Ruth Gutierrez Colyer

About

Ruth Gutierrez Colyer became the first lady of Kansas when her husband, Governor Jeff Colyer, was sworn in as governor on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.

Born into a military family, Mrs. Colyer credits her parents for teaching her the importance of family, service, education and a strong work ethic.

A first-generation college graduate, the first lady earned a degree in biology. She went on to pursue oncology research at the Department of Radiation Biophysics of the University of Kansas, the Children's National Medical Center-DC (as a member of the Bone Marrow Transplant Team), and the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center as part of the first Genetic Therapy Team. She later started her own consulting company working with Children's Mercy Hospital and the Community Blood Bank.

In 1994, the first lady served alongside her husband when he was a volunteer surgeon with the International Medical Corps in southern Rwanda during the genocide.

The Colyers have been married for 25 years and have three daughters: Alexandra, Serena and Dominique.