Liz Mathis
Encyclopedia
Liz Mathis is an American state legislator and nonprofit executive from Iowa
, as well as a former news anchor, television producer, and college professor. She won a November 2011 special election to the Iowa Senate
, to represent District 18 as a Democratic
state senator. A former anchor for Iowa stations KWWL and KCRG-TV
, she is currently chief information officer
for a child welfare and juvenile justice agency, Four Oaks.
, and raised with her sisters Mary and Trudy. Her mother, Mary Eleanor Rumann, was a schoolteacher and nurse who served in World War II
. Her father, James Edward Rumann, was a farmer and school board member who also served in the war. Mathis received her bachelor's degree in 1980 from the University of Iowa
, where she double-majored in communication and theater arts and in journalism. To put herself through college, she worked weekends as a production assistant at WMT-TV (now KGAN).
After graduating, she joined KWWL as a reporter and anchor, doing "a little bit of everything" from their newly opened Cedar Rapids
bureau. Soon after joining the station, she moved to Waterloo
to become an evening co-anchor alongside Ron Steele
at the age of 23. Taking a break from broadcasting, in August 1996 she joined the faculty of Wartburg College
in Waverly, Iowa
, where she taught electronic media. In 1998 she became a news anchor, reporter and producer at KCRG-TV
, where she remained for nine years. In July 2007, she retired from broadcasting to become vice president for community relations for Horizons—A Family Service Alliance, a non-profit counseling and assistance agency in Cedar Rapids. She later became chief information officer
for a child welfare and juvenile justice agency, Four Oaks.
Mathis was nominated in September 2011 by the Iowa Democratic Party to run for the state senate seat vacated by Democrat Swati Dandekar
. Mathis faced Republican
candidate Cindy Golding in a special election held on November 8, 2011. The election was politically significant for the state, as the Republican Party controls the Iowa governorship and General Assembly
, and the Democrats stood to lose their one-seat majority in the state Senate. The most nationally prominent issue of the race was same-sex marriage
, although Mathis preferred to focus on economic issues in the campaign. Mathis won the election by 56 to 44 percent and was sworn in on November 21, 2011.
She is married to Mark Mathis III, who owns the advertising agency ME&V. They live outside the city of Robins
, and have two children, Mark IV and Mary Fran. Mathis has also taught part-time at the University of Iowa
's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and remains a member of the Wartburg Board of Regents.
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, as well as a former news anchor, television producer, and college professor. She won a November 2011 special election to the Iowa Senate
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
, to represent District 18 as a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
state senator. A former anchor for Iowa stations KWWL and KCRG-TV
KCRG-TV
KCRG-TV, channel 9, is a television station, operating as the ABC affiliate for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area, and the nearby cities of Waterloo, Iowa City and Dubuque....
, she is currently chief information officer
Chief information officer
Chief information officer , or information technology director, is a job title commonly given to the most senior executive in an enterprise responsible for the information technology and computer systems that support enterprise goals...
for a child welfare and juvenile justice agency, Four Oaks.
Biography
Mathis was born on a farm in rural DeWitt, IowaDeWitt, Iowa
DeWitt is a city in Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,049 at the 2000 census. DeWitt was named after DeWitt Clinton , an early American politician who served as United States Senator and 7th Governor of New York.-Geography:...
, and raised with her sisters Mary and Trudy. Her mother, Mary Eleanor Rumann, was a schoolteacher and nurse who served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Her father, James Edward Rumann, was a farmer and school board member who also served in the war. Mathis received her bachelor's degree in 1980 from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, where she double-majored in communication and theater arts and in journalism. To put herself through college, she worked weekends as a production assistant at WMT-TV (now KGAN).
After graduating, she joined KWWL as a reporter and anchor, doing "a little bit of everything" from their newly opened Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
bureau. Soon after joining the station, she moved to Waterloo
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
to become an evening co-anchor alongside Ron Steele
Ron Steele
Ron Steele is an American local news anchor at KWWL in Waterloo, Iowa. He has been at KWWL since 1974. He started as the sports director. He is Iowa's longest sitting anchor. KWWL-TV is the NBC affiliate for the Cedar Rapids/Waterloo/Iowa City/Dubuque television market. Ron continues to compete...
at the age of 23. Taking a break from broadcasting, in August 1996 she joined the faculty of Wartburg College
Wartburg College
Wartburg College is a selective four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Waverly, Iowa. Wartburg West is in Denver, Colorado....
in Waverly, Iowa
Waverly, Iowa
Waverly is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bremer County and is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, where she taught electronic media. In 1998 she became a news anchor, reporter and producer at KCRG-TV
KCRG-TV
KCRG-TV, channel 9, is a television station, operating as the ABC affiliate for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area, and the nearby cities of Waterloo, Iowa City and Dubuque....
, where she remained for nine years. In July 2007, she retired from broadcasting to become vice president for community relations for Horizons—A Family Service Alliance, a non-profit counseling and assistance agency in Cedar Rapids. She later became chief information officer
Chief information officer
Chief information officer , or information technology director, is a job title commonly given to the most senior executive in an enterprise responsible for the information technology and computer systems that support enterprise goals...
for a child welfare and juvenile justice agency, Four Oaks.
Mathis was nominated in September 2011 by the Iowa Democratic Party to run for the state senate seat vacated by Democrat Swati Dandekar
Swati Dandekar
Swati A. Dandekar is a former Iowa state legislator and a Democratic member of the Iowa Utilities Board, awaiting Senate confirmation in 2012. Previously, she was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives for the 36th District from 2003 to 2009 and a member of the Iowa Senate for the 18th...
. Mathis faced Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate Cindy Golding in a special election held on November 8, 2011. The election was politically significant for the state, as the Republican Party controls the Iowa governorship and General Assembly
Iowa General Assembly
The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively...
, and the Democrats stood to lose their one-seat majority in the state Senate. The most nationally prominent issue of the race was same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Iowa
Same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of Iowa became legal on April 3, 2009.Iowa's first dealings with same-sex marriage came in 1998, after recent court cases on same-sex unions, starting in Hawaii, found that denying the right to marry to same-sex couples was incompatible with the Equal Protection...
, although Mathis preferred to focus on economic issues in the campaign. Mathis won the election by 56 to 44 percent and was sworn in on November 21, 2011.
She is married to Mark Mathis III, who owns the advertising agency ME&V. They live outside the city of Robins
Robins, Iowa
Robins is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,142 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of Cedar Rapids and part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Robins is located at ....
, and have two children, Mark IV and Mary Fran. Mathis has also taught part-time at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and remains a member of the Wartburg Board of Regents.
External links
- Mathis for State Senate (official site)
- Iowa Legislator page
- "Liz Mathis: Former Broadcaster Braves New Horizons", from the University of Iowa Journalist (2007)