Jennifer Alden
Jennifer Alden | |
|---|---|
 Alden in 2025 | |
| Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo | |
| In office 2020–2021 | |
| Deputy | Andrea Metcalf |
| Preceded by | Margaret O'Rourke |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Metcalf |
| Deputy Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo | |
| In office 2017–2018 | |
| Preceded by | Rod Fyffe |
| Succeeded by | Matt Emond |
| In office 2022–2023 | |
| Preceded by | Matthew Evans |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Evans |
| Councillor of the City of Greater Bendigo for Lockwood Ward | |
| In office 2016–2024 | |
Jennifer Alden (born 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo from 2020 to 2021 and as a councillor from 2016 to 2024.[1] She served as Deputy Mayor twice.[2]
Early life and career
[edit]Alden was born in Mildura in 1957 and raised in Middle Park.[citation needed] She attended Vaucluse Convent FCJ in Richmond.[citation needed] In 1974, she enrolled at Monash University, where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology.[citation needed] In 1977, she completed an Honours degree in Science, studying the use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of antibodies to influenza A.[citation needed] Alden began a PhD on the development of a vaccine for syphilis in 1978 but discontinued the program.[3] She subsequently worked as a research scientist at Prince Henry's Hospital microbiology department in conjunction with Monash University's Department of Surgery, undertaking research for Pfizer on the use of tinidazole in colonic surgery patients.[citation needed]
Alden later completed a Diploma of Naturopathy at the Southern School of Natural Therapies, focusing on nutrition, herbal medicine, and women's health, and practiced as a naturopathic health consultant until 2003.[citation needed] In 1998, she completed a Masters degree in Women's Health at the Key Centre for Women's Health at the University of Melbourne.[citation needed] Alden's first book, Liberated Eating: The Serotonin Programme for Depressed Dieters, was published in 2001 by Lothian Books.[4]In 2003 she became CEO of Women’s Health Loddon Mallee and also served as convenor of the Women’s Health Association of Victoria in 2006. In 2012, she graduated with a Doctor of Public Health from Flinders University; her dissertation examined Australian food and nutrition policy development opportunities.[citation needed]
In 2007, Alden joined VicHealth as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Research Strategy and Policy Unit, including a brief period as Acting Director.[citation needed] She managed a project on the health and economic benefits of reducing disease risk factors.[5] In 2009, she became CEO of Cultivating Community, an urban agriculture non-profit organisation based in Victoria.[citation needed]
From 2012 to 2015, she was an Honorary Research Fellow at the Melbourne Sustainable Societies Institute at the University of Melbourne.[citation needed]
In 2018 she undertook the Australian Institute of Company Directors course completion with award of GAICD. She is a Board Director at Mallee Track Health & Community Services, a member of the Municipal Association of Victoria’s Health and Wellbeing Advisory Panel and Deputy Chair of the Bendigo Maubisse Friendship Committee.
Political career
[edit]In 1995, Alden co-founded the Bendigo branch of the Australian Greens.[6] In the 2006 Victorian state election, Alden ran as the Victorian Greens lead candidate for the Northern Victoria Region, although she failed to be elected.[7] In the 2014 Victorian state election, Alden unsuccessfully contested the division of Bendigo East.[8] In the 2016 Australian federal election, she was listed as the eighth candidate on the Greens' Senate ticket for Victoria.[9] She resigned from the Australian Greens in 2018.
Alden was first elected to the City of Greater Bendigo Council in the 2016 election, where she received 8.86% of the primary vote in the Lockwood Ward.[10] In 2017, she was elected as Deputy Mayor of Bendigo, serving under mayor Margaret O'Rourke until 2018.[2] In 2018 she was awarded the Municipal Association of Victoria’s McArthur travelling fellowship for international local government research.[11]
Alden was re-elected in the 2020 election with 18.23% and was subsequently elected by the council to the position of mayor, with Andrea Metcalf serving as Deputy Mayor.[12][13] During her one-year term as Mayor, she worked to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, she was elected as Deputy Mayor for a second time, serving until 2023.[14] Alden did not contest the 2024 election, citing in part the changes to the ward system under the Local Government Act 2020.[15]
Alden holds a Doctorate of Public Health, Masters in Women's Health and is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University.[6][16][17]
Personal life
[edit]Alden married Peter Morison in 1980.[citation needed] The couple moved to Bendigo in 1982.[citation needed] Alden and her husband own a property in Pine Grove that is under a Trust for Nature conservation covenant.[18]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Jennifer Alden". Urban Agriculture Forum 2023. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- 1 2 "Past Councillors". City of Greater Bendigo. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ Graves S, Alden J (1 December 1979). "Limited protection of rabbits against infection with Treponema pallidum by immune rabbit sera". Sexually Transmitted Infections. 55 (6): 399–403. doi:10.1136/sti.55.6.399. PMC 1045696. PMID 393362.
- ↑ Alden, Jennifer. Liberated eating : the serotonin programme for depressed dieters. ISBN 0-7344-0184-1.
- ↑ Cadilhac DA, Magnus A, Cumming T, Sheppard L, Pearce D, Carter R (July 2009). The health and economic benefits of reducing disease risk factors Research Report (PDF). VicHealth (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Bendigo East - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results". ABC News. 28 November 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ "Alden, Jennifer". Trove. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ "2014 State election results". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ "Senate Candidates". Parliamentary Handbook. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ "2016 council election results". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ Alden, Jennifer (27 June 2019). Investigation of the Development of UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy in Italy (PDF). Municipal Association of Victoria (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "Greater Bendigo City Council election results 2020". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ Pedler, Chris (17 November 2020). "Bendigo council names Jennifer Alden as mayor-elect". Bendigo Advertiser. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ Bottams, Tim (4 November 2022). "Mayoral duo decided". Bendigo Times. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ O'Callaghan, Tom (26 August 2024). "Revealed: ex-mayor leaving council, blasts 'inequitable' election changes". Bendigo Advertiser. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ "Introducing Dr Jennifer Alden". Association for Sustainability in Business. 17 October 2016. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ "Jennifer Alden Profile". La Trobe University. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ↑ "Woodland birds return to Pine Grove". Land Covenantors Victoria. 20 August 2023. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.