At age 30 and single, Randolph "Randy" Palmateer contends he has the time, energy and desire to be involved in his job as well as hold political office and serve his community.

As of Jan. 1, Palmateer, of Crown Point, replaced Jim Strayer, who retired, as business manager for the Northwest Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council. The Hammond-based council is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO and represents more than 38 union trade locals and thousands of tradesmen in Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties.

"I've been union for my whole life," said Palmateer, who left the job as assistant business agent for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 697 to accept the new position.

"I felt I could do more for unions in this job. I want to keep everything here moving forward and secure as much work as I can for local contractors through project labor agreements and by having a good relationship with our customers."

Palmateer was introduced to both politics and unions as a child. His father was a union printer, his grandfather a union plumber and his uncle a union electrician.

"My dad was employed at the government center, and a lot of politicians came to the house. And I got to know them and took a liking to politics," he said. "I got started going door-to-door for Lake County politicians in Merrillville where we lived. I was vice president of the local Democratic precinct organization at age 26."

Palmateer currently serves on the Crown Point Redevelopment Commission as Democratic committeeman for Precinct 23 and as a board member on the Center Township Advisory Board. He was appointed to the latter office in July 2007 to fill the vacancy created by Rochelle "Shelli" VanDenburgh, who quit to replace Bob Kuzman as state representative.