Mr. Robin Engel was born in Neenah, Wisconsin in 1962. He is a graduate of St. Mary Central High School in Menasha, Wisconsin. Engel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He served as Student Government Senator and College Republican Chairman.
Engel was elected to his first term as Louisville Metro Council District 22 representative on November 5, 2002, re-elected to a second term on November 2, 2004 and ran this year unopposed for a third consecutive term. He represents the Fern Creek, Highview, J-Town and Buechel areas and City of Heritage Creek, marking the first time Metro Council members were elected to serve as public officials in the newly merged city/county government beginning January 6, 2003.
As a Council member, Engel served two consecutive years as the Republican Caucus Chair in 2006 and 2007. He currently serves as Chair of the Parks, Libraries, Zoo & Arts Committee, and is a member of the Appropriations/Finance Committee and Transportation/Public Works Committee. Engel also Chairs the State Funding Formula Work Group formed in 2003 to research inequities in various funding formulas and identify the unmet needs that could be filled by bringing Louisville tax dollars back to our community.
Engel’s background includes over 20 years of extensive experience in business, administration and sales. He previously served as Senior Sales Representative for the state of Kentucky and parts of Indiana for SCA Tissue (formerly Wisconsin Tissue and Georgia Pacific Tissue) in Menasha, Wisconsin. He was the two-time recipient of the 2002 and 2004 Elite Club Award. In 2006, the Fern Creek Lions Club honored Engel as the first recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year Award. In June, 2006, Engel served as a Kentucky World Trade Center representative in traveling to China as part of the Leadership Mission Conference with Jiujiang Sister City elected officials.
Engel’s active community involvement includes memberships with the Fern Creek Community Association and Chamber of Commerce, J-town Chamber of Commerce and Kentucky Right to Life Board of Directors. He is a member of the Fern Creek/Highview United Ministries Financial Task Force Committee. He served as Past President of the J-town/Hikes Point Republican Club, past member of the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee and Past President of the Old Fairgrounds Woods Homeowners Association. Engel previously served on the Jefferson County Merit Board as an appointee by Jefferson County Attorney Irv Maze. Additionally, Engel was previously appointed by Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson as the Metro Council representative serving two years on the Mayor’s Brightside/Anti-Litter Campaign Committee. Engel was recently appointed by the Louisville Metro Council President to serve as a Board member for the Louisville Zoo.
Engel is married to Dena Akers, a teacher. They have four children ages 6 to 16 yrs. old. They are members of St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Fern Creek where he previously served on the St. Gabriel Parish Council.