The writer of a lengthy letter in support of Howard Halderman’s nomination for a Certificate of Distinction concluded with a lament: “I don’t know that I have adequately expressed the impact he has had on Wabash County.”

The Halderman family has deep roots in the county. After his 1988 Purdue graduation- he majored in agriculture and received the G.A. Ross Award, present to a top senior male – Halderman joined the family business, Halderman Farm Management Service, Inc. In 1990 he co-founded Halderman Real Estate, Inc. He’s president and owner of both corporations. The former manages $2 billion worth of properties scattered across the nation. The latter corporation has grown to sales and/or acquisitions of more than $250 million of farm properties and makes 1,200 appraisals annually.

Another supporter noted Halderman’s 30-plus years of civic involvement – and his big-picture skills: “His entrepreneurial nature, coupled with his commitment to the organizations, allows him to act as a strategic connector. I appreciate that he sees cooperative partnership opportunities that many might not recognize, and he takes the time to share those thoughts and make introductions.”

Halderman has been on the board of the Honeywell Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the arts and culture, since 2011, and chairman since 2018. Early on he led the facilities committee, and the purchase of the Eagles Theater led to a renovation project that contributed to the city being recognized in 2014 as one of Indiana’s Stellar Communities. That state program provides resources for transformative quality of place community improvements.

“Howard is a multi-skilled businessperson and an agri-business expert,” a banking company chief executive says, “And yet, his judgment and people skills are most prominent in my mind. He is extremely generous with his time and knowledge.”

Halderman’s long ties to the county hospital helped smooth the transition when the much-bigger Parkview Health system took control. “It is easy for a small critical access hospital to get lost in the daily work of a large system,” the Parkview Wabash Hospital president says. As board chairman, Halderman “is consistently bringing Wabash to the forefront in identifying our successes, asking for assistance when we need it, and providing new ideas for accomplishing goals.”

The Halderman Family	2023 Certificate of Distinction Recipients