QUESTIONS
Experience: What work, education and public service experiences will make you a good legtislator?
Important legislation: Elaborate on legislation from the past two sessions that was important to your district.
Priorities: What are your priorities for the next session?
Workforce: Growing Iowa’s workforce is a key goal of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. What legislative action do you support to bring more workers to Iowa?
Presidential pick: Do you support your political party’s presidential nominee?
Experience
I started a 37-year UPS career in an entry level position, then worked as a delivery driver for six years. During this time, I was elected UPS Center Union Steward in West Burlington, representing workers’ concerns and grievances.
In 1986 I was promoted to management and transferred to Mason City, Iowa. Over the next 28 years, I advanced to Staff Level Manager and Director of Human Resources with assignments in Nevada, Alabama and the UPS Corporate Office in Atlanta, Georgia.
Throughout my UPS career, I developed the skills to manage department budgets and work with cross functional departments to ensure business success. I was able to work with people at all levels of the organization and helped give individuals the opportunity to reach their maximum potential. I completed a bachelor’s degree in business management while I was employed. Following my retirement in 2014, I served in a contractual role during the UPS peak season for seven years.
Since retiring, I’ve been an active volunteer with the Burlington Capitol Theater, as Director of Live Programming, and I’m currently serving my third term on the Theater board. Working with a dedicated group of volunteers, the theater is well positioned for long-term success and is a point of pride within the community.
I’m confident that my broad range of work experience combined with the success of my volunteer efforts will serve me well in being a successful legislator.
Important legislation
HF 68, the Students First Act, allows about $7,598 of tuition per student to attend private school. Most citizens are concerned with the strain on the public-school budgets that will result.
HF 2612, the AEA Act which changes funding and structure of Iowa’s AEAs. This legislation has the potential of adversely impacting rural schools district and communities of District 95 and the people of Iowa overall.
HF 732, commonly referred to as the Heartbeat Bill. A majority of Iowans favor legal abortion to protect the health and safety of the woman.
Priorities
I would make every effort to work across the aisle in correcting legislation that is not beneficial to District 95 and passing legislation that makes Iowa a more inviting state, with education, good health and quality of life our priorities.
Workforce
Iowa must become a more inviting host and stop passing legislation that is threatening to immigrants that enter our country legally. Having favorable tax legislation may provide relief, but must be balanced with the loss of services such as libraries. Affordable childcare is not available to young families and that issue must be addressed.
Presidential pick
I do support candidate Kamala Harris for President of the United States. The country has benefited from an increase in the creation of new job opportunities, Inflation has begun to level and it’s time for turning a new chapter in the leadership of our country.
Experience
My prior experience working in the Governor’s office prepared me to navigate the legislative process on day one of taking office, but my hand in managing our family farm operation gives me the insight to understand what farmers and business owners are facing in today’s economy.
Important legislation
Throughout the 90th General Assembly we passed many pieces of legislation to uplift all Iowans:
Raised beginning teacher pay to the 5th highest in the nation.
Delivered significant income tax relief by speeding up the implementation of the flat tax and lowering the rate to 3.8% in 2025.
Continued to fund financial assistance programs for health care professionals who stay in Iowa and serve communities in need.
Supported law enforcement with additional investment in the Department of Public Safety and Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, and with policies such as covering costs for peace officers moving to Iowa and ensuring a person cannot receive bail for the murder of a police or corrections officer.
Protected Religious Freedom by passing the religious freedom restoration act.
Priorities
The top priority for any legislator every session should be to maintain a balanced budget. It’s not the state’s money, but the taxpayers, and we need to make sure it’s spent responsibly. Some other priorities for this next session for me will be reducing Iowans property tax burden, ensuring the reliability of Iowa’s electrical grid, increasing our healthcare workforce, and continuing to reform Iowa’s higher education system.
Workforce
Making Iowa an attractive place for workers to relocate to requires us to create an environment where Iowa is not only a great place to work, but also raise a family. In Iowa, we’ve been successful in providing relief to Iowans and Americans who seek a lower tax future in moving Iowa from one of the highest income tax states in the country, to one of the lowest.
Another challenge in bringing more workers to Iowa is simply the housing for those workers. The legislature has worked extremely hard at building out our housing stock throughout the state by continuing to invest in programs like the workforce housing tax credit.
As Minnesota and Illinois continue to go off the rails, we also have the opportunity to bring more young people to Iowa from those neighboring states by attracting them to one of our affordable community colleges or regent universities. While our costs are lower compared to those surrounding states, we need to continue to advance legislation to keep these institutions affordable and mission focused. We cannot afford for our institutions of higher education to become distracted with political ideologies rather than focusing on affordability and academic rigor.
Presidential pick
Yes. Four years ago we didn’t have rampant inflation, a wide open border, and chaos on the world stage. I will without a doubt be supporting President Trump.