JORDAN'S BIOGRAPHY
Mayor Jordan C. Norley is a community leader, spearheading action on key issues for the betterment of West Chester today and for the future. From collaborating on innovative strategies to help protect our environment, to utilizing his years of financial advisory experience in ensuring financial security for the Borough.
Utilizing his experience, Jordan has championed solutions to issues that are core to the hearts of West Chester borough residents and their families -- quality of life improvements focusing on daily life in the Borough, sustainable urban design, public transit expansion in the form of the Rail Service to West Chester, financial security practices, renewable energy, and an equitable and fair Police Department that represents all West Chester residents.
Jordan’s experience in public office, his clear vision for the West Chester community, and his focus on collaborative, tenacious action led to his appointment as Interim Mayor of West Chester for the remainder of the 2021 term. Jordan was chosen by the democratically elected Borough Council to carry his vision forward.
As Mayor, Jordan has continued the work necessary to ensure West Chester will have completely renewable electric energy by 2035 (and all other sources by 2050.) He has also expanded the Borough’s efforts to Re-Establish Rail Service to West Chester, focusing on community collaboration, building stakeholder relationships, grassroots public support, state and federal government affairs, and grant opportunities.
To increase equity and fairness in policing, Jordan developed the West Chester Police Department Diversity Task Force, which aims to change the hiring process for future officers, ensuring that our Force is racially representative of our community. Jordan is also working on adding a mental health unit as a resource for secured situation response, case work, navigation of programming, internal training, and after action learning opportunities.
Jordan is seeking to expand on the success of the Gay St. Open Air Market Place in 2020, creating a permanent, lively pedestrian corridor, and vastly expanding opportunities for businesses and residents.
As President of Borough Council, Jordan initiated the Community Bill of Rights, which focused on environmental action, and permitted the Borough to ban single use plastics like bags and straws, as well as preserve a greater portion of natural land. Jordan believes that the Community Bill of Rights is foundational to West Chester residents' right to local self governance and the right to clean air, water, and energy.
Jordan was first elected to public office to West Chester’s Borough Council in 2011, where he served as a member for five years. In 2014, he was elected to become Borough Council President, where he served until 2016. Jordan was then elected Vice President and appointed as the Chair of the Finance and Revenue Committee, where he served until his unanimous appointment to Interim Mayor in 2017.
During his term, he stopped the pattern of tax increases each year, instead managing the expenses in the Borough. As a result, taxes did not increase during his 5 years of Borough Council service. He fought to preserve Barclay Grounds, which led to the creation of Barclay Park. In 2014, Jordan spearheaded the Committee to Reestablish Rail Service to West Chester, advocating for the rail service’s inclusion in West Chester’s Comprehensive Plan.
In 2012, as Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Jordan developed a university paid, unarmed neighborhood watch, collaborating with West Chester University to ensure greater quality of life at no cost to the Borough.
Beyond his public office experience, Jordan is a small business owner and a financial advisor, co-founding The Plan Advocate. Jordan’s work is focused on ensuring financial security for his clients and their families.
Outside of his public service, Jordan lives with his wife Rani, their two kids Asha and Dylan, and their pets Chester the Dog, and two rescue cats, Buster and Pearl.
Jordan and Rani live an active lifestyle, preferring to spend days biking, hiking, and golfing. They enjoy traveling abroad to various countries and exploring new cultures, scuba-diving, and pepper-gardening and cooking with kids Asha and Dylan.