Raised in Minnesota, Betsy Hodges is 35 years old. In her spare time, Betsy loves to spoil her five nieces and nephews, run along the lakes and creek, play basketball, go to the opera and watch NASCAR races. (Yes, opera and NASCAR are an odd combination, but it's true.)

In the Ward

Linden Hills Neighborhood Council since 2000, co-chair the past two years
• Helped complete Phase I projects (maintaining and improving the Linden Hills Park Building, Lake Harriet Community School improvements, and buckthorn removal).
• Tackled controversial commercial and residential zoning issues, ensuring that neighbors’ voices were heard and neighborhood needs were met.
• Revived the Linden Hills Art Fair as part of the Linden Hills Festival.
• Supported bringing affordable housing into Linden Hills, was co-chair as we passed Minneapolis’ first neighborhood affordable housing policy.
• Currently serve on the Linden Hills NRP Phase II Business Development Committee, working with neighbors and local business owners to create projects that build up neighborhood businesses.

Staff, Hennepin County Commissioner Dorfman’s office
• Coordinated meetings with Southwest Minneapolis neighborhood leaders to get and give feedback on local issues. Created new channels of communication between neighbors and their County. 
• Helped craft a successful 50th Street re-striping compromise.
• Coordinated work with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and other environmental initiatives, ensuring continued attention to the health of our water, air, and green spaces.
• Trained fellow staff members on the details of tax increment financing (TIF), a crucial but frequently misused source of revenue for development projects.

As a Citizen

Founder, the Dinner Network, a new project with the PEACE Foundation designed to build bridges between North Minneapolis and Southwest Minneapolis by simply having residents exchange meals in one another’s homes.

Working member, Getting to the Bottom of the Ballot’s Southwest Chapter. Encourages local civic engagement among residents of neighborhoods in Southwest Minneapolis by educating them about local offices like School Board and judgeships.  This year, thousands of people increased their participation in and knowledge about local elections through our efforts.

Chair of C-17, the commission appointed by the City Council to examine the feasibility of a privately funded ballpark.  With a diverse membership ranging from the Republican chair of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce to activists who had fronted the charge against public funding for a ballpark, I led a process that respected all and generated a report signed by each member that is used by the City to guide decision-making about ballpark issues.

Founding Board Member of The Family Place, a day shelter for homeless families in St. Paul.  Through our work, hundreds of homeless families have a safe place to rest during the day as well as opportunities to look for employment and housing.

Development Director, Progressive Minnesota. Made sure that Minneapolis, St. Paul and the state of Minnesota were using public dollars wisely and judiciously in ways that serve our priorities – education funding, stable housing, and transportation. For example, we made certain that public dollars went to improve schools rather than subsidize large, already well-funded business projects.

Founding member and team leader, the Legacy Project. Organized to help strong Democratic candidates win back seats in the House of Representatives in swing suburban districts.  Two of our three endorsed candidates won their elections.

At Work

Development Director, the Minnesota Justice Foundation, a non-profit that works with all four Minnesota law schools to create opportunities for law students to do public service work while in school.  We facilitate thousands of hours of free legal service every year for Minnesotans who need it while at the same time training future attorneys to value pro bono and public interest work.  My work has offered thousands of Minnesotans access to the legal help they need.

Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology, Bryn Mawr College, 1991
• Master’s degree in Sociology, UW Madison, 1998.