News : WHS 1976 alum Susan Judkins seeks to speak for others in Iowa House

Susan Judkins: Vinton native and 1976 WHS grad seeking Iowa House seat in Polk County area.

The members of the Washington High School Class of 1976 might be surprised to find out that one of their more shy classmates is now an outspoken leader in economic development and now a candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives.

Susan Judkins of Clive, the daughter of Keith and Kathie Ervin, has announced her candidacy for the Iowa House District 43 seat. She will be the ballot for the Democratic primary on June 5.

After leaving Vinton, Judkins attended Iowa State, received a BA in Business Management from Simpson College and an MBA from the University of Iowa.

"I remain very proud of my hometown of Vinton, and enjoy returning to visit my parents and brother Bill's family. Things look very different since the flood of 2008 and the windstorm of 2011, but I remember when we lost elm trees throughout the community when I was a young girl and just like then, I can see Vinton proving its resilience," she says.

Judkins currently works as a community development specialist with MSA Professional Services, an engineering and consulting firm with offices in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. She recently served as Intergovernmental Affairs Director for the Rebuild Iowa Office. She previously helped to finance community projects as Vice President of Piper Jaffray, advocated for the Iowa League of Cities, helped launch the Vision Iowa program for the Iowa Department of Economic Development, and was Executive Director of the Warren County Economic Development Corporation.
Judkins is married to Bob Josten, an attorney at Dorsey & Whitney. Adult children include Erin, a medical doctor; Whitney, an attorney; and Jennifer, a Ph.D. candidate at Yale University.
"Many classmates from the class of 1976 will remember me as being very shy," she said. "I found my voice in speaking for others: first my children, and later, my community. As my career progressed, a wise mentor recommended that I redefine 'community' for myself to mean the entire state. Having done so has brought some wonderful experiences into my life."

A little more about Susan Judkins….

Q. Tell us about your favorite chair:

A. I still have the rocking chair used by my mother, and by me, to rock our babies.

Q. Funniest memory as a parent:

A. I brought my daughter, Whitney, to the Easter egg hunt in Vinton. She was toddling toward an egg when an older boy started running toward it. Whitney's grandma, Kathie Ervin, fended him off with her purse so Whitney had time to pick up the egg. Now Whitney protects the rights of others as a civil rights attorney.

Q. Best fast food sandwich ever?

A. Breakfast sandwiches! I wish they were available all day.

Q. What was your first job?

A. A Cedar Rapids Gazette newspaper delivery route on the east side of Vinton.

Q. One place in the world you really, really wish you could visit?

A. Right now my favorite destination is Cincinnati, where my daughter Erin is in the first year of her medical residency as an MD with the University of Cincinnati.

Q. First pet you remember?

A. My parents got a kitten when I was about two years old that I named "Cookie," apparently my favorite word.

Q. Who was your favorite teacher, and why?

A. I had so many favorite teachers throughout my K-12 years in Vinton, but I have a special memory of Elmo Baxter choosing me and several others in my high school class to travel to Des Moines to visit the Capitol.

Q. Tell us about a favorite Christmas present you have received:

A. When my brother, Bill, was very young, he gave me a pin with bright red jewels to wear with a favorite purple velveteen dress. I still have that pin.

Q. What is your favorite big word?

A. Exquisite -- it's not necessarily a big word, but it has some big meanings.

Q. Tell us about one of your pet peeves?

A. Traffic lights that aren't synchronized.

Q. What book or author you have not read, but should?

A. Tracy Kidder, who will be speaking in Des Moines in a few weeks. I just checked out his book, "Among Schoolchildren," from the library.

Q. Iowa or Iowa State (or other)?

A. I attended Iowa State, received a BA in Business Management from Simpson College and an MBA from the University of Iowa. I have tapped into the expertise available through UNI, Drake, and many other higher education institutions throughout my career. We are fortunate to have them all!

Q. Was there something your parents said to you, over and over that you said to yourself, "I will never say that to my kids?"

A. Not really -- but I remember my grandmother and mother saying I should try something "for the sake of science," and my daughters now get a kick out of copying me in saying that, too.

Q. What is your dream car?

A. Buick or GMC, of course! We recently bought a Buick Verano and it's a wonderful car.

Q. Fill in the blank: In a perfect winter, it would snow…..in the yard, not on the streets or driveways.

Q. Name your favorite:

Comic strip: Dilbert

Candy bar: Twix

Ice cream: Butter Brickle

Color: Blue

Sports team: Manhattan College Women's Volleyball Team (at least while my daughter was playing there!)

Movie: Sound of Music

Song: My Favorite Things

Poem: The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-taken/)

Planet: Earth

What are the most significant issues facing Vinton and other area cities this year?

A. Vinton had back-to-back weather disasters in 2008 and 2011, and like all communities in the Cedar River watershed, faces the risk that it could happen again while rebuilding is still underway. Maintaining the quality of life can be a challenge with dwindling resources, but Vinton's community leaders have been proactive in promoting economic opportunity for businesses and fun community activities like Boomtown.

Below is the official press release announcing's Judkins' candidacy:

Susan Judkins of Clive announced that she will run for the Iowa House in the new District 43 seat, which includes Polk County sections of Clive, Windsor Heightsand West Des Moines.

Judkins has spent her professional career promoting economic opportunity for Iowans and communities. She currently works as a community development specialist with MSA Professional Services, an engineering and consulting firm with offices in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsinand Illinois.

Judkins recently served as Intergovernmental Affairs Director for the Rebuild Iowa Office, promoting policies to assist in rebuilding from the weather disasters of 2008. She previously helped to finance community projects as Vice President of Piper Jaffray, advocated for the Iowa League of Cities, launched the Vision Iowa program with the Iowa Department of Economic Development, and was Executive Director of the Warren County Economic Development Corporation.

“I’ve spent my career working to improve Iowa’s economy and build strong communities, from my home town of Vintonwhere my family owns a small business to Iowa's capital,” said Judkins, a Democrat. “I’ve worked with legislators on both sides of the aisle and I will be a moderate voice in the Iowa House working to build consensus on the important issues our state faces today.”

Judkins has been a leader in numerous community organizations, including current board service with the Iowa International Center, Center on Sustainable Communities, StageWest Theater and the Riverfront YMCA. She has promoted education and leadership development for youth and adults through service on the Indianola School Board, chairing the Leadership Iowa Board of Governors, founding the Warren County Leadership Institute, and teaching Junior Achievement. She is active in the Rotary Club of Des Moines and is a member of First United Methodist Church of Des Moines. She has a BA in Business Management from Simpson College and an MBA from the University of Iowa.