User:Princja/sandbox

= Jerome A. Prince = Jerome A. Prince (born August 16, 1964) is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and an American politician who serves as the Assessor for Lake County, Indiana. He proudly holds the distinction of being the first African American County Assessor in the State of Indiana. He is a member of the Democratic Party. In addition to his unparalleled penchant for service, he enjoys bike-riding and hiking.

Early Life
Jerome Prince grew up in Gary, Indiana. Prince attended Gary Lew Wallace High School and had a strong desire to assume the responsibilities of adulthood. In 1982, Prince enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. In 1983, only eight months after graduating high school, he married DeAnna Slaughter. Together they have four sons and now have ten grandchildren. The Marines instilled the assertiveness and confidence that would essentially prove to be critical during his pursuit of public office. Upon completion of his tour of duty, he decided not to reenlist, but instead returned to Gary in 1986 only to be faced with a lack of employment prospects, a failing economy, and social issues associated with inner city life. Prince immediately discovered it was incumbent of him to create opportunities to support himself financially and contribute to the redevelopment of his community.

Career
Upon returning home from the Marine Corps, his mother, who was a Mary Kay Cosmetics Sales Director, suggested he consider and explore the possibilities of becoming a sales professional. Although she did not have a specific discipline in mind, she was of the belief that a career in sales would allow him to chart his own economic course and realize that his successes were going to largely be determined by his efforts. Adhering to her advice, Prince eventually worked in various sales capacities most notably insurance, real estate, and retail sales. In doing so, he discovered he possessed two personal qualities that would propel him to success throughout his lifetime: active listening and an innate ability to positively influence people's decisions.

Prince launched into his governmental career as a real estate deputy in the Calumet Township Assessor's office in 1994. In 1998, he was elected as a member of the Gary Precinct Committee Organization. In 1999, Prince was elected to the Office of the Fifth District Gary City Council, having unseated Cleo Wesson, who was the longest serving councilman in the city of Gary, serving nearly forty years. Prince was then re-elected to a second term in 2003 and a third in 2007 serving as President of the body from 2006 until 2007. In 2008, one month into a new term, Prince was unanimously selected by the precinct committee persons of Lake County's Third District to serve the unexpired term of Councilman Will Smith Jr., who left office prematurely. Prince served on the Lake County Council until 2014 and in his last year on the council, he served as president. During his tenure as councilman, he not only reshaped the budget process, but also championed the Lake County Option Income Tax, a move that would bring Lake County in line with the 91 other counties in Indiana and ensure the solvency of the Lake County Government.