Photo courtesy of Meredith Holmgren
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
Dear neighbors,
It is a pleasure and privilege to serve as your candidate for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) 7D01. Kingman Park is an amazing neighborhood. We have a diverse, tight-knit community with highly engaged residents. We have fantastic natural resources and beautiful homes with rich history. We have easy access to the streetcar, metro, highways, and the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Within the next two years, we have several opportunities to influence pivotal new investments in our neighborhood, some of which will only present themselves once in a generation.
At this critical time, we need an ANC who is experienced in working with multiple stakeholders; someone who can manage change, communicate transparently, and advocate efficiently on behalf of the community. As your ANC, I would work diligently to serve your interests and improve quality of life for all residents in our district.
Public service is something that I take very seriously. My dedication to the community currently involves serving on the boards of three neighborhood organizations, routinely volunteering with child welfare initiatives, advocating for city services, participating in trash cleanups, and supporting environmental education activities. As Vice President and co-founder of Rosedale Library Friends, I work to support our local library branch through fundraising, events coordination, literacy promotion, and cultural engagement. As a founding board member of Friends of Kingman and Heritage Islands, I chair our events committee, which collaborates with environmental stakeholders like Living Classrooms, Anacostia Watershed Society, and Anacostia Riverkeeper. When I served as president of Friends of Kingman Park, I led efforts to support the DC Streetcar, improve fire safety awareness, advocate for safe transportation infrastructure, as well as build relationships with councilmembers and civil society organizations. Through these activities and more, I have been fortunate to cultivate trust among a wide range of residents, community groups, and political interests that can serve our neighborhood well as we embark on future endeavors.
One of the challenges facing our district is equitable access to resources. Our Ward 7 community has unfortunately been an area with disproportionate wealth disparities, under-investment, and safety concerns. However, with challenges come opportunities. Within the next two years, we have the potential to influence major investments in:
Transportation safety (e.g. C Street NE rehabilitation project, DC Streetcar expansion, DDOT’s wholistic neighborhood traffic review)
Educational institutions (e.g. Building modernizations of Eliot Hine and Maury)
Affordable housing
Public/private amenities (e.g. RFK campus redevelopment)
Historic preservation, and
Environmental access (Anacostia River sediment project and Kingman Island redevelopment).
With fifteen years of experience in the nonprofit sector, my skills in advocacy, evaluation, grant-writing, policy, and negotiation can be valuable assets to ensuring that we maximize our opportunities and acquire the resources that we need to succeed.
Let’s work together to improve dialog among residents and chart the future of collaborative engagement in Kingman Park. A growing, prosperous, equitable community requires everyone’s participation. To learn more, please visit my website and do not hesitate to contact me via phone or email at any time. I appreciate your vote!