Dionne Reeder, a small business owner in Ward 8, wants to be the next Independent D.C. Council member because she wants to help Washingtonians be the best they can be and have a thriving city to which they can contribute.
“Let’s make the investments in our communities to allow every D.C. resident to reach their full potential because if you work hard you should have equal access to opportunities,” Reeder said.
Dionne Reeder, a small business owner in Ward 8, is running for a seat on the D.C. Council. (Courtesy photo)
Reeder owns the Cheers@The Big Chair that is located in Ward 8 on Martin Luther King Jr., Ave., Southeast. In an interview with the AFRO, Reeder said that public service is a calling.
A native Washingtonian, Reeder grew up in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Ward 1. She graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School and went to West Virginia State University, where she served as the president of the Student Government Association.
Reeder has worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources as a legislative assistant and for the D.C. Community Prevention Partnership where she assisted over 200 people to go to college.
The entrepreneur’s work caught the eye of then D.C. Chief Financial Officer Anthony Williams, and he gave her $9 million to curb youth violence in the District. She focused her efforts on the North Capitol Street, Northwest corridor.
When Williams became mayor, he tapped her to be Ward 8’s Neighborhood Coordinator where she worked to assist residents in dealing with the District government.
In 2007, when Williams left office, Reeder went to work for Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, managing the organization’s daily operations as well as its community-oriented multi-million dollar programs.
In recent years, Reeder opened up her business to help Ward 8 economically.
Among the reasons she decided to run for the council was a piece of legislation that D.C. Council member Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) was sponsoring. Silverman is the author of the Universal Paid Leave Act, which guarantees District employees in the private sector up to 16 weeks of paid leave per year. Reeder said that she has problems with Silverman’s legislation.
“It hurts small businesses,” Reeder said.
Reeder argues that small businesses will be particularly hurt by Silverman’s legislation because they may not be able to recoup the lost employee time, nor have the resources to make up for work that will not get done. However, Silverman told The AFRO that’s not true.
“I am a champion of paid leave because working families feel squeezed,” she said. “And many small businesses, including restaurants, say they want to provide this benefit to retain their workers and keep them healthy but can’t afford to pay it out of pocket. Our paid leave law helps by giving a very big benefit to both workers and businesses for a very modest payroll tax.”
Reeder also said that Silverman is not a strong supporter of the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which allows District employers to offer temporary jobs and training to teenagers and young adults.
“I have heard so many people tell me they got their first job working for the Summer Youth Program that was started by Marion Barry,” Reeder said. “She cut $2 million out of the program, wants young people to take an entrance exam to get into it, and wants to max out participation for three years. That program was once for specific people but now it is for everyone.
“It teaches young people the importance of a work ethic. She said the program was a problem and only has visited 20 sites to see it.”
Silverman said that Reeder is in error on her stand with SYEP.
“I am a big champion of SYEP, including expanding it to 24-years-old,” she said. “That’s why my committee did not cut funding.”
The councilmember said “an entrance exam is not in the legislation” and “the biggest thing the legislation does is make learning life skills like showing up on time, communicating with supervisors and colleagues and learning how to resolve conflict maturely a centerpiece of the summer work experience.”
Reeder’s platform includes using District government resources to invest in the next generation, make the District more affordable for residents of all income levels, and focus on seniors, millennials and families. She wants to invest in the District’s private sector, saying it should be easier to start and run a business in the city with a special emphasis on neighborhood establishments.
Reeder and other Independent candidates will face Silverman in the Nov. 6 general election.
Stuart Anderson is a Ward 8 political activist and told The AFRO he favors Reeder.
“When I looked at the candidates in the at-large race, I saw that Dionne was the best,” he said. “She is a Black business owner and I am confident that she will look out for the best interests of Black businesses. We need a voice on the D.C. Council for Black businesses and she will serve as that voice.”