Background
Jacobs, Gilda Z. was born on April 1, 1949.
Jacobs, Gilda Z. was born on April 1, 1949.
Senator Jacobs graduated from the University of Michigan, received her bachelor"s degree in science with a distinction in education in 1970 and a master"s degree in behavioral sciences in education in 1971.
The mostly suburban district is in southeastern Oakland County, and includes the cities of Farmington Hills, Huntington Woods, Southfield, and Oak Park. She currently serves as president and Chief Executive Officer of the Michigan League for Public Policy. She was a special education teacher in the Madison School District until the late 1980s.
Jacobs was the first woman elected to the Huntington Woods City Commission, serving from 1981-1994.
She was the Mayor Pro Tem of Huntington Woods in 1993-1994, and served as Oakland County Commissioner from 1995-1998. She was elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1998, where she served for two terms.
She represented the 35th district, which includes most of the city of Southfield. While in the House, she made history by being the first female floor leader in either House of the legislature.
In 2002, she ran for the open State Senate seat being vacated by Senator Gary Peters.
She served as the Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus. She was the vice-chair of the Economic Development, Small Business & Regulatory Reform Committee and the Families and Human Services Committee, and also served on Government Operations and Health Policy Committees. There was early speculation that Jacobs might challenge Republican
Joe Knollenberg, but she decided against it and endorsed her predecessor in the State Senate, Gary Peters.
Due to Michigan"s term limits, Jacobs was not eligible to run for re-election in 2010, and she was succeeded by Vincent Gregory, a Democrat from Southfield. Senator Jacobs is married to John Jacobs and has an adult daughter, Jessica.
Another daughter, Rachel, was killed in the 2015 Philadelphia train derailment. In 2003, the Democratic Leadership Council named her one of the 100 New Democrats to Watch, a list of up-and-coming Democratic politicians.
2006 Election for the Michigan State Senate - 14th District
2002 Election for the Michigan State Senate - 14th District
2000 Election for the Michigan State House - 35th District
1998 Election for the Michigan State House - 35th District.
Member of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (South Oakland), Oakland County Center Fair Housing Advisor Board, Berkley High School PTO, National Council Jewish Women, Huntington Woods Residents Association, Huntington Woods Friends Library., Women's Division Jewish Federation Metropolitan Detroit, Tri-Cmty. Coalition, Neighborhood Project, Anti-Defamation League.
Married John Jacobs.