Jennifer Groce has announced that she will run for mayor of DeKalb.

“DeKalb is a wonderful community that my family and I are proud to call home, but there are growing issues that we as a community must address, especially regarding crime, economic development and our collaboration with NIU and other local government partners,” Groce said in a news release.

Groce, a research associate at the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS) at NIU, said she has lived in DeKalb with her husband and two children since 1998, with the exception of a three-year stint in Rockford. She has a bachelor’s in political science and a certificate in public management in regional economic development leadership from NIU.

She is currently working to secure the required number of signatures to put her name on the ballot for the consolidated election, which will be held April 9.

Retired Ag/Monsanto employee John Rey and Mike Verbic, DeKalb School District 428 Board of Education member, are also running for mayor. In September, Mayor Kris Povlsen announced that he would not seek re-election.