Jody was raised on the North Shore of Sydney, Newport and then Turramurra, before his family moved to Hong Kong, where his father was an airline pilot for Cathay Pacific. Jody travelled extensively and had the privilege of studying design in Switzerland, England and the USA before returning to Australia in 1981.
Jody has worked in film, theatre, television, exhibitions and displays as a set builder and prop maker, and also worked as a carpenter on building sites around Sydney.
Jody has been involved in the community since he first returned to the Northern Beaches in 2009.
He has been a member of the P&C’s of both Forestville Public School and Killarney Heights High Schol, the Club Scout leader at 1st Forestville Scouts and held various positions during his son’s time at Forest Junior Rugby.
He has been a member of the Warringah-Pittwater SES for the last 4½ years and has achieved the qualifications of Team Leader and Level One Incident Controller.
In 2017, Jody became involved in YNBIT and worked on Federal, State and local government campaigns and now serves as a Frenchs Forest Ward Councillor.
Jody is 21 years sober and has extensive experience helping others to achieve sobriety. He understands in a deeply personal way how the disease of addiction manifests in our community. As a councillor he wants to be part of finding more solutions and support for people with addictions.
Jody is the great, great Grandson of Frederick Passau who was the Mayor of Manly from 1897-1899 and now as a councillor, is continuing his family's tradition of service to the people of the Northern Beaches.
Contact
Jody.Williams@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
0478 720 125
Inauguration speech 2024
First of all I would also like to thank my long suffering wife, Irene, who set this train in motion by saying “I think you should” when I told her that it had been suggested I run for council.
I believe that it is for our children’s future that we toil in these August chambers, and my son Markus is here with us this evening. How lucky are we? Love you son.
There are a multitude of people who have given their blood, sweat, tears, time and coin to help get me here tonight – Ben & Chris my fellow three amigos when it was just us.
Sally, Kirtsy, Tina, Zali, Sophie & Michael, Dave, Tom, Anne-Charlotte, Penny and Paul, my fellow candidates and councillors. The list goes on and on.
At the peak of the campaign the Your Northern Beaches Independent Team had over 200 volunteers. The Force is strong with the independent movement on the Northern Beaches!
However, there is one group in particular that I would like to dedicate my tenure as Councillor to, they are those, who like me have found themselves alone at 3am in the morning staring bleary eyed into a mirror wondering how the hell they got here.
My fellow Alcoholics and Addicts.
I stand before you as an example that redemption and recovery are not only possible, but desirable. The disease of addiction tells us that we are not worthy of a good life.
However, there is a solution, you are not alone anymore.
Part of the solution is being of service to the community, for when we are helping others, we are freed from concerns about ourselves. I believe my father, who first served as a flight lieutenant with the Fleet Air Arm and later as a member of the Masons, found solace in serving the community.
I am particularly pleased to be here on this land, not in this building but where my great great grandfather once stood as the Mayor of Manly.
Service has become my salvation and my vocation.
I look forward to the next four years, serving the people of the Northern Beaches.