by Kathy Groob, ElectWomen Magazine

Florida’s Congressional District 7 has long been held by Republican John Mica who was elected in 1992.  That has not deterred a young, ambitious Democratic woman, Heather Beaven to step up to challenge the incumbent.  A resident of Palm Coast, Beaven has built her path to a political life through hard work and challenging assignments in the U.S. Navy during Operation Desert Storm.  Following her military service, Heather Beaven has spent her career in workforce development; focused on helping people with training and employment.

Heather Beaven is motivated to run for Congress because of the questions she keeps hearing from people in her district, “How do we create jobs?  How do we keep kids interested in education?  How do we keep education relevant?  How do we treat veterans when they come home?”  “I’ve come to realize that no one in Congress has really done anything for economic development.  No one has had to live under the policies that they have created.”

Beaven is a wife and a mother. She is a social entrepreneur and a Navy veteran. She is the CEO of The Florida Endowment Foundation for Florida’s Graduates, a state-wide non-profit organization where she focuses all of her energies on helping young Floridians finish school and learn the valuable job skills that they need to become successful adults.

Beaven’s campaign has energized women’s organizations and she has been endorsed by The Women’s Campaign Forum and WUFPAC (Women Under Forty Political Action Committee).  She has also been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police. “I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with America’s first-responders before, and I’ll continue to do so as the first female veteran from Florida elected to Congress,” said Beaven.

For more information about Heather Beaven, or to contribute to her campaign, visit: http://beavenforcongress.com/.