Jacqueline Slaby (Kalamazoo City Commission, Michigan, candidate 2025)

Jacqueline Slaby

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Kalamazoo City Commission

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Bryn Mawr College, 2015

Graduate

University of Pennsylvania, 2016

Personal

Birthplace

Battle Creek, Mich.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Real estate

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Jacqueline Slaby is running for election to the Kalamazoo City Commission in Michigan. Slaby is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Slaby completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jacqueline Slaby provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2025:

• Birth date: July 20, 1993
• Birth place: Battle Creek, Michigan
• High school: Battle Creek Central High School & BCAMSC
• Bachelor's: Bryn Mawr College, 2015
• Graduate: University of Pennsylvania, 2016
• Religion: Catholic
• Profession: Real Estate
• Prior offices held:
  • Battle Creek Public Schools Trustee (2017-2022)
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Jae Means Go
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram
• Campaign YouTube video

Elections

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Kalamazoo City Commission (3 seats)

The following candidates are running in the general election for Kalamazoo City Commission on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Kizzy N. Bradford (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Soloman J. Carpenter (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Bernard Dervan III (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Keshia Dickason (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Drew Duncan (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Thomas Durlach (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Stephanie D. Hoffman (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Sara L. Schlack (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Jacqueline Slaby (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Jessica Thompson (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jacqueline Slaby completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Slaby's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a champion for public service and strategic collaboration. As a trustee for Battle Creek Public Schools (2017-2022), I chaired the successful $44.8M bond to transform facilities and invest in students. As Neighborhood Activator for the City of Kalamazoo, I led community-building efforts across all 22 neighborhoods and facilitated parks and infrastructure improvements shaped by residents’ priorities. I deliver results by listening deeply, building trust, and helping people navigate City Hall. At a time when Kalamazoo needs both strategic thinking and authentic collaboration, I bring a record of turning big goals into real outcomes. Real Estate Professional. Age 32. Master of City Planning, University of Pennsylvania; B.A. in Growth & Structure of Cities, Bryn Mawr College. Previously appointed to the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) Government Relations Committee. Recipient of MASB’s Award of Merit & Advocacy Skills Specialty. Actively serves on United Way’s Community Impact Board. Member of the Ladies’ Library Association.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Jacqueline Slaby brings direct experience working for the City of Kalamazoo, where they strengthened neighborhood engagement, supported community planning, and helped residents navigate local systems. As a former elected school board trustee, they understand how government works from both staff and leadership perspectives.
• Slaby advocates for policies that make it easier to live and build in Kalamazoo, supporting a full range of housing options, revitalizing small multifamily properties, and expanding opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Their focus is on practical, block by block solutions that strengthen the city’s economic and housing foundation.
• Their campaign emphasizes making local government more accessible and responsive. Slaby supports expanding civic participation tools, improving public communication, and aligning city resources with community priorities so every resident feels a real stake in Kalamazoo’s future. Slaby believes Kalamazoo should be the easiest place to move to, start up, and plug in.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I support a Neighborhoods First agenda to turn vacant,
debris-filled lots, brownfield properties, and neglected waterways that often sit untouched for years into safe, healthy, and welcoming neighborhood assets. Through consistent cleanup, green redevelopment, and community-led reuse, these spaces can become parks, gardens, and recreation areas instead of long-term blight.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The City Commission serves as both a policy-making body and a community bridge. It directly shapes local ordinances, budgets, and strategic priorities while staying closely connected to residents’ day-to-day experiences and needs.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to leaders who listen first and build power with others, not over them. People like Grace Lee Boggs and Jane Jacobs remind me that change begins on the block, with ordinary people reimagining what is possible through care, creativity, and persistence.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, accessibility, and accountability. Elected officials should lead with transparency, listen to the people they serve, and make decisions grounded in fairness and long-term public good.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent the public’s interests, make informed policy decisions, and ensure city resources are managed responsibly. The role also includes engaging with residents, collaborating with staff and partner agencies, and maintaining trust through consistent communication and follow-through.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want Kalamazoo to be known for having a vibrant, inclusive nightlife that welcomes everyone. A city that hums after dark with live music, local food, art, and joy. My legacy would be helping shape a place where people do not just work here, but truly live here, and stay out dancing a little longer because they feel safe and seen.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

9/11, eight years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Making pizzas on campus! 4 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Kalamazoo Public Library Staff Picks. I like discovering what the people around me are reading. It reminds me that stories connect us across backgrounds and experiences, and that curiosity is its own kind of community.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Nancy Drew. She pays attention to the details everyone else overlooks and follows her instincts until the truth comes out. I relate to her curiosity, her calm under pressure, and her refusal to accept that something “can’t be figured out.”

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have struggled with watching people lose faith in institutions that were built to serve them. That disconnection drives me to rebuild trust through action and transparency.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

City Commissioners influence how local funds are allocated and how programs are prioritized through the annual budget process. They also play a critical role in appointing members to boards and commissions, which helps shape decisions on housing, planning, sustainability, and public safety.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. Experience in public service or policy can help a commissioner understand complex systems and navigate decision-making processes effectively. However, community experience and local leadership are equally valuable, as they bring fresh insight and accountability to the role.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Skills in collaboration, communication, and problem-solving are essential. A strong understanding of budgets, planning, and community engagement helps ensure policies are both strategic and grounded in lived experience.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

This office is the public’s closest point of access to decision making. City Commissioners connect residents’ voices to city policy, set local priorities, and allocate resources in ways that shape daily life, including housing, infrastructure, safety, and neighborhood investment. The role is both legislative and relational, requiring collaboration across departments and continuous engagement with the community.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Hon. Don Cooney, City Commissioner

Hon. Qianna Decker, City Commissioner
Hon. Alonzo Wilson, City Commissioner
Hon. John Taylor, Kalamazoo County Commissioner; Vice-Chair
Hon. Monteze Morales, Kalamazoo County Commissioner
Hon. David Combs, Kalamazoo Township Supervisor
Hon. David Maturen, former State Representative (63rd District)
Ryan Reedy, Kalamazoo Downtown Business Owner
Greater Kalamazoo Association of REALTORS®

Vote Common Good

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

I met a nun who has lived in the same neighborhood for forty years. She is now homebound, but her neighbors check on her, bring meals, and make sure she still feels part of everything happening around her. Her story is a reminder that community is not just about proximity, it is about care that continues even when you can't leave your home.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

I am proud of helping neighbors turn a vacant lot into a gathering space at the end of Bryant St near Portage Creek in the Edison neighborhood. What started as a cleanup became became a catalyst for connection, showing how transformation begins when people see possibility in the places they already call home.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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