The Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4C has had its fair share of dysfunction over the past years. Part of this is due to poor behavior on the part of some commissioners, some of it is new commissioners learning the ropes as there has been a large turnover on the commission. Come this November, a good portion of the ANC is running for reelection (most unopposed), with some new faces looking to join.

Not running this year are Chair Vann-Di Galloway (4C06), Commissioner John-Paul Hayworth (4C07) and Commissioner Taalib-Din Uqdah. In alphabetical order below are the candidates in 4C who took the time to respond to my request for information. All content below are their own, unedited words.

Candidates with no information (incumbents and newcomers alike) signify those who chose not to respond, even after repeated attempts to contact them. Make of that what you will, but the less forthcoming a candidate is, chances are the less forthcoming they'll be as a commissioner. Time will tell.

ANC 4C Candidates

Maria Barry (4C02)

Maria Barry is the Vice-President of External Affairs at Potomac Riverkeeper Network. Maria works to identify and secure financial support from members, individuals, corporations and foundations to maintain and grow Potomac Riverkeeper Network’s financial and membership base and to enable the organization to continue its advocacy for the protection of the Potomac River and its watershed.

Maria discovered a dedication to social and environmental justice and community development after working on a state-wide referendum in Maryland and completing her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Maria started her career as a Volunteer Maryland! AmeriCorps member and has worked for numerous nonprofits and issue campaigns in senior development and external affairs roles over the past 20+ years. Before joining Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2016, Maria was the Chief Development Director at Green Door Behavioral Health. During her career, Maria has served as an Executive Director Partnership Development Officer, Field Director, and Director of Special Events and Communications. Maria lives in 16th Street Heights with her son and husband.

Why are you running for ANC?
I am running for re-election as the ANC 4C02 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and have served in this seat since October 2015.

As your ANC Commissioner I will do my best to listen to your issues, concerns, and ideas; keep you informed on matters that directly affect our SMD and provide a line of communication between the community members, our Ward 4 elected officials and our DC agencies.
I am a long time member of the neighborhood (since 2003) and have lived in DC since 1996. I feel honored to have the opportunity to stand up for our community during this amazing time of growth. Our neighborhood is poised for great things.

I have a track record of building our community and bringing people together. As co-founder and President of Friends of the 16th Street Heights Parks I worked to raise money, coordinate with community stake holders and DPR officials to modernize and revitalize both the Upshur and Hamilton Parks. In addition, I initiated and serve on the sponsorship committee of 14th and Kennedy Farmers Market and helped to raise over $7,000 in 2016. I am an active member of the Community Alliance for Upper 14th Street.

Thomas Burnett (4C06)

I am a proud Petworth resident that delights in organizing Quincy Street social events and building solidarity with our neighbors. Professionally, I work in communications at the National Academy of Sciences and relish my daily bike commute to and from Chinatown. Our ANC presents a great opportunity to build friendships that cross social barriers and contribute to our neighborhood in ways that everyone can celebrate.

Why are you running for ANC?
Here are three things that I aim to do as ANC Commissioner:

Ensure greater public participation in monthly ANC meetings. Our neighbors are a tremendous asset, not a hindrance to ANC business.
Produce a monthly newsletter for my SMD. If more people are informed, we can have a stronger voice as we advocate for improvement.
Help our neighbors save money on their electricity bills by switching to solar power. Now that we have community solar legislation, everyone in DC can benefit from solar, not just wealthy homeowners.

Ulysses E. Campbell (4C03)

No information submitted. Running unopposed.

Karen Cooper (4C07)

Karen has been living in the Petworth neighborhood since 1998. In 1999, she was elected president of Petworth Civic Association and worked closely with MPD 4D to rid the drug dealing at 9th Street and Allison. In 2000 and 2002, she was elected to ANC 4C07 and was instrumental in working with the community to support the opening of Domku and El Torogoz. After leaving the ANC, Karen worked with a small group to improve Petworth Recreation Center. Their efforts resulted in the installation of two playgrounds, a water spray park, and the razing of a hill, which is now used for summer jazz concerts and other community events.

Karen is Managing Director of an up-start management consulting firm. She has a MSA from Trinity Washington University and serves on boards of Rock Creek Conservancy and Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative. She is a committed public servant and will work hard to make Petworth a great place to live, work and recreate.

Why are you running for ANC?
I am running for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 4C07, because I care about the Petworth community. I want to be a positive force for ANC 4C and our neighborhood, which is becoming a wonderful melting pot of innovative small businesses, great restaurants, and a diverse population. Our community is changing at a fast pace and it is important for ANC 4C to function in a professional and ethical manner.

It is my hope to help the Commission become a high functioning body that is focused on making Petworth a great place to live, work and recreate. I want to use my grassroots community experience as well as my professional experience to contribute to making ANC 4C a high performing body that acts in the best interest of the people that it serves.

Jonah Goodman (4C10)

My wife and I have lived in Petworth for 4.5 years. I currently work as a web designer for a design firm that supports progressive organizations in advocacy and political fields. I have lived in DC since 2007 when I moved here from NYC to work on the 2008 Presidential race. I have served on the board of a national gender-inclusive Fraternity, coached a running team for homeless men, and am an on-again off-again marathon runner myself.

Why are you running for ANC?
After my most recent and wonderful Commissioner stepped down from the ANC I ran to fill the interim position. I have been serving as Commissioner of 4C10 since March 2016. I am now running to serve my first full term.

I believe that ANC 4C has challenges in communicating with the neighbors we represent as well as functioning as a Commission. I also believe that there is a tremendous opportunity to fix those issues and make the ANC be a valuable asset to our community. I want to bring transparency to what it is your ANC does as well as help neighbors make our DC government work better for them.

If elected I want to work with my Commissioners to make our meetings inviting and informative, to make our work transparent and representative of neighbors, and be a model for how an ANC Commission should function as advocates for progress within our communities instead of an archaic entity.

See Jonah Goodman's "Better Know a Commissioner" interview with Petworth News.

Michael Halpern (4C04)

No information submitted. Running unopposed.

Timothy Jones (4C08)

No information submitted. Running unopposed.

Joe Martin (4C09)

Raised in Boston and Milton, Massachusetts. Went to Catholic, public and private boarding schools and the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. Lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts prior to moving to DC. Massachusetts' work experiences include legislative work and radio public affairs. Cambridge is where I met my life partner since 1979, (Dr.) Clinton Anderson, a psychologist who works on policy issues for the American Psychological Association. In DC, I worked for then Congressman Barney Frank for six years in legislative policy work. After that I career-changed into work as a producer, location manager and location scout in features, network television series, commercials, high-end still photo shoots and network (HBO, PBS) documentaries. My previous stint on ANC 4C led to my being invited to work for four years in the administrations of Mayors Anthony Williams and Adrian Fenty. My film and television work has at times had me overseeing productions in Europe and all over the United States. I confess to a weakness for Italy. I remain busy with creative projects.

Clint and I are both from very humble backgrounds and loving families. (He grew up in Baldwin County, Alabama, on the eastern side of Mobile Bay.)

Why are you running for ANC?
I believe I bring a combination of political smarts, experience, persistence, knowledge of local and federal government, keen BS-detector and sensitivity to the full mix of people in our neighborhoods, longtime residents and new, to be an effective advocate for our neighborhoods.

I am very much a product of Boston and New England and the experiences of the turbulence of life in the U.S. in another era. I attended Catholic schools, got accepted into Boston Latin School which I attended in the seventh and eighth grades before we moved to the leafy suburb of Milton. Latin is an academically tough, demanding citywide, public school established in 1635. It exposed me to the full racial and ethnic mix of bright young men (was then all boys) from throughout Boston -- including a considerable number of students who started life elsewhere on the globe. Mom worked for TWA. I flew for free. I was encouraged to travel - and did - starting in my early teens all over the US, Europe and Middle East. That taught me much.

Witnessing television news of the horrors of the abuse of African-Americans during the Civil Rights era when I was a child evoked a powerful, lifelong dedication to social justice. It inspired my playing a central role in the early days of the gay movement in Massachusetts, working to oust vicious elected officials and electing women and racial minorities to public office.

Charlotte Nugent (4C01)

When I chose to make our neighborhood home over three years ago, I was a new DC resident with only hopes of what our community could offer. I have found many opportunities here: I have worked at a local education nonprofit and for the DC government, pursued further education at George Washington University, served on the boards of two other local education nonprofits, and tutored students in our neighborhood. But I want to serve our neighborhood even more, which is why I am running to serve as your Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC).

Everyone in our neighborhood has dreams for the future: a young person hoping to find a first job, a family hoping to buy a home, or a senior citizen enjoying his or her golden years. Yet our neighborhood does not always provide opportunity for all. Issues such as unemployment, crime, and rising housing costs sometime make our dreams seem out of reach. I believe that together we can overcome these barriers to strengthen our neighborhood so that it becomes a place of opportunity for all, where all residents are able to achieve their goals. As your ANC, I will work hand-in-hand with you to realize this vision.

Why are you running for ANC?
Because of the contributions of past and current residents, our neighborhood has so much to offer, and new initiatives appear all the time: the revitalization of Kennedy Street, a farmer’s market, new restaurants and businesses, and more. Still, we have much work to do. As your Commissioner, I will fight to:

Maintain a safe and vibrant neighborhood with a high quality of life by working with residents and public officials to address issues such as public safety, transit, vacant properties, and cleanliness, including addressing the root causes of neighborhood crime
Increase our access to amenities—such as affordable housing and new businesses—that residents need and want, while also striving to preserve our neighborhood’s character
Ensure equity in educational programs and services for our children and youth, so that all young people in our neighborhood have a chance to thrive
Improve the environment for local businesses and entrepreneurs by improving communication between local business and government
Increase the transparency of ANC 4C business by improving web site, e-mail, social media and print mail outreach

As a former teacher, nonprofit worker and community advocate, I am a relationship-builder who respects and listens to all people. Our ANC 4C meetings have recently featured arguments among commissioners and reports of personal attacks. We can do better. I promise to work respectfully with all residents and other commissioners to solve problems and put the needs of our neighborhood first. In addition to civility, I also value accessibility: I will be easily reachable by phone, e-mail and social media, available for meetings, and will actively seek input on issues facing our neighborhood.

See Charlotte Nugent's ANC campaign flyer PDF.

*Ed Note: Charlotte Nugent was omitted from this article on the original publication date due to an error by Petworth News and not the candidate. Ms. Nugent did submit her information on time, but I overlooked her submission (mea culpa: I was on pain killers from a miserable dental surgery). My sincere apologies to Ms. Nugent and the residents of Single Member District 4C01.

Zach Teutsch (4C05)

I have spent my career teaching working families how to access the financial system and to increase their financial stability. When I am not working I am usually parenting -- we have a 2-year-old daughter, Shula. I also play ultimate frisbee, football, and like to cook.

Why are you running for ANC?
I want to make sure that we build an inclusive thriving community together. In my first term, I was successful in working with constituents to increase traffic safety, decrease violence, support business growth, and advocate for affordable housing. I was elected vice-chair by my fellow commissioners. I learned from an early age that we should all seek to be of service and I hope to continue to serve you all and would be honored to have your support.

See Zach's "Better Know a Commissioner" interview with Petworth News.

Sean Weiland (4C01)

I was born in Washington, DC and raised in Prince William County, Virginia. My father was a PWC Police Sargent and mother is a retired PWC Secretary who worked for various agencies. From an early age I followed local politics through my parent's careers and community involvement. In middle and high school I volunteered for the PWC Public Library System, Office of Consumer Affairs and County Executive’s Office. This was when my interest in the community and local politics became a passion.

After high school I worked for the local cable company producing PSAs and news segments featuring government agencies and community organizations. I went on to work for Prince William County Schools producing distance learning television. Then in 2003 I began working for the Kaiser Family Foundation in DC where I oversaw IT and broadcast technology in the DC office. In 2012 I became an IT contractor at the CFTC.

Since moving to DC in 2005 I have been actively involved in the greater 4C community and DC. In my free time I enjoy dinning at local restaurants, coffee, running, technology and supporting the Washington Capitals.

Why are you running for ANC?
I decided to run for ANC 4C01 because of my community leadership and I know that I can help 4C be highly productive and recognized ANC. I enjoy helping my neighbors address the various quality of life issues we face as DC residents, as ANC commissioner I can do more.

Since purchasing my home in 2005 I immediately became involved in 4C01 and the greater 16th Street Heights community. My accomplishments include: successfully negotiating an ABRA voluntary agreement on behalf of neighbors and ANC 4C, securing two four way stops near 4C schools, serving on the board of CBENA, serving as the Ward 4 Inaugural Pedestrian Advisory Council Representative, collaborating with Mayor Bowser/Councilmember Todd/DDOT to get the alley between the 1300 block of Ingraham and Jefferson included in Alley Pooloza Three (Completed August 2016), continually collaborating with Councilmember Todd to address vacant and blighted properties, working with MPD to address crime issues in the community and always assisting neighbors with questions and concerns.

It is time for our community to have a voice that will help address concerns and work on improving our quality of life. Let me be your voice and elect Sean Wieland on November 8th.

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