Meet John Stehr

John Stehr is ready to serve as Mayor of Zionsville.

John Stehr wasn’t born in Zionsville, but he got here as fast as he could.  And, when he did finally arrive some 28 years ago, he knew that this is where he wanted to make his home and raise his family.  As a young father, he appreciated the beautiful environment, the warm embrace of friends and neighbors, and the first-class school system.

As the family grew, John solidified his career as a broadcast journalist, working as the lead anchor at WTHR, Channel 13 in Indianapolis.  When he arrived, WTHR was notably in 4th place in early evening news rankings, behind newscasts from competitors and syndicated re-runs of old sitcoms.  Within a few years, WTHR was a solid number 1 in all time periods — and it remained that way for more than twenty years.  An entire generation of Hoosiers grew up only knowing that WTHR was number 1, and that John Stehr was the lead anchor — the dependable, consistent, and present face and voice on the station’s signature newscasts.

While working the night shift for all of those years was hard, it gave John a unique opportunity to get involved in his children’s School activities, including chaperoning field trips.  He led the 3rd Grade Zionsville history tour several times, took a few trips to Conner Prairie and the Indianapolis Zoo, and even the ballet performances at Butler University.  He also had a chance to coach his young children when they played basketball and soccer.

Back at work, groups outside of Indiana have always taken notice of his efforts, whether in a local broadcast station, or with the NBC or CBS Networks.  Gannon University, where he graduated with a dual degree in Communications and Political Science, honored him with a “Distinguished Alumni” Award in 1992.  To this day, he is the only member of his graduating class to be so honored.

The Lower Great Lakes Region of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded him two Emmys as “Best Anchor”.  He won an additional Emmy for his coverage of Senator Richard Lugar’s efforts to reduce Nuclear Weapons in the US and Russia through the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.  In reporting that story, he traveled with the Senator as an embed in his staff on a two-week tour of Russia, including to places previously not accessible to western reporters.

In 2018, John was inducted into the Emmy organization’s “Silver Circle”, a lifetime achievement award for an exemplary career in broadcasting which has included experience at the small-market, large-market, and network levels.

Also in 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb awarded John with a prestigious “Sagamore of the Wabash” — the highest honor given by the state of Indiana to acknowledge contributions to the public good.

In October 2022, he was inducted into the Indiana Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.

His 40+ year career in journalism took him to forty nine states and a dozen foreign countries, as well as to many significant places and events, but for the last three decades, the road always led back to Zionsville and to the family and town that he loves.

After 25 years in the Oak Ridge Subdivision, and with four of their five children moved on to college, John and his wife Amy downsized to a home in the heart of the village, where they are well-positioned to enjoy the environment and charm that makes Zionsville unique.

When he retired from broadcasting at the end of 2019, John joined the Zionsville Board of Parks and Recreation, the last two years serving as an officer (currently Board President).  It has given him a unique look inside Zionsville’s government and its challenges and possibilities.  He’s running for Mayor to help Zionsville do a better job in capturing our share of the economic pie in central Indiana, growing in a sustainable way, and preserving the charm and character that every one of us who lives here has come to appreciate.

John Stehr has been a trailblazer and a leader, who has never backed away from asking hard questions and fighting for the rights of people to be informed and to play a role in shaping their community.  

A proven sustained winner, John is ready to begin the important work of Zionsville Mayor, so that together, we can insure that the future generations of our town can truly say that they love Zionsville as much as we do today!