Legislator of the Week: Indiana Representative Dale DeVon

This week, ALEC and FreedomWorks introduce Indiana State Representative Dale DeVon. Rep. DeVon was elected into the Indiana General Assembly in November 2012. He was born and raised in Clay Township, Indiana and has lived in Granger, Indiana since 1989. In the 80’s, Rep. DeVon began his first business as a contractor, and in 1995, he started DeVon Custom Homes, a business he still operates today. In 1997, Dale became a national director for the Home Builders Association and still serves as the state and national director today. Rep DeVon continues to advocate for safe and affordable housing, however his true passion is helping youth. He was the Sr. High Youth Group Leader at New Life Christian Fellowship. He continues to meet with youth at the Juvenile Justice Center. He is also on the school board for The Crossing, a school for at-risk youth. Rep. DeVon married his wife, Christine, in 1978. They have three children, Shannon, Adam, and Ashley, and seven grandchildren.

Why did you run for office?

I have been building homes, working with land issues, and fighting for affordable housing for years. After serving 10 years on the county council, serving as a youth leader in our church, and working for at-risk kids, I knew I could not make as much of an impact on the county level as I could at the state level.

In your view, what is the biggest issue facing Indiana?

In my view, Indiana’s biggest issue right now is dealing with the Department of Child Services and trying to better serve foster care children and the youth of our state.

If you could “wave your magic wand,” what would you like to see immediately implemented in Iowa?

If I could “wave my magic wand” I would like to see a better family dynamic in our society. You can contribute a lot of today’s issues back to the breakdown of the family unit. If parents are involved in their children’s lives, their kids will be more inclined to be involved in their own children’s lives.

Do you serve on any committees, if so which committees and why? How do you feel you have impacted them?

I serve the House Committees on Education, Family, Children, and Human Affairs and as the vice–chair on Utilities. Working with children, and having kids and grandkids, I saw a need for commonsense policies in the first two committees. Also, being in the home-building industry for the past 42 years, I understand the work we do in the Utilities committee; infrastructure is critical to maintaining and growing businesses in our state.

What project or law are you most proud of?

I am proud of my six years representing District 5. I cannot really say one project or law has stood on its own, all stand out individually.

How has ALEC helped you as a legislator?

ALEC has helped by allowing me to connect with other legislators around the country; brainstorming and learning from each other’s mistakes and successes.

Can you share a fun fact about yourself that’s not in your official bio?

I am a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan; I enjoy golfing and fishing, and I love to play with my grandkids.