As the director of the Edward Ginsberg Center at the University of Michigan, Mary Jo has resumed her efforts to prepare young people to work toward a more just community and world.
Mary Jo has spent her career working in partnership with youth and marginalized communities, to do her part to create pathways to promote equitable access to social, political, and economic power. She was the founding director of Washtenaw County’s Office of Community and Economic Development, where she led efforts to illuminate and address the growing disparities playing out across our community. Prior to her work in local government, Mary Jo worked in K-12 education and the nonprofit sectors, focusing on providing opportunities for vulnerable youth and families, and on reforming systems to create social and economic integration and equity.
Mary Jo is an alumnus of UM, and has first-hand experience of the transformative power of service learning. Earning credit through both Project Outreach and Project Community as an undergraduate, she credits both for igniting her passion for public service and social justice.
