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Kate Virag By Jennie Renner | Photo provided
“It might sound like a commercial, but I believe it. I think this is a really special place.” Kate Virag is part of a military family who moved around a lot when she was younger. Both of her parents are from this area, so even though she wasn’t born here, she considers northeast Indiana her home. On the other hand, Virag’s husband, Dustin, is a Canadian transplant who settled here after playing hockey for the Fort Wayne Komets. They met while she was home from college at Indiana University in Bloomington. Virag was working a summer job at Chestnut Hills Golf Club where Dustin happened to be playing a round of golf one day. Virag earned a degree in journalism with a concentration in public relations and minors in business and psychology. After getting her education, she could have gone to Chicago or Indianapolis or any number of places to live but decided to settle in northeast Indiana. “I was always happy with the idea of coming back to Fort Wayne,” she said. “I’ve seen so many people who’ve had successful careers and great lives here.”
“I think anything that we think we’re missing or want to explore — we actually really love the mountains for example — we can do that on vacation, and we do, and we enjoy that,” she said. Virag likes that where she lives feels like a close-knit community, but there’s still the amenities and the opportunities of a bigger city. “It really has been the perfect size for us, ‘’ she said. “I just don’t have any complaints. We just try to embrace it and make the most out of it.”
Virag doesn’t regret her decision. Currently she is the director of earned media for Ferguson Advertising. She oversees public relations and media relations, as well as social media for the agency. “There’s so much opportunity here and you can really grow in a career in the Fort Wayne area,” she said.
Kate Virag’s Top Five Things To Do in the Fort Wayne Area:
Virag and her husband lived in Fort Wayne for nearly 18 years before settling on some acreage with a pond in Huntertown two years ago. They live there with their two children, 12-year-old Claire and 8-year-old Wes.
2. Promenade Park and The Landing — These attractions rival those of major cities and are fun for all ages; truly something for everyone.
Virag said she loves where they live now because she gets to work in downtown Fort Wayne during the day (Ferguson Advertising recently moved their offices to the Electric Works campus) and come home to her quiet country life in the evening. “I really live out in the country,” she said. “But we also are just so close to Fort Wayne and all the amenities … It feels like the best of all worlds.” Although Virag likes the beach and the mountains and knows that warmer climates can lure people away from Midwestern cities, she and her family embrace all the seasons and try to find fun things to do that are unique to the different times of the year. 32 |
FEBRUARY GLO 2023 |
1. Electric Works — The energy, the amenities, and the history make Electric Works a place unlike any other!
3. Professional sports — We are a hockey family and love cheering on the Komets, and it’s also a ton of fun to attend Mad Ants and TinCaps games! 4. Bicentennial Woods — All of the ACRES Land Trust hikes are awesome, and Bicentennial Woods is very close to our home. 5. Zip Timber Lake and Golfo di Napoli — We love doing active outdoor activities as a family, and we recommend the ziplining at Zip Timber Lake in Huntington County, followed by a short drive to Golfo di Napoli in Warren to eat some of the most delicious Italian cheeses and meats (followed by a glass of wine for the adults). a