Each week throughout the 2018 General Assembly, the Recorder will spotlight one of the 14 members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus.
District: Indiana House District 3 (northwest Indiana including Gary, Hobart, Lake Station, New Chicago and portions of Porter County)
Party affiliation: Democrat
Hometown: Gary, Indiana (grew up in Philadelphia)
Year elected: First elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1982; announced in November 2017 that he will not seek re-election to the Indiana General Assembly and will instead run for Lake County Council
Education: Completed undergraduate studies in education at Cheyney State Teachers College (now Cheyney University) in Cheyney, Pennsylvania
Day job: Served as educator in the Gary Community School Corporation from 1961–1968; served as youth coordinator, mayor’s assistant on youth activities, director of the Youth Services Bureau, affirmative action officer and risk manager for the City of Gary from 1968–1988; served as CEO of the Gary Community Mental Health Center from 1988–1993; currently serves as a health and management services consultant, acting as a liaison between public and private organizations
Committee roles: Ranking minority member of the Statutory Committee on Interstate and International Cooperation; member of Public Health (former chair) and Public Policy committees
Community involvement: Has been board member for the National Civil Rights Museum, the Council for State Health Policy Leadership, the Coalition on Health Care in Gary, Indiana University School of Medical Education and Brother’s Keeper of Gary; has been trustee for Saint Timothy Community Church; is a charter member of the National Council on Black Child Development and founder of Mayor Hatcher’s Youth Foundation
State Rep. Charlie Brown
