Legislator Profile: Representative Kathy Swan (R-Cape Girardeau)

Thank you to the University of Missouri for the nice profile!

http://www.umsystem.edu/newscentral/legislative-update/

Legislator Profile: Representative Kathy Swan (R-Cape Girardeau)

It is said that nobody knows a district better than those elected to serve it. For Representative Kathy Swan (R-Cape Girardeau), her contributions to education in her district give her a unique perspective. She helped create the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education which aims to provide more access to post-secondary education through a collaboration between Southeast Missouri State University, Mineral Area College, Three Rivers College, and Cape Public Schools. Prior to her service as a legislator, she contributed 23 years of advocacy for education through her work as a member of the local school board, city council, and the state Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE).

A graduate of Southeast Missouri State with an A.A. in Nursing and a B.S.N., Swan has received numerous awards for her contributions to education. She considers her experience on the CBHE the best preparation for her role as a legislator.

"We had to establish relationships across the state and involve the appropriate parties with any decision regarding the Department of Education," she said. "Looking back at our ability to bring everyone together, compromise, and form solutions, I would say that was the best training I could have received for this job."

Swan is a go-to legislator on education and uses her experience to shape future education policy in Missouri.

"We have to remove the barriers to education so that students are healthy, their educational needs are being met, and that we are giving them the opportunities to help them succeed," she said. "Finally, we need to supply the workforce for the jobs in Missouri. We cannot have drop-off points."