C O V E R S T O R Y
When you think about what you would want your
elected official to be in a nutshell, it is personified
in Memphis City Councilwoman Patrice Jordan
Robinson. She is always calm, cool, and collected
when you speak to her about issues facing our
community. Robinson is laser-focused on finding
solutions and clearly communicates her thoughts
and ideas.
Robinson represents one of the most economically
diverse districts in the City of Memphis - and that
is District 3. It is a majority African American
community, and the diversity is through the gap
between those in poverty and wealth. She has
done a remarkable job of attempting to bridge that
gap through her strong stance on education, jobs
that pay a living wage or more, and growth.
Here’s a little background on City Council Vice
Chairwoman Robinson. She was elected to the
Memphis City Council in November 2015 in a
hard-fought special election. A former Memphis
City/Shelby County Schools Board of Education
Commissioner and Board President in 2004 and
2007, Robinson was elected in 2000 and served
until August 2013. As a Board member, she
distinguished herself by chairing the Policy,
Personnel, Audit, and Capital Improvements
Committees, as well as an active participant on
the Prevailing Wages Commission.
While serving on the Tennessee School Boards
Association's Board of Directors, Robinson also
served as the MCS Board representative on the
2010-2011 Tennessee Legislative Network as the
President. This Board is composed of school
board members statewide who set the legislative
agenda for the Tennessee School Boards
Association. With more than 900 School Board
members in the state of Tennessee, Robinson was
at that time one of approximately 50 board
members that have earned the designation as a
Master School Boardsman in Tennessee.
She has 30-plus years of professional experience
in Education, Human Resources, Training and
Development, Counseling, Job Development, and
Grant Writing. Robinson is a certified Senior
Professional in Human Resources. She retired as
a Supervisor, Assessment & Development, at
Memphis Light Gas and Water Division.
Robinson earned a Master of Science degree in
Technological and Adult Education from the
University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a
bachelor's degree in Business Administration,
with an emphasis in Management and Industrial
Relations, from Memphis State University.
In May of 2006, she was a graduate of Leadership
Memphis, and in 2010, a graduate of the Memphis
Leadership Academy. Robinson has served as
secretary-treasurer of the West Tennessee
Technical and Adult Education Society, a member
of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, the
American Society for Training and Development,
on the Board of Directors of Jobs for Stars,
Memphis in May, Hands Across Memphis, Inc.
and served as the Education Chair of the
Tennessee Chapter of the American Association of
Blacks in Energy. Currently, she serves on the
boards of Leadership Memphis, Memphis
Weekend Academy, and Paula Ratchford
Ministries. Robinson is the President of the
Valleywood Homeowners Association, former
correspondence secretary for the Memphis (TN)
Chapter, The Links, Inc., Director of the Women's
Ministry at Faith Temple Ministries COGIC, and
an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
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