Whiting native Ed Lampa, left, receives the Sagamore of the Wabash award from Gov. Eric Holcomb Oct. 21 in the governor's Statehouse office in recognition of Lampa's 33 years of state government service, including operating the teleprompter during the annual "State of the State" address for Indiana's three most recent governors.
Whiting native Ed Lampa, left, holds his Sagamore of the Wabash award presented by Gov. Eric Holcomb in the governor's Statehouse office. Lampa is retiring after 33 years of state government service, including his unique duty of operating the teleprompter machine during the annual "State of the State" address for Indiana's three most recent governors.
The Sagamore of the Wabash award presented by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to Whiting native Ed Lampa.
A Whiting native who played a unique role during key nights in the terms of Indiana's three most recent governors, including now-Vice President Mike Pence, is being honored ahead of his Oct. 31 retirement by current Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Earlier this week, Holcomb named Ed Lampa a Sagamore of the Wabash, one of the state's highest honors, in recognition of Lampa's 33 years of service at the Indiana Department of Correction.
Lampa's job title, information specialist, doesn't convey one of the most important tasks he's had every January since Gov. Mitch Daniels' administration — operating the teleprompter for the governor's annual "State of the State" address to the General Assembly.
According to the governor's office, Lampa only could say, "Oh my," when Holcomb presented Lampa the framed Sagamore certificate following a chat about Lampa's retirement plans in the governor's Statehouse office.
Later, Holcomb reminded Lampa that the Sagamore identifies wise Hoosiers whose counsel the governor values, so "don't be surprised if I call to check in with you," Holcomb said.
Lampa began his career in the 1970s producing and editing 16mm films for Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, where he also taught photography and motion picture photography until 1981.
He then became a biomedical photographer at the former Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis and joined the Indiana Department of Correction in 1986.
At IDOC, Lampa produced training videos for prison staff and public use, overseeing the transition from videotape to digital recording and editing, in addition to his once-a-year teleprompter duties in the House chamber.
Lampa, who now lives in the Indianapolis suburb of Brownsburg, said he plans to travel and enjoy life with his wife during his retirement.
