She didn't know if her house was still standing
Jenn Kaaoush was supposed to be ringing in the New Year, and instead she was about to learn if she was homeless or not. The Marshall Fire began on December 30, 2021 and proceeded to tear through Superior, Colorado. It destroyed over 1,000 homes in just three days.
Jenn hiked back into her neighborhood through the evacuation zone, fearing the worst. She could still taste the smoke and ash in the air. Her neighborhood was almost unrecognizable. Landmark houses were now little more than charred foundations and twisted metal.
Then she saw it.
She was overwhelmed with joy, followed quickly by guilt. Her house was still there, seemingly intact, but every home across the street had vanished. What joy remained faded as she went inside. Just breathing stung her eyes and throat. Environmental testing later revealed toxic dust coating every surface inside.
Jenn counted herself lucky. She had no idea what she would have done if it had burned down. She had no idea what her neighbors would do.
The painful truth? 7.4% of all American homeowners are uninsured, representing about 6.1 million homes and $1.6 trillion in unprotected property value. Worse, at-risk households nationwide, 88% are underinsured with average underinsurance of $7,208 per year. Survivor settlements often show up years after losing homes. And because they count as income, settlements can even disqualify families from critical federal benefits like Medicaid or VA assistance.
Military Service & Spouse Experience
A Predisposition to Serve
While neighbors lost everything to the Marshall Fire, Jenn faced a different nightmare. Despite having insurance that should have covered damage to her home, Jenn ended up spending $70,000 out of pocket while fighting with her insurance company over the $170,000 in necessary repairs.
She wasn’t alone. 53% of homeowners say their existing home insurance coverage options are too expensive, and insurance companies routinely underpay claims, even when they receive “full” settlements. When disaster survivors appeal these underpayments, FEMA sides with insurance companies 75% of the time. To add insult to injury, any litigation settlements were taxed as income, potentially disqualifying families from federal benefits they desperately needed.
Within 30 days of the Marshall Fire, Jenn co-founded Superior Rising, a grassroots organization dedicated to fighting the systemic issues facing disaster-affected residents. Superior Rising’s advocacy quickly scaled from local to state to federal levels, coordinating with other disaster-prone states to help victims access the help they needed.
Connecting With IVMF
While deeply involved in fire recovery advocacy and serving on Superior, CO’s rebuilding planning commission, and working for the Parks Department, Jenn felt unprepared for running for town council. She was considering running for a town council seat when she found IVMF’s Veterans for Public Office (formerly VPPCE). The program provided practical training in campaign fundamentals within a supportive community of fellow veterans navigating similar transitions.
The program’s bipartisan approach also allowed Jenn to focus on learning tactical skills like how to run a fundraiser without getting mired in partisan politics. Beyond the mechanics, the program helped Jenn understand how to leverage the “veteran halo,” the baseline respect many communities have for military service members, and reframe her newcomer status as a strength.
“The program was a great opportunity for me to learn more about what the process of running a campaign looks like, and understanding kind of the targets that you want to have. I tend to be a feelings-based person, and go with my gut and what feels right, but campaigns are a lot more methodical than that. The program really helped me to make that connection for leveraging society’s general application onto veterans of what they think, and use that to my advantage, whereas I think typically veterans are pretty humble about it and don’t want to make a big thing about it.”
Finding The National Stage
Jenn launched her 2022 campaign for Superior Town Council. In an eight-person race for four seats, she finished second in vote count, running on solving fire recovery issues still plaguing the town almost a year later. Jenn continued working the problem from her elected office, and eventually met with Congressman Joe Neguse, co-chair of the Wildfire Caucus, and even testified before Congress.
In December 2024, Jenn’s years of advocacy paid off. Congress passed the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, making wildfire settlements retroactively tax-free for federal income taxes from 2020-2025. Her victory protects disaster survivors nationwide, from wildfire victims in California to hurricane survivors in Florida.
Jenn’s influence now extends well beyond Superior’s town borders. She serves on Colorado’s Air Quality Regional Council and plans to run for re-election to Superior’s town council in 2026 while building regional relationships and expertise in issues like affordable housing and air quality. Some are suggesting she’d be a good fit for either Colorado House District 12 or the Boulder County Commissioner in 2030.
Run Your Own Race
The Veterans Program for Politics and Civic Engagement (VPPCE) is designed for veterans and military spouses who are considering a career in politics. The program has a 12-hour ideation track, and a 40-hour campaign planning track over a 12-week period, depending on your goals. The program provides practical training in ethical campaign fundamentals, including fundraising, message development, voter outreach, and media relations, while building connections with fellow veterans pursuing a life in politics.
If you think you’re ready to lead your community from an elected office, learn more about VPPCE and get ready to fill out your application next spring.