For the past several sessions, Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, has been one of the top Senate leaders on health care and social services issues. She currently co-chairs the Senate Health Care Committee as well as a committee on pensions and aging – and she’s currently co-chairing the legislature’s closely watched study committee on Medicaid expansion with fellow Forsyth legislator, Rep. Donny Lambeth.
She’s represented Forsyth and Davie counties since 2014. She lives in Kernersville.
What are the current and past jobs you’ve held outside of politics? I was a customer service representative for Blue Bell, which is Wrangler jeans, right out of school. After being a stay-at-home mom while my children were growing up, I began a career in real estate. My husband and I still have a commercial real estate development company.
What lessons from those roles have you applied to your elected position? I have learned that serving people is the key to success and has the greatest rewards. My favorite part of being a senator is being able to assist a constituent with a problem. Every day we hear from someone who has an issue with a state agency or some other entity that is creating a hardship. We are usually able to help the constituent get through the red tape and talk with someone who can help.
If you could enact a single piece of legislation into law today, what would it be? If I had a magic wand, I would make our child welfare system and our foster care system work for the benefit of children. It’s very complex and a single piece of legislation won’t fix the problem. We are currently working with all stakeholders to make improvements, but it’s taking way too much time while our children are at risk.
Where do you most enjoy taking an out-of-town visitor in your district? Old Salem. There’s so much to see and do. Visitors love taking the walk back in time.
What is your favorite hobby outside of work? Gardening and reading.
Who do you most admire, and why? Margaret Thatcher is my most admired person. She was a woman who never wavered on her principles. She was straightforward and determined and never afraid of doing the right thing. There’s a reason she was called “The Iron Lady.”
What’s the best advice you’ve received about how to get legislation passed? Be patient. It has been difficult for me to have patience sometimes when common sense legislation takes so much time. Almost everything one tries to change has a support constituency somewhere. No matter how ineffective a policy might be, there is usually someone who wants it to stay as is. It takes patience to eventually get enough support to make change happen.