Paula Brooks learned how to be a common sense, hardworking leader while growing up as the oldest of five girls on a small farm outside of East Liverpool, Ohio.

Before she was a lawyer or elected official she was the 10th generation Ohio Valley daughter of a WWII Navy veteran, Ernest. After coming home post-war, Ernest became a Bell Telephone pioneer, married a nurse, Alfreda, and worked the farm in Eastern Ohio. The Brooks’ home was filled with hard work, love, and strong family values from the heartland.

The Brooks family knew the importance of education, and after working her way through Youngstown State University as a hairdresser, Paula attended night law school at Capital University while working for the Attorney General during the day. After law school, she served as Chief Counsel for the Ohio Department of Liquor Control, and at the request of Governor Richard Celeste, she served as the Assistant Director of the State’s largest department, the Department of Administrative Services. With the conviction that justice is a right, not a privilege, Paula embarked on a law career focused on representing clients in health care and employment law, while remaining active in her community, serving as Special Counsel to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and to the Ohio Attorney General for The Ohio State University.

While practicing law, Paula followed her true calling and was elected to served on Upper Arlington City Council in 1996 and as Upper Arlington Vice Mayor in 1998. Upper Arlington enjoyed a stable tax base and quality services when term limits ended Paula’s eight years on council. She remains active with her Upper Arlington Rotary.

Commissioner Brooks’ years in public service are based on an unwavering belief in transparent, equal representation for citizens’ best interests. Paula was elected to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners in 2004 with a vision of bringing fiscal sustainability to the office and served as Board President in 2006 and 2009. She knows that our communities face many challenges including expanding access to health care, preparing our children for a global job market, preserving our environment, and creating good jobs for Franklin County workers.

Paula currently serves as President of the County Commissioners’ Association of Ohio (CCAO) and as Vice Chair of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Energy/Renewables Subcommittee. Serving in this national leadership role, Brooks has worked to further the mission of the steering committee to establish and oversee Environment, Energy and Land Use policy for counties across the United States. In 2000, Paula was a Clinton Administration appointee by the Secretary of Defense as a 3-star civilian advisor on the federal Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) where she advised the Department of Defense on troop readiness and military families.

Since joining the Board of Commissioners, Paula has worked to make targeted, leveraged spending decisions resulting in sensible solutions for taxpayers. Her commitment to prudent financial planning has allowed Franklin County to maintain its double AAA bond rating so the county can borrow at the lowest available interest rates and make responsible investments in Franklin County infrastructure, while saving tax-payer dollars.

As a mother of two grown children, Paula understands the value of early childhood investments. As a Commissioner, she has led efforts to make child care more affordable for low income families and doubled funding for childhood programs. Paula knows too many children – especially economically disadvantaged children – enter school behind their more privileged peers. She worked with the City of Columbus and the suburbs, to provide safe, educational summer camps and programs for teens and children to ensure they begin the next school year with every advantage for success.

As a result of growing up on her family farm, Paula developed a deep appreciation for the environment that continues to influence her feelings on sustainability and shape her policy decisions. Paula has championed the cause of environmental protection, highlighted by the adoption of a new “green” policy in 2006. This new policy solidified the county’s commitment to the mutually compatible goals of environmental protection and economic growth, and then-Commission President Brooks requested that the County imbed environmental sustainability into decision-making. This proactive measure guides the actions of the Commissioners and helps Paula work with other community partners to successfully advance important environmental initiatives such as the Big Darby Accord that protects a vital watershed.

Paula lives in Central Ohio with her husband Greg Kontras and their dog Charlie.

Commissioner Brooks Contact Information:
Whitney Secrest,
Aide to Commissioner Brooks
614.462.5729
wesecres@franklincountyohio.gov