A Portage Life in the Spotlight: Alana Camper Ingersoll

alana-ingersollPortage is a growing town. There are lots of things that are changing and developing which in turn promises a bright future for the place and its residence. But the town isn’t changing on its own. The people of Portage are working diligently to make things happen. One of the hardest working groups of people is the Portage Chamber of Commerce. Everyone involved in the chamber does their best to see that their town grows in only a positive way. One person on the chamber, Alana Camper Ingersoll, puts her heart into her job.

Ingersoll was born in Gary Methodist Hospital and raised in Crown Point, IN. She made her way through the Crown Point School system and dabbled in softball, basketball during her middle school years and business activities later in high school. After she graduated, Ingersoll got married, got a job at a bank and moved to Portage –all within a three month time span.

“The reason that my husband and I chose Portage in the beginning was that it was a midway point between our jobs,” Ingersoll explained. “Now I love it because it has a hometown feel and an excellent business district with restaurants and shopping. I got to know people through sports, church, and I like having beach close by.”

Ingersoll attended school at Ivy Tech and took classes for medical transcription. Shortly afterward she became pregnant with her first child. She then took on the job of stay-home-mom for the next 10 years, during which she had a second child. Ingersoll made sure to stay active and productive during this time.

“I visited with other stay-at-home moms and we had a walking group, get-togethers, and I got involved with my church and the Willowcreek PTA planning their events,” Ingersoll said.

When her son was in the first grade, Ingersoll decided it was time for a change. So she went back to work and got a job working with billing at a company in Portage called Randall Rents of Indiana, Inc. Following this, Ingersoll landed the job that we all know her from now as the office manager for the Portage Chamber of Commerce. In her job, Ingersoll wears many hats. She’s an event planner, she manages finances, tackles social media duties, she manages clients and chamber member needs, pens the Chamber’s newsletter, and more.

“Working for the Chamber has given me the chance to get to know a lot of people and a lot of different businesses,” Ingersoll said. “Before I worked here I would hear names of people or businesses but not know who they were or what they did. Now I learn about a business or community member and it stays with me.”

In her free time, Ingersoll stays involved with her community through her church and her children’s activities. She loves to spend time with her family and be outdoors and cheer on her beloved Bears before, during and after football season.

In the future she would like to go back to school and add to her education. She would also like to take an all-girls family vacation to Hawaii.

Her advice to the readers is something that she discovered about herself recently.

“I’ve conquered this in my life within last two months,” Ingersoll said. “I’ve come to a point in my life where I do my best not let any person or any situation steal my peace and joy. I’m a strong Christian I made up my mind that I won’t sweat the small stuff. I see the value of what really matters in life. I pay attention the important things and let other stuff go.”

Mind over matter, readers. And I don’t mind saying that Alana Camper Ingersoll is a Portage Life in the Spotlight.