HARPER ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY
Mitch Harper announced his candidacy for the Common Council of Fort Wayne on Thursday, February 22, 2007 at the Allen County Republican Headquarters.
Mitch was born in 1956 in Fort Wayne and is a lifelong resident of Allen County. His great-great grandfather, William Harper, settled in Allen County in 1834 after emigrating from County Tyrone, Ireland.
Mitch married Dawn Wilson in 1989. They reside in the Barrington Lake Estates neighborhood. She is a Certified Public Accountant. He served as State Representative from 1978 through 1990. Elected at age 22, he was the youngest member of the Indiana House of Representatives. He chose not to seek re-election after 12 years in the General Assembly.
Mitch served as Chairman of the House Urban Affairs Committee and the House Labor Committee. He was co-chairman of the House Environmental Affairs Committee. He served on the House Committee on Cities and Towns and was a member of the joint committee on Local Government Affairs which drafted Indiana’s first Home Rule legislation. He is President of the Mary and Perry Spencer Foundation.
He is also a member of the board of the Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor and was one of the founding members of that organization. He is also a member of the board of Drive Alive.
He has been a past member of the boards of AWS and ARCH. He is a past President of the Fort Wayne River Greenway Consortium. He served as member of the Mayor’s Task Force on the Future of Smith Field in 2002. Mitch is a member of the board of Barrington Lake Estates Association and served as President of his association.
He is active in promoting running and recreation in northeast Indiana. He is the organizer and founder of several athletic events including the Galloping Gobbler 4 Miler held at the campus of the University of St. Francis each Thanksgiving. The HUFF 50K Trail Run at the Huntington Reservoir in December attracts competitors from 30 different states and is one of the largest events of its kind in North America.
Mr. Harper was one of the first emergency medical technicians actively providing emergency ambulance service in Allen County and he maintains an interest in emergency and public safety services.
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