About

Last updated: Aug 16, 2024

My name is Timothy (Tim) J. Clark. This is my personal website/blog that supports a Christian and middle-center-right political (conservative) perspective. 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this site represent my personal views. Although I was elected to serve (2025-2028) as a county commissioner, I have no authority, nor do I purport to speak on behalf of the Brown County government in this forum.  

An Independent Voter supports a non-partisan approach to county issues.  

The intent of the site is to support change that citizens will conclude contributes to a more perfect (better) county.  Improvements at the county level can lead to needed improvements at the national level.

Citizen / Jurist (Critical Thinking). All citizens have the responsibility of serving as jurists. A jurist reviews the facts and evidence presented in a case, understands both sides of an argument and the counterarguments, listens to the closing arguments, and makes the best decision possible with the information provided. This responsibility and process also applies to arriving at the best policy decisions for the county.

    • Too often, decisions are made by a few and then rushed through to approval (fast-tracked) without thinking through the effects on all the stakeholders and allowing time for community buy-in. 

Government Meetings. Since 2016, I have routinely attended county council and commissioner meetings, which has contributed to my understanding of the challenges, constraints, and opportunities within the county. I have also frequently attended other board and commission meetings, including those of the Brown County Regional Sewer District (BCRSD) Board, Health Board, Area Plan Commission, and Board of Zoning Appeals. I share notes, insights, suggestions, and additional research in blog posts and at the Facebook group Brown County Matters.

Continuous Improvement. If interested, additional information regarding my motivation in improving quality is available on my website: Success Through Quality.   The site provides a free copy (PDF) of my book and links to my published research papers and articles.

Constructive action can be supported through the application of proven methods and tools introduced through the Brown County Leader Network.

I advocate for the application of better methods, including facts, data, and process-based decision-making, that can result in outcomes where everyone benefits or, at least, is not any worse off in the long term.

Summary of my background:

    • Quality improvement practitioner, educator, and author who specializes in the public sector.  A senior member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and former Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).  Past Chair, Indianapolis Section of ASQ. Regional Counselor – Public Sector Network and founding member of the Govt Division, Certified K-12 Educator and Trainer.  Recipient of three national quality leadership recognitions from ASQ on behalf of the Indianapolis  Section.
    • Educator, Trainer, Advisor. Developed and taught quality improvement courses through Indiana University – Division of Continuing Studies and Ivy Tech Community College from 1991-2001.  Provided consulting advisory services to small and large organizations, profit, non-profit that included the Fortune 500. Was involved in numerous community quality initiatives.
    • Retired from the Department of Defense – over 35 years of service. Served in a variety of administrative and technical positions with a career specialty in quality management.
    • U.S. Army Reserve. Retired from the Army Reserve with over 30 years of enlisted and commissioned service. My unit was mobilized for two years after 9/11 to produce chemical warfare (CW) related intelligence assessments supporting the Global War on Terror, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I extended an additional six months to complete the development of an improved system for assessing technological threats to U.S. forces.  My last tour of duty was as the Chief Intelligence Operations Division, U.S. 8th Army, South Korea.
    • Education. Bachelor of Arts – Political Science. Masters in Public Administration (MPA) and MS in Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College.
    • Continuing Education.  Christian apologetics, accounting, computer technology, information management, operational and financial analysis, data administration and management, systems analysis, design, programming, administration, and quality improvement.
  • Served on the Brown County Redevelopment Commission (2016-2017, 2023, 2024) and on the Brown County Schools Strategic Planning Committee (2017-2018). Volunteer – Core team member –  Brown County Leader Network (2017-present)
  • I am co-administrator of the Facebook Group Brown County Matters, where I frequently post on county government-related topics. I also maintain the blog/website Independent Voters of Brown County IN.
  • I have owned a property in the county since 1998, have been a full-time resident since 2014, and have been a frequent visitor since the mid-1960s. I have followed the stories and issues in the county through the Brown County Democrat newspaper, which has been a great source of history on issues. However, recent changes that limit access to past articles and the lack of resources to report on government meetings and issues are concerning.

Governance

Vision:  Supporting the application of better methods for working together towards a more perfect county and Union.

The Mission of the Independent Voters of Brown County IN is to provide information, raise awareness on key issues, and support candidates for political office and appointees to boards and commissioners that support basic governance principles and a common aim of working towards – a more perfect county.

“The duties of the office of a private citizen cannot … be neglected without serious injury to the public.” – Louis Brandeis

Values.  Values guide behavior and help people assess the rightness of direction.

    • FACTS. Fact-based decision-making involves using facts and data (evidence) to help identify and define a problem and select the best options.
    • PROCESS.  The science of quality management identifies that systems and processes (the how) determine the majority, if not all, of the results.  Identify, document, and continually improve the process.
    • SOLUTIONS.  When identifying a problem, also provide options/solution (s).
    • RESULTS.  Assessing results includes identifying what worked, what did not, and what further action may be needed.
    • QUESTIONS. “If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.” – W. Edwards Deming

Context:  The aim of the U.S. political system is to encourage and empower citizens to work together towards a more perfect union. This can be accomplished by taking action that results in outcomes where everyone benefits or at least, will not be any worse off in the long-term.  

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." - Vince Lombardi

The Independent Voters of Brown County is founded on the overarching principle that the U.S. —  as a republic defined by the U.S. Constitution,  “…  is dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health” – U.S. Constitution Center

“ …. upon exiting the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of citizens asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: “A republic if you can keep it.”