GREENFIELD — Zachary LaFavers isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
The 22-year-old Greenfield native has carried that presence for most of his life, from calling football and basketball games on-air for Greenfield-Central High School’s television and radio stations to speaking out about the rights of union workers at his current trade job in Indianapolis.
He’s hoping to bring that outspoken personality into the mayor’s office in Greenfield. LaFavers, a Democrat, is running against the city’s incumbent mayor, Chuck Fewell, a Republican who’s held office for nearly six years. If elected, LaFavers would be the youngest mayor in the history of Greenfield.
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Politics has always been a passion for LaFavers. He unsuccessfully ran for Hancock County Council as a write-in candidate in 2016 and lost in a Hancock County commissioner race last year.
When LaFavers filed for office in February, he was attending Anderson University. But after earning credits at the university through his sophomore year, LaFavers decided to pursue a career in a skilled trade instead of through a four-year degree. Over the summer, he joined Heat & Frost Insulators Local 18, a trade union based in Indianapolis, for a four-year apprentice program.
“It’s opened my eyes a little bit into what life is like outside of being student and outside of being in the military,” said LaFavers, who also is an Indiana Army National Guardsman.
The apprentice program, offered through Ivy Tech Community College, not only provides hands-on experience, LaFavers said, but the pathway to earn an associate degree in applied sciences. The program meets on some Saturdays at Ivy Tech and at other training centers for full-day classes.
Only a few months into the apprenticeship, LaFavers said it’s been a rewarding experience. He’s been able to craft his skills in the trade and travel to different jobs in the region; he’s currently working on a job site at Purdue University. LaFavers said he also has learned more about the needs of trade workers and about how politics intersects with unions. He also has learned about the looming shortage of skilled workers.
Jason Smith, business manager for Local 18, said he has seen leadership traits in LaFavers ever since he joined the program in June. LaFavers often speaks during union meetings, talking about programs in the industry and offering solutions. Smith said new apprentices rarely speak as openly and candidly as LaFavers; he is one of 16 apprentices in his class and among 50 total for Local 18, Smith said.
“That’s huge for a first-year,” Smith said.
Because of the change in schooling and career during the past seven months, LaFavers said he hasn’t had much time to campaign. He didn’t attend the Hancock County Democratic Party’s annual dinner in August or participate in the Riley Festival parade two weekends ago. When he’s not working on a job site, LaFavers said he typically has some sort of training or event scheduled for the National Guard.
Shortly after LaFavers filed in February, some social media users accused him of soliciting inappropriate photos from a woman — which he denied — and they expressed displeasure at some of his Facebook posts that contained profanity and other coarse language. LaFavers said he almost dropped out of the race because of the backlash, but he decided to stay after many discussions with family.
“I’m still in this campaign,” he said. “I’m still going to talk about it with people when they ask me. I’m still going to go out and try my best to participate where I can.”
LaFavers said that might mean talking with Greenfield residents at the grocery store or gas station. He wants to begin conversations with voters as the election approaches. He also plans to attend the next county Democratic Party meeting and introduce himself to any party members he doesn’t know.
Many people in the community know LaFavers best from his time at Greenfield-Central High School.
Bill McKenna, radio and TV teacher at the high school, said LaFavers was never shy about “being the guy out front” during broadcast classes. He would often cover high school sports for both the radio station and TV station, McKenna said, and even after LaFavers graduated from Greenfield-Central in 2015, he visited McKenna’s classes a few times to help students out with the sports programs and other projects.
While LaFavers focused on sports during his time at Greenfield-Central, McKenna said he would frequently talk about politics in class and a few times said he planned on running for public office some day. LaFavers would discuss current events on the local, state and national level.
“Whatever the thing was at that moment, he liked to engage in it,” McKenna said. “He was a fun kid to argue with.”
McKenna and LaFavers have kept in touch since 2015, and over that time, McKenna said he’s seen LaFavers grow as a young adult and narrow his political views to what he believes rather than what’s popular.
No matter the result of the mayoral election, McKenna said he hopes it’ll build character for LaFavers.
“Any time a teacher sees a student that they’ve had and they’re out there trying,” McKenna said, “and they’re pursuing something and they’re making their way in the world, that’s all we can really hope for.”
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WHAT: The League of Women Voters of Hancock County and the Daily Reporter are sponsoring a forum for the Greenfield mayoral candidates. The event is free and open to questions from the public.
WHEN: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15
WHERE: Hancock County Public Library-Greenfield, 900 W. McKenzie Road
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