as part of a tight-knit small North Iowa community. There, I learned the value of hard work and resilience, and the beauty of living in a place where people help each other in times of need.
Later,
I got my Associates Degree at NIACC
where I learned first hand that community colleges are essential to training and retraining individuals for the good-paying jobs that exist in North Iowa. Later in life, I went back to school to get my Bachelors Degree at the Buena Vista University campus in Mason City.
I have
gone on to lead
Mason City Meals on Wheels and the Community Kitchen of North Iowa, which are two non-profits that serve North Iowans in need.
I have
also served
as State Senator because I know that people across our state are experiencing many of the same challenges as North Iowans. By working together, we can build solutions to problems that affect all Iowans, as we did in expanding healthcare to thousands of Iowans who did not previously have access to it.
I am fortunate
to be married to Jim Ragan, a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel. I have two grown children, Edie and Charlie, and I am blessed they have remained in Iowa to raise my four grandchildren.
