Fred Rost has arranged for Paul Helmke, the three-term former republican Mayor of Fort Wayne, and former president of The United States Conference of Mayors to address the CBC this Monday, October 13th.

Helmke will address the CBC with his thoughts on national, state, and local politics, and the future of the Republican Party.

When: October 13th 7:30 a.m breakfast
Where: The Window Garden Restaurant 13th Floor - One Summit Square

Bio:

Paul Helmke has served as President of the Brady Campaign/Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the nation’s largest national, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, since mid-July 2006. Prior to this, Helmke was a lawyer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he served as mayor from 1988-2000.

Helmke was President of the United States Conference of Mayors in 1997-1998 and was a Board member for the National League of Cities. He is a past-President of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns and of both the national and Indiana Republican Mayors and Local Officials organizations. Helmke was the Republican nominee for the United States Senate in Indiana in 1998.

Helmke served on the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services’ “Violence Against Women Advisory Council” and on the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education’s “Advisory Council for School-to-Work Opportunities” and worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on special projects.

After upsetting a two-term incumbent in November 1987 with 52 percent of the vote, Helmke was re-elected mayor in 1991 and 1995. Helmke is only the second person in Fort Wayne history to be elected to three consecutive four-year mayoral terms. His 64.5 percent of the vote in 1995 tied the largest margin of victory for a Republican in the city of Fort Wayne.

As mayor, Helmke received national attention for his program of “Community-Oriented Government,” his efforts to fight crime, redevelop brownfields, and advocate for urban interests. He reduced the city property tax rate and city debt, pursued an aggressive annexation program, strengthened the police department and started community policing (which helped bring the crime rate in 1999 to a 25-year low), helped revitalize the downtown, and supported economic development efforts that helped keep the unemployment rate below the state and national averages. Under Mayor Helmke’s leadership, Fort Wayne was named an All-America City by the National Civic League in 1998.

Helmke has appeared on the evening news broadcasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC, as well as numerous Fox News shows, MSNBC’s “Hardball,” C-Span’s “Washington Journal,” and The Colbert Report. He was also a contestant on “Jeopardy” in the early 1970’s.

In 1970, Helmke received an honors degree, with highest distinction, in political science from Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana). While at I.U., Helmke was selected to Phi Beta Kappa scholastic honorary, and was elected student body president. Helmke received his law degree from Yale University in 1973 (in the same class with Bill and Hillary Clinton).

Prior to becoming mayor, Helmke practiced law and served as an Assistant County Attorney. He taught Communications Law for a number of years in the mid-1980’s. After leaving the mayor’s office, Helmke was “of counsel” with Barnes & Thornburg, Indiana’s largest law firm, for three years and then returned to his family law firm, Helmke Beams LLP.

A native of Indiana, Helmke and his wife, Deborah, a former public school kindergarten teacher in Fort Wayne, have two grown daughters. The Helmke’s live just outside of D.C. and continue to maintain a residence in Fort Wayne.

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