Riepe steps up to the plate

Above: Sen. Riepe gets a hug from grandchildren Brynn (left) and Drew.

Delivered at the family home in rural Iowa with his grandmother’s assistance, Sen. Merv Riepe’s life began with the help of a strong woman—and that has been a theme ever since.

As the only son in a family of three sisters, he was the natural choice to follow in their father’s footsteps and run the family farm. But Riepe’s father wanted him to find his own path, which led him to join the U.S. Navy at 17 and become a hospital corpsman.

“My dad told me that I should take over the farm only because I wanted to, not because I had to,” he said. “I ended up studying respiratory therapy at the University of California, Los Angeles because the program was a bit like being on a farm; it felt like family.”

There also may have been a girlfriend involved in the decision to stay in California, “but that’s a story for another day,” he said, laughing.

After developing an interest in finance and administration, Riepe worked his way through undergraduate school at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and graduate school at the University of Iowa. He went on to become a hospital administrator. Riepe retired in 2008, but found himself taking a variety of interim positions.

“I didn’t do retirement very well,” he said.

His late wife, Janet, was the driving force in Riepe’s interest in politics. Her father was a sheriff in Hastings, he said, and she was as adept at helping her father win support as any seasoned politician.

“She could work a room,” he said. “And she would push me to engage with people. It was a great way to learn about what’s important to folks and how to connect.”

Janet lost a 17-year struggle with multiple sclerosis, and Riepe focused on being a father to their son and on work.

While on the administrative staff of Children’s Hospital, he was traveling from Dallas back to Omaha and spotted a woman in the St. Louis airport. As luck would have it, they ended up on the same plane with only one seat separating them. Riepe learned that she was headed to Omaha to see family.

“I told her that 10 days seemed like a long time to spend with just family,” he said, hoping for a lunch date. Sparks flew and he has been married to Jody for 17 years.

“She’s a very talented interior designer,” Riepe said. “She saw my office at the Capitol and said, ‘We have to do something about this!’”

The space now reflects the new senator’s personality, with photos taken by his wife and several pieces of sculpture and artwork. Not that he has much time to enjoy the ambience.

“The learning curve here is steep,” Riepe said. “I joke with people that the pace is similar to being in a batting cage with a toy bat—facing two high-speed machines and without a helmet.”

In spite of the challenges, Riepe said he is looking forward to bringing his work experience to the Legislature. He hopes to focus on Medicaid reform and developing better systems for health care delivery.

“As I always tell my son, the important thing in life is to be coachable,” Riepe said. “I have a great deal to learn, but I am excited about all of it.”