Results of Potomac Gardens Resident Council Election Are In!

By Grassroots DC, on June 1st, 2014

President Elect Aquarius Vann-Ghasri and two other Potomac Gardens residents prepare to cast their votes for the resident council board.

Although the official vote count won’t be complete until June, Grasroots DC would like to congratulate Aquarius Vann-Ghasri on her unofficial re-election to the position of president of the Potomac Gardens Resident Council. Vann-Ghasri credits her promotion of what she calls a Resident-Driven Leadership Model. Using this model, she has coordinated many presentations, focus groups and round table discussion based on the concerns and issues identified by Potomac Gardens’ residents.

Events coordinated by President Vann-Ghasri include presentations by representatives from Bread for the City’s Legal Clinic, the Office of the Tenant Advocate, the US Attorney General’s Office, Empower DC, etc. She has also brought speakers from Washington, DC’s activist community including Linda Leaks of the Justice Advocacy Alliance, Lucy Murphy of the DC Labor Chorus, Ronald Moten, author of Drinking Muddy Waters and Nisa Harper, author of Confessions of a Crazy Baby Mama.

Potomac Gardens has two resident councils. One representing those who live in the family residencies and another for those who live in the senior building.

The board for the family residents includes:

President – Aquarius Vann-Ghasri Vice President – Diane Hewitt Secretary – Shirley Ford Treasure – Misha Pettway Seargent of Arms – Vacant

The board for the seniors’ building includes:

President – Martha Moore Vice President – Lionel Adams Treasurer – Claudia McCormack Secretary – Karen Clyburn-Bennett Seargant of Arms – Robert Woodard

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Grassroots DC Recognizes DCHA Award Recipient, Aquarius Vann-Ghasri

By Liane Scott, on December 13th, 2013

Iris McLauren-Southall and Commissioner Aquarius Vann-Ghasri

We would like to congratulate Grassroots DC member and DC Housing Authority Commissioner Aquarius Vann-Ghasri who was awarded DCHA’s “Excellence in Resident-Driven Leadership for outstanding performance and lasting contributions to Resident Council Leadership.” The award was presented on December 12,2013. Vann-Ghasri currently serves as the Vice President of the Potomac Gardens Resident Council and is on the Executive Board of the DCHA Citywide Advisory Board. She also works with many nonprofit organizations throughout the metropolitan area and holds several certificates for nonprofit leadership.

Commissioner Aquarius Vann-Ghasri’s latest award.

Commissioner and Resident Council President Vann-Ghasri would like to thank the following residents who her interpretation of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations (which governs the resident input into HUD governance) and her vision of the Potomac Gardens Family as a model for public housing: Tomasia Moore, Tina Hawkins, Shirley Marshall, Shonda, Ann Brown, Mrs. Brown, Quaina, Melinda, Shane, Carolyn Johnson, Ms. Lu, Mitchell, Ditesha, Larry Johnson, Tim Tim, Lorraine Leonard, Ms. Betty,Vernita Abney, Marry, Terry, Cortney, Carolyn Proctor and Bridget. “I thank you all. This is our award!”

Ms. Vann-Ghasri studied to become a paralegal at the Antioch School of Law, Urban Law Institute. She graduated with honors from the DCHA Community Monitoring Program. She served for two years with AmeriCorp Vista, and has worked with local groups such as Community Vision, Inc., National People Action, United Public Housing, DC Justice for Youth and the National Coalition for Homelessness. It is thanks to her support that Grassroots DC has a home at the Potomac Gardens Public Housing Complex. Our work here is fast becoming an integral part of Vann-Ghasri’s resident-driven leadership vision for public housing.

 

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