Mary E. Kramer

Mary Kramer
Mary Kramer
	41st district
	In office; January 1991 – January 1993
Preceded by	Julia Gentleman
Succeeded by	Jack W. Hester
Personal details
Born	June 14, 1935 (age 89); Burlington, Iowa, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Kay Kramer
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Iowa
Profession	Teacher, Politician, Diplomat

Mary E. Kramer (born June 14, 1935) is an American former politician. A member of the

U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean

; she was confirmed by the United States Senate and served from 2004 to 2006.

Biography

Mary Kramer was born in

Iowa City. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in piano performance and a Master of Arts

degree in education, also from the University of Iowa.

For nearly twenty years Kramer worked as a teacher and school administrator in Iowa. In 1975 she entered the corporate sector when she became the Corporate Personnel Director for

Younkers, Inc.

She joined Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 1981, and during her eighteen years with the company served as Vice President of Human Resources and as Vice President of Community Investments.

Political career

Kramer’s political career began in 1990 when she was first elected to the Iowa State Senate, representing

West Des Moines. Her special interests were in education, economic development, and health care. She was elected Assistant Minority Leader in 1992 and President in 1997.^[1]

In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Kramer

United States Ambassador to the Seven Island Nations of the Eastern Caribbean.^[2]

Kramer held the latter post from 2004 until her retirement in 2006.

Accomplishments

Kramer has served on the Board of the Directors for the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and was the Chairman of the Board for the Senate President’s Forum. She was a member of the Reforming States Group of the Milbank Fund, a group dedicated to population-wide health improvement. Additionally, she has served as a member of the Board of the Des Moines Club, the Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Central Iowa, the Polk County Child Care Resource Center, Brenton Bank, and Mercy Hospital. She is also a lifetime member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in Iowa and received the Society’s highest national award in June 1996.^[3] In August 2009, Kramer was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame.^[4]

Personal

Kramer and her late husband, Kay Kramer, married in 1958. They have a son and a daughter and four grandchildren. Kay Kramer died in November 2018.

Kramer remains active in community affairs and is currently working on a memoir of her experiences in politics.

References

^ Mary Kramer, Iowa General Assembly Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Council of American Ambassadors Membership". Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
^ "Legislators".^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Mary E. Kramer". Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2009.

Iowa Senate
Preceded by Julia Gentleman	Member of the 41st district 1991–1993	Succeeded by Jack W. Hester
Preceded by Ralph Rosenberg	Member of the 37th district 1993–2003	Succeeded by Douglas Shull
Preceded by Neal Schuerer	Member of the 30th district 2003–2004	Succeeded by Pat Ward
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Earl Norfleet Phillips	United States Ambassador to Barbados 2004-2006	Succeeded by Mary Martin Ourisman
	United States Ambassador to Dominica 2004-2006
	United States Ambassador to Saint Lucia 2004-2006
	United States Ambassador to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2004-2006
	United States Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda 2004-2006
	United States Ambassador to Grenada 2004-2006
	United States Ambassador to Saint Kitts and Nevis 2004-2006

[1] Mary Kramer, Iowa General Assembly Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine

[2] "Council of American Ambassadors Membership". Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2009.

[3] "Legislators".^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[4] "Mary E. Kramer". Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2009.

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