22 Oct 2018

Election 2018:

ANC Candidate Statements: Jason Burkett, ANC 5D06

Photo courtesy of Jason Burkett

The Hill is Home is sharing the statements of ANC candidates in our general region. Although the main focus of our blog is Capitol Hill –served by ANCs 6A through 6C– we feel that a community is made stronger by the neighbors with whom we share a close geographical area. We are honored to share candidate statements from neighbors from Ivy City to Navy Yard, with minor style edits. To all of you who are running: Thank you. –Maria Helena Carey and Kate McFadden

Many, many years go in a high school not too far from here, I was part of a club called, “Make a Difference”. It was a pretty small organization with just a handful of students who worked together to help improve the lives of community members and make the community a better place. We worked in the local soup kitchen, helped mentor and tutor younger students, did local trash pickup, etc. Whatever we could do to “make a difference,” we tried. The power of helping and serving the community was addicting and has stuck with me ever since. From there, I joined the military and spent the first portion of my professional career, over 12 years, serving in various capacities. The one downside of the military is that it kept me on the move and did not allow me to lay roots in any one community.

Two and a half years ago, my life finally started to settle down when my husband and I purchased a house in Trinidad. We were, and still are, very excited to join the community and make this neighborhood our home. I started to attend small community events such as local safety walks, PSA meetings and single member district meetings, but I did not become overtly proactive in the community.

Unfortunately, a year after living here, I witnessed a murder in my back alley that was carried out by two young teenagers. The event was traumatic and overwhelming. The event was also a wake-up call and I realized that I should and could do more to “make a difference” in Trinidad. After attending a few dysfunctional ANC5D meetings, I thought that maybe I could add value to the community through that channel, and so I decided to run for the ANC
5D06 neighborhood commissioner.

As a former military officer, I will bring leadership and organizational management that will improve the functionality of the commission. After working a few years as a strategy and operations management consultant, I also have the experience needed to improve the business processes of ANC5D. Throughout my career, I’ve been a part of collaborative teams of all sizes and understand the value of being a team player. This job requires someone who is a leader and a team player. This job also requires a person who cares for the community and has a passion to serve. I am that person.

My vision is to have an engaged and informed community that collaborates with fellow residents, commissioners, and city officials to improve the safety and functionality of our neighborhood. ANC5D needs to develop and implement a communication strategy that improves information dissemination and encourages more resident engagement. By communicating better, more residents are likely to participate in neighborhood meetings and events. As more
residents become active, the sense of community will increase. An engaged community is a safer community. This vision can be achieved if we come together as one.

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