Person of the Week-Jon Freeman, Tipp City Law Director

Recently, the Tippecanoe Gazette reached out to Jon Freeman, the Tipp City Law Director, to find out more about him and his job with the city. He responded to our questions and here is an edited summary of what he had to say. 

Readers, if you enjoy these “Person of the Week” features, please let us know—and send us suggestions! Know someone we should chat with, or someone who deserves recognition? Reach out to editor@tippgazette.com and we’ll add them to the list!

Question: Jon, can you summarize your job working for the City of Tipp City? What do you do, how do you accomplish your work, and who are some of the people you work with? What do you hope to accomplish in your current position?

The job of Law Director for the City of Tipp City is quite broad. The best way to understand the position is to think of it as having two different buckets. 

The first bucket involves my role as Prosecutor of crimes inside the boundaries of Tipp City. In most cases, the Tipp Police act on potential violations of the law without my direct input. However, there are many occasions in which my direct involvement is needed. The officers can reach out to me, and I can administer advice to an officer on scene. My role within this system is on a 24 hour/365 day basis. Depending on the circumstances and the level of intensity of the situation, I will leave the house in the middle of the night to meet officers at the Police Department. My father was an oral surgeon, so I was quite used to seeing him leave the house for emergencies! The good news is that these are rare events, and much can be done by phone. 

The most important part of my job is to do whatever I can to ensure public safety. Most of the time, I receive notices from the Miami County Municipal Court as to cases placed on the regular criminal docket. With the help of Tipp City Police, I formulate a legal strategy to deal with the assigned cases. I will work with the Defendant or their attorney to potentially resolve the case or go to trial. Of course, any resolution of a case is submitted to the Judge for their role in this process. The court functions as customary all year long.

The second bucket is my role as city attorney with respect to all legal matters that are not criminal in nature. As one can imagine, this is the broadest function of being a Law Director.

These duties include giving legal advice at City Council meetings, working with City Staff members who have encountered legal roadblocks, and maintaining a very close-knit relationship with the City Manager. The position of Law Director is one of the very few jobs in the city that touches all areas of city function. If a civil matter needs legal review, drafting, research, or a formal legal opinion, the Law Director is the person who performs all those functions.

Question: Jon, can you describe the career path that culminated in you earning the title of "Law Director" for Tipp City? What's your educational/professional background?

As a kid, I went to the Miami Valley School and graduated in 1986. From there, I went to Washington & Jefferson College, earning a BA in History. I then attended the University of

Massachusetts - earning a Master of Science in Labor Studies. Lastly, I attended the University of Dayton School Law - obtaining a Juris Doctor.

Question: Jon, what has your work history been like? And how did you end up in Tipp City, leading to your present position of Law Director?

Upon becoming a new attorney, I went to work at an old-line Dayton Law Firm called Altick & Corwin. As a new associate, you have the opportunity to work with the older and more established members of the law firm. The firm represented several cities in the Miami Valley. I was assigned various projects that involved working with city staff to achieve the goals of the city. Like many other jobs, if you work in an area long enough and people respect your work, more projects come your way. That's basically what happened to me. In 2016, the law director position opened up in Tipp City, and I immediately knew it was an amazing opportunity. I applied and worked with city council and the city manager, Tim Eggleston, to see if the fit was a good one. Nearly 10 years later, I'm proud to say that it has been. Being the chief legal officer of the City is a big responsibility, and I focus on it every day.

Question: What is your job title and what are your responsibilities?

The title of my job is Law Director. The Law Director must be a licensed attorney in good standing and acts in compliance with all the requirements of the Supreme Court of Ohio. I am also permitted to practice law in the Southern District of Ohio (Federal Court).

Question: What do you like about your job?

The greatest part of this job is interacting with staff to achieve a common goal. It's amazing to watch a project come to fruition and know that your hard work produced a great benefit for our citizens. While there are many other aspects I enjoy, perhaps the most beneficial is finding ways to overcome obstacles. As lawyers, we are trained to use critical thinking to arrive at answers through asking the next question. I like finding ways to achieve success when very few thought it was possible. Despite having to know so many areas of the law, I have also learned a great deal from other staff members. It truly is a team environment.

Question: What's the most difficult part of your job?

On occasion, the Law Director is tasked with making final decisions on issues that are not popular with many people. This can include residents of the City and people outside our organization. The laws of our state and our nation provide the guide, and as a "Home Rule City," we always ask, "What does the Charter say?” Think of the City Charter as the Constitution of Tipp City. Using those guides, the Law Director must take action in the best interests of Tipp City, even if others don't view those decisions the same way.

Question: Jon, what are the most significant projects you have worked on recently? What are you working on now, and what will you be working on in the near future?

Over the last nearly 10 years as the Law Director, there have been many big projects. Perhaps the biggest one to date is that of that of the Tipp Plaza and other land development associated with it. As the Law Director, I am responsible for drafting complicated agreements that spell out how the project is to be built, as well as the requirements for managing the assets. This includes the reimbursement structure of the development and City expectations of development partners. This project requires complicated legal agreements between many entities. Ultimately, one day, residents can look upon this scaled development as an "I remember when this was just an old strip center" and look at it NOW!

Question: Jon, what's the next step in your career?

Working for Tipp City has been a tremendous honor. At this time, I am at the pinnacle of legal practice within the City. I look forward to many more years of service in Tipp City.

Question: Can you tell us about your personal life, as much as you want to share? Where were you born and where did you grow up? Where did you go to high school? College?

I was born at Good Sam Hospital in Dayton in 1968. I have a twin sister Laura who lives with her family in New Albany, Ohio. She and I always laugh about why she earned a degree in architecture and I the law. The vocations are so different. I also have an older sister Lisa who is a pulmonary physician. She and her family live in Chicago. My 87-year-old mother lives south of Dayton and is a major UD fan!!! She rarely misses home games. She will gladly tell you about her days as a professor at UD and as a Registered Dietician. So, we are happily not that far from each other.

I grew up on the North Side of Dayton, where my dad (now deceased) had his oral surgery practice. My favorite memories with my dad involved him taking me to hockey practice at Hara Arena. The steam would rise from his coffee cup on those bitter cold 1970's winters! I still have my DAHA (Dayton Area Hockey Association) jacket. I spent my summers working on the fruit farm of Rick and Johnni Mumma. Nothing feels like a 10-hour day of laying irrigation pipe, picking melons and sweet corn, while driving tractors more than I would my car. Although I grew up a few miles from Tipp, I feel like part of the community.

When I was 14 and riding the school bus home, I met who would turn out to be my wife

- Heidi (also an attorney). We have a wonderful daughter who went to our same high school and has gone on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in biochemistry and a Master's in Public Health. Perhaps the biggest star in the Freeman house is our English Cream Golden Retriever, George.

Question: Is there anything in particular that has affected your perspective on life? 

My perspective on life was formed though those days playing sports, working on the farm, and watching how my dad treated his patients. Sometimes we lose sight of the details, but as Law Director, it is my job to watch them very carefully.

Thank you, Jon, for sharing details about yourself, your career, and your family. Readers, if you enjoy these “Person of the Week” features, please let us know—and send us suggestions! Know someone we should chat with, or someone who deserves recognition? Reach out to editor@tippgazette.com and we’ll add them to the list!