Wasola resident among USA Today’s ‘Women of the Year’

USA Today announced last week that it has named Wasola resident Karla Eslinger as one of its top 2025 Women of the Year. 

The honors were extended to 61 women across the United States. “They are breaking barriers and pushing for change. They are making our communities better.

“They encourage us, influence us, and make us laugh. They include women such as Ilona Maher who first impressed us at the summer Olympics on the rugby pitch but kept our attention with her inspiring messages on Instagram and TikTok. They are CEO and president of Fannie Mae Priscilla Almodovar who pushes for equality in housing and helps families build generational wealth. And they are Gina Meyer who started a nonprofit to promote college students’ mental health after her daughter Katie, a star soccer player at Stanford, killed herself in 2022,” the USA Today article states. 

Eslinger has served in various public roles for the last 30 years. She began her career as an elementary school teacher at Lutie. She went on to serve as principal and superintendent at Ava and West Plains. She has served in both the Missouri House of Representatives in the 155th District, and on the Missouri State Senate in the 33rd district. In July 2024, she accepted the role as Missouri’s Commissioner of Education.

She lives in Wasola with her husband Dave, who operates Dave’s Body Shop near their home.