High school science teacher Ann Mah also served in the Kansas State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: The Topeka Capital-Journal

Many fine classroom teachers have also achieved success as politicians. One of these is Ann Mah, a high school science teacher who has also served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives.

Ann was born May 5, 1951, in Clay Center, Kansas. Her father worked as a machinist and her mother worked as a public school teacher. Ann earned both her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree in Education from Emporia State University. Once she completed her education, she worked as a science teacher in public schools in Emporia, Kansas. Her career as an educator spanned five years.

In 2004, Ann inaugurated her career in politics when she was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Kansas House of Representatives. She served there for eight years. She represented the 53rd District from 2005 and 2013. While in office, she was a member of the Committees for Education; High Education; and Local Government. In 2016, after she left the State Assembly, Ann was elected to the Kansas State Board of Education representing District 4. She currently occupies this position.

Ann has also worked as a small business owner. Her company, Discover Strategies, provides speaking, consulting, and training services. In addition, she has published three business training books and has been employed as the business skills writer for the magazine Hers Kansas.

Ann has also served on the Shawnee Heights Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors, the State Committee of the North Central Association, and the Board of Directors of the United Way of Greater Topeka. Currently, Ann is a member of the Capitol Area Federated Women’s Democratic Club, the Shawnee County Democrats, and the American Business Women’s Association. She is president of the Lutheran Fine Arts Council of Topeka. 

For her work as an educator, lawmaker, and business owner, Ann was recognized as the 1997 National Woman of the Year by the American Business Women’s Association. She served as the Association’s national president in 2002. In that capacity, Ann traveled throughout the country speaking on business and education issues. In 2000, Ann was also recognized as a YWCA Woman of Excellence. She was honored by the Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education for her legislative work on career and tech ed. And as if all that were not enough, she was nominated as a Woman of Influence by Go Topeka in 2018.

To learn more about Ann Mah, visit her website at AnnMah.org.