33 minute read
Meet the New Ward 7 Commissioners by Liz O’Gorek
neighborhood news
Meet the New Ward 7 ANC Commissioners Majority of SMDs Will be Represented by New Officials
by Elizabeth O’Gorek
On 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.”
She wants to ensure people will be able to secure quality employment, and said new projects in Ward 7 should employ residents. Work enables residents to stay in their homes, she said, and COVID-19 illustrates the ways that housing and safety are critically linked.
In 2018, she became an AtLarge member for the DC Democratic State Committee, encouraged by friends to run primarily because she was not a politician. After two years in the at-large role, she said she wanted to concentrate her energy on
Chiowa J. Iwuoha
her neighborhood. Iwuoha said she brings a more hands-on work ethic and a democratic-socialist viewpoint to o ce.
Public safety is a major concern, and Iwuoha said it is important to engage with youth and make them change agents. The community has the power to resolve issues that are typically handled by the police, she said.
“The community knows how you feel about them based on how you treat them.” she said. “For me, it’s about how do you funnel the things into the community that show people that they’re valued, they’re worthy and that shifts the attitude and the energy of people there?”
Reach Commissioner Iwuoha via email at 7B01@anc.dc.gov
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Lindsey Botts (7B03) said he was excited —and pleasantly surprised— to learn he had been declared the winner in the race to represent 7B03. The election ended in a tie between two write-in candidates, Botts and Walter Leroy Peacock III. Botts won after DC Board of Elections (DCBOE) broke the tie by drawing his name from a pot.
Botts was born and raised in the District. His parents moved from Columbia Heights Lindsey Botts to Ward 7 when he was in high school. After obtaining degrees in communications at FIT in New York and journalism at the University of the Arts in London, Botts came back to Ward 7, moving into the Twining neighborhood in 2015. He currently works in operations for a media company.
Encouraged by his father, Botts declared himself a candidate after learning that there was nobody on the ballot to represent the interests of neighbors. Botts said that residents have expressed concern with parking and liquor licensing for convenience stores. Development is also a major issue, with many wanting to offer their input on multi-unit projects such as those underway at 27th Street and Minnesota Avenue SE and at L’Enfant Square.
Botts favors some additional commercial development in ANC 7B. “I think it’s absurd that we have to go across the bridge to either the Harris Teeter or the new Safeway there now,” he said. Acknowledging the work of Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray (D) to bring a grocery store to Penn Branch, Botts welcomes the development of a commercial area along the Pennsylvania East Main Street Corridor.
While he knows that he faces a learning curve, Botts said his lack of political experience has some advantages. Instead of coming in with political stances on various matters, he can learn and develop doing the work and through the views of his constituents.
“I’m coming into this with open ears and a willingness to learn about the issues, and to extend my existing roots in the neighborhood,” Botts said. “I’m just looking forward to serving the community.” Cydne Smith Nash
Reach Commissioner Botts via email at 7B03@anc.dc.gov
Cydne Smith Nash (7B04) A native Washingtonian, Nash is no stranger to DC politics and community engagement. As a teenager, she participated in the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute, which trains young people to become community leaders, canvassing city streets to garner support on important issues like education and economic development. Now, she plans to do the same for her neighborhood.
Nash has a Master’s in Social Work and a Master’s of Science in the Social Foundations of Education. Currently, she works at a national social work education association, where she manages grants and special projects.
As commissioner, she plans to focus on public safety, development, housing, and education. As the mother of a recent DC Public Schools (DCPS) graduate, she said she has seen how education and skill development are critical to developing youth into productive citizens and change agents. The Donna Robinson resources necessary to give children a good education are all the more critical in a time of COVID-19, she added, and she wants to work together with parents, community, District agencies and government to ensure children are successful. Similarly, neighbors must work with law enforcement and other city services to use a community-based approach to crime. She envisions public safety solutions that involve many aspects of the community, including healthcare experts, educators, business people, law enforcement and residents. The new commissioner also wants to work to ensure community needs are met by incoming development, including the new Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street, the Shops at Penn Branch, and Skyland Town Center. The area is already sought after for its leafy streets and small-town vibe, Nash said, but she wants to ensure that existing residents can remain while welcoming new families to the neighborhood.
“My husband and I made a conscious choice to move to our neighborhood because of the bright future we knew was coming to this area,” Nash said, adding that they wanted to be a part of preserving the community’s history and strength. “I will advocate for smart growth without displacing our neighborhood’s pillars.”
Reach Commissioner Cydne Smith Nash: 7B04@ anc.dc.gov
Donna Robinson (7B05) has been a Hillcrest resident for more than fifty years. A mother of two and a grandmother of three, she retired after 22 years with MPD and is currently the Chair of the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the Hillcrest Community Civic Association (HCCA). Robinson has a history of working on behalf of the community. As part of HCCA, she cites a record where she confronted builders and developers on illegitimate projects in Hillcrest and exposed zoning violations and illegal curb-cut applications for proposed projects within the community. Similarly, in response to concerns of neighbors, Robinson formed and led a task force which successfully halted improper development at Branch Avenue and Gainesville Street. She also cites a collaboration with neighbors in requesting a traffic calming study which resulted in the installation of speed humps within the Hillcrest community.
Robinson said she has no aspirations for political office, just a desire to answer to the needs of 7B05 residents and a proven track record for working tirelessly on behalf of the citizens of Hillcrest.
You can reach Commissioner Robinson via email at 7B05@anc.dc.gov
Kelvin Brown (7B06) has lived in the Hillcrest community for nearly a decade. He was raised with seven brothers in a poor, working class Alabama family where he realized early on that education was his pathway out of poverty. He won a presidential scholarship at Alabama State, where he earned degrees in criminal law and business administration.
Kelvin Brown
Brown is a 10-year US Army veteran who was deployed on three di erent missions as a Sergeant, receiving the US Army Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He currently manages an a ordable housing portfolio for federal a ordable housing nancing enterprise Fannie Mae.
After his run for the Democratic nomination to represent Ward 7 on DC Council ended in June, Brown decided to enter the three-way race to represent 7B06. “What I truly do believe is that when you see an opportunity to lead and you believe you have the necessary skill and background to help communities and help people, I felt it was incumbent upon me to jump in and see where I could do the greatest good.”
For Brown, all politics are hyperlocal. He said that improving living conditions, quality of life and factors contributing to the health of the District starts with the communities where we live and is particularly important during the COVID crisis. That, he said, lays the groundwork for equity on which the whole community can build another layer of success.
The new commissioner wants to address neighbor concerns about tra c and public safety, particularly tra c accidents that have resulted in bodily injury and death.
Brown says he will emphasize representation, and ensure that
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You can reach Commissioner Brown via email at 7B06@ anc.dc.gov
ANC 7C Deanwood-East Corner (anc7c.org)
Yolanda Fields (7C02) is not new to the role of ANC Commissioner, although it is her first term serving 7C02. She stepped down as CommissionYolanda Fields er for 7E07 in spring 2020, after a move “just across the street,” took her out of that SMD. Later, she entered and won the three-way race to represent 7C02.
Fields was born and raised in Woodland, graduating from Ballou High School. Her roots in community service go deep; for 25 years, Fields’s grandmother was president of the Woodland Terrace Resident Council and young Yolanda would be sent door-to-door on her grandmother’s business. “She was the muscle, with the pen and the paper; I was the foot, with the knocking on the doors,” she explains.
Upon arriving in her new SMD, Fields met with her neighbors to learn about their concerns. She said the biggest issue in her SMD and in the wider area is gun violence. She said she will continue to work with MPD Sixth District and with No More Graves, an organization that discusses the roots and consequences of gun violence with young men, combatting the impact of death and prison on the community.
Fields also wants to focus on education and employment and is planning to connect organizations to the community to help young adults work on skills from reading to resume writing. “I don’t want them to just get jobs, but to get a career going,” she said. “It’s never too late.”
Finally, she wants to ensure that the community is involved with plans for development in the area, bringing developers and residents into conversations about plans before decisions are made.
She said her biggest message to her community is that it is time for a change. “It’s time to get off the porch and take back the community in the way you Victoria J. Clark know it, or the way you want it to be,” Fields said. “I can do this job, but I’m going to need the help of the community.”
Reach Commissioner Fields at 7C02@anc.dc.gov
Victoria J. Clark (7C06) came to DC in 2014 after graduating from North Carolina University and Cornell Law School. She arrived in what is now her SMD in the summer of 2018. An attorney, she worked with small businesses in her own practice and as a provisional member of the criminal justice back panel. In fall, she took a job on the Biden-Harris campaign doing voter protection.
For five years as president of her chapter of the Urban League and a board member for many organizations, Clark was looking for the next way to get involved. She sees ANC commissioners as advocates for the community. That means talking to people, learning what matters to them, conveying those desires and doing something about them. “That’s what I do as a profession,” she said.
Clark said that people have told her that they are concerned with safety, citing car and package thefts and house break-ins. “I think that it’s important to make sure that people are safe and feel secure in their homes,” she said, “but that it doesn’t lead to over-policing an already over-policed population.”
There is also a concern with speed, and residents have asked for speed bumps. She points to a disparity in accessibility to transportation, noting that residents depend on automobiles because of the undependability of public transit.
Improved transit is also important to Clark because her SMD is located in a food desert, with only two supermarkets serving the ward. That means that many residents spend tremendous amounts of time traveling into Ward 6 or to Maryland for fresh food or other necessities, she said. The new commissioner wants constituents to tell her what matters to them. “A lot of people tend to feel like they have no power, like their views don’t matter, like their needs don’t matter. But I want to reassure everyone that they should bring me their concerns,” she said. “I won’t know unless they tell me.”
Reach Victoria J. Clark via email at 7C06@anc. dc.gov.
East of the River Magazine was unable to connect with ANC 7C Commissioner Vince Van (7C03), the SMD formerly represented by Catherine A. Woods, in time for publication.
Milton Hardy
ANC 7D Mayfair-Kenilworth (www.anc7d.org)
Milton Hardy (7D04) A Baltimore native, Hardy moved to DC in 2017 to take a role in Human Resources with the District Government, later becoming Director of Human Resources for a large private company. Hardy said that his work has given him an understanding of business and negotiating that can be drawn on as he takes office. “There have been many lessons learned,” Hardy said, “none more important than sometimes to get what you want it takes stick-to-itiveness.”
A retired 25-year-veteran of the U.S. Army, Hardy said he decided to run for ANC as part of a legacy of public service sparked in him by their annual National Night Out events. His work keeping neighbors informed as a volunteer Block Captain with the River Terrance Community Organization (RTCO), led him to believe that he could add value to the community as an ANC commissioner.
A key issue for Hardy is employment. Hardy said he believes everyone who wants a job should be able to find meaningful work. “A job provides us with more sustainable needs than we first imagine,” he said, including engagement with the community. Hardy said he will draw on his background to advocate for employment and plans to hold large-scale job fairs in the area with local
private and public employers.
Another issue Hardy cites is traffic, particularly pointing to the intersection of 34th Street with Benning Road and Eads Avenue SE. Calling the situation “a ticking time bomb,” Hardy said that the illegal turns and high speeds of traffic in the area are bound to lead to a serious incident if the situation is not addressed by District Department of Transportation (DDOT). As Commissioner, Hardy plans to listen to neighbors to Stephanie Audain develop and implement strategies that will assist the community. “As Commissioner, I want the residents to be assured that I will always listen, and communicate our collective best intentions – without reservation,” he said. “None of us is as strong as all of us.”
Email Commissioner Hardy at mhardyward7@ gmail.com
Stephanie Audain (7D05) is originally from Brooklyn, coming to DC in 2004 to study political science and history at Howard University. After graduation, she began a career in health care, moving to what is now her SMD in 2017.
She currently works in the operations department for the Council on Foundations, an organization that helps nonprofits run effectively. Wanting to ensure her senior neighbors had essential supplies throughout the pandemic, she volunteers with the Wards 7 & 8 Mutual Aid Network and Food and Friends, delivering meals to DC residents.
It was her fellow Mutual Aid volunteers that encouraged Audain to run for ANC. 7D05 had been vacant, and Audain thought it was important to ensure that residents of this community have an opportunity to address the issues and changes Rebecca J. Morris that impact them. “Becoming an ANC [Commissioner] was crucial to affording my community opportunities to be heard,” Audain said.
For Audain, public safety and equitable community resources are the two issues requiring the most bandwidth in SMD 7D05. “There definitely are events that occur in our neighborhood that could be thwarted with more presence of, not just police folks, but residents who are looking out for each other and keeping an eye on one another,” she said. In terms of equitable resources, Audain said that it is problematic that residents generally hear about plans for both commercial and residential development in the ward in the later stages. “It’s really important that our residents have a say in what comes into their space,” she said. “Getting access to food, quality food and having access to another grocery store —those are things that are important just for the livelihood of Ward 7 residents.”
Audain plans to develop a Community Pulse Survey where 7D05 residents can voice their concerns in the new year. It will be an opportunity to highlight improvement areas and neglected issues and for Audain to learn what neighbors require to make their living environment as comfortable and safe as possible.
You can reach Commissioner Audain via email at 7D05@anc.dc.gov.
Rebecca J. Morris (7D06) ended a 2020 run for the Democratic nomination for the Ward 7 DC Council seat in June. She wants to work with her neighbors and 7D commissioners to help implement her ideas to better the Ward 7 community. “Everyone’s input is important for the future of the environment which we live in,” she said. Coming to DC as a teenager, Morris graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with an Associate’s Degree. A former mortician’s assistant who worked as a server until the pandemic hit, Morris recently started a position as a CARES teacher with DCPS. In the summer, she started volunteering, partnering with St. Luke Roman Catholic Church on Fridays to hand out meals to those not qualified for food stamps.
Morris said that she has three goals for her term. First, she wants to work on traffic safety, helping neighbors to get speed bumps, something she said has been called for on virtually every residential street in her SMD in the face of speeding. Secondly, she wants to work towards getting a playground installed somewhere in the area, so kids have a place to play.
Finally, food security is a major focus. Morris would like to establish a farmer’s market in the area. Not only will a farmer’s market provide access to healthy food, she said, but it will also draw attention to efforts to maintain the park, where she has hosted several clean-up sessions.
Morris would also like to implement additional jobtraining and educational opportunities, saying that one of the reasons so many people are hanging around outdoors on street corners is because they lack opportunities inside.
The New Commissioner said she is always open to listening to constituents, offering her telephone number to facilitate conversation. “I’m an open book, and if you have any issues, we can always work together,” she said.
Reach Commissioner Morris via email at 7D06@ anc.dc.gov or call 571-969-6805.
East of the River Magazine was unable to connect with ANC 7C Commissioner Wendell Felder (7C03), the SMD formerly represented by Artilie Wright, in time for publication.
ANC 7E: Marshall Heights, Capitol View, and Fort Davis (anc7e.us)
Tiera J. Fletcher (7E02) has lived in what is now her SMD for three years and in DC for 15. She was born and raised in DC but left when her parents relocated during her middle-school years, returning home after she completed her post-secondary education. Fletcher is an engineer and licensed attorney. Currently, she serves as a patent examiner, reviewing intellectual property applications.
Fletcher said she knows what she’s getting into as a commissioner, having regularly attended meetings of 7E ANC and serving as Secretary of the ANC 7E Economic
Tiera J. Fletcher
Development Committee. She said it was that engagement that led her to consider contributing in an elected capacity. “Serving as a Commissioner yields formal authority in decision making and more direct access to information and resources to serve the community,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher literally walked to every residence listed in her SMD, knocking on doors and ringing the bells. With many people home due to the pandemic, she had many far-ranging discussions. “I think my longest conversation was three hours,” she said.
Fletcher said her plan is to respond to the feedback of her constituents. Safety is a key issue in terms of traffic, public space and crime. “7E02 constituents want to see a community that reflects their pride and investment,” she said.
Residents have expressed interest in the installation of traffic-calming measures and in enhancing the community aesthetic through improvement and maintenance as well as increased public patrol. They want to see more engagement with Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers on foot or bike patrol, rather than in cars.
Any individuals interested in actively collaborating in the work to enhance 7E02, please contact Commissioner Fletcher at 7e02@ anc.dc.gov or tiera.fletcher@anc. dc.gov, starting Jan. 2, 2021. Follow efforts and progress at tierafletcher. com or on Instagram @tierajfletcher.
There was no winner in the election to represent SMD 7E03. There were no candidates on the ballot, and none of the ‘Affirmation of Candidacy’ filings received were accepted by DCBOE.
Natasha Dupee (7E04) is a native of Washington DC and a graduate of DC Public Schools. She currently works in the Office of Disability Support Services at George
Washington University (GWU) where she is also completing a master’s degree in public health policy, exploring the intersection of health care, education, and employment.
After beginning her career as a high school science teacher in St. Louis, MO, Dupee worked in management and diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitation for Teach For America while engaging in independent consulting. She received her undergradNatasha Dupeeuate degree in women’s studies and public health from GW and a master’s degree in education from The University of Missouri - St. Louis. In 2019, she became a homeowner in Marshall Heights.
Dupee said she wanted to represent 7E04 constituents to better connect people to one another and to resources and to be a responsive point of contact for neighbors and other stakeholders in the community. She said that, as a native Washingtonian, she has witnessed a full spectrum of lived experiences. “Our community has creativity, nuance, and a lot of love,” she said. “This reality exists with historical legacies of discrimination, policies that are not comprehensive in scope and an increase in violent crimes.”
Dupee said the major concerns in her SME include the development of the Fletcher-Johnson site, employment, access to amenities, youth development opportunities and violent crime. She said residents of 7E04 would benefit from increased funding to amplify the use of violence interrupters and community health workers as well the effective communication of updates for accessing things like utility assistance, workforce development opportunities, returning citizen supports, and pending development projects. Those, she said, are the issues on which she intends to focus.
“My commitment is to increase collaboration for information sharing, to persistently advocate for equitable policies, and to be responsive to my constituents,” Dupee said.
Reach Commissioner Dupee at 7E04@anc.dc.gov.
Sharon Jafari (7E05) was born and raised in DC and is an educator at a Ward 6 public charter school. While Jafari has lived in her SMD for the past ten years, she said that during the summer of 2020 she spent more time than usual exploring the neighborhood through daytime walks and reading comments from neighbors on social media.
Recognizing that she shared their concerns and desire for action, Jafari ran for office and won by an 11 percent margin.
Noting the uptick in area crime over the last year, Jafari said she wants to work with the community, outreach programs and police to figure out what to do to curb some of the crime. Marshall Heights, where her SMD is located, is also growing rapidly, meaning that current residents could soon be priced out. “We need to think about that as a whole community,” Jafari said.
Part of that, she acknowledges, is ensuring neighbors have a say in development. Another part is working with neighbors who are housing unstable and the organizations who work with them in the community, including staff and residents at The Horizon, the short-term family shelter in her SMD.
She said her desire to help connect seniors with services and support was reinforced by social media posts. For instance, she saw posts over the summer by seniors looking to connect with a “Christmas in July” drive, which provides necessities to homebound seniors —a need increased by COVID.
Jafari said that she is focused on violent crime, economic growth and its impact, affordable housing and public safety. She is prioritizing communication as she enters her first term. “I’m committed to listening to concerns and responding in a timely manner to constituents,” she said. “Because what everybody thinks is important to them, so it has to be important to me —I will always listen.”
You can reach Commissioner Jafari at 7E05@anc. dc.gov.
Sharon Jafari Kimberly Martin (7E07) is a third-generation Washingtonian. She grew up in Northeast and came to Ward 7 12 years ago to raise a fourth generation, her son. Martin has worked as a budget analyst for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for more than 15 years.
Martin said that being involved in the community and connecting people with resources is one of her passions.
“I was very shocked and surprised,” Martin said of the moment she realized she had won. The neighbors provided support throughout the petition process and
Kimberly Martin
the election, she added, and they were the major reason for her run.
The other reason, Martin said, was to increase communication with residents of her SMD, who found they often had to attend ANC meetings themselves to get information. Martin was already a regular attendee and contributor to ANC 7E and Marshall Heights Civic Association meetings and found herself regularly communicating happenings to neighbors.
Martin said that she expects the support of neighbors to continue in the work ahead. “There’s a lot of things that people can do to get involved,” she said, including becoming block captains and participating on ANC Committees.
For Martin, a major issue in her SMD is public safety. Her SMD was where 15-month-old Carmelo Duncan was shot in his family car last December. She said her neighbor was carjacked in front of her front door, and that’s aside from smaller issues like package theft.
Traffic safety is also a major concern she hopes to focus on, especially in the area around Capitol Heights Metro Station. Neighbors have called for traffic calming measures, especially in areas where children are playing.
“I’m here for my constituents in whatever way possible,” Martin said, encouraging neighbors to give her a call or knock on her door to share information, resourc-
es and their energies to make the neighborhood a better place for all. “I would like for neighbors to bear with me, as this is my rst time,” Martin said, “but also, to work with me, too.”
Reach Commissioner Martin at 7E07@anc.dc.gov.
ANC 7F Benning - Fort Dupont (anc7f.com)
Whitney Weston (7F03) and her spouse have lived just o Benning Road since 2009. She has an undergraduate degree from Hood College, a Master’s in organizational management from Trinity and currently works in the program o ce of an area shipbuilding and defense company.
Weston said she decided to run for ANC because she wanted to make the changes she wanted to see. Ready to take on community work in an o cial capacity, she said she was guided by the adage, “If not you, then who?”
“I can’t look for other people to make any changes in my community if I’m not going to be the one out there, really championing for those changes,” she said.
Weston said the major issue she has heard residents emphasize is public safety, especially for the many children in the area. “I think it is important that we are really focusing on making sure that [youth] have the resources they need,” she said, adding that Ward 7 overall needs more recreational areas to keep kids out of streets and commercial spaces.
Economic development is also a key issue, she said. There is a lack of infrastructure in the Benning Road area, Weston noted, and when development comes residents are rarely consulted.
A case in point is the plan to open a halfway house at 3701 Benning Rd. NE. Weston said that returning citizens would bene t from a location with easier access to resources. Everyone understands how important it is
Whitney Weston
for returning citizens to transition into the community, she said. However, the plans were made without consultation with the people who lived there and without su cient consideration of the impact on economic development or the need for social supports and infrastructure in the area, Weston argued.
“Just because Ward 5 didn’t want it there, it doesn’t mean it has to go to Ward 7 or Ward 8,” she said. Weston said if government funding is in play, the community would like to see funds for a grocery store or earmarked to address the impacts on public health.
The new commissioner said she is here to serve, support and represent her neighbors, and is excited to work towards its safety and economic growth. Reach Commissioner Weston via email at 7F03@anc.dc.gov
Racquel Codling (7F04) moved to Washington D.C. in 2001 after graduating from the University of Tampa in Florida to pursue her master’s from Howard University. She became a proud Ward 7 homeowner in 2006.
Codling said that she entered the race to represent ANC 7F04 because she wanted to impact policy that will bring real change and make a di erence in her community. “SMD 7F04 deserves equal support and access to our government and community leadership,” she said. “My goal is to be our champion and voice in community decisions that impact 7F04.”
Codling said she has observed sev-
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eral major issues that exist in her SMD, and that there will be a need to prioritize based on the immediate needs of the community. To begin with, she wants to increase the reach of the ANC, and especially to ensure that not only homeowners but also apartment residents are feeling supported and connected to the com- Racquel Codlingmunity leadership.
She sees a need to focus on crime and public safety, rent costs and affordable housing, quality public education and support for teachers, job creation and training programs, road improvements and discouraging what she characterizes as excessive littering.
Codling wants to amplify the concerns of Ward 7 residents and push them to the front of the line. “It’s no longer acceptable for Ward 7 to be treated like the stepchild of our city,” she said. “I look forward to being their champion and voice on community issues that directly impact 7F04 and Ward 7.
The new commissioner said she wants to work on connecting, establishing and building relationships with constituents. She encourages people to reach out to her directly with comments and concerns.
Reach Commissioner Codling at 7F04@anc. dc.gov
Betty J. Diggs (7F06) is a native Washingtonian who has lived most of her life in East River Heights. She is the product of DC Public School and a graduate of Howard University. Before retiring, Diggs worked for the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services, supervising the Child Protective Services and then Adult Protective Services departments.
A long-time activist in the community, Diggs worked to aid neighbors and beautify streets in the Betty J. Diggs 1990s with the Northeast Neighborhood Committee. In 2019, Diggs won an MPD Citizen Award for creating Porch Patrol, a program that builds relationships between of cers and residents via front-stoop conversations. Recently, she created the Dialogue with the Elders program to bridge a disconnect between returning citizens and seniors active in the community.
Diggs said one of the reasons she ran for of ce was that she noticed an increase in violent crime in the area over the last two years. A new neighbor returning home from the metro station after work one afternoon was brutally beaten and robbed. Another was getting ready to go upstairs to bed when a bullet passed through a front window, narrowly missing her. Diggs had been working alongside MPD, but said these incidents were a wake-up call. “Those things really convinced me: we really need to do more,” she said.
In conversation, neighbors also described a pattern of drawn-out processes and slow responses to community concerns from District agencies. Knocking on doors during the campaign, Diggs said she found that every street struggled to have an issue addressed. On 35th, there was concern about structural damage to homes from the daily CSX trains. On 34th, it was a need for speed bumps. “So every street, almost, has a di erent concern —and I want to make sure I’m able to address every one,” Digg said. Working together to amplify community voice is key, she said. “I believe in community-building and I believe in an organized community,” Diggs said, “and I think that by us becoming more organized, that will be an impetus for critical positive change in our neighborhood.” Reach Commissioner Diggs at 7F04@anc. dc.gov ◆
