ANC 2E: As Miller Steps Down, Chao Steps Up
By • June 26, 2023 0 1272
Commissioner Elizabeth Miller (ANC 2E 07), who was selected unanimously to serve as the 2022-2023 ANC 2E Chair, will step down June 30 and supports her neighbor Daniel Chao to succeed her.
“It is with sadness that I write to tell you I will not be your ANC Commissioner after June 30,” Georgetown-Burleith-Hillandale Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and Chair (ANC 2E 07) told her constituents last week.
“As you know, I am stepping down from my seat on the ANC due to my move,” Miller continued. “I took time to recruit a candidate I think will do good work serving our community.” That candidate is Daniel Chao, lives on 31st Street.
The ANC single-member district, which is on the east side of Georgetown, roughly goes from P and Q Streets up to Dumbarton Oaks and Safeway, with 32nd Street and Rock Creek its east and west borders.
“When Daniel moved to Georgetown he quickly became involved,” Miller said. “His home was on the Georgetown House Tour this year, and he has been at many community meetings where his practical, common-sense approach to problem solving makes me believe he will be just the voice we need on the Georgetown-Burleith ANC. I will work hard to get him elected and hope you will support his candidacy.”
Chao told The Georgetowner, “I am very sad like everyone else to see her step away from her ANC role, but I know we will see her around, if not more, in whichever role she chooses moving forward. I am grateful to have her support and wanted to share more about me and why I am running below for your consideration.”
The candidate and prospective commissioner told us more about himself, his willingness to serve and made his pitch.
“My husband Jeff and I knew we were going to enjoy living in Georgetown the most after living in a handful of other neighborhoods throughout our 25 years in Washington,” Chao told The Georgetowner. “However, our time thus far in this village has exceeded our expectations — from meeting helpful and welcoming neighbors to the staggering choices of restaurant and shops at our doorstep and volunteer opportunities that exemplify such a strong sense of community. And speaking of welcoming neighbors, we all agree that we are blessed to have Elizabeth Miller as our Commissioner.”
“Having served as an ANC Commissioner in SE Capitol Hill I know first hand the amount of dedication and sacrifice that comes along with this role, and without question Elizabeth is the best Commissioner I’ve had the privilege to vote for. She is a true public servant, knows the needs of her district and brings her neighbors together whether through community events like Holiday Caroling to informative newsletters where she introduces different neighbors to all readers.
“So, we are surprised and sad to hear about her departure from ANC but relieved to know she will be just a couple of blocks away still.”
“I know I’ve big shoes to fill, I am eager to leverage my knowledge on the issues of historic preservation, public safety and transportation, and prior experience working with businesses and impacted residents along commercial corridors, partnering with law enforcement and the city councilor on public safety, to hit the ground running. I will, as in my prior ANC role, be extremely accessible and swift in responding to my residents’ needs and work to ensure services that we paid for in taxes and fees are delivered.”
“Public service is something I take very seriously. When my family moved from Taiwan to the U.S., we had limited resources but made things work, and I saw first hand how decisions made at the local level have a huge impact on the quality of life for everyone.”
“Like many, it is my passion for service that brought me to Washington, but never, ever, would I have imagined that I would once own a place and live in Georgetown. It is with such gratitude grounded within me that I wish to continue to volunteer and serve my neighbors in ANC 2E07. I look forward to getting to know more neighbors I have yet to meet to hear about their needs and how I can serve them.”
Chao could be seated as commissioner by Sept. 5, if there is no objection. However, if there are others who want to run for the seat, the elections department will set up candidate sign-up procedures leading to a special election.
