Ward 1

Arlene Robinson is a life-long resident of the City of Jackson. She is a 1975 graduate of Jackson High School and attended Jackson Community College.

She was elected as the First Ward City Councilmember in 2013, winning re-election in 2017 and 2021. Prior to being elected to the Council, she was appointed to the Jackson Housing Commission Board of Commissioners and served from 2011 to 2013, and served on the City of Jackson Income Tax Review Board for more than 10 years.

For more than 40 years, Arlene worked in the banking industry, where she managed two Comerica Bank branches in the First Ward and was Branch Coordinator/Loan Officer for South Central Credit Union.

Arlene has served as Branch President of the Jackson County NAACP since 2006. Prior to her appointment as President of the NAACP, she also served as a Vice President and Treasurer. She also served as the Treasurer of the Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club for more than 28 years. She is a lifetime member of the Second Missionary Baptist Church and presently serves on the Board of Trustees.

Arlene received the Business Woman of the Year Award in 1992; the Sadie and Ex Rhodes Barham Award in 1999; and the Susan B. Anthony Award in 2004. She is the proud mother of three sons, Darrell, Maurice and André, and has 12 grandchildren.

Arlene was chosen as the City's Vice Mayor by the City Council for the 2021-23 term. The Vice Mayor runs meetings in the Mayor’s absence, or fills the position of Mayor if it becomes vacant before an election is held. She has served as the Vice Mayor since 2017.

Her term ends in Nov. 2025. The First Ward consists of the south side of Jackson. 

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