Marquis Who's Who Millennium Magazine

151 A Marquis Who's Who Magazine W hile the national election ushered a new president into the executive mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave inWashington, D.C., in Iowa Ruth Ann Gaines secured a victory as the Democratic incumbent in her race against two opponents. Now serving in her fourth term as the representative for Iowa’s House District 32, Ms. Gaines is also an educator and lifelong community activist who has created several programs aimed at encouraging economic and social progression for her constituents. Born and raised in Des Moines, Ms. Gaines received a BA in drama and speech from Clarke University and an MA in dramatic art from UC Santa Barbara. As a drama and speech teacher at the high school and collegiate levels, she helped scores of students share their talents with the world for 40 years, and she has taught diversity courses for educators through the Heartland Area Education Agency since 1979. In 2011, Ms. Gaines was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, where she currently serves on the education, veteran’s affairs, public safety and human resources committees and is a ranking member of the government oversight committee. Running on a platform that included increasing state school funding, raising the minimum wage, and investigating the privatization of Medicare, she recently defeated her contenders by an overwhelming margin of 40 percent. Ms. Gaines has always answered the call to public service with passion and aplomb, never forgetting to reach back and lift as she climbs. She created an initiative within the Des Moines Public Schools system called Sisters for Success, a mentorship program for African-American young women in middle and high school. With her background in the arts, it’s no surprise that she also established Voices of Change, a traveling troupe performing skits on diversity throughout the Midwest, and directed a 32-episode radio program aimed at reducing teen pregnancies. In recognition of her exemplary public service, Ms. Gaines was named Teacher of the Year five times and received a plethora of other accolades, including the University of Iowa’s Phyllis M. Yeager Commitment to Diversity Award, the Iowa Character Counts Award, and the Martin Luther King Junior Lifetime Achievement Award. Ruth Ann Gaines State Legislator Iowa House of Representatives Des Moines, IA