Ben Trockman becomes Evansville City Council President
The Evansville City Council and returning Council Member Ben Trockman will made history at the Council’s first meeting of 2025. As their first order of business, Council members are expected to elect Trockman as this year’s City Council President.
Ben will also be serving his second four-year term on the City Council representing Evansville’s First Ward. The nine elected members of the Council form the legislative and fiscal body for city government.
Trockman, an Evansville native, was still in high school in 2006 when a motocross accident caused a severe spinal cord injury, resulting in quadriplegia. After that life-altering experience and extensive rehabilitation, Ben went on to graduate from Harrison High School and University of Southern Indiana. He continues to have successful careers in the private sector as well as local government.
A wide range of programs at the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center in Evansville have been instrumental to Trockman’s success and to his career path.Easterseals medical rehabilitation therapies, assistive technology, and rehab engineering services have all played a role in Ben’s pursuit of his goals. He chose to give back to the nonprofit organization by serving as local Easterseals Ambassador in 2010 and National Easterseals Ambassador two years later.
“There is no doubt that my experience as an Easterseals Ambassador helped me find my voice and motivate me to be involved in city government and become an active citizen in this great city that we all call home,” Trockman said.
“At the young age of 24, while traveling the country on behalf of Easterseals, I saw and experienced the unnecessary challenges people with disabilities face just living in their communities. With several trips to Washington DC, I also learned about Easterseals’ advocacy process and witness the strategy and heavy lifting it takes to pass better legislation to improve access and opportunities for people with disabilities.”
In November 2019, Ben was elected to his first role in community government as the First Ward City Councilman for Evansville, Indiana, the first quadriplegic to ever hold the office. He led an effort for a Complete Streets Ordinance , making the Evansville roadways more accessible for residents, no matter the mode of transportation. Ben has received countless awards and accolades for his leadership. He is also a Senior Consultant at Change for Balance, a strategic communication agency on a life-long journey to change this world for the better. He has built his career in communications and has become a leading voice and advocate for diversity and inclusion.
