My Accomplishments:
2019 budget enhancements Board of Health:
$2,007,012:
Including $693,067: to help eradicate HIV: funding for the Fulton County Test and Treat program to expand the availability of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and to expand rapid entry into care services for all individuals who test positive for HIV, and those individuals who were never linked to care.
Department of Senior Services:
$1,863,519: Including:
$807,064 for transportation services
$500,000 to support small home repairs
$89,555 to support the Fulton County Kinshipcare program
Pre-Arrest Diversion:
$300,000 to support the Atlanta/Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Program
Department of Community Development
$1,538,156
Including:
Division of Youth:
$200,000 for the Fulton County Summer Youth Internship Program
$500,000 for Youth programing
$500,000 for at risk youth – allocated to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office to support his Project Level-Up juvenile recidivism program
Division of Homelessness:
$72,811 for a homeless coordinator
Magistrate Court:
$249,715
Including:
$165,715 to support the Misdemeanor Mental Health Accountability Court program
Worksource Development:
$1,000,000 to support Fulton County workforce development including the purchase of a new mobile unit
My Work for our Seniors:
Fulton County’s Senior SURGE:
My advocating on the behalf of Fulton County Seniors, has successfully resulted in Fulton County’s Senior SURGE: a plan to improve infrastructure needs and modernize systems which are foundational in delivering best in class service. A total investment of $4,726,246.22 has been placed in our Senior Multipurpose Facilities as well as Fulton County Neighborhood Senior Centers including visible enhancements to the centers such as:
Computer network upgrades
Computer lab updates
Increased security
Lighting upgrades
HVAC upgrades
Front lobby desks
Furniture
carpeting
Painting
Atlanta Beltline for Fulton County Seniors:
I have partnered with the Atlanta Beltline Partnership to host four yearly tours of the Atlanta Beltline for Fulton County Seniors.
Our Youth:
I currently host two youth conferences a year. They are open to ALL Fulton County high schoolers (Fulton County Public School, Atlanta Public School, private schools, charter school and homeschooled students invited). The two conferences, Careers Entrepreneurs Opportunities (CEO’s) of Tomorrow and Empowering Young Men to Excel, a conference for graduating high school senior males, reach nearly 500 students a year.
Honoring Joan P. Gardner:
Every October I am honored to host the Joan P. Gardner Walk and Health Fair.
I was appointed by the Mayor of Atlanta to the Reimagining the Atlanta City Detention Center. Together, I work with my fellow Taskforce members to device a proposal for the Atlanta City Detention Center.
Nominations:
National Association of Counties’ (NACo) County Leadership Institute
I was nominated by the Association County Commissioners Georgia, as the sole Georgian to participate in the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) County Leadership Institute (CLI). CLI is a rigorous four-day program offered by NACo that enhances the capability of county officials to identify and implement innovative solutions to complex challenges facing county government. Attendees learn how to effectively address the demands of personal leadership in a new era of government. This era is characterized as a “permanent crisis” by CLI Program Developer and Cambridge Leadership co-founder Marty Linsky.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Economic Mobility Leadership Network
I was one of twenty county officials selected by the National Association of Counties (NACo) to participate in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Economic Mobility Leadership Network which allows me to connect and partner with County Officials across the United States to address the challenge of economic mobility in communities across the country. Many Fulton County District 4 residents struggle with economic security, and many of our District 4 families are challenged with multi-generational poverty. with out the skills to achieve stable employment, these residents and families face housing instability, food insecurity and overall lack of opportunity. Through this initiative, I am able to explore the county role in addressing District 4 residents’ economic security.
Fulton-Atlanta Justice Equity Working Group
It was brought to my attention that the Atlanta/Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative (a coordinating agency that strives to reduce the number of people in jails who would be better served by social and behavioral health services) is not reaching as many individuals as it should. The program’s diversion levels are quite low, so I have developed a task force of stakeholders to address how we may improve this program and increase its success. This group, called the Fulton-Atlanta Justice Equity Working Group, includes Fulton County Executive Staff, Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Fulton County Justice Partners (including but not limited to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Courts, DA’s office, Solicitor General’s Office), Atlanta Police Department, Health Partners (including but not limited to Grady Hospital and Emory University Hospital), Community Partners (including but not limited to Southerners On New Ground (SONG), and Black Futurists Group), the Office of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and countless others. Together we work to streamline the Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative to create a more successful program. A successful Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative is a step in the right direction to addressing the needs of or District 4 homeless neighbors.
Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and the Atlanta Homelessness Continuum of Care
In 2019 I voted in favor of a momentum of understanding (MOU) between Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and the Atlanta Homelessness Continuum of Care, Partners for HOME to provide Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and supportive services for persons experiencing chronic homelessness. Under this MOU Fulton County will provide case management and wrap around services to support successful PSH participation and housing stabilization to the Atlanta Homelessness Continuum of Care, Partners for HOME’s approximately 550 new permanent supportive housing units within Fulton County.
Additional Accomplishments:
I supported Adams Park Foundation in their successful efforts to expand the Charles R. Adams Park’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places to include the Adams Park Golf Course.
Co-sponsored an ordinance to amend the Fulton County Code of Ordinances to decriminalize marijuana in Fulton County
Successfully introduced and passed a resolution to establish the month of June as Pride Month in Fulton County
Successfully introduced and passed a resolution to create Fulton County’s Census Complete County Committee