Dwayne Sawyer facts for kids

Dwayne Sawyer (born in 1966) is an American politician from Indiana. He is a member of the Republican Party. Sawyer was the 55th State Auditor for Indiana. The State Auditor is like the state's main accountant. This person makes sure the state's money is spent correctly and keeps track of all the financial records. Dwayne Sawyer resigned from this job on November 26, 2013, because of "personal and family reasons."

Before becoming the State Auditor, Sawyer was part of the Brownsburg, Indiana Town Council. He was even the council president from 2012 to 2013. On August 15, 2013, Governor Mike Pence chose Sawyer to be Indiana's State Auditor. He took over after Tim Berry left the job. Sawyer was officially sworn in on August 19 by Indiana Chief Justice Brent Dickson. This made him the first African-American Republican to hold a statewide office in Indiana.

Dwayne Sawyer's Early Life and School

Dwayne Sawyer finished high school in 1984 at Peru Senior High School in Peru, New York. He then went to Purdue University. He graduated in 1989 with a degree in computer technology. While at Purdue, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.

What Dwayne Sawyer Did Before Politics

Before he started working in politics, Dwayne Sawyer had a career in business. He held important financial jobs at companies like Roche Diagnostics, Dow AgroSciences, and Eli Lilly and Company. Since 2010, Sawyer has worked as a Senior Software Engineer for Positron Corporation. This company works on technology for nuclear heart imaging.

Sawyer is also involved in the Republican Party. He is the secretary for Indiana's 4th district Republican Committee. He is also on the Executive Committee of the Hendricks County Republican Party. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Indiana Leadership Forum and the Hendricks County Regional Health YMCA. In 2013, Governor Mike Pence also asked Sawyer to join the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males.

Serving on the Brownsburg Town Council

Sawyer was chosen to join the Brownsburg Town Council in December 2008. This happened after a council member resigned. Dwayne Sawyer was the first African-American person to be elected to public office in Hendricks County. He was sworn in on January 10, 2009. He ran for reelection in 2011 and won without anyone running against him in the Republican primary. In January 2012, Sawyer became the President of the Brownsburg Town Council. He left this job in August 2013 to become the State Auditor of Indiana.

As council President, Sawyer helped with a plan to make Brownsburg bigger. The council voted 3-2 to add about 4,500 acres to the town. This change helped the town plan for future growth. Sawyer also supported the idea of raising local income taxes slightly. This money would help improve public transportation projects in the county.

Becoming Indiana's State Auditor

Governor Mike Pence appointed Sawyer as Indiana's State Auditor on August 15, 2013. He officially started his job as the 55th auditor on August 19, 2013. Sawyer's time as auditor lasted only a little over three months. On November 26, 2013, he sent a letter to Governor Pence saying he was resigning. He said it was for "personal reasons." In a statement, Sawyer explained his decision: "Because of family and personal concerns, I have decided that it is best for my family and the people of Indiana that I resign from the office of Indiana auditor of state."

On December 16, 2013, Republican State Representative Suzanne Crouch was chosen by Governor Mike Pence to take Sawyer's place as Indiana State Auditor.

Dwayne Sawyer's Family Life

Dwayne Sawyer is married to Melissa Sawyer. They have lived in Brownsburg since 2001. They have three children, and Dwayne and Melissa homeschool them. Sawyer also enjoys playing the alto saxophone.