Councilman tries to balance home life, work

March 23, 2008 12:22 am

— One of Goshen’s newest City Council members, Jeremy Stutsman, was on track to follow his father into dentistry when he made a career move and decided instead to fix up an old downtown building to house an antique mall.
He and his wife, Maija, ran the antique mall in the former Salvation Army store four years before selling the main level to Scott Woldruff for an expanded shoe store. Stutsman then founded “Lofty Ideas” and converted the second story to residential use, launching his career in restoring 100-year-old downtown buildings.
“I thought it would be one building and then we would work on something else. But it has been six years and I see four more years of work on buildings,” Jeremy said this week. “It turned into a career.”
He explained the goal in the first building was to fix it up to make a profit and to help the downtown by restoring a building, the former Salvation Army store, which he and his wife used for their antique mall. But it has “snowballed,” he explained.
“I like renovating old historic buildings,” he said. But it is sometimes a task, trying to work with buildings built in the 1800s that may no longer be straight and square.
He got his first taste in restoring buildings while working on the Maple City Market with his father-in-law, Dave Pottinger. And since then he has worked on several buildings with Pottinger, including the current project at the former Auto Electric building on Washington Street.
“I do a lot of reading and ask a lot of questions,” he explained. He credits his father, Gene, for teaching and encouraging him.
“Growing up, dad encouraged us to do well in school, but also taught us to work with our hands,” Jeremy said. Much of the work and repairs on the Stutsman “farm” was completed by the family, he said.
Jeremy said in the past six years, he has painted close to 18 facades downtown, worked on six interior renovations and participated in 12 projects.
His company, Lofty Ideas, is responsible for creating three condos in the second story at the northwest corner building at Main and Washington streets. One condo is sold and the other two are rented, he explained.
“With Lofty Ideas, I do most of the work, but my wife does a large part of the decorating and color choices” he said, explaining their partnership.
He said that he contracts out electrical, plumbing and heating work, but he learns those jobs by assisting the contractors.
“I love doing the work, but in the future would like to shift to design work and project management,” he explained.
Jeremy will get his wish this spring, as he has agreed to be project manager in the rebuilding of the San Marcos grocery and restaurant, 113 S. Main St., which burned this winter. Work on the renovation is set to begin this week, with a goal of re-opening by mid-summer, he explained.
Besides working with city officials and building officials, Jeremy got involved with the Face of the City and downtown development and decided to offer his name on the ballot for city council. He won a four-year term last November.
“I was really interested in doing this,” he explained, but does not think of it as a stepping stone toward another post. “I wanted to be in politics, but not be a politician,” he explained.
And Stutsman grew up with The Goshen News in his home, reading it, but now takes an added interest in one area new to him.
“Now I go to the letters to the editor,” he explained, to see what subjects residents — and constituents — might be concerned about. “The last couple years I have been old enough to pay attention to what is going on.”
Growing up he had the influence of his grandparents and was close to them, the late Walter and Quanita Stutsman, living nearby.
Stutsman enjoyed nine years of 4-H activities, including activities such as gardening, rocketry, woodworking and electrical.
He played soccer at Goshen since he was in the second grade and the sport was sanctioned at GHS his sophomore year. He graduated from GHS in 1996 and then attended Butler University. He obtained a degree in biology.
Stutsman was involved in road biking and then at college switched to mountain bike riding. He has been married to Maija for seven years. His family walks and bikes when they can, pulling 2 1/2- year old Boden in a trailer. The family lives near the Millrace Parkway at the west end of Jackson Street — across from the Rieth Center.
“My family is important and I try to keep work and family balanced,” he said. An example of working at that balance is the fact that Jeremy tries to take off every other Friday to spend the day with Boden.

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