Ashley Varner: Appreciates what Iola has to offer

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Local News

August 1, 2019 - 10:42 AM

Ashley Varner

It took the 2016 presidential election to stir up Ashley Varner’s political juices.

“My friends really got me interested in politics then,” Varner said. “A lot of people were advocating running for local offices and making changes closer to home.”

That’s when Varner questioned her personal responsibility to sustaining a democracy.

Varner, 33, took the issue to heart, and filed for a seat on the Iola City Council.

Voters in Iola’s third ward will vote Tuesday in a primary election to choose between Varner, Josiah D’Albini, Kyle King and incumbent Kim Peterson.

The top two vote-getters will face off in the November general election.

 

VARNER works for the Resource Center for Independent Living as a specialist who works one-on-one with clients who cope with various disabilities.

“The focus it help them meet their goals,” she said, “anything from helping to fill out paperwork to losing weight. It’s a wide range of things.”

It’s also a highly fulfilling job, she said.

“The paperwork can get a little repetitive, but I love working with people,” she said.

Varner, a single mother of a 5-year-old daughter, also takes online classes at Washburn University, where she’s pursuing a degree in human services.

On top of that, she also serves on the board of directors of Humanity House.

It’s through that lens that Varner has grown to appreciate Iola and what it has to offer.

“We have a giving community,” she said. “I’ve been involved in lots of different fundraisers and charity events, and people always show up to help people. I’m amazed to see how much local businesses do to support these groups.”

One of her goals, Varner said, is to see those groups pursue ways to collaborate on different projects.

“All of these organizations have similar goals,” she said, “to make our community grow and be healthy.”

Varner confesses that before filing, her busy schedule prevented her from focusing on specific city issues.

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