After her children were grown, she moved to the east side of Lansing. Seeing the conditions of the unfinished housing development, she immediately went to work and formed a Board of Directors for the neighborhood. Together, she and other board members worked with the City of Lansing to rid the complex of the developers that were facing bankruptcy and to secure another developer that eventually finished the project. Today we have a fully developed and thriving East Village Condominium Association.

Jody continued to become active in her new neighborhood by serving on the East Village Board of Directors, the Eastside Neighborhood Organization, and as a Lansing Fire Commissioner.

During her time on council, she continued her advocacy for the community. She spearheaded the resolution to end the Sister Cities relationship with St. Petersburg, Russia, due to their atrocities against the LGBTQ community, and wrote the resolution to have the BWL have 20% renewal energy by 2020. She also worked with the Latino Community to rename a portion of Grand River Avenue for Cesar E. Chavez. Jody was also the council member behind having the Lansing City Council Chambers renamed to honor Mayor Tony Benavidez who served the Lansing Community for decades.

Although Jody lost her election in 2019, she did not stop her community engagement. She currently serves as:

• Chair of the Endeavor House which is a faith-based sober living house for men. Endeavor House will soon be opening a sober living house for women.

• She serves as the secretary for the Ingham Community Health Centers which are FQHCs in the city of Lansing that provide outstanding health care for all individuals regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

• Secretary for the Lansing Human Resources and Community Services Board.

• Committee member for the Friends of Bancroft Park and SWAG (Southwest Action Group)

Additionally, Jody works daily with the homeless in our community by partnering with a few others to provide necessary items, ensuring they are safe, helping them to navigate the system, and teaching them life skills once they become housed. Due to her request, the Lansing City Council developed an Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness and Solutions.

Because Jody believes in moving Lansing forward with proven leadership, she is once again running for the Lansing City Council for an at large position. She has the knowledge, experience, and a real plan to elevate Lansing for everyone that chooses to live here. Her focus will be the financial health of the city, economic development, infrastructure, safe housing, promoting home ownership to strengthen neighborhoods, and scaffolding our marginalized residents.