Mindy Ardrasevits will start Nov. 15 as Eudora fire chief. The fire investigator/building inspector with the St. Joseph, Mo., Fire Department was one of four finalists interviewed for the position.

When Mindy Andrasevits takes the reins at the Eudora Fire Department later this month, she’ll become the first female fire chief in Douglas County’s history.

But she’s not making a big deal about it.

“I appreciate the distinction, but it’s not something I thought about,” she said. “It’s not new to me. I was the first woman firefighter hired in St. Joe 25 years ago.”

Andrasevits, who was hired last month to succeed the retiring Ken Keiter as Eudora fire chief, is more concerned with getting to know the community she’ll be serving than with making history. She’s coming from the St. Joseph, Mo., fire department, where she’s worked as a fire investigator and building inspector, and she will take over in Eudora on Nov. 15.

Andrasevits said it didn’t take long for her to realize that Eudora was a good fit for her. When she decided to start looking for open fire chief positions, the Eudora job was the first and only one she applied for.

“I did a little research and liked what I saw,” she said. “I liked the proximity to Lawrence and the Kansas City metro area. I was very impressed with the community and the fire department and how the community supported the fire department.”

The four finalists for the position went through an intensive all-day interview process last month, in which they fielded questions from fire department volunteers, residents and area public safety chiefs, Andrasevits said. And Eudora Mayor Tim Reazin, who also works for the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical department, said Andrasevits’ strengths stood out in the interviews.

“I always say when we bring in a new department head, we need to add some level the predecessor didn’t have,” he said. “I think her building inspection background will be a great asset for a growing community like Eudora. She’s been in charge of the St. Joe inspection division for the past four years. She’s also super personable. I think she will be good with kids and public outreach, something we always strive to do.”

Andrasevits first entered the world of firefighting in 1996, but it wasn’t her first career. Before she went into emergency services, she got an education degree from Missouri Western State University and worked as a teacher in the St. Joseph area for six years.

But eventually, she thought it was time for something new.

“I wanted a change of career to something more physical and more community driven,” she said. “Someone suggested the fire department. I started at the St. Joe department in 1996. I was there eight years, before moving to the North Kansas City (Mo.) Fire Department for five years.”

After that, Andrasevits briefly jumped into the corporate world, taking a sales management position after moving to Southern California to be closer to family. But she returned to the St. Joseph fire department in 2017, and she said her experience as a manager helped a lot.

“It honed my skills in leadership and management,” she said. “It was very intensive leadership training.”

Andrasevits now holds a degree in public administration and emergency service management from Columbia Southern University, as well as certifications in fire investigation and building inspections.

And it won’t be long before she, her wife and her two grandchildren — ages 5 and 8 — move to Eudora for the next chapter in her career.

“That’s the plan,” she said. “As soon as our house in St. Joe sells, we’ll be down there looking for something.”