West Valley City Mayor Encourages Middle Schoolers to Get Involved

Karen Lang meeting with students

Discussing opportunities for communities

Encouraging students to get involved

Lang explained that she entered the political scene not as a politician, but as a businesswoman. She worked as a bookkeeper for a construction company where she acquired many skills, ranging from welding to business management to teamwork. This experience allowed her to feel confident that she could take on whatever task was needed.

Later, Lang started a company with her husband and soon began attending city council meetings to address concerns about the business. Learning how local government worked pushed Lang to pursue a position in local government. Eventually, she ran for mayor with the goal of bringing real change to her community.

Lang recounted that she was not the most typical political figure and had an unlikely journey into politics. She was not involved in leadership growing up and never imagined she would end up in politics.

She encouraged students to gain experience as a leader in small ways through sports teams, volunteering, or attending city council meetings to see what decisions are being made in their community.

Lang also spoke candidly about the realities of leadership. Disagreements are a normal part of governing, she said. Council members may vote differently during meetings but remain friends afterward. She added that one of the greatest challenges of leadership is navigating conflicts and balancing differing viewpoints while resisting the urge to focus too heavily on pleasing everyone.

“I can’t make everyone happy,” Lang said.

She told students the story of a local relic, the Redwood Drive-In Theater, a topic at council meetings in the last year. The theater’s previous owners no longer wanted it and decided to sell it to the city. The city wanted to build industrial-use buildings on the lot, but local communities fought against the proposition, as preserving residential peace was a main priority.

This example showed the students how the mayor must balance what is best for the city with what is best for the community.

A group discussion after Lang concluded her remarks gave students real insight into the types of projects the mayor works on. One student was curious about what the city was doing in preparation for the 2034 Winter Olympics. Lang said the city is currently working on a timeline to determine which infrastructure projects to prioritize.

Another student asked why public transportation is so expensive. The mayor explained that infrastructure projects like public transportation require millions of dollars to operate and maintain, including mandatory replacement once vehicles reach certain mileage limits.

At the end of the meeting, students reflected on their experience. Many appreciated Lang’s clearness and humility.

“It was great. She is someone who would get into the weeds with you,” said Hedi Sanders, APA site coordinator.

Students learned that humility matters in leadership and that everyone, no matter how young, can make an impact. 

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