BROWNSTOWN
Participating in her first meeting as a member of the Brownstown Town Council, Sharon Koch said she realizes she has a lot to learn.
Not having a lot of knowledge in government, however, isn’t going to hold her back from doing what she can to make a difference in the town she has called home for 17½ years.
“I’m just looking forward to the opportunity,” she said. “I’ve lived here long enough, it’s nice to be able to hopefully do something helpful.”
Koch, 46, fills the void left by Bethany Brewster, who recently resigned from her Ward 2 seat because she is moving out of the ward.
Koch was the only person in Ward 2 to file for the position. During a March 27 caucus at the Jackson County Courthouse in Brownstown, precinct committeemen voted for her to fill the seat. She was sworn in that night by Jackson County Clerk Amanda Lowery.
Koch will finish out Brewster’s term through the end of 2019. That seat will be on the municipal election ballot in November 2019.
“I’m glad I can kind of try it and make sure it fits for me and I fit for it,” Koch said. “It’s a nice opportunity to try it out.”
Monday was her first council meeting.
She said the time was right to consider joining the council.
“I’ve had two people ask me in the past. I just didn’t know if I had the time. My family is relatively busy,” Koch said. “I just felt like it was time to give back something. Hopefully, I can.”
Koch is a native of Williamstown, Massachusetts. She wound up in Indiana 17½ years ago after meeting her husband, Derrick, while they both were at a camp in eastern Kentucky. He’s a native of Posey County in southwestern Indiana, and they moved to Brownstown when he landed a job as a guidance counselor at Brownstown Central High School.
Koch is a position manager for Tormoehlen Construction in Brownstown. She hopes her job experience will help in serving on the council.
“I work day-to-day with a variety of people, a lot of different income levels, and that might give some insight,” she said. “Different levels of people, income and education levels, everyone has a voice whether they use it or not.”
She joins council President Sally Lawson and members Bill Sweeney, Gregg Goshorn and Matt Smith. Koch said she is ready to work alongside them.
“It seems like a nice variety of personalities, which is good,” she said. “I like that.”
She not only represents Ward 2 but the entire town.
“I’m just looking forward to getting to know more people, different people, and learn a lot about the government in the town,” she said. “I have a lot to learn in that whole aspect. It will be interesting to learn more.”
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Name: Sharon Koch
Age: 46
Hometown: Williamstown, Massachusetts
Residence: Brownstown
Education: Mt. Greylock High School in Williamstown, Massachusetts (1989); Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire (community health education degree, 1993)
Occupation: Position manager for Tormoehlen Construction
Family: Husband, Derrick Koch; children, Alexis Koch, Emily Koch and Nathan Koch
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