"Joy Koesten brings her enormous talent and wealth of experience in the areas of education, finance and mental health to benefit the citizens of the state of Kansas. Her leadership and ability to build coalitions will once again enable our state government to make progress and bring it into the 21st century."
Blanche E. Sosland, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Park University
Dr. Joy Koesten represented Kansas House District 28 in the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions, leading the charge to put Kansas back on the right track after the disastrous tax cuts of the Brownback years.
During her time in the House, Joy served on three committees: Corrections & Juvenile Justice; Government Technology & Security, and the Transportation & Public Safety Budget committee. She also served as co-chair of the Mental Health caucus; as a founding member of the Early Childhood Caucus, and as a member of the Women’s Caucus.
In late 2018, Joy decided the Republican Party no longer represented her values or the shared priorities of her community. So, she joined the Democratic Party and hasn’t looked back. Even though her party affiliation changed, her passions, values, and commitment to serving Kansans remain the same.
She and her husband Stewart founded Aspyre Wealth Partners in 1996, a successful fee-only financial planning firm that offers traditional financial planning, investment management, and executive and career coaching services. In addition, Joy has a doctorate in Communication Studies and has served on the faculty at Washburn University and all three campuses at the University of Kansas. She currently serves as a lecturer at both the Lawrence and Edwards campus.
During her academic career Joy’s teaching and research has focused on human interaction within different contexts. Her research has been published in Communication Monographs, Communication Education, Communication Studies, the Journal of Sociolinguistics, the Journal of Family Communication, the Journal of Applied Communication Research, Health Communication, and the Journal for Financial Planning.
She is a founding member of the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition, advocating for individuals and families who are challenged with mental health and addiction disorders. She has also served on the board of Jackson County CASA, an organization that supports and trains volunteers to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children caught up in an overburdened legal system. Prior to joining the CASA board, Joy was a trained advocate for CASA.
Joy and Stewart have two grown daughters. Leah lives in the Nashville area; Natalie and her husband, Thom, are raising their two beautiful grandchildren in Murfreesboro, TN
During her time in the House, Joy served on three committees: Corrections & Juvenile Justice; Government Technology & Security, and the Transportation & Public Safety Budget committee. She also served as co-chair of the Mental Health caucus; as a founding member of the Early Childhood Caucus, and as a member of the Women’s Caucus.
In late 2018, Joy decided the Republican Party no longer represented her values or the shared priorities of her community. So, she joined the Democratic Party and hasn’t looked back. Even though her party affiliation changed, her passions, values, and commitment to serving Kansans remain the same.
She and her husband Stewart founded Aspyre Wealth Partners in 1996, a successful fee-only financial planning firm that offers traditional financial planning, investment management, and executive and career coaching services. In addition, Joy has a doctorate in Communication Studies and has served on the faculty at Washburn University and all three campuses at the University of Kansas. She currently serves as a lecturer at both the Lawrence and Edwards campus.
During her academic career Joy’s teaching and research has focused on human interaction within different contexts. Her research has been published in Communication Monographs, Communication Education, Communication Studies, the Journal of Sociolinguistics, the Journal of Family Communication, the Journal of Applied Communication Research, Health Communication, and the Journal for Financial Planning.
She is a founding member of the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition, advocating for individuals and families who are challenged with mental health and addiction disorders. She has also served on the board of Jackson County CASA, an organization that supports and trains volunteers to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children caught up in an overburdened legal system. Prior to joining the CASA board, Joy was a trained advocate for CASA.
Joy and Stewart have two grown daughters. Leah lives in the Nashville area; Natalie and her husband, Thom, are raising their two beautiful grandchildren in Murfreesboro, TN
