Sally
J. Pederson
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"As
Lt. Governor, as a mother, as a wife, and as a citizen
of Iowa, Sally Pederson has made it her life's mission to
improve the lives of those around her.
- Senator Tom
Harkin |
Sally
J. Pederson has made it her life's work to advocate for people
who cannot advocate for themselves. From the time she graduated
from Iowa State University and entered the business world at
Meredith Corporation until now, she has made volunteer community
and political involvement a staple in her daily life. As the
parent of a child with a disability, she emerged as a forceful
social advocate, not only for people with disabilities but also
for children generally, for minorities, and for gays and lesbians.
As president of the Autism Society of Iowa, she traveled the
state working with parents and educators to assure that children
with autism were being served appropriately. Her leadership in
those years is widely credited in the creation of the Autism
Services Program, a statewide resource in schools. She was founding
president of The Homestead Living and Learning Center for Adults
with Autism. Pederson's work and influence have not been limited
to Iowa. She was a special guest at the first White House Conference
on Mental Health and served as a trustee for the National Alliance
for Autism Research. In 2004, she was an invited delegate to
the Global Women's Action Network for Children where she worked
with women leaders from around the world to create strategies
that will try to build the political will to globally address
women and children's issues. As Lieutenant Governor of Iowa,
Pederson works side by side with the Governor, who often refers
to her as the "conscience of this administration." She
has served on the Executive Committee of the National Lieutenant
Governors Association and as national chair of the Democratic
Lieutenant Governors Association. Pederson was born January
13, 1951, in Muscatine and grew up in Vinton. Pederson was inducted
into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 2004.
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