Former Madison City Council member Jean MacCubbin learned about a lot of good causes during her 12 years in office, and since leaving the council in 2005 she 's gotten involved in several of them.

MacCubbin now sits on the boards of a number of nonprofit agencies, where she puts her city government expertise to good use.

"There 's an expectation that I might help boards get through certain city processes, " MacCubbin said.

She 's board president for Movin ' Out, which helps disabled people find housing, and is on the boards of Independent Living, which assists seniors with housing, and the Madison Apprenticeship Program, which provides job training. She 's co-chairwoman of the Sequoya branch library capital campaign, and is on the board of the Obihiro, Japan, sister-city program.

As volunteer coordinator for Friends of Hoyt Park on Madison 's West Side, MacCubbin organizes monthly projects such as prairie restoration and brush clearing. She 's also on the Madison Board of Canvassers.

MacCubbin, who works as an engineering consultant in the state Commerce Department, said she 's still two or three years away from retiring from state government, after which she might continue to work part time for nonprofits.

Even with all her new responsibilities, she said she still has more free time than she did when she was on the council.

"It 's a miracle how you learn how much free time you never had, " MacCubbin said. "When I was on City Council, I was lucky if I could read three books in a year. Now I can read three books in two months. It really consumes you. "

-- Matthew DeFour

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