D.C. Councilmembers

Chairman

Chairman Phil Mendelson

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Phil Mendelson has been serving his constituents as Councilmember since 1998.

Term: Nov. 29, 2012 - Jan. 2, 2015

Political Affiliation: Democratic Party

Office: 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 504, Washington, DC 20004

Tel: (202) 724-8032 | Fax: (202) 724-8099

Chair of: Committee of the Whole

Committees

Biography

Phil Mendelson was first elected to the Council in November 1998. He is the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary and is a member of four additional committees: Jobs and Workforce Development; Libraries, Parks, and Recreation; Public Services and Consumer Affairs. Along with representing the Council at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, he is also the Immediate Past President of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO).

Phil has been active with District issues since 1975 when he joined the McLean Gardens Residents Association in the fight to save that 43-acre housing complex from destruction. He ran for a seat on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 1979 and continued to serve as an ANC Commissioner until he took office as an At-Large member of the Council.

Phil believes government should be an honest, efficient deliverer of services that the District should help those least able to help themselves to develop the skills to become self-sufficient and end the cycle of poverty, and that government must do this without increasing the tax burdens already shouldered by our middle and upper income residents. The District, as the nation's capital, should be a model of service delivery -- in public education, public safety, and public health.

Phil came to Washington from Cleveland, Ohio in 1970 to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in political science from The American University. He grew up in a family dedicated to public service. His mother was a national crusader for nursing home reform. His grandmother had been president of the Michigan State League of Women Voters, was appointed by President Roosevelt to the federal Office of Price Administration, and was a founder of the Grand Rapids Urban League.

Phil has an adorable daughter, Adelaide, who attends DC Public Schools. He lives in Northwest DC.

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