Are you from Iowa originally?

Absolutely. I’m originally from a small town called Blockton. Most people have never heard of it; it’s in Taylor County in southwest Iowa, south of Highway 2. I went to school in Bedford and graduated from Bedford High School. Then I went to Indianola and graduated from Simpson College. So I am a very proud Iowan.

What was your first job?

My parents owned a restaurant for almost 25 years. I worked there from the time I was little; I think as soon as I could carry a dish, I was supposed to be doing that. It was great; I learned a lot about the value of a dollar and hard work.

How did you become interested in government policy work?

I’ve always had an interest in government policy since I was little. I remember actually going to the voting booth with my parents when I was very young. My parents were very apolitical; they really didn’t like politicians, so it kind of piqued my interest even more about it and made me want to get involved. One of my best friends growing up, her grandpa was a county supervisor, so I helped with that election. I have always been interested in the policy part of politics.

How did you get started?

In my senior year in college, I interned for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley at his Des Moines office, and I really enjoyed it; I learned a lot about some of the constituent and federal policy issues in Iowa. Then I had the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C., and work for an agribusiness lobbying firm. So I graduated from college and five days later I was on a plane. … I had no idea who my roommate was going to be or where I was going to live. I worked there for a year and a half.

What do you feel were some of your most significant accomplishments with ABI?

I think one thing at ABI is that I really enjoyed doing the social media part of it and getting the association’s name out there statewide and at the Capitol. I also did a lot of the environmental policy work and really helped businesses to overcome burdensome regulations or helped educate regulators what the impact of those regulations would be on business and what it would mean for jobs in Iowa.

What are some of your goals?

One of my goals at ITA is to increase the visibility statewide of the organization and have people recognize ITA as a business policy resource for tax policy, accountable government or accountable budgeting. One way to increase visibility is to reach out to different audiences. ITA now has a LinkedIn group, and several members have joined that group and really use it as an opportunity to network with others. We also have a Twitter account (@iowataxpayers); we update members and nonmembers about events coming up and issues we expect to see in the Legislature.

What are some key issues the Iowa Taxpayers Association will be following this session?

Obviously, right now property tax reform is a hot topic, and that is one area we’ll be following closely – the commercial and industrial property tax reform proposals from both the Senate and the House and the governor’s office – reviewing those and seeing what would be best for sound fiscal policy in Iowa. And also ensuring that we can continue to have tax credits that result in investments in the state and investments in jobs in Iowa, keeping people here in Iowa rather than having them leave for other states.

What’s new with ITA?

We’ll be moving (from Ankeny) to 705 E. Second St., effective Jan. 1. Our members have said that it’s important to them to be close to the Capitol and that we’re in a visible location. This location in the East Village is very close to where it used to be housed.

We hear you’re planning for another big event soon.

On Feb. 4, I’ll be getting married. My fiance is a Web developer and graphic designer for Spinutech (Inc.) in West Des Moines. Changing jobs and getting married in the same year is a tall order. I do like to be very busy, and I think I’ve bitten off just enough for a while.