A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Mark Krentz

A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Mark Krentz

Mark Krentz, Talent Attraction Coordinator for the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation, has always believed in community involvement. Whether it’s acting as a community connection between La Porte residents and local businesses, or taking part in a little community theater, Krentz has shown his dedication and love for the Northwest Indiana community.

Born and raised La Porte, Krentz attended La Porte High School. He spent his days after school working part time jobs, singing in the school choir, and acting in the school theater, a passion of his that continues today and led to Krentz meeting the woman he would eventually marry.

“My wife and I actually met doing a play in high school,” Krentz explained. “It’s not a very light-weight play; we met while doing The Crucible. We’ve stayed active in community theater and we love to go on stage together.”

After graduating from high school, Krentz went on to study at Purdue University where he received a bachelor’s in Business. Later, he completed the Executive Management Certificate Program at Notre Dame University. His involvement in the business community dates back over 40 years, before taking the helm of a now 90-year business.

“I’ve been running LAKE Fine Arts for 40 years now,” Krentz said. “I grew up in this business. My father was in the business when I was in high school and college. I joined not long after I graduated from college and I stayed involved, and now here we are 40 years later.”

Unfortunately, Krentz is in the process of closing the business down, but when one door closes, another opens. Krentz currently serves on multiple boards and commissions, like the Board of Public Works and Safety and the Redevelopment Commission for the City of La Porte, and for a while, he also served on the Board of Directors for the Greater la Porte Economic Development Corporation, or GLEDC. But Krentz was looking for something new.

“I was looking for some part time hours and it was a job that became available at the right time,” Krentz said. “So, here I am.”

As Talent Attraction Coordinator, Krentz spends his time connecting business and manufacturers with willing and hard-working individuals in the workforce. He serves as a conduit between the business community and the residents of a city he has worked hard to help grow and become what it is today.

“I’m a big believer in community effort,” Krentz explained. “It’s very gratifying for me to be able to visit businesses, find out what their needs are, find out what the opportunities are, and try to make a difference by connecting those businesses with an interested workforce.”

When Krentz isn’t serving on multiple boards and commissions for La Porte, he is cooking, BBQing, and gardening, as well as spending time with his family any chance he gets.

“We have three grown daughters who no longer live in La Porte and our first grandchild was born last summer,” Krentz said. “We’ve always been very family focused so we love to spend time with our family.”

He also loves spending time on stage with his wife of 40 years, Laura, and continuing to participate in his life-ling passion: community theater.

“Laura and I have stayed active in community theater,” Krentz said. “We had an opportunity in the holiday season of 2015 to do a number with the Symphony Orchestra. It’s something we really love.”

Community theater is just one of the many ways Mark Krentz is able to continue his involvement in the City of La Porte. He is constantly lending a helping hand to local businesses and the community so that the City of La Porte continues to grow and become one of the many great cities here in Northwest Indiana.

For more information about the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation, go to www.gledc.com.