Janet L. (Wood) Kostielney is an experienced marketing and communications executive with a proven track record of success. As president and owner of JK Enterprises since 1997, Jan has managed those issues for municipalities, healthcare professionals, long-term care facilities, distribution companies, non-profit organizations, and others. Much of her work over the past decade has involved economic development, tourism, advocacy for out-of-school-time (OST) programs for youth and literacy programs, providing awareness about early detection and treatment of cancer, and developing non-profit organizations related to downtown and rural development and OST programs.

Jan's special skills include

Jan previously directed marketing, sales and product development for international manufacturing companies. Also a freelance journalist, she writes for industry journals, magazines, advertising agencies and websites. As a specialist in trade show management, Jan was commissioned to write a book on that topic by a Memphis, Tennessee agent; she has also written an e-book on "marketing to niche markets" for an Australian client.

Because of her expertise in erosion control and shoreline restoration using natural fibers, she was selected to write the script and served as technical director for an environmental documentary illustrating a new restoration technique used on Louisiana marshland erosion which was shown on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel; the video was narrated by Charleston Heston.

Jan is Director of the Michigan City Mainstreet Association (www.mcmainstreet.com), a member of the Michigan City Economic Development Corporation’s marketing committee (www.mc-edc.com), and a member of the Literacy Council of LaPorte County. She is a founder of the LaPorte County Coalition of Youth-Serving Agencies. She is a founder of the Indiana Afterschool Network (www.inafterschoolnetwork.com), working closely with the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, and the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grantees. She is a member of the LaPorte County Cancer Task Force, the LaPorte County Pandemic Response Group, the LaPorte County Hazard Mitigation Planning Task Force, and the Rural LaPorte County Summit on Economic Development (www.rurallaportecounty.com).

Jan is a founder and chair of the Mayor’s Campaign Against Cancer, a program which received Honorable Mention from USA Weekender’s “Make A Difference Day” awards in 2004 and was one of five national entries to receive Honorable Mention awards in the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ “City Livability Awards” that same year.

During her career, Jan has been a board member for the Hydroponic Society of America and served with the International Erosion Control Association, the Water Environment Federation, the Society of Wetland Scientists and the American Fisheries Society. She has worked closely with Army Corps of Engineers and Departments of Transportation as well as Departments of Natural Resources and regional/state Soil & Water Conservation Agencies. She was formerly president of the Michigan City Public Library’s Board of Trustees and a member of the Indiana Library Foundation; Jan is currently President of the Friends of the Michigan City Public Library.

A graduate of LaPorte High School and Purdue North Central University, Jan has been the volunteer leader of a writing group which focuses on the art of writing and the business of publishing, a volunteer leader of classes in sewing, crafting, computer use and scrapbooking, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society and at the Jack & Shirley Lubeznik Center for the Arts.