Jody first joined the Oakland League in 2012 and served on the board from 2020 through 2022. While on the board she also chaired the Reentry Task Force. She is now a member of the Sonoma County League and a member of the Advocacy Committee, focusing on criminal justice reform.

Jody is a retired public defender. She worked for the Alameda County Public Defender’s office for more than 30 years, handling misdemeanor and felony cases as well as managing branch offices across the county. Ensuring judicial excellence at county and state levels is important to Jody as evidenced by her years of service as Chair, Vice Chair, and member of both the California State Bar Judicial Nominees Commission and Review Judicial Nominees Commission. Additionally, her commitment to criminal justice reform guided her work on the Oakland City Safety and Services Oversight Commission, overseeing local violence prevention program funding and implementation.