neighborhood news
Meet the New Ward 7 ANC Commissioners
Majority of SMDs Will be Represented by New Officials by Elizabeth O’Gorek
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n January 2, 2021, 19 newly-elected representatives were sworn in for the five Ward 7 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs). The ceremony, like much of the campaign, took place virtually, with Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray (D) administering the oath of office. The large incoming class means that many Ward 7 ANCs will meet in January with a majority of their seven seats filled by new commissioners. They come to a difficult job in a difficult time, meeting virtually to help residents confront the all-too-real issues raised and, in many cases, exacerbated by the pandemic, including issues of health, public safety, education and housing. Commissioners serve two-year terms without pay. Each commissioner represents a Single Member District (SMD) of approximately 2,000 residents. The ANCs’ main role in the District is to be their neighborhood’s official voice in advising the District government (and Federal agencies) on things that affect their neighborhoods. Meet your newly elected representatives below. Learn more about ANCs by visiting anc.dc.gov.
ANC 7B: Southeast Pennsylvania Heights (anc7b.com)
Chiowa J. Iwuoha (7B01) At the end of election night, Chiowa J. Iwuoha (7B01) was down by 36 votes and said she nearly conceded the race. However, as ballots continued to be counted in the days following, the tide turned. Iwuoha won the office by two votes. A native Washingtonian and the mother of an elementary-aged child, Iwuoha came to Ward 7 from Shaw seven years ago and immediately felt the disparity in access to resources and services between the two sides of town. As a mother raising a produce-loving, 7-year-old pescatarian, Iwuoha said access to fresh, affordable and healthy food is a priority for her. “I will have to go out of the ward in order to get it for her,” she said, “which is just a huge problem right now.”
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