Roy Mayor Kimber Ivy is no stranger to serving her community and listening to the people’s needs.
Ivy comes from a medical background, having served as a lead lab assistant. But on April 10, 2023, she was appointed mayor of Roy following the March 6 resignation of former Mayor Rawlin “Anthony” McDaniel.
Mayor is the first political experience on Ivy’s resumé, but she said she has no political agenda and wants to help the Roy community.
“It’s been a big step,” said Ivy, who is simultaneously working toward her bachelor’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University. “It felt so surreal, just unreal to be appointed. There was excitement and high energy, and I was ready to hit the ground running and work hard and do what’s best for my community.”
While the appointment was exciting, Ivy said it came with some fear, especially since she has never held such a political position before.
“There was that fear of, ‘What if I can’t fix things? What if I can’t get things the way we want them to be?’ ” she said. “Politics isn’t an easy thing. I really want to make sure that Roy’s voice is heard and that I’m rooted in my community so that I can hear that voice.”
Ivy said she and her team have prioritized giving Roy residents as many avenues to express their concerns as possible, namely through City Council meetings, newsletters and social media. One of the primary concerns residents have is with the quality of the city’s water.
“That’s going to be a big thing for us all to come together and tackle united,” Ivy said. “We’re starting to dive into that and figure out what the extent of it is and making sure that we’re approaching it with fresh eyes, and we’re not going to miss anything that might be required to make this a permanent fix and not just a Band-Aid.”
Ivy also said that helping residents enjoy Roy City Park is a top priority, adding that it is an “under-utilized resource.”
Ivy has lived in Roy for five years and enjoys the small-town feel. Though she is new to this level of service, she is committed to serving the community and working in a team to improve the city for the people.
“With any challenge that I’ve come across, it takes communication, teamwork and unity with everyone involved to resolve it,” she said. “It takes a whole team. It’s not, ‘The mayor achieved this or the mayor did that.’ It’s our whole team. We all work together as one unit, and it takes all of us to make the dream work.”
Ivy said that she is still adjusting to the mayoral role, all while working toward her degree, but she has the support of her husband, daughter and the Roy community to keep her motivated to get up at 4:30 a.m. every day. She has grown up in small communities, and she said that Roy embodies the mind set of integrity and that every person’s word means something.
“There’s always more to learn. It’s going to be a learning process throughout, but I have resources to tap into to help me along the way,” Ivy said. “I genuinely just want to help my community. That’s it. I’m here to help.”
