Change begins with us, but first we must realize that we have the power!
Rhodesia Ransom is a Justice Leader, City Council Member, and the Co-Founder of Sow a Seed Foundation. During this episode of WinHers United the podcast, Rhodesia shares her insight and experience in relation to effecting positive change in our community, as well as in our personal lives.
Listen in so you can also Take Time to Make Change.
Have you embraced your power to make change, or are you settling for what is?
Episode Highlights
(3:10) Rhodesia discusses her professional background and lets us know what she is currently up to
(5:42) Rhodesia sheds light on the importance of local government, and how to make change in our community
(8:36) Find out how Rhodesia ended up in the political arena
(12:31) Rhodesia wanted to be a lawyer, find out how and why she changed her mind
(14:55) Based on the example she saw growing up Rhodesia made a conscious decision to choose positive for herself, listen in to find out more
(19:49) Rhodesia talks about systematic injustices and why running for office is important
(22:24) Rhodesia believes self-care is a crucial part of self-improvement
(25:03) Rhodesia shares her morning routine, and also talks about distractions
(29:08) Rhodesia gives herself a positive self-talk when necessary, find out what she says
(30:47) One of Rhodesia’s toughest struggles was finding Work-Life balance
(35:03) Rhodesia’s latest ah-ha moment was realizing that she cannot control how other people feel or what they do
(41:28) Rhodesia talks about the strategic partnerships she has made to ensure she serves the community efficiently
(44:44) Find out what advice Rhodesia has for up and coming entrepreneurs
(47:42) Learn about Rhodesia’s travel experiences
Interview Quotes
“Those things that really impact our daily lives are normally lower on the ballot.” – Rhodesia Ransom
“We gotta show up to vote!” – Rhodesia Ransom
“We really need people who are going to hold elected people accountable by challenging them in elections, and by us actually doing our homework so that they know they have to work for our votes.” – Rhodesia Ransom
Resources
Rhodesia referenced the books Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell during this interview, use the below links to purchase your copy today.
Click HERE to purchase Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Click HERE to purchase The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
Rhodesia’s Bio
Rhodesia Ransom believes that community focused leadership must be principled, collaborative and results oriented.
As a Tracy City Council Member, Non-Profit Director, former Planning Commissioner and former Civil Grand Jurist, Ransom has been standing up for families and taxpayers across San Joaquin County for nearly two decades.
Shaped by the values of public service, she spent much of her childhood working alongside her grandmother on volunteer projects to connect vulnerable families with medical care, housing, and other critical services.
After earning her bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University and a Masters in Public Administration, Rhodesia worked in the private sector for fifteen years. She went on to teach graduate level courses in public finance and business management before moving on to serve the Tracy community that her family has been proud to call home since 2002.
Ransom was appointed to serve on the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury from 2006-2008, where she served as Vice-Foreman. In her oversight of public agencies across our community, she helped expose millions of dollars in wasteful government spending, and worked to improve efficiency and service delivery across dozens of public agencies.
After founding the non-profit Sow-A-Seed Foundation in 2009, she led efforts to bring gang violence prevention programs into Tracy's public schools. The organization now provides counseling, education, and leadership development services to more than 650 area youth each day.
Ransom was also appointed to the City of Tracy Planning Commission in 2009, where she served two terms as chair. Performing a critical oversight role on new development projects Ransom's efforts helped create thousands of new jobs and housing units, as well as protecting the public with important new environmental safeguards.
In 2016, Ransom was elected to the Tracy City Council, where she has earned a reputation for challenging the status quo and standing up for what is right--from leading efforts to improve transparency and fiscal stewardship in city government, to hiring more police officers and leading a community wide-task force to better coordinate homeless services and expand shelter space.
Rhodesia's husband KT also serves our community as a public safety officer. They have been married for many years, and have raised their three children in Tracy.
Ransom's other current and past community associations include:
Founding Board Member, Tracy Police Activities League
Founding Member, Tracy Community Homelessness Task Force
Vice Chair, South San Joaquin County Fire Authority
Board Member, San Joaquin Partnership
Member, Deuel Vocational Institution (prison) Advisory Committee
Inaugural member, Tracy Unified School District Anti-B ully Committee
Former, Tracy Women's Forum Board of Directors
Former, VP and President of a Kimball High School PTA
Former Board Member, Tracy Performing Arts Foundation
Emerge California, 2009 Graduate
Institute for Emerging Leaders, Great Valley Center, 2010 Fellow
Rhodesia's Awards and Recognition:
2007- Grassroots Activist of the Year, Central Valley Drum Magazine
2011-Community Spirit Award, San Joaquin County Democratic Central Committee
2012-Woman of Tracy, Tracy Women's Forum
2015-Martin Luther King Jr. Image Award, Tracy African American Association
2015-"Clemmie Award" for Service to Youth, The Stockton Links
2015-Freedom Fighter Award, Stockton NAACP
2016-"Luminary Women of Faith," Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star
For More Information Call 209-645-2012.
How to stay engaged with Nicole Walker and WinHers United
- If you are interested in joining or learning more about the WinHers United Membership Group send Nicole an email at winhersunited@gmail.com.
- If you are an aspiring or newbie podcaster Nicole would love to help you on your journey. Schedule a Podcast Launch Consultation Session with Nicole using this link: http://bit.ly/WinHers-PodCall.
- Follow Nicole on Clubhouse @winhersunited.
- Check out the WinHers United website at: http://winhersunited.com.
As always "Be Empowered and Empower On" - Nicole Walker