Candidate for Kansas Senate - District 17

About

I am a fifth generation Kansan and have lived in North Lyon County for nearly 25 years.  I grew up in El Dorado and graduated from the El Dorado public school system.  Growing up as a child of divorced parents, I am very proud that my husband and I were able to hold our family together through many difficult times.  Even though Kenny has been a skilled carpenter in the Emporia area for over thirty years, we raised our family for sixteen of those years without health insurance.  At the same time, we sacrificed so that I could complete my degree at Emporia State University as a non-traditional student with two very young children, three part-time jobs, and a heavy load of grants, scholarships and subsidized loans.  I graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.    

 My work experience centers around a commitment to developing and sustaining rural community resources.  I began with a term on the North Lyon County School Board which led to my interest in creating a licensed child care center for families in our rural area.  The North Lyon County Youth Association was a grassroots effort which led to nearly $500,000 in funding for a new child care center and community center.  When there were no employment opportunities that would allow me the flexibility to be at important events in my children’s life, I created Sazac; a home-based business that designed and produced custom team uniforms for wrestlers across the nation.  As the children became more independent, I got involved in improving healthcare quality at Newman Regional Health.  I measured and compared statistics on patient satisfaction and patient outcomes to support performance improvement team efforts throughout the hospital.  In 2006, I had the opportunity to manage some of the most innovative programs for youth leadership development in the nation.  Through the Girl Scout Council of the Flint Hills, I piloted projects in anti-violence, anti-bullying, social entrepreneurship for teens, changing attitudes and behaviors related to healthier lifestyles, and bridging gaps and building leadership skills in girls who are from families of recent immigration.   I continue to volunteer with another youth leadership development program, the Chase County Drug-Free Action Team.     

 My husband, Ken, and I have been married for over twenty eight years.  He is the Construction Coordinator for Newman Regional Health.  Our daughter, Sabra, is a Kansas State University graduate with a degree in Family Life and Community Service.  She is a Circulation Manager at the Barr Library in Fort Knox, Kentucky.  Her husband, Travis, is a Sergeant First Class with the United States Army.  He is currently a Senior Tank Instructor at Fort Knox, and has served tours in Korea, Iraq and Bosnia.  Our son, Zachary, graduated through the GED program and is a driller with an oilfield company based in Eureka.  He lives in Emporia.

 My mother, Miny Swigart, lives in El Dorado and cares for one-year-olds at Butler County Community College Educare.  Ken’s mother, Geneva Phillips, lives in Broadview Towers in downtown Emporia.