Rep. Douglas Gutwein was born and raised in Francesville. After high school, he served in the United States Army for 3 years in both Frankfort, Germany and Vietnam. After his service, he was a city mail carrier in both Valparaiso and southern California.

He returned to Francesville in 1979 to run his brother's company, which he then bought several years later.

In 1991, Rep. Gutwein was asked to sit on the Francesville town board. He was voted president of the town board in 1992. Among the things the board accomplished were reform of zoning laws, a sewer system, a grant which doubled the size of our public library and the procurement of funding through the Build Indiana program. With those funds, the board was able to add on to the town hall, which increased space for town hall offices, the police department, the water and sewer department, the town trustee, the fire department and ambulance drivers' living quarters.

Rep. Gutwein is a member of the American Legion.

He has been married to his wife, Mary Lew, for 29 years. They have two children and one grandchild.