Jodi Tymeson was first elected to the House in 2000. She was born on June 27, 1955, in Boone, Iowa. Her father, La Verne, is a farmer and her mother, Joan, is a retired school secretary. She grew up on a Century farm west of Ogden.

She attended Ogden public schools and graduated in 1973. In 1988, she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Elementary Education. Jodi has been a licensed teacher since 1988. She taught sixth grade for four years and was a substitute teacher for four years. In 1997, she received her Masters of Public Administration from Drake University. Jodi is a 1999 graduate of the U.S. Army War College and a National Security Fellow from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.

In 1981 Jodi married her husband, John. Jodi has two step-daughters, Erin and Amanda.

Jodi was the first female promoted to Brigadier General in the Iowa Army National Guard. She commanded at company, battalion, and troop command levels. After serving her country honorably for 33 years, Jodi retired from the Iowa Guard. During her time, she received awards and decorations too numerous to list.

She is a member of several civic and professional organizations, a sampling include the American Legion, AMVETS, Daughters of the American Revolution, Leadership Iowa Alumni Association, Army War College Alumni Association, Association of the United States Army, National Guard Association of the United States. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates, Iowa Mathmetics and Science Education Partnership Advisory Council, and the Iowa Empowerment Board. She is also an Honorary Member of Delta Kappa Gamma and is the Iowa Commissioner on the Midwestern Higher Education Compact.

In the House Jodi served as a member of the Republican Leadership team as an Assistant Leader during the 2009 session.