Newcomer Justine Peebles Wants To Improve District Communication

Correction: Peebles returned to Iowa in 2006 but moved to Ankeny in 2013.

Justine Peebles, a native Iowan and new Ankeny resident, said she will improve communication between the Ankeny School District and residents if elected to the school board Sept. 10.

Peebles was the only challenger to file candidacy by the Aug. 1, deadline.

“I'm running for the school board for many reasons, but the main reason is because I feel that I am a bridge builder and an excellent communicator. Ankeny residents are very conflicted right now and feel that there is a great divide among the schools,” Peebles said in her campaign announcement.

Peebles said she is a great team builder.

“I feel that I can make a difference by providing the leadership needed to pull people together to work towards a common goal,” she said.

Peebles lived outside the state for six years beginning in 2000. She lived in the Des Moines area before buying a home in Ankeny this year. Since returning in 2006, she's focused on making a difference in the lives of children. She has volunteered with Everybody Wins Iowa, Youth Emergency Services and Shelter and Wildwood Hills Ranch and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa where she currently sits on the Board of Directors and chairs Feeding the Future.

“My leadership skills don't stop with my volunteer work. I am on the management team at First Newton National Bank where I work in Regulatory Compliance and Human Resources. I love my career but my true passion is children,” Peebles said.

She lives in Ankeny with her husband Justin and a 3-year-old daughter, Madison.