A woman from Manhattan is joining Ellsworth County farmer Josh Svaty as his running mate in his quest to be governor.

The Svaty campaign announced Wednesday Katrina Lewison of Manhattan as his running mate for Lt. Governor of Kansas.

Lewison, born and raised in Hutchinson and Buhler. She is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served in the 101st Airborne Division as a Black Hawk helicopter platoon leader during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lewison then commanded an aviation company of American and Korean soldiers in South Korea. She concluded her 15 years in the Army teaching cadets at West Point as part of the Eisenhower Leader Development Program in conjunction with Columbia University.

After her Army career concluded, Lewison moved back home to Kansas. She has worked for two of the fastest-growing companies in America, GTM Sportswear and CivicPlus. She is currently the director of consulting & training at CivicPlus in Manhattan, Kan., a company offering products and services that help local governments better communicate with their citizens. She holds graduate degrees in both public policy and organizational psychology & leadership. In 2017, Katrina was elected to the USD 383 Board of Education and serves on three committees, including strategic planning. Katrina is married to her West Point classmate, Tyler. They have three daughters: Marlena, Elsa and Ida.

“Katrina Lewison represents the best of who we are as Kansans,” said Svaty. “She’s a natural born leader who has been a true public servant throughout her life. Whether it was as a Black Hawk platoon leader, teaching leadership at West Point or today directing teams at CivicPlus to help make local government work better, Katrina Lewison understands how to work with others and get real results. This is the type of leadership our state needs and Katrina Lewison is the type of leader I want in my administration. I am proud she has agreed to be my running mate and join me on this mission to reclaim and relaunch Kansas.”

“It is an honor to be joining Josh Svaty in this critical campaign to shape the future direction of Kansas for generations,” said Katrina Lewison. “I grew up in Kansas. The values I learned here shaped who I am and have guided me throughout my career. After our military service, my husband Tyler and I moved back to Kansas so our kids could have the same positive environment I experienced growing up. We wanted to find meaningful ways to contribute our time and effort to community and state. My decision to join Josh as his running mate is a tremendous opportunity to get involved and help make our state the best it can be,” Lewison said.

Svaty and Lewison will travel to 11 cities in Kansas this week. They will be in Salina on Thursday.