Candidate Profile: Jennifer Oresti For St. Clair Shores Council

Jennifer Oresti

Age (as of Election Day)

28

Position Sought

St. Clair Shores City Council

Party Affiliation

Seeking non-partisan office

Family

My now husband, Brandon and I, have lived in St. Clair Shores since February of 2017, we married in July 2019 after dating 9 years. We have a loveable pitbull lab mix named Frank that we adopted shortly after we moved in and he is absolutely our pride and joy.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Anchor Bay High School, 2011. Oakland University, Bachelor's of Science in Biology with a Spanish Language Minor, 2016. Certified 200hr Yoga Teacher Training through Yoga Shelter, 2017.

Occupation

Yoga Teacher, 2 years. Field Organizer, 1 year. Previous Healthcare Employee for 9 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.jenoresti.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I'm running for City Council because I love this city, I moved here to establish my roots, and I want to see it continue to thrive. There is a lot that our current council gets right, but there's always room for improvement and I believe in actively working to create the change you want to see. I want to build a more equitable, empowered future for St. Clair Shores and as a 28 year old Latina, I'll be a voice for younger and more diverse voices in our community. I'll ensure all residents continue to feel supported and connected to our city's many benefits while offering more opportunities to get involved, because ultimately, I think there's more we can come together over, than find division over, and after this last year I think we're all seeking unity and community.
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

I think it's clear that St. Clair Shores suffers from issues of Infrastructure, it's apparent any time it rains. To provide a fix for this, I'll work with our city manager and the county to look for a short and long term solution to flooding issues. Short term being faster city provided relief for families who suffer from heavy rainfall and long term being a re-do of our pipes, streets, and drains. I would encourage a full city assessment of where the key areas that suffer from flooding are and how we could improve them while addressing the problem of overflow sewage into our lake. As an environmentalist and Biologist, it's important to me to create a healthier environment for our future and future generations. I'll make sure that work is done on our infrastructure by combating climate change at the local level, continuing to reinforce our parks with equity in mind, and provide more resources that aid in the health and wellness of our residents.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

To start, I am the youngest candidate running. There was once a time where another 28 year old woman in our city got elected, but that was 12 years ago now and the total number of women who have served at this level is probably something you could count on one hand. Additionally, to my knowledge, no Person of color has ever been elected at our city level and although, being adopted and having quite the unique experience with race, I think it's time we bring some diversity to our City Council. Representation matters, and I hope to inspire young women of color to have a voice at the local level, just as the young women of color in cities across our nation who have inspired me to rise up to this challenge.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

One of the biggest issues that I and other residents have faced recently is pushback on allowing proclamations to be adopted by our city. We've had two very common-sense resolutions for proclamations to be adopted by our current City Council, with both receiving pushback. In May, dozens of residents, including myself, signed a joint letter in hopes of collaborating with the Moms Demand Action movement and declare June 4th as "Wear Orange Day" in our city, assisting in Gun Violence Awareness and increasing recognition of Gun Safety throughout our city. In June, many residents wrote to council urging them to adopt Pride Month or to pass the Pride Resolution, suggested by the group Macomb County Pride, to help celebrate our neighbors and friends in the LGBTQ+ community throughout the month as many do nationally. I personally view awareness proclamations as events that solely seek to provide information, without harm to anyone, and I am disappointed by the lack of action taken by our city. Supposedly, there is an unwritten rule regarding our city's proclamations, but I know I'm not the only resident who feels fed up by this governmental "red tape." Our city recently released a statement in support of diversity, equity and inclusion, in response to our letters sent, but at the end of the day those are just words. I'll work to ensure all residents feel supported by more than just my words, but through my action in our city, starting with pushing for the establishment of an Equity and Wellness Committee in St. Clair Shores (please read more about my current proposal on my website, www.jenoresti.com). I'll also work to create better transparency between residents and our community when it comes to ordinances and issues, ensuring all voices are heard and needs have been addressed.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

It's difficult to criticize our city on a pandemic that none of us expected or were prepared for, but I do believe there are some areas where our city could have improved. We did a good job of sharing infographics and some important Covid-19 information that was provided by the state and the county via our city social media pages, but one of my greatest issues with our city, is our city website. Our city website needs a huge overhaul to become more user friendly and accessible to all. In a time where many of us were seeking information and spending time behind screens, it would have been helpful for our city to share information in more accessible ways. Additionally, our city held many community based events throughout the pandemic and while I was grateful for an opportunity at safe, social interaction, I do not think that interaction was always safe and in the best interest of our community. There were some city events that I attended that weren't socially distanced and masks were not at all being enforced. Meanwhile, we had food trucks loaded into packed areas with extremely long lines of residents sharing close spaces. The fact that these were city held events was disappointing and I would work to continue to act out of the safety for our residents by better planning events like this. Besides working in the healthcare field, I've studied many years about Biology, Medicine, Ethics, and Wellness, and I would be thrilled to bring that experience to serve the city of St. Clair Shores and aid in the health of our residents as we move forward from this pandemic.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I believe that my campaign is rooted in equity, empowerment, and community. I want to ensure this city feels accessible to folks of all backgrounds and walks of life, that residents feel supported by providing them with the tools they need to thrive, and offering greater opportunities for us to connect, come together, and build a healthier, better connected future. Please visit my website, www.jenoresti.com, to learn more about the top issues that are important to me.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am capable of this job because I am an experienced in the fields of customer service, community organizing, and healthcare. My budgetary experience includes my work as the Treasurer of a non-profit student organization at Oakland University, as a Cheer Coach handling fundraising, monetary collection, and working with parents to meet goals and deadlines, and lastly as woman who has recently planned a wedding, which I'm sure many can relate to this as quite a bigger challenge than expected. My training in healthcare and as a Yoga Teacher has prepared me to always lead with empathy and approach all with a good listening ear. As I mentioned earlier, I think there are many ways that this past year has worked to divide us, but I'm sure we have more to come together over than what separates us, and I believe that I am just the person to help bridge the gaps, allowing our community to feel empowered and uplifted by our local government. I'll bring my background in health and environmental fields to expand opportunities for residents to get involved at the city level and feel supported by our city's benefits for years to come.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

K.I.S.S. - this is something I learned from my High School Spanish Teacher, Mr. Cruz, that my husband and I still find ourselves saying to each other to this day. While I'll admit, it's not necessarily the kindest sentiment, it's effective, and Mr. Cruz was always funny and well intentioned while he quoted this to his students. We have the tendency, myself included, to overcomplicate things. So, when I'm struggling on how to explain a big idea, how to deal with a giant task, or how to best approach a difficult subject, I say to myself "Keep it simple, stupid," and I keep moving on. It helps me to feel less stuck in my head and more in the moment.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

One question that I feel I get most commonly is whether I identify as a Republican or Democrat. Although I do identify as a Democrat, I'm not afraid to admit where my beliefs lie as some other candidates may be. What I most want to communicate with residents about this position is that it is nonpartisan and I will honor that and treat it as such. I have Republican parents, friends, and family members that I have not written off because of their beliefs, and I will treat residents with opposite beliefs than mine just the same. To build an equitable future, I believe that requires a space for all of us to learn, grow, and evolve together, giving opportunity to hear one another out with respect, and that is exactly the type of community I intend to cultivate as your next Council member. I realize that it sounds a little hokey and stereotypically hippy of this yoga teacher to preach "peace & love," but that's exactly what my persona exudes and anyone who's close to me would tell you the same. I'll assist in unifying and strengthening our bonds as St. Clair Shores residents, working within our community to tear down stigma, approach folks with levity, and come to an understanding. This is something that I do as a Yoga Teacher daily by meeting individuals where they're at, and I have the same experience working within the Mental Health Community in the past on campus as a Student Organization Leader at Oakland University. Throughout my 28 years, I've come to recognize that all of our opinions carry equal weight, and no matter how different they are, I'll do our best to move us forward in the movement for equity and equality with the best interest for all residents and marginalized members of our community in mind. We're in this movement along side one another, I'm always here to support you and hear you out. So let's go create the change we want to see for our city together, and build a more equitable, empowered future for St. Clair Shores!