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Biography
Balance has always been central in Jean Godden’s life. From balancing facts and opinions as an award-winning journalist to balancing work and family, Jean understands that there are often two sides (or more) to civic issues.
Jean attained recognition in Seattle serving as a city columnist, first for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and more recently for the Seattle Times. That status was achieved after years as an award-winning urban affairs reporter, editorial writer, editorial page editor, business editor and restaurant critic.
Growing up in a military family, Jean lived in 116 towns and cities before arriving in Seattle, age 17. She attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, later graduating from the University of Washington’s School of Communications, where she is an honored member of the school’s Hall of Fame.
Jean was propelled into community activism following a disastrous double school levy failure. When her son’s kindergarten class was cancelled, Jean worked with other parents to organize a cooperative kindergarten. That led to her election as PTA president. She then joined League of Women Voters, Citizens Against Freeways, the Municipal League and the United Way. She helped organize the Lake City Community Council, wrote its bylaws and served as an elected director. In the late 1960s, Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman appointed Jean to his charter review committee and later named her to the City’s Board of Adjustment.
In August, 2003, Jean quit her job as a city columnist to run for Seattle City Council Position One. Elected after a 100-day campaign, she assumed chairmanship of the important Energy & Environmental Policy Committee. During her first four-year term, she led the council in stabilizing City Light’s finances, lowering electric rates by 8.4 percent across the board and achieving three years of greenhouse gas neutrality. She orchestrated passage of a Critical Areas Ordinance that protects fish-bearing streams, wetlands and wild life and curtails use of pesticides.
In her second term, she will chair the Finance & Budget Committee, which deliberates and makes recommendations on all matters relating to the financial management and budget policies of the city. She is committed to balancing revenues and expenditures in the best interests of the city and its constituents and also is committed to involving citizens from all walks of life in setting budget priorities for the city.
Jean balances her passion for the city, for its citizens and for community activism with meetings of the Uppity Ladies Book Club, games of Scrabble, bicycling, kayaking and swimming and spending time with friends and family. Jean has two sons, Glenn and Jeff, and two grandsons, Chris and Matthew.
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