Jake Woodford was elected as Appleton’s 46th Mayor in April 2020. Woodford took office in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and led the City through its first mayoral transition in 24 years.
Mayor Woodford has brought focus to stewardship of City resources, accessibility of local government, and fostering a welcoming community. He has worked with City leadership and the Common Council to put Appleton on a healthier and more sustainable financial path while continuing investment in community infrastructure and quality of life. Efforts to-date include statewide advocacy on behalf of the City for local government funding reform and the creation of a debt management plan to stabilize the City’s borrowing. He has eliminated barriers to public participation in local government by opening the committee appointment process to public applications, holding monthly open office hours and virtual town halls on social media. Under his leadership, the City of Appleton has improved its Municipal Equality Index Score to be among the best in the State and has joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network of Communities.
He is an active member of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Urban Alliance, and serves on the Boards of Directors of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, respectively.
Prior election as Mayor, Woodford was an administrator at Lawrence University, where he managed the university’s real estate, was the governance professional for the Board of Trustees, and was a government affairs liaison. He also served as a commissioner on the Appleton Redevelopment Authority and on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust.
Mayor Woodford is a fourth-generation Appletonian and holds a degree in Government from Lawrence University in Appleton. He and his wife, Hilary Haskell, live in the River Drive neighborhood.
