Valdenia Camille "Val" Winn is a Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing District 34 in Wyandotte County, which covers part of Kansas City, Kansas. Born on December 7, 1950, in Kansas City, Kansas, she has served in the House since January 8, 2001, succeeding David Haley. She currently holds the position of Assistant Minority Leader and serves as Vice President of the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools Board of Education. Notable achievements include her long-term advocacy for education, particularly in minority communities; helping pass SB 54 to create a Kansas State Capitol mural honoring the Brown v. Board of Education civil rights case; and strong opposition to unfair tuition bills in 2015. She has also been a professor at Kansas City Kansas Community College since 1972 and holds leadership roles such as Ranking Minority Member on the Interstate Cooperation Committee and top Democrat on the Education Budget Committee.

Education and Political Experience

Education

• BSEd in Secondary Education, University of Kansas, 1972
• MA in History, University of Kansas, 1975
• PhD in History/International Relations, University of Kansas, 1993 or 1994

Political Experience

• Kansas House of Representatives, District 34, 2001-present
• Assistant Minority Leader, Kansas House, 2019-2022, 2023-present
• Former Policy Chair, Kansas House
• Committees: House Health and Human Services; 2020 Special Committee on Kansas Emergency Management Act; Capitol Preservation Committee; former Higher Education Budget Committee and Legislative Educational Planning Committee
• Kansas City Kansas Public Schools Board of Education, Vice President
• Candidate, Kansas City Kansas City Council, 1995