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| Maceo Thomas (@maceopiques) |
Maceo Thomas is a DC-based realtor, co-founder of Liberated Muse Production, a community organizer, and all around visionary with a profound background in community service. Graduate of University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, he is a former Peace Corps volunteer and Health Educator whose expertise makes him the go-to person in the community for many things. He began his health education work in Senegal. Maceo, along with other volunteers in the Peace Corps, developed a program called “Scenarios of the Sahara.” In this campaign, guest speakers were invited from Dakar to the outer skirts of the city to talk to young people about HIV. Students developed posters and cartoons about HIV awareness. This was the start of his advocacy through creative channels.
Maceo has been the creator and visionary behind the annual Capitol Hip Hop Soul Fest and Ward 7 Neighborhood Holiday Party, and the monthly community dinners at Thai Orchid. Maceo knows everyone in DC and can make ANYTHING happen! His passion is steeped in bringing the community together using food, music and fun.
The Planner
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| Ajia I. Meux (@crimsonology5) |
Ajia Meux is a California native and a proud Ward 7/Deanwood resident. She has been in DC for ten years and graduated from Howard University's School of Social Work in 2005. Ajia holds a clinical license and has been practicing for seven years in underserved communities around the city. She traveled to Belize, Central America in the summer of 2011 to volunteer at Mary Open Doors, a domestic violence agency. She was supported by neighbors who donated approximately $500 to the organization through fundraising efforts. Ajia is the past president of the Deanwood Citizen's Association and has been involved in community work for the last five years. Because Ajia has worked at several community based organizations around the city and understands the economic challenges to supporting individuals, her passion comes from philanthropic work and envisions a community that supports itself, independent of outside donors and influences. She has been successful in planning several community events and fundraisers including the annual Ward 7
Neighborhood Holiday Party, the Ronni and Ronnie Black and White Party, Deanwood Community Hot Cocoa Socials and Deanwood Healthy Cooking Demonstrations, in partnership with the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative. Ajia is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
The Entrepreneur
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| Veronica O. Davis (@dizzyluv2 |
The Jersey girl says of DC, "I've lived all over the country and traveled the world, but D.C. is my home."
Visit Veronica at: http://fairfaxvillage.
The Professor
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| Sherrie Lawson (@sherrieindc) |
Sherrie Lawson is a student of her community. Not only does she work for change, she teaches how to change. A native North Carolinian, Sherrie has been a resident of Ward 7's Deanwood for six years and is a full-time professor in the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management program at Nyack College. She served as Vice-President of the Deanwood Citizen's Association and has been instrumental in the neighborhood's protest of liquor stores in the community. Sherrie's keen eye to community wrongdoings have made her a staple on Twitter for North Ward 7 issues related to Metro, Department of Public Works, and Metropolitan Police Department. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Nyack College. Sherrie is currently working on her Ph.D. on leadership and organizational change within the School of Applied Management and Decision Science at Walden University. She is writing her dissertation on the leadership style of DC Councilmembers and their effective introduction and passing of controversial legislation.
The Historian
Kia Chatmon is a true asset to Ward 7 specifically as well as DC as a whole. As chair of the Deanwood History Committee, she worked with neighbors to publish Washington, D.C.’s Deanwood through Arcadia Publishing and as chair of the Deanwood Heritage Trail Committee she worked to establish the Greater Deanwood Neighborhood Heritage Trail. A native Washingtonian, Kia graduated from Stanford University and, upon returning to D.C. participated in the national service program, Public Allies-DC. After her Ally service, Kia continued her career in the non-profit sector working with community-based and national non-profit organizations including the DC Rape Crisis Center, the Children’s Defense Fund, Public Allies-DC, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Her passion is organizational development, grant-writing, technical assistance and capacity-building for non-profit organizations. She also served as Treasurer for the Deanwood Citizen's Association for three years.
Kia Chatmon is a true asset to Ward 7 specifically as well as DC as a whole. As chair of the Deanwood History Committee, she worked with neighbors to publish Washington, D.C.’s Deanwood through Arcadia Publishing and as chair of the Deanwood Heritage Trail Committee she worked to establish the Greater Deanwood Neighborhood Heritage Trail. A native Washingtonian, Kia graduated from Stanford University and, upon returning to D.C. participated in the national service program, Public Allies-DC. After her Ally service, Kia continued her career in the non-profit sector working with community-based and national non-profit organizations including the DC Rape Crisis Center, the Children’s Defense Fund, Public Allies-DC, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Her passion is organizational development, grant-writing, technical assistance and capacity-building for non-profit organizations. She also served as Treasurer for the Deanwood Citizen's Association for three years. Kia is a published author, good listener, fairly well organized, and very detail-oriented purveyor of a fairly good network of people in the non-profit and social justice sectors of the District. She is committed to doing whatever she can to serve and edify the community she love—Ward 7 of the District of Columbia.
The Environmentalist
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| Russell Klein |
Russell Klein has lived in Ward 7 for nearly 5 years, and DC for more than 10. As a visible and reliable presence in the northern Ward 7 community, his career began with video FX work in New York, then 2 years teaching in Japan, then environmental politics on The Hill, and later community education as a District employee. As a passionate advocate for environmental health and literacy, he initiated a program several years ago to develop college students as community 'sustainability' consultants (launching Howard University's Office of Sustainability). As well, he recently initiated his own professional consulting group, Russell Klein and Associates, LLC after having worked for District government for 8 years as the city's only public recycling educator. In his new role, he gives public presentations and consults companies regarding District of Columbia legal requirements to recycle, as well as ways to improve employee participation.
He has been a member of Ward 7 working groups and neighborhood associations for several years, participating in both the Parkside Homeowners Association on the Executive Committee, and the launch of the Parkside Civic Association, where he has held the position of Vice President.
The Politico
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| Sylvia Brown (@anc7C04) |
Sylvia Brown worked for a decade in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives as a senior legislative advisor. Working in government affairs she managed issues ranging from health care to Social Security and Medicare reform to education to environmental justice and telecommunications. Two of Sylvia’s legislative accomplishments include initiating passage of the law recognizing African-American slave labor to build the U.S. Capitol and supporting underserved and under-represented populations during one of the country’s most monumental health policy debates, the creation of Part D, the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit. After leaving the federal government, Brown jumped head-first into the political, civic, and community arenas of the District of Columbia. For the last six years, she has served as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 7C04 in Deanwood. In this role she has become involved in setting community economic growth priorities, including improving quality of life services, establishing land use policy, and implementing real estate development goals. Most recently, Brown’s ability to navigate and leverage government and private sector relationships led to the construction of DC’s first net-zero energy (Passive Solar) houses for two low-income families in Deanwood, just off historic Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue (formerly Deane Avenue).
Brown’s political and civic activities have reached a citywide level. She was asked to be chairman of the DC Committee to Restore the Public Trust. This citizen-led effort is working to get an initiative on the 2012 General Election ballot that will limit corporate contributions to DC political funds—creating fairer and cleaner elections and politics. Visit Sylvia's blog at www.deanwooddenizen.blogspot.com.
