Letter: Jan Heikes is a problem solver

Jan Heikes will make an effective state Senator in District 28 in Northeast Iowa. Here's why:

I first got to know Heikes almost 20 years ago when she was mental health and developmental disabilities (MH/DD) manager for Winneshiek and Allamakee counties. I had a similar job in Iowa City and we worked together at regional and state meetings.

She became the unofficial leader of this group of county MH/DD officials. We were grappling with complex issues of state and county funding and advocacy for people with disabilities. She would listen to our sometimes heated debates and then would calmly make a suggestion that we hadn't thought of - a suggestion that got us thinking in a fresh way. She would bring us back together to craft an effective solution that worked for all of our clients and all of the counties.

People listened when she spoke. She used this effective style of common-sense problem solving repeatedly in working with boards of supervisors and agencies in Northeast Iowa over the years.

Her remarkable ability to unite contending factions behind effective solutions that work for the common good is sorely needed in our legislature where partisan gridlock is all too frequent.

She is a professional social worker who has dedicated her life to helping others, to building stronger families and communities. She will bring a breath of fresh air to the political debates in Des Moines.

Craig Mosher

Decorah