MORGANTOWN — Barring the unexpected, there will be a familiar face representing the city’s 4th Ward and newcomers representing the 2nd and 6th wards when the next iteration of Morgantown City Council convenes for the first time in July.
Council’s longest-serving member and current deputy mayor, Jenny Selin, has been on council since 2007 and is seeking her ninth term.
Conversely, Jodi Hollingshead (2nd Ward) is making her first foray into elective politics, as are Stephanie Hunt (6th Ward) and Mark Downs (6th Ward) who will square off in the election’s only contested race.
The Dominion Post recently spoke with Hollingshead, Hunt and Downs about what inspired them to put their names on the ballot.
Jodi Hollingshead – 2nd Ward
Hollingshead, 38, was born and raised in Grafton. She moved to Morgantown to attend WVU 20 years ago.
She’s called South Park home for the last 18 of those years.
“Prior to 2020, I owned my own photography business. In 2020, about two weeks before everything shut down, we found out we were pregnant with our first baby,” she said. “I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for about four years now.”
Hollingshead said she stays active engaging with civil rights efforts at the state and federal level, particularly focusing on housing issues, reproductive rights and LGBTQIA issues.
She traces the origin of her council campaign back to 2022, when she successfully organized a campaign to block Florida-based firearms manufacturer Big Daddy Guns from opening in the city’s downtown. She went on to introduce zoning changes prohibiting gun sales in the downtown business district that were ultimately adopted into law.
“It was that experience. I was so inspired by what can be accomplished when we work together and stay persistent and ask for what we want,” Hollingshead says when asked what inspired her campaign. “I learned a lot about municipal government during the fight to keep the gun store out of here. After learning about those systems, I got really excited and inspired to try and work within those systems to make the change we need to see.”
She said she’s ready to bring those changes to the city’s policy-making body.
“Bill Kawecki is the current 2nd Ward representative, and though I appreciate all of his work and his time on council, his votes and comments in favor of the camping ban signified that it was time for a change in leadership,” she said. “It worked out that the timing was right for me in my personal life as well.”
Stephanie Hunt – 6th Ward
Hunt, 32, made her way from Rancho Cucamonga, California, to Morgantown about seven years ago to attend WVU.
She knew almost immediately that she wasn’t going back.
“This city, the people; there’s such a strong sense of community here. I know a lot of people leave after graduation, but I stayed because I wanted to be a part of making Morgantown better,” Hunt said. “I’ve lived here about seven years, and plan to call it home the rest of my life.”
Hunt owns a small business, Paws and Purrs Pet Sitting LLC.
“Through that [business] I’ve gotten to know hundreds of people in the community, and I feel like being a small business owner gives me a first-hand understanding of the challenges and opportunities our local businesses face here.”
She recalls marching in support of workers’ rights with her mother, an educator, noting, “Advocacy and taking action has always been a part of who I am.”
The co-chair of the Greenmont Neighborhood Association, Hunt said she wants to expand her efforts beyond the neighborhood to push for “real, practical solutions.”
“I hear from people every day about the same core issues – road conditions, neglected properties, affordable housing, and the need for a government that listens, responds, and operates with transparency,” Hunt said, later adding “At the end of the day, I’m running because I care about Morgantown. I’ve built my life here, and I want to make sure it’s a place where people want to stay, raise their families and build businesses.”
“I’m excited for the opportunity to serve, and I look forward to hearing from more residents about what matters most to them,” she concluded.
Mark Downs – 6th Ward
Downs, 51, is a lifelong resident of Morgantown and a WVU graduate.
His professional career includes nearly 20 years in management and leadership roles within the federal government all over north-central West Virginia.
He counts NASA, the Department of Defense and the FBI among his stops.
“I worked as a state and federal lobbyist in child welfare advocacy for a very specific project associated with trying to establish a college for foster kids aging out of the foster care system,” Down said. “I was also appointed by Governor Manchin to the first board of directors for Workforce West Virginia.”
While Downs has never run for office, he’s served on various city volunteer boards and commissions. He’s been a board member for the Morgantown Area Partnership and is the most recent past-president of Main Street Morgantown.
He’s also worked in support of various efforts to re-energize portions of the city’s downtown.
“I started working on Morgantown revitalization and community improvement about four years ago during COVID and it just kind of lit a fire in my belly to the point where I quit my job as chief of staff at NASA in Fairmont to devote myself as a volunteer making Morgantown better,” he said, noting a seat on city council is the next logical step.
“We’ve got to build more amenities and a better quality of life. But if you look at our budget, it’s down 22% from 2014 if normalized for inflation. Housing costs have gone up. Jobs are leaving the city as evidenced by municipal service fee revenues adjusted for inflation. There are very clear problems,” he said.
“I think some of it needs the kind of leadership and experience that I have to help solve those things. I’m looking forward to the chance to bring those skills and experience to bear for the people of Morgantown.”
