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Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Passion For Politics

The allure of city hall brought
Lauren Mondry home to Detroit.

ROBIN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

S

he’s getting set
to move into her
Midtown Detroit
apartment, with a view
down Woodward Avenue,
in a few short weeks.
Lauren Mondry, 26, of
Bloomfield Hills is excited
about her city digs and lov-
ing her fast-paced job as a
staffer with Detroit Mayor
Mike Duggan’s re-election
campaign at a time of
major growth and renewal
in the city.
Lauren Mondry
About a year ago, she
“I read about a lot of really smart,
was hired as a deputy
talented people moving back, and
press secretary with the mayor’s
I wanted to join them,” she says. “I
office. Mondry recently transitioned
wanted to be a small part of this
to her new role and decided to
transformation.”
become an official city resident.
“I wanted to work on the cam-
STRONG ROOTS
paign because I think the mayor is
Mondry grew up in a politically
doing such a phenomenal job in the
aware and active family. She says
city,” she says. “Right now, Detroit is
her Jewish roots gave her a sense of
at such a transformational point …
responsibility to be civically engaged
this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportu-
and to give back. That’s what drew
nity to be part of a city coming back
her to politics in the first place.
from bankruptcy.”
As for Detroit, while she grew up
Mondry took a roundabout route
a
short
distance from the city, her
back home to Detroit. She grew up
childhood
memories are limited to
in the suburbs and graduated from
“occasional field trips to the Detroit
Birmingham’s Seaholm High School
and the University of Michigan (with Institute of Arts, a show or a base-
a degree in public policy), then spent ball game.” She is thrilled to be part
of the new crop of millennials mov-
a whirlwind seven months with
ing to the city and rediscovering it.
former President Barack Obama’s
“Detroit is becoming a place
campaign. She traveled across the
where
Michigan has an opportunity
country with the president and first
to
retain
talent, people like me who
lady helping to coordinate press and
are from Michigan, attend school
set up campaign events, quite an
intro to national politics for a recent in Michigan and then are trying
to determine where to go for their
college grad. Her next stop was
careers,” Mondry says. “I think it’s
Chicago, where she worked in the
very significant that young people
office of Mayor Rham Emanuel.
now want to stay. And they should
“It was the first time I worked
want to stay, in my opinion, because
within a municipal government,
there’s more opportunity and it’s a
and I was able to see how change
great thing for our state.”
is really fostered at the local level,”
One of her goals as part of the
Mondry says. “I think cities are
where the innovation is — so I knew Duggan campaign is to engage sub-
urban Detroiters and suburban Jews
I wanted to remain working in city
in the city’s mayoral election. She
government.”
encourages those who don’t live in
While Chicago was fun, Mondry
the city to get involved and play a
kept reading and hearing about the
more active role.
monumental changes happening
“The first four years, the mayor
back home. When she was pre-
has been really focused on getting
sented with the opportunity to join
the city’s basic metrics and basic
Mayor Duggan’s team, she didn’t
services back on track — street-
think twice.

continued on page 32

Sisterhood of Adat Shalom

presents

An Afternoon
with

Lori Lipten

Medium & Author

Complimentary Coffee Corner 10 a.m. - Noon
Unique Boutiques
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Luncheon and Program
Noon

Luncheon catered by Quality Kosher Catering

Come Shop Our Amazing Boutiques!

Artloft ~ Diane Mondry ~ Ella Designs ~ Event Bliss
Just Girls ~ Karen Egren ~ Modern Art
More of Me/Bricker Furs ~ Names in Knit
Nancy Gad Harf ~ Passion 4 Design ~
Pawn Chick Shopping ~ Personalized Things
Silverbells ~ Sisterhood Gift Shop
Specialtees Birmingham ~ Sutherland Style ~ VL Knits

Woman of Distinction Honoree

Harriet Dunsky

Adat Shalom Synagogue

Farmington Hills, Michigan

Questions? Call the synagogue office, 248.851.5100
Register online at http://adatshalom.org/events/donor-day-2017

2170140

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April 20 • 2017

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