Petersen, Janet (1970-)
Dates
- Existence: 1970-
Biography
Janet Petersen was born in 1970 in Des Moines. She earned a bachelors degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a masters from Drake, both in the field of communications. A marketing and public relations professional, Petersen has worked for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign and the American Heart Association. In 2004, she and four other Des Moines moms founded an organization to raise awareness and research funding for the prevention of stillbirths. A Democrat, Petersen has represented parts of Des Moines in the Iowa legislature for over 20 years, serving House District 72 from 2001-2003, House District 64 from 2003-2013, and Senate District 18 beginning in 2023. In 2017, she became the first woman to serve as the minority leader in the Iowa Senate.
Found in 6 Collections and/or Records:
Audio recording, January 15, 2020
Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Janet Petersen about her legislative service, including balancing motherhood of young children with political office, and advice for other women considering a run.
Audio recording, December 5, 2019
Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Swati Dandekar about her legislative service, facing racism as an Indian-American woman in politics, and advice for other women running for office.
Transcript, January 15, 2020
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Janet Petersen about her legislative service, including balancing motherhood of young children with political office, and advice for other women considering a run.
Transcript, December 5, 2019
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Swati Dandekar about her legislative service, facing racism as an Indian-American woman in politics, and advice for other women running for office.