`The first thing (people) might see about Jan Clark is that she is female and that she's black, and then she's Jan Clark."

"I would love for people to get to the point where they see Jan Clark, who also happens to be female and black," said Clark, who is human resources director at American Cablevision.

Clark doesn't encounter prejudice as much today compared to the past. When she does, she tries to take it in stride and avoid confrontation.

"If someone is surprised that I am a female and African-American and am director of human resources, I think it would be very inappropriate for me to say, `Oh, were you expecting to meet a man or were you expecting someone white?' " she said.

"(Rather), I acknowledge it, continue with the conversation, and treat them as I would want to be treated."

Besides her work at American Cablevision, she volunteers her time and effort for numerous groups that work to promote the black community and interracial understanding. They include the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, King Park Area Development Corp., Project COURAGE task force on youth gangs, as well as the Vision Indianapolis Tomorrow Task Force.

"I've had a hard time saying no. I volunteer a lot of my time," she acknowledged.

"I am challenged by new and different things. . . . I get excited and motivated by doing something new and meeting new people."

She's also president of the Indianpolis Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, which advocates for African-American women, African-American families, African-American youth and their communities.

"When I'm not at meetings, I like to watch TV. I enjoy working at a place where it's important that I watch TV," she said.