The Mayors Office of Talent and Appointments and the DC Poverty Commission has selected Debra Kilpatrick Byrd, the DowntownDC BID’s director of homeless services, to serve among the 19-member District of Columbia Commission on Poverty. The Commission was created in 2020 to study issues surrounding poverty.
Upon final approval by the DC Council to host its first official meeting, the Commission will evaluate current and previous poverty-reduction initiatives in the District and throughout the country to determine their effectiveness. Based on its research and evaluations, the Commission will make comprehensive and continuing recommendations to the mayor and council for strengthening and enhancing the economic status of persons in poverty in the District through initiatives geared toward improving an individual’s educational, wellness, and housing outcomes.
When asked about how she has embraced this appointment, Byrd says, “I am honored to be among a diverse group of life-experienced peers to collectively provide relevant and impactful solutions to eliminate DC poverty.”
Byrd, who joined the BID in 2020, will serve as an at-large member of the Commission for a two-year term. She looks forward to contributing to topics such as healthcare access and affordability, mental health in medically underserved communities, equity in education, and the elimination of hunger.
“I hope to achieve a long-term, sustainable contribution to a city-wide plan that will ensure the advancement of policies and initiatives aimed at alleviating the needs of impoverished District of Columbia communities,” she says. “This appointment is consistent with my life commitment to serve individuals in need. I consider myself a representative for the voiceless among underserved communities. This is an honor that surpasses my own personal goals. This is a life responsibility as a part of humanity.”