Hiram Raby’s path to Humboldt weaves a bit, but consider him as devoted to the small town as any other.
The Topeka native arrived at Allen Community College fresh out of high school with a soccer scholarship. After graduation, he and his wife Barbra moved to Kansas City. Five years later, in 2012, the couple returned to Iola for Hiram to coach ACC’s women’s soccer team. A stint as the general manager at Dudley’s Done Right BBQ followed, then came several years traversing southeast Kansas serving up Red Beard Barbecue.
But the pandemic arrived in 2020 and put a halt to that, so Hiram pivoted. He left the restaurant business and began a new chapter at B&W Trailer Hitches, where he works in inventory.
He and Barbra, the billing manager at Family Physicians in Iola, now have two children, Bella, 8, and Theo, 6, and are happily installed in Humboldt, in a comfortable home a few short blocks from downtown.
The peace Raby feels, the fulfillment of being part of a tight-knit community, are what’s motivating him to run for a seat on the USD 258 Humboldt school board.
School board elections are normally sleepy affairs. But this one is different, with 10 candidates vying for four seats. The election is Nov. 7.
Raby sees Humboldt as a community of do’ers, and for him, public service is part of that spirit.
“We have so many family members who come from bigger cities to visit us for the weekend,” said Raby. “And they all tell us, ‘You have something special here.’”
“So what can I do to give back to Humboldt? How can I contribute? We have a great community in Humboldt, with great families. Whatever I can contribute and give back, I’m ready.”
RABY, 37, is the first to admit he’s no expert on education. But he knows what made his family move to Humboldt. “One of the main reasons we moved was the school system,” he said. “We were always hearing great things.”
In that vein, Raby has a strong interest in teacher recruitment and retention.
“I don’t know too much about it, but I’m wondering if we have programs set up for teachers to keep our home talent,” he said. “I feel it’s important to keep people here, to offer them something that keeps them from venturing out. It keeps our town strong. Let’s keep talent here, and let’s keep growing what we have.”
The school board’s 5-2 vote last March to reject a move to a four-day school week sparked Raby’s interest in running for school board.
His take? “I don’t think there was enough information available at the time. I would have to know more before voting. Do we have data that shows it’s a good idea? That’s what I’m looking forward to — being a part” of those discussions.
Raby defines himself as someone who “likes to observe and see what’s already happening. And if there’s a need for me to step in and be a leader, I definitely have those characteristics.”
