Simone Lightfoot - Ann Arbor

Simone Lightfoot is a member of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education. Her current term ends December 2020.

Simone Lightfoot at a January 2013 AAPS board meeting. (Photo courtesy of The Ann Arbor Chronicle.)

Lightfoot was initially appointed as an AAPS trustee by the school board in December 2009, to fill a seat vacated by Helen Gates-Bryant, who resigned in November 2009. Lightfoot ran unopposed for election in November 2010 for a one-year term. She was re-elected in November 2011 to a four-year term, but that term was later extended a year due to state legislation that mandated local school board elections be held in even-numbered years.

Professionally, Lightfoot is a consultant on regional urban initiatives for the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center. She is also founder and owner of Green Couture Supply, a wholesaler of "quality reclaimed apparel and accessories."

She serves on the advisory board for the nonprofit Girls Group.

Her bio on the NWF website also includes this background:

Simone served as a deputy chief of staff in the Michigan House of Representatives. She became a radio political policy analyst before joining the American Red Cross as a regional representative.

Lightfoot was named to the national staff of the NAACP as the Michigan state director before eventually assuming regional voting rights and mass mobilization responsibilities. She was the campaign manager for the first directly elected African American mayor of Cincinnati before going on to serve in the administration. Lightfoot was also named director of public policy and elections coordinator with Wayne County, Michigan before returning to the NAACP to assume responsibility for environmental and energy policy and alliances.

Lightfoot has a Husband and two daughters residing on Ann Arbor's North side

Timeline

March 13, 2015: Resigns from the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren in protest of Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to move the School Reform Office from the Department of Education — which he does not oversee — to the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, putting K-12 school accountability and restructuring directly under his control.

Nov. 8, 2011: Is re-elected to the AAPS board of education with 5,261 votes (21.8%), coming in second in a field of six candidates vying for two seats. The other incumbent, Andy Thomas, wins a seat with 5,840 votes (24.2%). Other candidates are Lawrence Murphy, Patrick Leonard, Ahmar Iqbal and Albert Howard. The term is four years. However, state legislation passed in 2011 mandated that school board elections be held only on even-numbered years, starting in 2012. So in January 2012 the AAPS school board passed a resolution agreeing to hold board elections in even-numbered Novembers. That resolution extended the terms of Lightfoot and Thomas through 2016.

Nov. 2, 2010: Is elected to a one-year term as one of two candidates running for two seats – incumbent Andy Thomas is the other candidate. Gets 24,877 votes (50.73%).

2010: Is hired by the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center as a consultant on regional urban initiatives.

Dec. 2009: Is appointed as an AAPS trustee by the school board in December 2009, to fill a seat vacated by Helen Gates-Bryant, who resigned in November 2009. She is one of seven candidates to apply for the position. Other candidates are Jack Panitch, Lightfoot, Andy Thomas, Margy Long, Christine Stead, Elizabeth Nelson and Kim Callahan Lijana.

1990: Joins the U.S. Air Force.