Jennifer Alden

Jennifer Alden
Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo
In office 2020–2021
Deputy	Andrea Metcalf
Preceded by	Margaret O'Rourke
Succeeded by	Andrea Metcalf
Deputy Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo
In office 2017–2018
Preceded by	Rod Fyffe
Succeeded by	Matt Emond
In office 2022–2023
Preceded by	Matthew Evans
Succeeded by	Matthew Evans
Councilor of the City of Greater Bendigo for Lockwood Ward
In office 2016–2024
Personal details
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Greens

Jennifer Alden is an Australian former politician and health broker who served as Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo from 2020 to 2021 and as a councillor from 2016 to 2024.^[1] She served as Deputy Mayor twice.^[2]

Political Career

In 1995 Alden Co-founded the Bendigo branch of the Australian Greens.^[3] In the 2006 Victorian State Election, Alden ran as the Victorian Greens lead candidate for the Northern Victoria Region, although failed to be elected.^[4] In the 2014 Victorian state election she unsuccessfully contested the division of Bendigo East.^[5] In the 2016 Australian Federal Election, she was listed as the eighth candidate on the Greens' Senate ticket for Victoria. ^[6]

Alden was first elected to the City of Greater Bendigo Council in the 2016 election, where she received 8.86% of the primary vote in the Lockwood Ward.^[7] In 2017 she was elected as Deputy Mayor of Bendigo, serving under mayor Margaret O'Rourke until 2018.

She was reelected in the 2020 election with 18.23% and was subsequently elected by the council to the position of mayor, with Andrea Metcalf serving as Deputy Mayor.^[8][9] During her one-year term as Mayor, she worked to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 she was elected as Deputy Mayor for a second time, serving until 2023.^[10]

Alden did not contest the 2024 election, citing in part the changes to the ward system under the Local Government Act 2020.^[11]

Alden holds a Doctorate of Public Health, Masters in Women's Health and is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University.^[12][13][3]

References

1. "Jennifer Alden". Urban Agriculture Forum 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
2. "Past Councillors | City of Greater Bendigo". www.bendigo.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
3. "Bendigo East - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results". abc.net.au. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
4. "Trove". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
5. "2014 State election results". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
6. "Parliamentary Handbook". handbook.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
7. "2016 council election results". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
8. "Greater Bendigo City Council election results 2020". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
9. Pedler, Chris (17 November 2020). "Bendigo council names Jennifer Alden as mayor-elect". www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
10. Bottams, Tim (3 November 2022). "Mayoral duo decided". Bendigo Times. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
11. "Revealed: ex-mayor leaving council, blasts 'inequitable' election changes". www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
12. "Introducing Dr Jennifer Alden". Association for Sustainability in Business Inc. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
13. scholars.latrobe.edu.au https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/jalden. Retrieved 28 November 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)