Vanessa Wilk, community leader and the wife of Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, recently spoke about her role in the Santa Clarita community with KHTS.

Wilk discussed her and her husband’s many involvements in the Santa Clarita community on March 30 in an interview with KHTS News Director Jade Aubuchon.

Born and raised in Boston, Wilk said she and her husband first moved to Santa Clarita in 1990 and have lived in the valley ever since.

“Our kids have gone to school here,” Wilk said. “We’ve been here a long, long time.”

The couple has a lengthy history of community involvement in the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV). According to Wilk, her family has been involved in parent teacher associations and Santa Clarita’s senior center, as well as several other community organizations over the years.

See Related: Santa Clarita ‘First Lady’ Vanessa Wilk Looks Back On Three Decades Of Service

Wilk herself currently serves on the City of Santa Clarita’s Arts Commission, on the senior center board of directors, and as district director for Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale.

Her spouse served on the board of trustees at College of the Canyons, as the City of Santa Clarita’s commissioner, and in the California State Assembly before becoming a California State Senator in 2016.

Senator Wilk now represents a majority of the SCV along with communities in the Antelope and Victor vallies.

The couple’s participation in government is no coincidence. Even as a child growing up in the Antelope Valley, Senator Wilk was interested in politics, according to his wife.

“He used to ride his bike down to Republican headquarters and stuff envelopes for Richard Nixon when he was a little kid,” Wilk said.

A large part of Wilk’s identity is tied to her Armenian heritage. When Senator Wilk was first elected to the California State Assembly, he and two other assemblymen started the Armenian Caucus.

“That was amazing for me, to see him speak on the assembly and senate floor about the genocide,” Wilk expressed. “They have a special scholarship that they do for students that write about the Armenian genocide… That has been the best part for me, being able to make a difference and do things that we probably wouldn’t have been able to do.”

Wilk added that she and Senator Wilk love Santa Clarita and have always been invested in getting to know the community they represent.

“Scott and I have always felt like, whether it be on the campaign trail or just in serving, that people can’t demonize you if they know you,” explained Wilk. “I feel like we’re everywhere, we’re getting to know people, and we really have a feel for the community and what they want and what they’re looking for in their elected officials.”

The coronavirus has made connecting with people in SCV more of a challenge. Pandemic lockdowns and stay-at-home orders have resulted in the cancellation of many in-person events.

“It’s been challenging being on the campaign trail, so to speak, without being able to meet people, because that is so important, to be able to talk to people one-on-one, to understand what they’re thinking and what their expectations are,” Wilk acknowledged. “We’ve just learned to come up with ideas that were creative to get our word out and to keep in touch with the community.”

Additionally, the pandemic has meant Wilk has been unable to gather with her extended family. Celebrating the holidays without her family has been strange, according to Wilk.

“I’m Armenian, I have a large Armenian family and we’re very loud and we’re big,” Wilk stated. “Everybody’s always together around the dinner table and we have not been able to do that.”

This year, Wilk is looking forward to coronavirus restrictions lifting so she can attend events in person again. She is also eagerly anticipating Senator Wilk’s actions as the newly named State Senate minority leader.

“I love our community,” Wilk concluded. “I am honored to be the first lady of the 21st senate district.”

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.