Hello Ferndale Friends & Neighbors,
My name is Rolanda (Ro) Kelley and I am excited to run for Ferndale City Council.
I am passionate about our city and about the people who call Ferndale home. My goal is to make a positive impact for both, by being an accessible and accountable voice for all who live here. The pillars of my platform are transparency and connectivity between residents and city leadership, sustainable growth and responsible budgeting.
Campaign Kickoff @ Affirmations!
My experience on the political and community arena include:
Precinct 1 Elected Delegate, 2019-current
Ferndale Area Democrats — Vice Chair
Oakland County Democratic Party — Chair of LGBTQ+ Committee
Michigan Democratic Party —Voter Protection Local Lead
Unity Fund PAC— Vice Chair (Unity Fund is dedicated to getting LGBTQ candidates on the ballot and elected to office. In November of ‘22, we endorsed 9 candidates, 8 of which now hold office at the State Capitol in Lansing)
1st Vice Chair of the Michigan’s 11th Congressional District Democratic Party
Ferndale Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Vision Committee Member
Advisory Committee for DDA’S Mural Development Plan
Event Chair for Ferndale Pride’s Rainbow Raffle Fundraiser 2019-current
2022 Campaign Volunteer for US Congresswoman Haley Stevens
Worked alongside Stevens bringing national politics to the local level by introducing her to our Ferndale community while building relationships with Senators, State Representatives, Commissioners in the process
Hosted a meet-and-greet our Congresswoman in the backyard of our home during Ferndale Pride
In my career, I am an established senior level manager at Costco with over 20 years of leadership experience. Some of my professional experience includes:
Budget and Payroll Management
Team Leadership and employee engagement
Business strategy and development
Employee recruitment, training, and development
Development and implementation of sales and marketing strategies designed to increase membership volume/retention and increase company sales
Organizational growth and culture
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
As part of a diversity, equity & Inclusion (DEI) program, I have also lead women in business empowerment initiative designed to help women in the workplace succeed through education, mentoring and networking.
I firmly believe that my diverse involvement in Ferndale along with my personal and professional skillsets, will effectively translate into the role of a City Councilperson.
My guiding principle is simple: Listen, Learn, Lead. This philosophy expresses how I will seek to understand, support & represent the voices of Ferndale residents if elected to council.
I look forward to meeting more community members during this process and uncover the things about our city that matter most to you. I would appreciate the chance to earn your vote on November 7th or earlier by absentee.
Community Conversations Campaign Event @ Jim’s Community Corner