, long-term vision for the county—what type of place do we want to live in and leave to future generations? From that vision, we will to prioritize spending to achieve it.
1. Strong, high-wage economy and low cost of living
The Porter County economy is at an inflection point and faces a great opportunity. Nate wants Northwest Indiana to be the “Workshop of America” of the 21st Century—an innovative national leader in advanced manufacturing and precision engineering. With major strategic investments unfolding in the Region with the South Shore double-track, Quantum Corridor, and the Indiana Dunes designated as the newest national park, Nate wants to grow our economy around those investments to cultivate a strong, resilient, and innovative economy with family-sustaining jobs for the county. Nate also wants to support local farmers, small businesses, and unions—the bedrock of the economy—as well as repurpose and redevelop abandoned buildings into cool, new productive businesses.
In addition, Nate believes that the rise in cost of living across the nation hurts everyone—but especially those like our seniors, who are living on a fixed income. County leadership should do everything in its power to lower the cost of living for its citizens.
3. Safe, clean roads
If Indiana is going to be “The Crossroads of America”, it only makes sense to have the best roads. It’s Nate’s goal to have the safest, nicest, and cleanest roads in the state by reducing traffic accidents, improving traffic flow, increasing “Adopt a Road” clean-ups, and quickly fixing potholes.
2. Strengthened public safety
Public safety should be a top priority for any county or municipal official as its one of the most fundamental roles of government. Nate will support our measures to improve public safety, whether in fire protection, law enforcement, first response, and on highways and railroads.
4. Modern, efficient, and responsive county government
Whether in adopting modern digital technologies into county operations, simplifying the user experience (UX) of the county website, or identifying opportunities to streamline county processes, Nate wants to bring an eye for efficiency and modernization to the administration of county government.
5. Civic pride & great quality of life
From the beautiful sand dunes to the historical fields and farms to the charming small towns to the awe-inspiring colossal industrial might, we should be proud of where we live and where we’re from. Nate wants to facilitate and support activities that bring us together, inspire us, and make us a stronger people, such as: supporting veterans with ‘Welcome Home’ parades and Wreaths Across America events at county cemeteries; marketing ‘Empty the Shelter’ events for the Porter County Animal Shelter; taking care of and enhancing our county parks; erecting memorials and monuments that recognize the doers of great deeds and inspire us to follow their example; facilitating group physical and mental health activities and exercise such as hikes, rucks, bikes, and runs; and loudly and proudly recognizing the academic, athletic, and civic accomplishments of our young people.
