Woods-Jones, Dezi

Dezie Woods-Jones is a former member of the Oakland, CA city council where she also served as Vice Mayor. Professionally, Ms. Woods-Jones worked with Job Corps where she rose to the position of Assistant Director of Community Affairs. She joined the staff at the Peralta Community College District as Director of Community Outreach. She recently retired as the Assistant Chancellor for External Affairs for that educational institution. Her civic enterprises includes her service as the statewide President of Black Women organized for Political Action (BWOPA), the oldest such organization in California. She is also founder of Black Women Organized for Educational Development. Ms. Woods-Jones has continued to demonstrate her commitment to social and economic equity issues through her efforts to empower women and her special work with youth. Dezie Woods-Jones is a lifelong community activist with over 40 years as a dedicated public servant. She began her civic involvement many years ago as President of the Fresno Youth Chapter for the NAACP. Then she became an organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and a national fundraiser for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She is a legend as a social activist in the northern California Bay area committed to social justice and equal opportunity.