Elections: Candace Hollingsworth

Hyattsville Patch is seeking to run short profiles on We will ask each candidate the same questions but candidates may respond to them as they see fit.

Profiles will run in the order in which the candidates respond. Each candidate will be asked at least twice for their participation.

Name: Candace Hollingsworth

Age:  29

Occupation:  Organizational Development Consultant

Family: Married. Two children: Ellis, 5 and Zora, 2

Hometown:  Memphis, TN

Qualifications:

Professional Experience

Proactive manager of project portfolios valued at $18 million+, and led business process improvements for national nonprofit organizations, medical research centers and government agencies.

Vice-President, Hyattsville Elementary School PTA (Term: 2010-2012)

Member, Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)

Board of Directors, Hyattsville CDC (Term: 2011-2013)

Member, Hyattsville Civic Association 

BA - Emory University (Atlanta, GA)

MPP - Georgetown University (Washington, DC)

Three most important city issues, and how do you plan to address each:

 1. Education & Civic Engagement

“While the city does not yield much direct influence over local schools (public or private) it is important that we begin to "push the button." We are a growing city, but we have many residents who have lived in Hyattsville for most, if not all, of their lives. We want to continue the tradition of encouraging long-term homeownership and residency in Hyattsville and part of that is ensuring that we engage youth and young adults as early and as frequently as possible. They will be our future leaders and we need to make sure they are prepared at all levels. "Academic Excellence and Social Responsibility" can be the hallmark of an education in Hyattsville.”

2. Asset-Based Community & Economic Development

“In addition to courting new business for Hyattsville, we should look for opportunities to strengthen existing businesses and nurture a thriving network of community-serving organizations. The first step of that process is to identify our assets (people, organizations, businesses, and resources) and encourage collaboration in order to achieve maximum impact and return on investment, particularly when taxpayer dollars are at work.”

3. Growing Our Capacity to Serve

“Our administrative infrastructure has to keep pace with our growth in order to ensure the best outcomes for residents. We have to make sure that we focus efforts on enhancing our ability to serve (law enforcement/safety, public works, and access to social services) under current and future development. As councilmember, I will connect regularly with my constituents, but we have to develop our capacity to receive, review and act on those concerns at the city level.” 

Contact information:

Phone:       202.423.7752

Email:        cbhollingsworth@gmail.com

Website:    www.candaceisready.com

Facebook: facebook.com/candaceisready