About Laura

I was fortunate to grow up in Webster Groves, and I care deeply about its future.

For over twenty years, I taught American government to college students, connecting them to government and helping them understand the responsibilities that all citizens have to make democracy work. I believe passionately that democracy only works when citizens are engaged and hold their elected leaders accountable. That is true here in Webster as well. The key to engagement and accountability is open, honest communication between citizens and elected officials. We need that now more than ever.

Education, as a student, researcher and an teacher, has taken me to several different places. After earning degrees in political science at Northwestern, George Washington and Ohio State universities, I taught courses in government at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. But once our triplets were born, my husband — David Kimball — and I knew we wanted to raise our children in Webster Groves. All three are proud graduates of the Webster Groves School District. When we moved back to Webster 25 years ago, I became involved in our community in formal leadership roles, as an organizer, a coach, an educator and as a volunteer.

Currently, I serve as Mayor of Webster Groves after four years as a member of the Webster Groves City Council, During my time as Mayor and Councilmember, I have served as the liaison to the Sustainability, Business Development, Traffic Advisory, Arts, Historic Preservation, Crossroads Business District Advisory Commissions. I currently serve on the Executive Board of the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis and as a member of the St. Louis Metro Mayors. I am also a member of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.

I am a former member of the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission, which oversees our Fire Academy. I also served on the Board of Directors of Webster-Rock Hill Ministries (WRHM), a local social service organization, and as Chair of Arts & Faith St. Louis, a nonprofit interfaith organization that brings diverse people together through shared arts experiences. I retired from teaching American government and politics after 20 years.

I am a member of Webster Groves Presbyterian Church, where I have served as a deacon, elder, Sunday School teacher, chair of the personnel commission and as a youth group mentor. My membership at WGPC led me to one of my most fulfilling volunteer roles, as a member of the expansion committee for WRHM.

Some people who know me from my youth think of me mostly as a basketball player; I played at Visitation Academy and was fortunate enough to become a student-athlete at Northwestern. It is no surprise then that much of my community engagement has involved kids and sports. I’ve coached a lot of basketball and served as basketball coordinator for the Holy Redeemer Athletic Association. I’ve been volunteer coordinator for the Webster Waves swim team and have served the Metro Edge Figure Skating Club of Webster Groves in a variety of ways, including as president of the Board of Directors.

In addition, I’ve served as a volunteer for a range of community events, including Make-a-Difference Day, Webster on Wheels, the Webster Arts Fair, Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival, and Girl Scouts events, among others. Each time, I enjoy working with longtime and newly made friends and am reminded that the greatest strength of our community is the people who live here.

For my work as a coach, with WRHM and these other organizations that so enrich our community, I was honored and humbled to receive the Heart of Gold Award from the Webster Groves-Shrewsbury- Rock Hill Area Chamber of Commerce.

Until my kids’ graduation from the Webster Groves School District in 2017, I also was a volunteer in their schools, doing everything from creating an elementary school election simulation (the “Fiction Party’s” candidate won best book of 2008), to serving on the teacher appreciation and building expansion committees at Bristol Elementary, to taking on chef duties in the Class of 2017’s pursuit of a WGHS Chili Fest title. Our schools are an amazing asset to our community.

One of the things I’m most grateful for is that our kids have had the opportunity to grow up here and have the benefit of the resources Webster Groves provides. Because of our community’s great schools, all three were ready and excited to explore the opportunities college has to offer. Because of Webster’s extensive parks and recreation programs, our son Andy ran mile after mile in our wonderful parks, all three kids participated on the swim team, and our daughter Mary’s second home became the ice arena. Because of our town’s support of the arts, Webster Paints has become an eagerly anticipated day each May for Mary, the artist in our family, and the Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival for our son Will, who has performed there twice with the WGHS jazz band.

There is so much to love about our town. But what stands out most are the people of Webster Groves. I consider myself very fortunate to be among them.