As an Elkhart native, Mayor Rod is passionate about and committed to his hometown.

Mayor Rod currently serves as the Mayor of the City of Elkhart, the City’s chief executive officer responsible for overall leadership, administration, and day to day operations of municipal government.

Mayor Rod graduated from Elkhart Central High School, where he was an All-American, All-State football and basketball player. He led the ECHS basketball team to a sectional title in 1976 and is enshrined in the Elkhart County Sports Hall of Fame. He went on to graduate from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Economics, where he earned All-Big Ten Conference honors and was drafted by New Jersey into the NBA. He played two years of basketball overseas in the Philippines and Sweden.

As Mayor, Rod attributes his compassion for his hometown in part to the six years he served as Executive Director of Church Community Services, Inc. CCS is a faith-based nonprofit agency that serves the needs of people in poverty in Elkhart County. Under his leadership, CCS expanded its program services, reach, and advocacy.

Mayor Rod served 16 years on the Elkhart City Council as a Councilman At-Large. In that capacity, he served as Finance Chair, Parliamentarian, Vice President, and spent two years as Council President during his third term. He was the first African American to hold an at-large council seat. During his council tenure, he witnessed what he describes as a “raw vulnerability” in people, which has informed his sense of service to the community.

Mayor Rod has served on the boards of Heart City Health Center, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart General Hospital, The United Way, the YMCA, and Back-2-School Elkhart. He has been very active in neighborhood development and citizen issues, consistently working to ensure these groups have a voice in the community.

In the private sector, Mayor Rod held successful managerial positions with Coca-Cola USA, Miller Brewing Company, Gallo Winery, and Coachman Industries. He has demonstrated strong leadership at all organizational levels.

Mayor Rod is currently in his second term as Mayor of the City of Elkhart. He has a vision for the future that includes a well-functioning municipal government and transformative change where all ages, genders, creeds, and races are encouraged to participate in the continued development of the city.