Gretchen Lawyer
For State Representative
Meet Gretchen
Gretchen grew up on an Illinois family farm with her parents and two brothers. Her father worked third shift at a local factory in addition to farming and her mother was a teacher. Gretchen graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Bilingual/Bicultural Education from Western Illinois University in 1996. During college she ran cross-country and track and was president of the bilingual education student organization.
In 1995, she married her husband Nick. Nick is an owner of Vision Works, which specializes in writing computer software for non-for-profit child and family service agencies. Nick and Gretchen have lived in Marion for nearly 12 years and have two daughters, ages ten and five.
Gretchen moved to Iowa in 1996 Gretchen to teach English as a Second Language in the Iowa City Community Schools. The following year, she became a third grade teacher in the Cedar Rapids Community Schools. There Gretchen was a passionate advocate for integrating technology into the classroom. She helped author four grants that brought more than $150,000 in technology funding for her school. Her interest in educational technology led her to complete a Master of Arts in Education Degree, specializing in instructional technology, at the University of Northern Iowa in 2007.
After the arrival of her second child in 2002, Gretchen took a leave from teaching to stay home with her two young children and to find additional ways to serve her community. She volunteers in her children’s’ schools and at First United Methodist Church, and serves on the board of the Cedar Valley Running Association. She also volunteers in the classroom and as a member of the Marion Schools’ parent groups. She is an avid runner, having completed four marathons. She enjoys taking her children to the Indian Creek Nature Center, library programs and other cultural events in the area.
Gretchen comes from a working class family that values family, faith, and community. She will use her experience as a teacher to improve our schools and to make sure students are prepared for the jobs of the future. As the wife of a small business owner, Gretchen will help small businesses succeed by cutting red tape, lowering the cost of health care for small businesses and employees and working to bring more high-tech, well-paying jobs to our area. Gretchen takes a “big picture” approach to solving problems, listening to the community and leading efforts to make Iowa a better place for all of us.
