J.R. Claeys
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| J.R. Claeys | |
| Born | February 13, 1978 Salina, Kansas |
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| Alma mater | Kansas State University George Washington University |
| Political party | Republican |
| Religious beliefs | Roman Catholic |
| Website J.R. For Kansas |
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J.R. Claeys (born Jeremy Ryan Claeys on February 13, 1978 in Salina, Kansas) is an American businessman and current candidate for the Republican nomination for Kansas Secretary of State.
Claeys was President of the National Association of Government Contractors (NAGC), an association of over 400,000 businesses involved in government contracting. After his career leading several nonprofit trade associations, Claeys founded Claeys Holdings, LLC in 2007.
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[edit] Early life and family
The youngest of three, Claeys was raised in a middle-class Catholic family in Salina, Kansas. It was there that his parents instilled in him the value of hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit. Mowing lawns on the weekends with his dad, Claeys learned the importance of service and community.
Claeys' father, Joe Claeys, was born and raised in Axtell, Kansas where his parents, Ed and Rose Claeys, owned a downtown business. His parents were ranchers in Blue Rapids, Kansas before losing the ranch in the Great Depression. His father went on to work for the railroad before settling in Axtell.
Claeys tried his hand in the family trade, spending part of his summers working on his uncle’s combines, cutting wheat in south-central Kansas up through northeast Colorado, before going to college.
His mother, Judy, grew up in Salina, Kansas. Her father, Clarence Leiker, drove a dairy truck and later worked for Graves Truck Lines. He served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II. After raising four children, her mother, Jo Ann, worked in the front office at Motor Service in Salina.
Claeys' parents would meet in Salina where his mother attended Marymount College (Kansas) and his father started work for Western Electric before serving in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam. His father works as a technician for AT&T in Salina where he has over 45 years of service. His mother is a first grade teacher at St. Mary’s Grade School where she has taught children for over 25 years.
[edit] College Years
After high school Claeys attended Kansas State University where he was involved in student media and was selected as the first student executive for the nonprofit campus radio station. This is where J.R. first decided to work in the nonprofit sector for charities and social organizations. He would later become a founding member of a volunteer networking organization after the attacks of 9/11 that matched volunteers with charitable organizations seeking help.
At K-State, Claeys was recognized by the Manhattan, Kansas City Council with a Community Service Award for his volunteer work with the Riley County Police Department and Crimestoppers. He was also involved in student government and worked as an intern in the House of Representatives in the state capitol.
Later, Claeys moved to Washington, D.C. to work in fundraising for the Republican National Committee. He went on to earn his Master of Public Administration degree from The George Washington University in 2003, where he studied nonprofit management.
[edit] Career
Claeys went to work as director of communications for the National Small Business Association (NSBA), a Washington, D.C. based small-business advocacy organization with over 150,000 member companies in 2002. Claeys served as the communications director for the Coalition Supporting Equity for Our Nation's Self-Employed, a coalition of business associations supporting tax fairness for self-employed health care costs, as well as the Small Business Coalition for Equitable Health Insurance, a coalition of businesses and trade associations supporting a market-based approach to health insurance coverage.
From there, Claeys was selected in 2004 as the President and CEO of the National Association of Government Contractors, a trade association of over 400,000 small and midsize businesses involved in government contracting. Claeys has been an advocate for a fair and transparent procurement process and increased access to government contracts for small businesses.
Claeys has been quoted as an expert on small-business procurement and legislative issues in major publications, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune and others. He has also appeared on national radio programs and television news channels representing small businesses.
Claeys served as a board member and later chairman of a national conservative organization that offers scholarships to college-bound students who are involved in promoting conservative causes.
In 2007, Claeys founded Claeys Holdings, an investment firm that holds ownership interest in real estate, development, marketing, management and insurance firms.
[edit] Political Campaign
Claeys filed in March of 2008 to explore a campaign for Kansas Secretary of State in 2010. He appointed a treasurer, which will allow him to begin accepting contributions for the campaign. His campaign treasurer is Mary Kay Hendrickson of Topeka, Kansas.
[edit] External links
- Related
- J.R. For Kansas Official Campaign Web Site
