A Mayor for Change: Tackling National Issues at the Local Level

Every elected official is a human being, and every elected official has to govern regardless of personal comfort or convenience. In Nov. 2015, Jamar Clark was shot and killed by members of the Minneapolis Police Department. His death was followed by an unprecedented 18-day occupation by demonstrators on the grounds of the Fourth Police Precinct. It was a time that tested alliances and friendships, including in Mayor Hodges' personal and professional life. Her Chief of Staff John Stiles and his husband, President of SEIU Local 26 in Minneapolis, both close friends of the Mayor, were at the heart of that moment and those tensions, and the three did not always agree with one another. How does a public servant navigate those waters? How does the community?

Guests: John Stiles, former Chief of Staff to Mayor Betsy Hodges and Javier Morillo, SEIU Local 26 President.

IOP Spring 2018 Resident Fellow Betsy Hodges