Samantha Kaag’s story began in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but her family moved frequently throughout her childhood, to Pennsylvania, and New York at various points in her life. She graduated from Candor High School in New York. “My goal after graduation was to go to college and pursue a degree in political studies and women’s studies. At college I met my husband and we ended up moving to Berks County and we loved it here.”
The young couple set out working to sustain their new life together. “I worked in a book store because I loved reading. I also worked as an Administrative Assistant and an Executive Assistant. I enjoyed volunteering, and worked as a volunteer firefighter and went on to become an EMT, but I was not feeling super fulfilled. I had a real interest in graphic design and doing work in the community. I got a job with Riverfront Credit Union where I became a social media specialist. Riverfront is very community oriented and big on helping non-profits. It is the best job ever, and I enjoy working with a great team.”
Samantha’s passion for people and community awakened when the couple bought their first home in West Reading, and she began to get involved there. “I decided to volunteer for community clean-ups, and participate in events posted on Facebook. I spent time on some committees and committed time to learning about the government, going to council meetings and learning all that I could. I am a very avid learner, and got really excited about learning how our community operated. A council position opened so I ran, and thankfully I won the election. I enjoyed working on the front lines, facing the public and allowing people to see what we were doing.”
As a West Reading Councilwoman, Samantha became attuned to the needs and issues facing her community. Her friendly and outgoing personality, paired with a gift for listening to people and their concerns, placed her on the path to another leadership position.
“I decided to run for Mayor, to do more and become more involved. I just got voted in for a second term as Mayor. People showed up to make that happen. It was awesome to see the support I received from the people of West Reading. As an elected official, you can decide to do more or less public outreach. Right now I try to do as much as I can while I am young and I have the energy. I want to be here for the constituents until there are other elected officials to take over and get involved. I don’t plan to be a forever Mayor, but I want to stay engaged, ask questions, and lay the groundwork for future generations, helping to get people involved.”
In her 5th year as Mayor of West Reading, Samantha reflects on the positive aspects of being the first female Mayor of the community. “As the first female Mayor, I like to think that we helped to build that.” The transition to a much younger group of leaders in West Reading has changed the face of the community and the reputation that they have gained as a place for attracting young people to live, work, and play. With a very “hip” vibe permeating the borough, and its Main Street festivals which draw thousands to the area each year, the mile square community has recreated itself by allowing young creative minds to take the helm. “It was not as fun and energetic in the beginning. I’ve been involved for eight years, and have helped to reinvigorate the borough to be the vibrant community it has become with help from grants we have applied for and taking new ideas into consideration.”
Balancing a full-time job, her civic duties, and life in general can be challenging. How do you do it? “I don’t,” Samantha replies to that question. “I’m still working on it. Thankfully, my work is great for accommodating my life, with half my time in the office and half remote, but I always find that I am able to stay organized with time management tools and my calendar. They help to keep me organized with everything including family events. I am learning to be OK with missing some things, and OK with being able to say no to some things. One of the things that helps me to stay grounded and unwind from the day-to-day is reading, so in order to keep me motivated to read and to help keep me accountable, I started a book club which meets once a month for almost three years now. We meet up, take recommendations, and it has helped to expand what I am reading. We have a Facebook page entitled Pages and Pours and anyone is welcome to join us.”
Mayor Samantha Kaag was recently honored to receive the Mayor of the Year Award from the State of Pennsylvania Mayor’s Association. “Each year the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs meets and presents the award for Mayor of the Year to a deserving candidate from a pool of nominations from across the State of Pennsylvania. I was nominated along with 43 other people to receive the award and I was selected. I was surprised and very honored to receive this award.”
Mayor Kaag continues to work enthusiastically to make a positive difference, not only in her community, but in the greater community of Berks County. “It is very rewarding to see the impact that you can have. I love the community, and I love the work. I am not in love with the negativity in politics lately, the level of respect has gotten so low. I value being able to converse with constituents and just staying reachable, leading by example, being approachable. As a resident of West Reading and of Berks County, I see everyone in the same way. I am human, just like you. People want to be heard, and they want you to help find a solution. By staying involved, reachable, and transparent, people begin to know that there is someone they can go to. We are only as good as our neighbors, and if they are not doing well we will not be doing well.”
If you visit West Reading during one of their many events open to the public to enjoy their vibrant, diverse, and inclusive community, you will likely spot Mayor Samantha Kaag somewhere in the crowd doing what she loves the most… engaging with the community she serves.
