Robin Wilkening, who held the Mrs. Portage title in 1996 and competed in the Mrs. Indiana competition, grew up in Griffith, Indiana where she attended high school at Griffith High School. She then continued her education at Indiana University Northwest and obtained a degree in medical technology.
Out of college, Robin started her career working at a doctor’s office in Illinois for a number of years. During this time she and her husband, Randy, who were then living in Merrillville, had two children and decided to move to Portage for a bigger house and to allow her husband to start a career as a Portage firefighter.
With the move and having two young children, Robin decided to quit her job and dedicate her time as a stay-at-home Mom. However, once her children were old enough to go to school, Robin went back into the workforce as a realtor.
“I went in a totally different direction from what I initially was doing in the medical field by becoming a real estate agent. I worked as a real estate agent for twenty years with a few different companies, but then prior to renewing my real estate license, I started working at the Portage Township Trustee’s Office,” said Robin.
Robin got involved with the community and that introduced her to the position she holds today. She has been working at the Portage Township Trustee’s Office for about five and a half years now where she is an interviewer for those in need.
“At the Portage Trustee's Office, I interview for Temporary and Emergency Assistance, so I help people keep their lights on and keep a roof over their heads.”
In addition to her role with the Trustee’s Office, Robin is also a journalist for The Times where she has written a weekly column that highlights something good for Portage for the past fifteen years now.
“I guess the squeaky wheel got the grease because I said nobody knows what good is happening in the community. So then The Times told me to write something good about the Pride in Portage Committee and they would put it in the paper.”
The Times liked Robin’s work so much that they offered her a position where she would write a weekly article for the paper, specifically about what good goes on in Portage.
“The community editor called me about a month after my initial piece and asked me if I wanted to do this on a weekly basis. I gladly accepted because there is just so many things going on in this community, and I think it’s crazy that people walk around not knowing what is going on,” said Robin.
Within the community, Robin and her husband spend their free time during the Holiday season being Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
“It all started when I was a real estate broker and I wanted to give back to the community, so I decided to do a breakfast with Santa. My husband, what a great guy that he is, said he would play Santa, so we got him a suit and everything.”
A few years later, the Santa for the city retired, which is when Robin’s husband, Randy, stepped up and became the city’s Santa Claus.
“About four years ago, when my husband and I were watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town, I decided that Santa needed a Mrs. Claus. I thought there would be a lot of little girls that would love to see a Mrs. Santa, and ever since I’ve done it, all of the little girls and boys have loved it,” said Robin.
Robin is all about giving back to the community, especially with children, which is the main focus within her Kiwanis club.
“We are all about the kids. I just think that it is important. My kids are all grown now, so it’s always nice to give back to somebody else's kids when your kids are adults.”
In addition to being an active Kiwanis member, Robin is also on the board of both Gabriel’s Horn Homeless Shelter and an organization called First Contact, which is a Christian group that helps beyond what the Trustee’s office can do.
“First Contact provides additional help to those in need by receiving pledges from churches in the area beyond what the Trustee’s office can help with,” said Robin.
Outside of working at the Portage Township Trustee’s Office, writing her weekly column for The Times, volunteering with numerous organizations, and being Mrs. Claus, Robin enjoys reading in her free time.
Whether you refer to Robin as "Mrs. Portage" or "Mrs. Claus," she is always someone to count on to be active within and help the community however she can.
“I am Mrs. Claus now, but to this day some people still call me Mrs. Portage.”