The Arc of Indiana was pleased to honor outstanding state legislators for their service and commitment to Hoosiers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) at our annual legislative awards breakfast on January 6, 2022.
State Representative Tim Brown – Lifetime Achievement Award
State Representative Tim Brown (R-District 41) was recognized for his longtime commitment to people with IDD with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Representative Brown, who will retire at the end of the 2022 legislative session, has served the Indiana General Assembly since 1994. As a retired emergency room physician, Representative Brown has utilized his knowledge of the health care industry to better the lives of Hoosiers during his time at the Statehouse.
Throughout the years, he has been a great friend to The Arc of Indiana and a true champion for Hoosiers with IDD. As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and lead crafter of the state budget, he has invested numerous times and millions of dollars into direct support professional wages, the state’s First Steps program and other services to improve the lives of Hoosiers with disabilities.
Representative Brown also led the effort to provide cornerstone funding to establish The Arc of Indiana Foundation’s Erskine Green Training Institute, the one-of-a-kind training and teaching program for Hoosiers with disabilities in Muncie, Indiana.
Photo: Representative Brown and CEO Kim Dodson
State Senator Ryan Mishler – Legislator of the Year
State Senator Ryan Mishler (R-District 9) was recognized as the 2021 Legislator of the Year. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Representative Mishler helped pave the way for the historic $80 million investment in direct support professional wages in 2021.
State Representative Ann Vermilion – Freshman Legislator of the Year
State Representative Ann Vermilion (R-District 31) is a leader in the health care industry as a previous hospital administrator and current health care consultant. Since day one in her service at the Indiana General Assembly, she has been a fierce advocate for Hoosiers with disabilities as vice chair of the Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee and member of the Public Health and Elections and Apportionment committees.
Photo: Representative Vermilion and Public Policy Director Hannah Carlock