A Lawrence resident who was a longtime lobbyist for the University of Kansas, as well as being active in local government and the Oread Neighborhood has died.

Jon Josserand, 62, died May 23, according to an online obituary. Josserand worked as a lobbyist for KU for nearly 20 years, leaving that position in 2006. At the time, Josserand told the Journal-World he was ready to consider new things in new places.

“You don’t want to look back at life and say you’ve never tried to do those things,” Josserand said.

It seems he accomplished that goal. Josserand joined the Lawrence Sister Cities Advisory Board, where he served for about five years. Lawrence’s sister cities are Eutin, Germany; Hiratsuka, Japan, and Iniades, Greece. The board advises the City Commission and assists the student exchange program.

When on the board, Josserand made trips to both Eutin and Iniades, according to fellow board member and former City Commissioner Bob Moody. Moody said that Josserand — commonly known as JJ — very much loved the program and what it stood for.

“What the program shows is that people are people and it’s the governments that get in the way,” Moody said. “What matters to us matters to them too, and I think JJ saw that and bought into that program.”

Josserand, who lived in the Oread Neighborhood, was also active with his neighborhood association, according to Scott McCullough, the city’s director of planning and development services. Following his service on the Sister Cities Advisory Board, Josserand served three years on the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission, McCullough said.

McCullough said Josserand was instrumental in developing the recently approved Oread design guidelines and showed concern for all neighborhoods as a planning commissioner.

“He was always well read and prepared for the commission meetings and really asked a host of great questions on the things he was passionate for with the neighborhoods,” McCullough said. “It didn’t have to be just his neighborhood, it was any neighborhood that had an issue before them.”

After years of research and review, the City Commission approved the Oread Design guidelines in November. The guidelines lay out how building projects in the neighborhood should look in terms of architecture and site design to preserve the neighborhood’s historic character.

“The neighborhood itself will lose a great deal at his passing just because he was a champion for them,” McCullough said. “He will be missed.”

A celebration of Josserand’s life will be held at 2 p.m. July 8 at the KU Alumni Center, 1266 Oread Ave.