Muskegon Charter Township supervisor joins MTA Board of Directors

Jennifer Hodges, Muskegon Charter Township (Muskegon Co.) supervisor, has been appointed to the Michigan Townships Association (MTA) Board of Directors as the new director of MTA District 15, which encompasses Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa Counties.

MTA represents more than 99% of Michigan’s 1,240 townships and is the largest municipal association in the state. Hodges has been township supervisor since 2018 and previously served on the Muskegon Charter Township board as trustee from 2012-2018. In her new role helping to lead the Association, Hodges says her priority is helping townships maintain local control over issues impacting their community and residents.

“Maintaining the authority and responsibilities of local government is one of the best ways to serve township residents throughout Michigan,” she said. “Being a local elected official is our democracy’s closest form of representation. We are the most intimately connected to our residents and communities, we’re more easily accessible, and we have a better understanding of the impacts of change.

“MTA has been the leading voice for maintaining township governance. Becoming a district director will allow me to not only be a champion for the concerns of my constituents, but the insights and knowledge I will gain from this role will benefit those I represent.”

Hodges serves as president of the Muskegon County MTA Chapter, and is also chair of the county Regional Water Policy Board, secretary of the Muskegon Municipal Wastewater Management Committee, and treasurer of the Muskegon Area District Library Board. She is the township ex-officio member of the county Board of Public Works and a former member of the Muskegon Charter Township Parks and Recreation Committee.