I had the pleasure of meeting Alonte a few months ago, during a scheduled visit with the Council Interns.  Alonte stood out that day because he bested me and the other Interns, by being the first to complete an in-class, work assignment.  In passing throughout city hall, we would speak briefly about his experience with the Council.  I often joked with him, asking him for his official DC Council intern suit jacket. 

Alonte was a bright, quiet-spoken, young man with a gentle manner. He did exactly what we ask of our young adults: he stayed the course.  He attended Ballou High School and was preparing to graduate in June.  Clearly, Alonte was on the right path to leading successful in life; a fact that only further compounds the senseless tragedy of his death.   

Alonte will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and Council staff.  Alonte will forever be DC Council Intern; a great example of extraordinary young leadership.”

One World Education is a non-profit dedicated to improving learning and literacy.  The mission of One World Education is to promote global awareness, literacy, and meaningful citizenship with educational resources that give voice to youth perspectives on culture and global issues.

The 2010 student ambassadors competed in the 2010 Culture and Global Issues Reflection Contest and were judged to be the best among 325 middle and school student participants.   In addition to honoring the 12 student ambassadors,  Councilmember Brown donated several items to the organization’s silent auction, including tickets to an upcoming Nationals’ baseball game and a very special “Waffles with Kwame” breakfast at IHOP.

For additional information about One World Education, click on the attached links:

www.oneworldeducation.org

www.oneworldeducation.org/students/2010-student-ambassadors

Check out these great photos from the event:

At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown wants to know who was your hero of the Blizzard of 2010?  Was it the neighbor who helped you clear your walkway, the stranger that helped you to your feet when you lost your footing, or the plow driver that you saw removing snow with care and conviction?

There is no doubt that among the true heroes of the Blizzard of 2010 are the men and women of the District Government who worked tirelessly to clear streets of the record snowfall, or responded to countless calls for emergency assistance.  We also can’t forget our first responders, fire fighters and MPD officers who strove to keep us safe.

So who was your hero?  Tell Kwame Brown, he wants to know.

Kwame with John Hess (Chief of Staff - 36th Congressional District of California) and retired Deputy Fire Chief James N. Short on Dec. 20th

At 10:40 PM on Tuesday, February 9th, the Executive Office of the Mayor announced that the District government will be closed on Wednesday, February 10th.  At-Large Councilmember Kwame R. Brown expressed his gratitude to the Mayor on Twitter for “thinking of the safety of the hard working men and women that make up the District Government and exercising prudence in his decision to close the District Government.”  With current weather conditions being described as “white-out” and “blizzard-like,” public safety must be the city’s top priority.

More photos from December 20th:

Kwame plowing snow for residents during the last major snow storm

This weekend the Washington Metropolitan Area experienced what has been described as a once in every “100-years” snow storm, that blanketed much of the region with over 24 inches of snow, with reported snow drifts of over four feet.  Councilmember Brown called on Mayor Adrian Fenty to close District government or institute liberal leave on Monday to keep emergency routes clear and allow residents an opportunity to dig out.

“I have received updates from all over the city of residents that have just begun to dig themselves out from the Blizzard of 2010,” said Councilmember Brown.  “I have also received reports that most of the city’s sidewalks are impassable, forcing many residents to venture out on foot to walk in the streets.”

It is imperative that residents be given the necessary time dig out from under nearly 24 hours of record-breaking snow accumulation.  Although snow removal teams have done an outstanding job of working around the clock to get the District’s main traffic arteries cleared, most residents do not live along major commuter traffic routes.

The current conditions are extremely dangerous for two reasons: first, roadways need to be kept clear of pedestrian traffic as emergency service vehicles need to respond rapidly to service requests; secondly, as more vehicles, particularly 4-wheel drives, attempt to navigate city streets, the potential threat to public safety cannot be ignored.  In addition, many seniors and people unable to shovel the sidewalks in front of their houses must rely on the generosity of neighbors to help clear a pedestrian pathway.

Uncleared sidewalks in front of Harriet Tubman ES

In the interest of public safety, Councilmember Brown closed his office on Monday and asked his staff to concentrate on clearing the walkways in their neighborhoods.  With predictions of more snow to come and Metro operating at reduced capacity, the Councilmember strongly urges Mayor Fenty to reconsider any attempts to open the government before giving residents adequate time to dig themselves and their neighbors out from this historic snow event.

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Open Position:  November 30th, 2009

Director of Regional Homeownership Program

Position Description

The Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) community development corporation founded in 1991. LEDC’s mission is to improve the wealth building capacity of low to moderate-income Latinos and other underserved communities in the Washington Metro Area through small business development, homeownership counseling and affordable housing preservation.

The Regional Homeownership Program Director is responsible for the design, marketing, delivery, and evaluation of all of LEDC’s homeownership counseling and training activities.  As leader of the program, The Director will manage a team of six housing counselors/trainers – three in DC and three in Maryland.  The goal of the program is to provide culturally-specific, culturally-sensitive, bilingual workshops and individualized pre-purchase counseling and post-purchase homeownership counseling.  The long term outcome is to help individuals and families obtain and keep their most valuable financial asset- their home.

To address the particularly acute foreclosure crisis in Maryland, LEDC has a specialized Foreclosure Intervention Program in our Wheaton, MD office.  With these clients, we engage in activities which include helping the borrower sort through their financial situation to get a realistic picture of where the homeowner stands financially; providing advice about budgetary decisions; explaining the foreclosure timeline, options and the need for action; helping the homeowner identify the goal that he or she is working toward; advocating on behalf of the client with the mortgage lender or servicer; and negotiating a long-term affordable solution for the best housing option.

LEDC’s culture is one of creativity, so we need someone able to develop innovative ways to serve our homeownership clients.  Many of our clients are Latino and/or recent immigrants, so a strong command of Spanish and English is required.

Responsibilities

–Report directly to the Executive Director

–Serve as part of the organization’s Senior Leadership Team

–Set strategic direction of the Regional Homeownership Program in DC and MD.

–Design, marketing, delivery, and evaluation of homeownership services for first time homebuyers and existing homeowners facing possible foreclosure.

–Manage team of six in the delivery of counseling and training services in DC and MD.

–Oversee part of LEDC’s individual development account (IDA) program, which matches clients’ savings towards buying a home.

–Develop a network of volunteers, consultants, and housing specialists to augment LEDC staff in delivery of services

–Be the primary face and voice for LEDC in the realm of all things related to homebuyers and foreclosure prevention and intervention

–Interact with funders, partner organizations, media, and government officials on all homeownership and foreclosure related matters

–Responsible for ensuring accurate tracking and reporting of all Homeownership Program work to funders, government agencies, etc.

–Assist Director of Development in writing winning grant proposals to further grow LEDC’s Homeownership Program.

–All other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Qualifications

–Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences

–Excellent bilingual communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal

–At least 3 years experience in successfully managing a team in a professional environment; strong management experience is a requirement for this position

–At least 2 years of experience in homeownership and foreclosure counseling is strongly preferred

–Leadership ability and the ability to motivate others and create a strong sense of team

–Experience and familiarity with financial statements and credit reports

–Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage and multi-task in a fast-paced environment

–Strong technical skills including Microsoft Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint

–Self-starter, who is able to work with limited supervision

–Results-oriented with a drive to achieve and demonstrate impact with our homeownership clients

–Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds, especially Latino and low and moderate income clients

–Ability to speak in public and before English and Spanish speaking media outlets

Details

–Salary is negotiable depending on experience, qualifications, and salary history.  Range is $70K – $80K per year.

–Benefits are some of the best in the region: compensation currently includes 3% 401K matched savings plan, healthcare plan with ZERO employee contribution, 10 holidays plus 4 weeks of vacation a year.

–LEDC’s headquarters are located on 18th Street in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC.

– Please submit resume and cover letter to Ivania Teran at iteran@ledcmetro.org

–No phone calls please

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Free Reusable Bags in Your Neighborhood

As part of the District’s “Skip the Bag, Save the River” campaign, the District Department of the Environment and CVS/pharmacy have teamed up to distribute reusable shopping bags. Beginning January 1, 2010, District businesses that sell food or alcohol must charge you 5 cents for every disposable paper or plastic carry-out bag. You can save a nickel by bringing your own.

To learn more about the new bag law, and DDOE’s efforts to clean up the Anacostia River, please visit http://green.dc.gov/bags today.

DDOE/CVS Bag Distribution Events
Thursday, December 03, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.       845 Bladensburg Rd. NE
Friday, December 04, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.         4851 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Monday, December 07, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.        1900 7th St. NW
Tuesday, December 08, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.        5550 Connecticut Ave. NW
Wednesday, December 09, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.   5013 Connecticut Ave. NW
Thursday, December 10, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.       6514 Georgia Ave. NW
Friday, December 11, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.            110 Carroll Ave. NW
Monday, December 14, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.         1403 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Tuesday, December 15, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.        4859 MacArthur Blvd. NW
Wednesday, December 16, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.   1201 Maryland Ave. SW
Thursday, December 17, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.       1100 New Jersey Ave. SE
Friday, December 18, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.            401 M St. SW
Monday, December 21, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.         2646 Naylor Rd. SE
Tuesday, December 22, 2009    10:30 a .m. – 1:30 p.m.        3230 Pennsylvania Ave. SE

The CDC is warning about a phishing scam taking advantage of people concerned about the H1N1 flu.  We included a FLU.gov news ticker on the right to keep you informed about the latest flu news.  Here’s the message we received from the CDC below.

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PHISHING SCAM - CDC Sponsored State Vaccination Program for H1N1CDC has received reports of fraudulent emails (phishing) referencing a CDC sponsored State Vaccination Program for H1N1. The messages request that users create a personal H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccination Profile on the CDC.gov web site.

An example of the phishing email is below:

Users that click on the embedded link in the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system. CDC reminds users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a phishing attack:

- Do not open or respond to unsolicited email messages.

- Do not click links embedded in emails from unknown senders.

- Use caution when entering personal information online.

- Update anti-virus, spyware, firewall, and anti-spam software regularly.

President Obama Speaks and Holds a Discussion on the Economy

Today at 11:45 a.m. (EST), President Barack Obama will speak and hold a discussion on the economy.  Tune in here to join the discussion.  Share your ideas about how we can address the local economy in the District.

Earlier this year, Kwame authored and the DC Council passed the “Stimulus Accountability Act of 2009” (see press release here).

The “Stimulus Accountability Act of 2009” requires that all non-profit organizations, companies, associations, contractors and subcontractors who receive a grant or funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to list all jobs created as a result of stimulus funding on a city run website. Once the positions are filled, organizations are directed to inform DOES of the number of District residents hired for ARRA funded positions.

The website is now up and running. You can search for stimulus jobs by visiting www.dcnetworks.org. From the main page click on the “View ARRA jobs” link shown in the image above. The search will automatically return the latest stimulus funded jobs.

In addition, Kwame has fought for a number of initiatives to spur job growth and opportunities in the District, including:

• Passage and funding for the “Get Job Training for DC Residents Now Act of 2009” to start adult career technical training at three District owned facilities;

• The creation of the Workforce Competitiveness Taskforce through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to forge a regional approach to job growth; and

• Ensuring that the Carpenters’ Challenge pre-apprentice training program was hosted at Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School this summer for 60 District residents.