Meet Joysaphine
Joysaphine Waitman-Powell is a nonprofit executive, community advocate, and current Planning and Zoning Commissioner for the City of Peoria. She has served in every elected leadership role on the Commission, including Secretary, Vice Chair, and Chair, gaining direct experience with land use, development review, and neighborhood-focused decision making.
A pastor’s wife and mother of two Peoria-raised boys, Joysaphine believes leadership should serve everyone. Throughout her career, she has focused on community engagement—helping everyday working people understand local government processes, ask questions, and participate in decisions that affect their lives.
For more than a decade, Joysaphine has led bipartisan advocacy efforts at both the state level and in Washington, D.C., working with elected officials, community leaders, and residents to turn ideas into action. Much of her work has centered on helping people engage with government, understand how decisions are made, and participate meaningfully in civic life.
As Director of Strategic Initiatives with Mentally Anonymous, a nationally recognized 501(c)(3), her advocacy supports veterans, seniors, mothers, young adults, and working families, with a focus on strengthening families and overall community well-being.
Joysaphine serves on the Board of Directors of Engaged Arizona, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing civic participation, and is a member of the Dutch Connection of Arizona. She also serves as Chaplain on the executive board of NCBW Phoenix.
She and her husband, Reverend Dr. Powell II, are members of First Presbyterian Church of Peoria, where faith, service, and community engagement are central to their lives.
Joysaphine thrives on transparency and open communication. She believes trust is built when leaders are visible, accessible, and honest, and she consistently shares her public service work openly with the community. Known for bringing people together, she works comfortably across different communities and believes the best outcomes happen when people are willing to talk, collaborate, and move forward together. She is running for Peoria City Council to bring experience, accountability, and collaborative leadership to the Pine District.
