JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Karla Eslinger, R-Wasola, took the oath of office this morning, joining 33 other members of the Missouri Senate for the start of the First Regular Session of Missouri’s 101st General Assembly. Elected in November, Sen. Eslinger will serve Missouri’s 33rd Senatorial District, which includes eight counties: Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Ripley, Texas, Webster and Wright. She previously represented District 155 in the Missouri House of Representatives.
“My roots and my home are in southern Missouri and I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to represent the citizens of the 33rd Senatorial District,” Sen. Eslinger said. “I’ve lived, worked and raised my family in the Ozarks, and I will make it my mission to reflect the values of my neighbors and faithfully represent them in the Missouri Senate.”
A lifelong educator with more than 30 years of experience, Sen. Eslinger taught elementary school before becoming a principal and superintendent of schools in Ava and West Plains. She also served as an assistant commissioner of education for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and was employed as an education analyst in the private sector. She and her husband live on the family farm and they have also operated a small business for over 35 years. A graduate of the College of the Ozarks, Sen. Eslinger earned a master’s degree from Missouri State University and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She and her husband, David, have two daughters and three grandchildren.
