2003
Charles "Bud" Meeks
Linda Parks
State Senator Charles "Bud" Meeks was a co-winner of the 2003 Founder’s Award. Senator Meeks has been a supporter of Probation since being elected to the Indiana State Senate from District 14 in 1998. Senator Meeks has served on several committees including Corrections, Transportation, Homeland Security and Civil & Criminal Public Policy. Prior to being elected to the State Senate, Senator Meeks was the Allen County Sheriff from 1975 until 1982. As sheriff he received numerous civic and community awards. He is also the retired Executive Director of the National Sheriff’s Association. Senator Meeks served in the United States Navy from 1954 until 1958. He also served in the Air Force from 1967 until 1990.
Linda Parks was a co-winner of the 2003 Founder’s Award. Ms. Parks spent most of her professional career working for Steuben County Government. Before becoming a probation officer, she served as a dispatcher, jail matron, and EMT. She was a child abuse and sex offender investigator, and served in the civil process and warrant divisions of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department. Ms. Parks was instrumental in development of protocol for sex crimes and child abuse investigations.
In 1980, Linda Parks became a probation officer. However, while serving as a probation officer, she was also serving as Circuit Court Bailiff, and probation secretary. In 1987, she was appointed Chief Probation with a staff of four. When she retired in September of 2003, Ms. Parks had a staff of eight.
Ms. Parks has been a member of POPAI since it began and she is also a member of ICA. She worked with the Indiana Judicial Center to develop needs assessments and supervision standards. Ms. Parks started Steuben County’s community service program, holdover program, home detention program, and suspension school. She taught a probation class at Tri-State University and taught at the Sheriff’s Department Reserve Officer Training Class. Ms. Parks served on numerous boards including the Child Protection Team for twenty-five years, Humane Society, Santa’s Helpers, Step Ahead and Crime Stoppers.