Northwest Indiana is home to thousands of wonderful people who have spent their entire lives strengthening, building, and loving their communities. But sometimes the greatest additions to a community come from unexpected places. Larry Regnier, a national account client strategy specialist working remotely in Northwest Indiana, is a testament to this.
Regnier grew up in Herscher, Illinois in Kankakee County. He attended high school in Watseka, Illinois, and earned his BA in Psychology at Governors State University. However, despite spending most of his life in Illinois, it’s easy to see that Regnier fits right into the Region.
Regnier has always wanted to help people improve their lives and knew very early on that he wanted to go into healthcare.
“I just loved the idea of helping people get healthier and helping improve their quality of life,” said Regnier.
When he realized psychology wasn’t for him, instead of giving up on healthcare, he jumped into the world of pharmaceuticals. This leap led him to work for a couple of different pharmaceutical companies, which led to his interest in health system partnerships, which finally led him to where he is today, occupational health.
Occupational health is not anywhere close to what Regnier thought he would do with his life when going to college, but he is proud that he can improve people’s health in such a unique way.
“People spend so much time at work during the week. They're at 40 hours, maybe more, at a worksite where health care is usually not available to them, but through occupational health, we can make a difference. Not only keeping them safe at work but improving their health,” said Regnier.
Regnier worked in healthcare in Kankakee for 10 years, but as soon as he had the chance to work remotely, he knew he wanted to live in Northwest Indiana.
“I’ve always loved the area, so when I had the opportunity to move my first choice was to come to Northwest Indiana,” said Regnier.
Before Regnier moved, he loved Northwest Indiana for its dunes, beaches, and shopping, but now that he lives here, he’s started to notice more. He loves the way many cities have taken care of their local communities and provided opportunities for people.
“We love that each town still has an actual true downtown area that's thriving. Whether it be downtown Highland or Crown Point, or Valpo or Chesterton, there’re still those little shops, so we enjoy going to the farmers' markets and going to all the small businesses that are locally owned,” said Regnier.
Regnier’s outsider perspective has allowed him to realize just exactly what Northwest Indiana has to offer in comparison to other places. He encourages people to be grateful that they live in such a great area.
“The folks here are very lucky that their parks, departments, and townships are really invested in the community,” said Regnier.
In his free time, Regnier likes to explore Northwest Indiana with his wife. He hunts down antiques in local stores to fuel his passion for doing DIY projects. He loves to walk and bike the abundance of trails. He even enjoys going out to the driving range to golf. Whatever it is Regnier wants to do, he knows he can easily find a place to do it.
“You have the small-town feel mixed with the suburbs of Chicago. That's what makes it fun is that there’s a lot of stuff to do here. You don't have to go to the city because you have a lot of great things here,” said Regnier.
With all this said, it’s clear that Regnier will continue to be a happy addition to the Northwest Indiana community, giving back to and partaking in the wonderful Region Regnier now gets to call home.