Kelly Simmons

Kelly Simmons was born and raised in Ames and has lived in Iowa most of her life, with the exception of her time serving active-duty in the US Navy. She holds a BLS with a Psychology minor from Iowa State University, and a Master in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University. Kelly is also a current doctoral student at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, studying Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Kelly serves on the Southeast Polk School Board and is the former Vice-Chair of the Greater Des Moines Sister Cities Commission. With a long career in public service, she is passionate about advocacy for disability services, special education, and mental health. Kelly is the mother of special needs children and advocates for education, resources, and services for special needs students and their families.