Recently elected Zone 3 City Councilman Brandon Jenson is no stranger to public service.
“I always had people telling me to run for office, and I finally decided to last year when the Forward SGF Comprehensive Plan was wrapping up,” Jenson said. “It’s an exciting time to be in Springfield. I think we have a really bright future ahead of us, but that will require collaboration and compromise to make our city the best it can be. We have the passion and the skills right here to see our community change for the better, and we need to start by being willing to listen to everybody.”
Jenson’s day job is serving as the program manager for the state of Missouri’s Community Development Block Grant program. He previously served as the program’s chief community engagement and planning officer. His work includes ensuring compliance across all CDBG funding streams operated by the state, as well as internal and external engagement opportunities to highlight the successes and opportunities offered by the CDBG program.
Jenson’s community involvement includes serving as the co-chair of Community Partnership of the Ozarks’ Housing Collaborative and as West Central Neighborhood Alliance’s president, as well as volunteering in the neighborhood garden. He graduated from Nixa High School, where he participated in soccer and speech and debate, and was voted “friendliest person in Nixa.”
Jenson said he chose to live in the West Central neighborhood because of its walking distance to downtown.
“Before I moved to West Central, I lived in a loft downtown,” he said. One of his favorite restaurants is downtown’s Tinga Tacos and he said he grabs tacos to go at least once a week. During his downtime, which these days isn’t often, Jenson said he spends time with friends at another Zone 3 favorite: Nathanael Greene Park.
An American Institute of Certified Planners-certified planner, Jenson also worked for the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, providing economic development and long-range planning, as well as grant writing/administration services, to member communities in a 10-county area; as a long-range planner for Adams County, Colorado; and for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Jenson is a strong believer in government for and by the people, which speaks to his passions in public engagement and good government practices.
“Like any city, we have issues we need to deal with, like housing, homelessness and crime … but I firmly believe that no issue is too big to tackle,” Jenson said. “They just need to be broken down into bite-size, actionable pieces.”
Councilman Jenson can be reached at brandon.jenson@springfieldmo.gov or by calling 417-306-3072.