Karen Bolluyt is running for the Democratic nomination in Senate District 23. I believe she would be an outstanding Iowa senator. Let me tell you why.

I was hired by Karen in 1995 as a communications specialist for the ISU College of Agriculture. I could tell in my very first interview with her that Karen is a person who cares about others. And as I worked with her for the next six years, I learned she’s passionate about lots of things – about family, about Iowa, about education, about the environment, about agriculture, about doing the very best job she can at whatever she’s tackling at the moment.

In a previous communications job, I spent many days in the State Capitol rotunda, watching and reporting on the political maneuverings that take place there. It’s a place where big egos are common, and where often people care more about getting their name and face in the media than they do about helping Iowans.

But that’s not the type of senator Karen would be. She isn’t someone who cares about getting credit for something she’s done. In fact, she often takes the back seat when she should step in to the limelight. She’s more concerned about treating people well, about building long-term relationships, about sticking to what she believes in, about setting and attaining goals.

Some people are saying Karen lacks political experience. But I believe her life experiences are much more important than political experience. In her position at Iowa State, she worked with a broad range of agricultural, rural development and natural resource groups. She was as at ease with top university administrators as she was with students. She was as competent at chairing a meeting with dozens of faculty members as she was hosting a small reception for a retiring member of her staff.

Before joining Iowa State, she was a teacher in three Iowa schools. She worked in Kenya as a Peace Corps volunteer. She and her husband Jim raised three great children. She’s been active in her church, in civic activities, in her homeowner’s association and in the Democratic Party. All these years of experience in many things and with many people will be invaluable to her in the Iowa Senate.

Karen Bolluyt is not the candidate in this primary with the most political experience, but in my book, that’s a good thing.

Susan Thompson

Ames