Elected in November 2004, Commissioner Paula Brooks served as 2006 President of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. She has had a long career in both public service and the business world including eight years as a City Council member. Brooks actively served the community in a leadership capacity, including the Franklin County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, WOSU Friends, the Columbus Urban League and the Private Industry Council. She is a Past President of the Board of the Ohio State Bar Foundation and a director of the Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Corporation.  She also serves as Second Vice President of the Board of Trustees for the County Commissioners’ Association of Ohio (CCAO) and on its Nominating Committee for 2006 and as Vice President of the 2007 Economic Development Committee. Commissioner Brooks was recently appointed to be a member of the National Association of Counties' (NACo) Environment, Energy and Land Use Steering Committee for 2007.

In 2000, the Secretary of Defense appointed Brooks as a civilian advisor on the Federal Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS). With 3-Star status, her policy advice encompassed troop readiness and advice related to women and military families for both enlisted and officer members of the services. Many diverse members, such as United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, have served on the DACOWITS.

In private law practice since 1990, Brooks has represented clients in healthcare, employment matters, and was Special Counsel to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Ohio Attorney General for the Ohio State University.

Commissioner Brooks served on Upper Arlington City Council from 1996 to 2004 and as its Vice Mayor from 1998 to 2002. She forged strong collaborations with businesses, schools, and city staff. She led efforts to institutionalize economic development, create youth and family programs, and create a fair and equitable employee compensation system. When term limits ended her tenure, Upper Arlington enjoyed a stable, tax efficient city budget with quality services. Serving as Upper Arlington's first Community Improvement Corporation President Brooks provided leadership for over a decade there expanding the tax base by millions of dollars. This helped stabilize the City's budget and ensure quality services. The Upper Arlington Chamber selected Brooks as its 2005 Golden Gala honoree. In 2006, the Upper Arlington Leadership Program awarded Brooks its prestigious Margine Moul Community Leadership Award.

Governor Celeste then asked Brooks to become the Assistant Director of the State's largest department, the Department of Administration Services, where she managed a $3 billion dollar budget, was responsible for the State's Human Resources system, EEO compliance, and all building construction for state buildings throughout Ohio including construction on State funded college campuses.

Brooks began her public service in 1975 as an investigator for the Ohio Attorney General.  She was promoted to Special Assistant for economic development and tax policy, and directed the Women's Law Project. She then ran a 1,000 member non-profit corporation while finishing Capital University Law School at night. In 1985, Brooks was recruited as Chief Legal and Legislative Counsel for the Ohio Department of Liquor Control where she advised on liquor enforcement and regulatory issues throughout the state.

Paula lives in Upper Arlington with her husband, Greg Kontras, where they have raised their two children.

Commissioner Brooks Contact Information:
RJ Sontag,
Aide to Commissioner Brooks
614.462.5729
rjsontag@franklincountyohio.gov