Representative Janet Petersen is running for her fifth term in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing the people of northwest Des Moines. She is currently the Chairwoman of the House Commerce Committee and also serves on the Economic Development, Human Resources and Administration and Rules Committees.
Born in Beaverdale, Janet grew up learning about public service through her mother’s passionate commitment to community issues.
After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa with a B.A. in communications/public relations in 1992, Janet returned to Des Moines to work on the Clinton Gore campaign. She went on to work at the American Heart Association, increasing Iowans’ awareness of health care issues and lobbying for tobacco control measures.
In 1996, Janet joined Strategic America, a marketing communications firm in West Des Moines. As a senior public relations account executive, she provided marketing and communications counseling to nonprofits, for-profits and government agencies.
In 1999, Janet earned an M.A. in integrated communications from Drake University. Janet now works from home as a marketing communications consultant and stay-at-home mom.
In addition to a busy home life, Janet devotes a great deal of her time to community service. For more than 15 years she has been a “big sister” for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Des Moines Arts Festival and Small Business Development Centers.
During her tenure in the Iowa House, Janet served as the lead Democrat on the Work Group charged with creating the Iowa Values Fund Work Group. She also served as an ex officio member of the Iowa Values Fund Board of Directors. In 2004, Janet proclaimed a goal of making Iowa the safest place in the nation to have a baby after losing her own daughter, Grace, to an umbilical cord complication. That year, she helped Iowa launch its stillbirth registry project which has brought nearly $1 million in research funding to our state to help find the causes and cures for stillbirths, which cause more than 26,000 deaths in the United States each year.
As a mother of young children, Janet has fought for a better child care system and access to quality preschool for Iowa families. She believes a solid education is the key to a successful future. In 2005, she sponsored legislation called the 21st Century Scholars program, that would help more Iowa families be able to afford the costs associated with college. Janet is also an advocate for clean indoor air and protecting workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. She has initiated legislation for smokefree bars and restaurants in Iowa.
Janet has made her home in the district for fifteen years. She is married to Ames native Brian Pattinson, and together they have 3 children.