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About the Governor

Governor Kim Reynolds Seated at Desk Governor Kim Reynolds is the 43 rd governor of Iowa and has the distinction of being the first woman elected to the state’s highest office in November 2018.

Governor Reynolds has a long-standing record of public service, having served four terms as Clarke County Treasurer before being elected to the Iowa Senate in November 2008. Two years later, as running mate of former Governor Terry Branstad, she was elected Lieutenant Governor and served nearly two terms before succeeding Branstad as Governor of Iowa in May 2017, when he left office to become United States Ambassador to China.

Governor Reynolds is proud of her Iowa roots. A small-town, rural Iowa girl at heart, she grew up in Madison County, graduated from Interstate 35 Community Schools in 1977, married her husband Kevin Reynolds in 1982, worked and raised three daughters, and completed her bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in 2016 while serving as Lieutenant Governor. The Reynolds’ cherish spending time together as a family with their daughters, sons-in-law, and 11 grandchildren… all who live nearby in central Iowa.

Governor Reynolds’ strong conservative values are reflected in her priorities for Iowa:

1. Cutting taxes for all Iowans
2. Making Iowa an employment destination
3. Improving access to child care
4. Building Iowa’s health care workforce
5. Preparing students for high-demand careers
6. Providing educational choice and transparency for Iowa families
7. Growing renewable fuels

Under her leadership, Iowans have benefitted from:

1. The largest tax cut in state history and continued tax reform
2. Record investments in public education year-over-year
3. Increased access to behavioral and mental health care, including the creation of Iowa’s first Children’s Mental Health System
4. Aggressive workforce policy initiatives that will ensure 70 percent of Iowans achieve training or education beyond high school by 2025

Governor Reynolds is also respected nationally for her leadership on important issues ranging from education to economic growth, and has held a number of positions at the regional and national levels:

1. Republican Governors Association, Vice Chair
2. Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), Vice Chair
3. Education Commission of the States, Chair
4. American Workforce Policy Advisory Board Member during the Trump Administration
5. Governors Biofuels Coalition, Previous Chair
6. Midwest Governors Association, Previous Chair

About the First Gentleman

Kevin Reynolds was born in Osceola, Iowa, and grew up on a 500-acre family farm in southern Warren County. His father, Burdette, was a paratrooper during the Korean War. His mother, Ramona, raised their six children and was a passionate gardener. During his childhood, Kevin developed a life-long passion for the outdoors. In his high school years, he met Kim Strawn, who would later become his wife.

Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in Agronomy. His first job was with the County of Pottawattamie in soil and water conservation. He was a County Resource Planner. Kevin went on to work at the U.S. Department of Agriculture first as a Soil Conservationist and later as a District Conservationist. His career responsibilities took him to Mount Pleasant and Leon, Iowa. After 36 years of service, he retired in March 2017.

He made history in his state as First Gentleman when his wife, Kim Reynolds, became Governor of Iowa. In his new role, Kevin is keenly focused on preserving and enhancing Terrace Hill (the Governor’s Mansion) for future generations of Iowans to enjoy.

As an avid outdoorsman, Kevin also continues to deeply care about soil health and water quality. As First Gentleman, he is actively engaged in educating Iowans of all ages about the state’s many treasured natural resources.

Kevin and his wife, Kim, married on April 3, 1982. Their three daughters (Jennifer, Nicole and Jessica) are happily married. The Reynolds family has 11 grandchildren.