Priorities
City services
Most of what residents want from a commissioner is follow-up on routine service requests: missed collections, streetlights that stay out, tree boxes, alley conditions, and 311 tickets that get closed without the work being done.
Rodent control is a top priority. DC Health treats burrows on public land, and will bait private property as well, but that requires petition gathering. I'll work with neighbors to ensure a regular cadence of treatment, as needed. DC Health also publishes a rodent dashboard built on 311 data, which makes it possible to show the commission exactly where our hotspots are and how long they take to clear.
I would track open service requests across 6A06 and escalate them as a group rather than one at a time.
The H Street corridor
Streetcar service ended on March 31, but our end of H Street has been on a downturn since Covid-19. It will be several years until the proposed Gold Line Rapid Bus Transit system is in place, and the 6A commission should be keeping tabs to avoid major delays like those that plagued the streetcar rollout while ensuring the system is designed to support local businesses and new residential developments.
The most promising development on the east end of H Street is Nesso Plaza, which plans to begin opening in early 2027. Nesso will bring 15-20 businesses to H Street and Linden Court, including a bakery, a coffee roaster, multiple restaurants and other options. This is the sort of critical mass project that can transform the area and serve as an anchor for additional openings east of 14th. The project will help address the rodent problem as Nesso plans to build a walled off trash room and compactor, replacing the current dumpsters in Linden Court. I've spoken with the Nesso developers and they are facing some permitting delays. If elected, I will be focused on getting this project over the line and working to ensure other businesses can benefit from increased foot traffic in the neighborhood.
The Greater H Street BID Association has formed and is proposing boundaries running from 3rd to 15th Street NE, with $100,000 in the FY2027 budget for a feasibility study. The effort is being led by small business owners and would also be a help in supporting development on the eastern end of H Street.
Other priorities
As a daily cyclist, public transit user and vehicle owner, I understand our neighborhood must support people with different transportation needs. We've seen a significant expansion of bike lanes in the neighborhood, which is good, but our streets have become less safe for a single reason: Police enforcement of traffic laws in DC has fallen sharply. I have written about this at length.
At the commission level, I would work to improve traffic safety enforcement. This means asking the First District for enforcement figures on a regular schedule, pushing for more officers assigned to traffic law enforcement, and supporting efforts to boot and tow vehicles that have accumulated violations.
Endorsements
Two groups that work on housing, transit and safer streets have weighed in on our race. This is a ranked choice ballot, so both recommend an order. My full questionnaire answers are linked below.
DC YIMBYs
Endorsed · rank #1 or #2
DC YIMBYs co-endorsed me and Daniel Aboagye and recommends ranking the two of us as your top two choices. My pitch to them was simple: build by right, and zone more ambitiously.
Greater Greater Washington
Recommended · rank #2
GGWash recommends ranking me second in 6A06. Their questionnaire covers housing, transportation and land use, and every candidate's answers are public.
About
I have lived in this neighborhood for thirteen years.
I started my career as an environmental economist in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University. I transitioned to government service in the State Department in 2019, and served as a civil servant both there and on the National Security Council until July of last year. I now work as an economist for Bloomberg Economics in downtown DC.
From 2015-2024, I was a co-owner of Reliable Tavern on Georgia Avenue NW, which involved permits, inspections, ABC licensing, etc. I learned the hard way how difficult D.C. permitting can be to navigate, and what this means for businesses: added costs, delays, and a greater chance of failure. I would work to ensure businesses looking to locate in our district have support as they work through permitting challenges, while also ensuring responsible operation that benefits the neighborhood.
From 2014-2018, I worked as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate, supporting two boys in D.C.'s foster care system. It was a rewarding but heartbreaking experience, and I came away understanding that simply throwing monetary resources at our social problems is not enough. It takes a community, and it also requires that we hold kids to standards when it comes to school attendance and behavior.
Writing
I have written about DC since 2018, focused primarily on the restaurant industry and traffic safety.
D.C. Has a Traffic Violence Problem
An analysis of enforcement and citation data, and what the next mayor could do about it.
Safe Streets Require Active Law Enforcement
Written after a driver killed Ronnie Clark on C Street NE on Christmas Eve. On why the cameras have not been enough.
D.C. restaurants should not add new service fees
On why menu prices should include all non-discretionary fees, written as a restaurant owner.
Initiative 77 is a risky move for tipped workers — and local businesses
On the likely effects of eliminating the tip credit, written while I was running a bar in the District.
Contact
If something on your block needs attention, tell me about it. I am putting together a list of what people in 6A06 want addressed, and I would rather build it from what neighbors actually say than from assumptions.
I read and answer everything.