Jean Godden
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Jean Godden is a member of the Seattle City Council, first elected in 2003 at the age of 71.[1] As of October 2006 she is chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, vice chair of the Finance & Budget Committee and the Public Safety, Government Relations & Arts Committee, and a member of the Transportation Committee.[2]
Godden received her bachelor's degree in editorial journalism from the University of Washington in 1973 and was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her local fame is due to her award-winning column in The Seattle Times newspaper, which she gave up to run for City Council.[2]
Jean is up for reelection in November of 2007.
A link to her campaign website (www.jeangodden.com) is here:[1]
Bio
Jean attained celebrity status in Seattle as the leading columnist for both daily newspapers, first for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and most recently for The Seattle Times. But that status was attained after many years in the background as a business editor, editorial page editor, real estate and urban affairs reporter and restaurant critic.
Jean was one of the P-I's early female staff members and one of two women in her class at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. (She would eventually graduate from the University of Washington's School of Communications.)
She started her newspaper career at the University District Herald as a 19-year-old, joined the P-I in 1974 as a temporary staffer; had her first column published in the P-I in 1983, and finally switched to The Times in 1991.
Born in Connecticut, Jean's family moved 116 times before she graduated from high school in Virginia. Her father's job as a surveyor led her family's nomadic lifestyle and gave Jean the opportunity to develop her innate people skills.
After two Seattle school levies failed and her son's kindergarten class disappeared, Jean and other parents mobilized and she ended up as PTA president. Jean then joined the League of Women Voters; Citizens Against Freeways; the Municipal League; and the United Way, where she helped to organize the Lake City Community Council, wrote its bylaws and served as one of its first directors.
In the late 1960's Seattle Mayor Wes Ulhman appointed Jean to his charter review committee. She was also named to the City's Board of Adjustment.
Jean balances her passion for community activism with the Uppity Ladies Book Club & Literary Circle, games of Scrabble, and enjoys bicycling, hiking, kayaking and swimming, and spending time with friends and family.
Jean has two sons, Glenn and Jeff, and two grandsons, Matthew and Chris. She resides in Seattle's View Ridge neighborhood.[3]
References
- ^ Seattle PI http://www.metrokc.gov/elections/2003nov/resPage20.htm
- ^ a b Seattle City Council Website http://www.seattle.gov/council/godden/
- ^ http://www.jeangodden.com
