Common Council

I was sworn in as District 16's Alder on April 20, 2021 and will serve a 2 year term. It is my honor to represent my community and far east side neigbhorhoods on Madison's Common Council! 

I was born and raised in Madison and have been a lifelong resident of the eastside. I am a graduate of LaFollette High School (2005), the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (BA, 2010) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (MSW, 2011). I have lived in the East Buckeye neighborhood with my family for the past 10 years. 

In addition to my Council role, I am currently the Housing Director at YWCA Madison where I have been employed since 2015. I also served as the Chair of the Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County (HSC) from January 2020 - December 2021, and the (2021) Vice President of the HSC Board of Directors. I am passionate about service to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, and strive to be a key participant in bringing forth solutions to mitigate Madison's growing housing and housing affordability crisis. 

Throughout my career I have participated in several professional development opportunities intentionally geared to prepare myself for public service. These endeavors include, Leadership Greater Madison (LGM23), Urban Triage's Supporting Healthy Black Families Workgroup (2019), and most recently, the New Leaders Council (2020). I was named among Wisconsin's 51 Most Influential Black Leaders in December 2020 and was also honored as one of Leadership Greater Madison's 2020 Community Impact Awardees, as a Distinguised Leader in the Civic Impact category. 

I look foward to enhancing my service to our community, bringing forth and amplifying the concerns of ordinary people, and furthering the push for equity and inclusion in our community during my time as an Alder. 

In Community,

Jael