FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 5, 2007

Ivy Tech Community College appoints Susan Brooks to dual role
U.S. Attorney to serve as General Counsel and Senior VP of Workforce Development

INDIANAPOLIS--Ivy Tech Community College announced today that Susan W. Brooks, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, has been appointed to serve as both General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development.  She will assume her duties at Ivy Tech Community College starting October 1.

As Senior Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development, Brooks will provide vision, leadership and direction of Ivy Tech’s workforce and economic development activities on a statewide basis.  She will also serve as an integral part of the state’s strategic initiative to develop a trained workforce and to attract and retain businesses in an effort to bolster the economic viability of the state.

“This is tremendous opportunity.  I believe in the mission of Ivy Tech Community College," Brooks said. "Ivy Tech is reaching all types of people. The faculty and staff of the College are dedicated to making sure people are trained for the kinds of jobs they need.  I am excited about the direction that President Snyder is taking Ivy Tech, and very much looking forward to being a part of that leadership team.”

The College currently has more than 180 workforce development professionals who provide more than one million hours of accelerated, certified training to over 20,000 workers.  Over 15,000 certifications have been awarded by the department this year.  In addition, the department oversees the College’s apprenticeship program which enrolls more than 5,000 students a year.

“Susan Brooks is a proven leader and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Ivy Tech Community College,” said President Thomas Snyder.  “Not only will she lead our legal counsel and workforce programs, but she will be an important part of the college’s strategic planning.  I look forward to working with her in an effort to improve the economic viability of the state.”

“I am pleased that Susan Brooks is continuing her extensive public service career in this transition from U.S. Attorney to a leadership role at Ivy Tech.  She is an excellent addition to the college’s efforts to expand Indiana’s economic opportunities,” U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar said.

Brooks was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana by President George W. Bush in 2001. 

As United States Attorney, Brooks supervises a staff of 29 lawyers, who serve as Assistant United States Attorneys and a support staff of 35 persons.  The United States Attorney is the legal representative of the United States Government for both civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions and serves as an official spokesperson for the Department of Justice with relation to activities occurring in the Southern District of Indiana.

Prior to her appointment, Brooks practiced at Ice Miller in the Government Services Practice Group. 

During the time she was with Ice Miller, she was involved in many civic organizations.  She served as Protocol Chair for the 2001 World Police & Fire Games hosted in Indianapolis; Chair of the United Way’s Violence and Safety Impact Council; Indiana Federal Community Defender Board; and Marion County Commission on Youth Advisory Board.  She has held board positions with the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee; Junior League of Indianapolis; Little Red Door Cancer Agency; and Network of Women in Business.

Brooks also served as Deputy Mayor for the City of Indianapolis under Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. 

During her service as Deputy Mayor for the City of Indianapolis, her work focused on crime, the criminal justice system, and social welfare issues.  She served on the boards of Marion County Community Corrections; Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.; Indianapolis Violence Reduction Partnership; Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee Race Relations Leadership Network Committee; Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis Board of Advisors; Marion County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; United Way Strategic Planning Committee; Clarian Health’s Community Plunge Steering Committee; and Employers Against Domestic Violence Initiative.

Prior to joining the Goldsmith administration, she practiced criminal defense law from 1985 to 1997. 

Brooks was named as an "Influential Woman of Indianapolis" in 1999 by the Indianapolis Business Journal/The Indiana Lawyer.  She was also named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s "40 under 40" list.  Most recently, she was named by the Indianapolis Business Journal as Who's Who in Law in 2002 and was listed in the “Power” edition of Indianapolis Monthly in August 2007.

Brooks earned her J.D. from Indiana University School of Law and B.A. from Miami University in Ohio.  She is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Ivy Tech Community College is the nation’s largest statewide community college system with a single accreditation and the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution with over 110,000 students enrolled annually.  Ivy Tech has 23 campuses and nearly 100 learning centers located throughout Indiana.  It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering degrees and certificates that lead to good paying jobs and credits that transfer to other Indiana colleges and universities, allowing students to pursue bachelors' degrees. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.