In this installment of our “Meet a Fordie” series, we have one of our MPA students, Jamie Lyons-Eddy, sharing their background and reasons for coming to Ford.

Where are you from?

I’ve lived in Michigan all my life. I was born in Flint, and lived a few places before settling in Troy, where my husband and I raised our kids. We’ve been here for over 23 years now.

What were you doing before you came to Ford?

I was a math teacher with an engineering background, but immediately before coming to the Ford School, I was the Director of Campaigns and Programs for Voters Not Politicians. I was one of the founding members of VNP, the nonpartisan grassroots group that brought thousands of people together across Michigan to put redistricting reform on the statewide ballot in 2018. After the ballot proposal won, VNP went straight to work to support and defend Michigan’s new independent redistricting process, and continues to bring Michigan voters together to fight for structural democracy reform.

Why did you choose Ford?

I was already working for good-government reforms in Michigan, but with my background in math and science, I wanted to build the skills and knowledge to develop policy, analyze complex data, and manage and lead more effectively. I was excited about the one-year MPA program which would allow me to study at the nationally recognized Ford School, which was close to home and wouldn’t require me to take too much time out of my career. Because of the pandemic, I ended up doing all my coursework online, so I could have studied anywhere! But I’m very glad I chose Ford. The faculty is stellar and as a side benefit, I’m learning a lot from my MPA and MPP colleagues.

What do you want to do with your Ford degree?

I’ve already had the privilege of working with thousands of motivated people to bring critical reforms to Michigan’s state government. But there’s much more work to do. At the local, state, and federal level, we must ensure that everyone has access to the ballot, that all votes count equally, and that our elected officials answer to the people. I look forward to getting back to the work of fixing what’s broken in government, and I’m certain that what I’ve learned at Ford will help me be more effective in helping to make positive change.

Be on the lookout for upcoming student spotlights in the weeks and months to come!