Candidate Bio

Indianapolis now knows what Southwestern Indiana has always known. In his first term as State Representative for District 77, Phil has become known as a legislator of unquestioned integrity and unflagging energy in the service of his district and his state.

An ordained minister for 48 years, Phil has served as pastor of several area churches and has had a long career in social services, including 13 years as executive director of the Tri-State Food Bank. Before he retired in April of 2000, the Food Bank grew from a small warehouse operation into a $7 million charity. Only “semi-retired,” he is interim pastor of Zion United Church of Christ in Henderson, Ky., and continues to advocate for the needy as both a state legislator and a community volunteer.

At home, Phil is president of the Evansville Area Community of Churches, chairman of the annual CROP Hunger Walk, chaplain of the Central Labor Council, a member of the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage Advisory Board and Finance Committee, and a board member of the ARK Crisis Center and Matthew 25 AIDS Services.

In the legislature, he serves on the Local Government, Roads and Transportation, and Environmental Affairs committees and was named the 2005 “Legislator of the Year” by the Indiana Division of the Isaak Walton League of America for his environmental efforts. He also serves on three interim study committees for the Indiana General Assembly – the Air Pollution Compliance Advisory Panel, the Evansville State Hospital Advisory Committee, and the New Harmony Commission. 

Before being elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2004, Phil served three four-year terms on the Vanderburgh County Council, where his fellow council members described him as “a voice of reason” (Evansville Courier & Press, Nov. 29, 2003).

Listed in “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in the World,” Phil has received numerous awards and honors, including being named a “Sagamore of the Wabash” by Gov. Frank O’Bannon. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from Kentucky Wesleyan College and a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

Phil and his wife, Sandra, a freelance writer, live in Evansville. Their large blended family includes six grown children, five of whom are married, and 15 grandchildren.

Candidate Goals

Just as he did during his three terms as a Vanderburgh County Councilman, Phil has listened and responded to the concerns of his constituents, asked the tough questions about issues brought to the floor of the legislature, and voted his conscience.

His goals as a state representative continue to be:

 

	To maintain a strong connection between the Statehouse and local government;
	To advocate for the needs of Warrick and Vanderburgh Counties;
	To be a spokesman for health and welfare issues, jobs with justice, a living wage, education (including statewide full-day kindergarten and free textbooks), criminal justice issues, environmental concerns, and as much fairness as possible regarding property tax and other taxes;
	To continue to advocate for the poor, those on fixed incomes, and retirees;
	To continue to be a good steward of our tax dollars.

 

For more information about Phil’s work in the Indiana State Legislature, visit his legislative homepage at:

www.in.gov/h77