We have offered to post brief statements from all of the ANC candidates running for seats on Capitol Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods that we cover here on The Hill is Home. These statements are not endorsements and have been posted exactly as submitted by the candidates.
Brian Pate ANC 6B05
I am excited to have the opportunity to campaign for your vote, and to share my agenda and campaign platform with you. I believe an active dialogue will help sharpen the message of all candidates, and will energize the race for ANC6b.
As a Hill resident since 2004 and the father of a young Hill family, we feel fortunate to live in a dynamic and diverse community. As a Marine Corps officer and recently minted combat veteran, I understand first hand the effort required to build a community and the importance of strong, localized democratic institutions. I credit the Marine Corps with imbuing me with the leadership traits of tenacity, compassion, judgment and perseverance. A management consultant with diverse experience, I’ve led large teams focused on technology implementation, improving acquisition processes, electronic health record (EHR) integration and infrastructure master planning. In the past, I’ve volunteered with Miriam’s Kitchen and currently serve on the board of the Veteran’s Education Foundation, a non-profit that gives scholarships to veterans seeking to enter public service. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, jogging, and, with my family, taking advantage of the museums and attractions our city has to offer.
As your ANC representative I will work to implement changes to the character and quality of the ANC. The ANC is chartered to engage in a broad range of issues, and I believe that public safety and education should be part of the ANC agenda. Key neighborhood initiatives should receive public vetting and endorsement at critical phases in the lifecycle of the initiative. The ANC Chair, in recent testimony before the City Council regarding disposition of the Old Naval Hospital, stated that, “further discussion of the Hill Center by the ANC is not a good use of ANC time.” To that sentiment and the attitude it reflects, I say, “Bully!”
Though well intentioned, the current ANC is opaque. Deliberative processes are conducted via e-mail, between official meetings, with no public scrutiny, and decisions are often made in what are effectively ‘closed-door’ executive sessions. As if to prove the point, ANC 6B recently submitted official correspondence to the City Council offering wholesale opposition to pending open meetings legislation. The ANC6B website is rarely up-to-date and lacks records of official correspondence. They fail to harness the possibilities of social media and the energy of grass roots civic organizations. Indeed, though allowable by law, not a single unelected citizen has sat on an ANC sub-committee in almost a decade. Our local democratic institutions can be better, and you deserve better.
Along with these substantive issues, here are additional issues and initiatives I will address as your Commissioner:
- Sustainable, citizen-centered development
o A sustainable usage plan for Lincoln Park, with immediate action to install a Capital Bikeshare site in Lincoln Park or its vicinity
o An inclusive, intelligent Planned Usage Development process for the Eastern Market “town square” and Hine Redevelopment
o Public hearings on programming at the new Hill Center
o Transparency in the application of historic district designations
o Employ my background experience and expertise to help navigate and negotiate a win-win solution for the new barracks at 8th and Eye
- Active support of continued education reform
o Enthusiastic advocacy for middle school improvement
o Work with the school board and administration to entrench and extend current elementary school progress
- Preventative Public Safety
o Work with the police to explore methods of preventing and deterring many of the burglaries and violent crimes that occur in our area.
o Aggressively fight blighted and vacant properties in our district
- Understand and manage the impacts of gentrification
These are a few of my key points and motivations. For more on my thinking and ideas, please visit www.pateforanc.com or contact me at patebc@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing what’s on your mind and appreciate your consideration on November 2nd!
Best,
Brian Pate
We love this guy!
I’m with Sandra. We love Brian too. He’s a breath of fresh air with great energy and new ideas.
It’s time for a change!
bsr
I’m sure that Brian is a nice guy, but Ken Jarboe has been solid for the the 6B Single Member District. I note that Brian’s point is to challenge the Chairman, rather than Ken. As EMMCA handpicked replacement to challenge Ken, it doesn’t surprise me to hear the fresh air/new ideas label. Nothing here seems new or fresh. “Public safety and education” sound nice, but what does that mean? I can only assume that EMMCA is promoting him to oppose anything new between 7th and 9th straddling Pennsylvania Avenue and as a grievance over renovations to the decrepit Old Naval Hospital. Cross the four lane highway that is Pennsylvania Avenue is still a pedestrian hazard. I’m more than happy with Ken.
@Steve
Ken’s for rerouting Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th again? I thought he was against that now…after he was for it, and for it, and for it.
@ Tom Reihle,
I didn’t say anything about Ken and Pennsylvania Avenue. I was remarking my own concerns about the pedestrian hazards trying to cross your beloved freeway.
@ Steve
Oh, I see. Don’t be so afraid about crossing Pennsylvania Avenue SE. DDOT keeps records of pedestrian crashes, and 8th and Pennsylvania Avenue is one of the safer intersections in the city. I agree with Councilmember Wells, who says we should look to improve what we’ve got at that intersection, because circles and squares are not as walkable as what we’ve got.
As for Brian Pate, I think I’d like to see what he’d come up with when he says he would “Work with the police to explore methods of preventing and deterring many of the burglaries and violent crimes that occur in our area.” Maybe by working on ANC-6B’s Public Safety Committee, where he’d add a lot as a Marine combat veteran. If ANC-6B had a Public Safety Committee. Which they do not.
Seems to me like Brian Pate would bring new ideas and a fresh approach.
Maybe we’ll see Brian Pate and Ken Jarboe discuss the issues at Eastern Market North Hall on Wednesday, October 20, from 6-8 pm, at the ANC-6B candidate meet-and-greet.
And I ignored it the first go-round, but just to be clear, EMMCA chooses not to endorse candidates, and nobody I know among EMMCA members had met Brian Pate before he started his great campaign.
Steve,
I enjoyed meeting and speaking with you today. Hopefully after our conversation, you will agree with some of the substance behind my ideas, and, will reconsider your endorsement.
Thanks again.
Brian
@Brian,
Yes, notwithstanding the clever language in Mr. Pist’s last paragraph (maybe even in spite of it), it was really great to talk through someone prepared to engage on the tricky issues in 6B. You’re thoughts about gentrification issues really lit a candle for me … now, if we could only figure out a workable solution re: the legitimate needs for dogs on the Hill, we’ll be good to go. Thanks.
Re-reading that, it should be … “great to talk through issues with someone prepared to engage on the tricky issues in 6B.”
As I was biking down 13th St the other day I saw campaign posters for Brian Pate and I thought how lucky the folks of 6B would be to have him lead the way. For years I served on a hill condominium board with Brian and I was very impressed by his natural leadership abilities. I came to know him as a great and consensus builder and champion for our building. He was extremely organized, and had excellent follow through on all issues- including those that he did not stand to gain from personally. While I am in 6A now, and haven’t seen Brian in a few years, I wanted those in 6B to be aware of my experience with Brian in a leadership capacity.
Andrea–thanks so much for the kind words and endorsement. Elisabeth and I miss our friends at the Linville. I learned a great deal about close community living and consensus building there,and, indeed, our experience at the Linville, with the people and the building, cemented our desire to stay on the Hill. All the best to you and hope you are well.
great profile! looking forward to talking with you about 6b issues.
I’m impressed by what Brian has written above. I’ve been a Hill resident for 5 years and have known Brian for the last 3 and a half. I am thrilled to have Brian in our neighborhood and think he would represent our community well. One of his most important attributes for this position is his ability to listen well and take action. He is always willing to lend a hand and take time to improve our surroundings. Last summer he organized our block to clean the alley in our back yard. Even though it was over 100 degrees his tenacity and good humor helped us complete the task! Thanks Brian for taking the time to run for this important position.
If you’re a DCPS parent and would like the ANC to advocate for our schools and engage the community from a young family’s perspective, then Brian is the right candidate for ANC. About 10 months ago, Brian volunteered to facilitate a multi-school community meeting that helped bring to focus the direction the group wanted to take with regard to middle schools. He took great care to ensure we all had a chance to be heard (particularly those who traditionally kept silent in this effort) and helped us through a difficult situation. The punchline is that he was not yet a DCPS parent and did it solely to help his community. I hope neighbors who feel schools should have a voice in the ANC vote for Brian Pate.
I have had the honor and privilege to work with Brian for over 5 years as the First Sergeant of Echo Company, 4th LAR. As a candidate for ANC 6B05, I can say without hesitation that Brian is the best choice for representation of your community.
Addressing the challenges related to today’s ever changing political, social and economic times requires a candidate with core values that are reflective of the community’s needs. Brian Pate, has these core values as well as the intestinal fortitude to represent ANC 6B05 during these challenging times.
Having worked with and watched Brian lead Marines for several years, I can personally attest to the qualities with which he lives by. Justice, integrity and dependability are a just a snap shot of the values that he views not as “words” but as principles that have shaped him as a leader.
Knowing and having seen firsthand Brian’s commitment and dedication to the values that make our communities second to none, on November 2rd, the community of ANC 6B05 would be well served by selecting Brian Pate as their representative.
In closing, as I have been blessed with watching the Pate family grow and I have a seen firsthand the pride Brian has in your community. While visiting the neighborhood, we have walked the streets together while he explained the rich history of area such as Lincoln Park, Eastern Market and a personal favorite 8th and I. Over the years I have seen the passion Brian has developed for the community in which he lives and it’s great family environment. I am sure this passion and love for is a key reason why he and Elisabeth call it home.
Sincerely,
Marshall Franklin
1st Sgt USMC Ret.
Marshall,
Thanks so much for your kind words and endorsement. It means a great deal coming from someone I respect so much. Semper Fi.
Also, I am happy to post that Greater Greater Washington has endorsed my candidacy. You can read the endorsement here: greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=7807
Hopefully this silences any false innuendo that I am an “anti-development” candidate or pawn of an anti-development advocacy group. Far from it, I believe in listening to all sides, using logic and reason to make decisions and advocating for the smart growth our city!
Hope to see folks at the polls tomorrow!
-Brian
I worked Major Brian Pate for 3 years as a platoon sergeant. I was new in this position when Brian became my commanding officer. While working for him I learned to digest large amounts of information, time management, organizational skills, and most importantly leadership.
These are skills I’m positive Brian would bring to your community and from my 6 years of experience in County government in NY they are skills that are regularly missing from the process.
I’ve seen Brian live by the Marines core principles of Mission Accomplishment and Troop Welfare. I know he cares for your community and would work tirelessly to achieve the goals you’ve established.
Respectfully Submitted
Sean Tuckey, MA
Sgt. USMCR 00-08; OIF veteran
I have known Major Brian Pate during his service with Echo Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, a Marine Corps Reserve unit located in Syracuse, New York. It has been an honor to serve under Maj Pate during our unit’s latest deployment to Iraq in 2009. During this time I served as the Weapons Platoon Commander and Brian was the Company Commanding Officer.
Maj Pate did not hide his intent once we confirmed our upcoming deployment to Iraq. He promised all of his Marines he would dedicate 110% of his time and efforts to the pre-deployment training and ensure the highest degree of readiness possible prior to departure. In turn, he expected each of his immediate staff to remain dedicated to the same level of proficiency, lead by example, and do everything to ensure an end state of mission accomplishment and every Marine returning home to their families.
In the most realistic training I have ever participated in, Brian Pate hit the ground running and walked tall. Each Company would be assigned a village to assess, secure, and carry out daily missions in. Maj Pate earned and retained the respect of “Iraqi villagers” in Ft. Irwin National Training Center, CA. The role players were real Iraqi nationals. The Iraqis lived on the premises 24/7. Training missions ran 24/7. Villagers spoke in their native Arabic tongue and dressed as the people in Iraq dress.
Maj Pate accepted his assigned Area of Operations and quickly sought out the village elders and local leadership. He stated his intentions of routing out insurgents and insurgent activities. He would do his best to work with the local Police and leadership to address locals concerns to the best of his abilities. In turn he expected an honest working relationship that would benefit not only the United States military’s goals, but also the individual tribal families within the AO.
While other adjacent companies assigned similar missions with similar villages and scenarios could have enjoyed similar successes, many did not. Brian understood the need to earn and retain the respect of villagers caught in between opposing wills and forces beyond their control. Making empty promises was not a procedure Brian would allow in order for short term operational gains. Tribal elders were constantly reminded of the Major’s willingness to make good by doing everything in his power to provide basic necessities. Through his actions, Maj Pate made clear to the villagers that his Marines would be expected to do everything in their individual power to ensure hard to reach goals were not forgotten.
While we had trained Marines to perform at the top of their game in tactical and weapons proficiency, this level of exposure to civilians was for most, uncharted territory. Individual Marines had to understand that while your guard is constant, offending the local population had to be avoided. Adjacent units experienced constant small arms harassment, high levels of IED attacks, and an alarming local hostility right up to the last minute of these exercises. Toward the end of the exercise, Maj Pate was able to arrange a celebration. Marines were able to celebrate and feast with the Iraqi nationals. The overall feedback was the level of respect earned had allowed villagers to trust Marines. The last minute insight into Iraqi culture at this point was immensely valuable and appreciated. Several Marines were made aware that had their individual actions destroyed a hard won trust, hostilities would have in turn escalated to the point of no return. Maj Brian Pate would not allow his company to rest on their laurels in the closing hours of the exercise. In the final hours under the cover of darkness, Maj Pate moved his field expedient Company CP to an new location unknown to the locals. Great care was taken to move in a fashion that would not only mask his company’s movement, but also give the appearance that the majority of the Company was in fact still located in this previously occupied position. Lessons learned came hard to other Companies who had let their guard down. Locations were probed by insurgents, weaknesses exposed, and ultimately another Company Commander had to answer in the morning to “The Man” about how and why one of his Marines had came up missing.
I witnessed this continuing level of ingenuity while in country deployed in Iraq. Maj Pate established his presence and developed relationships with Iraqi nationals and Iraqi military counterparts. Along the Syrian border where cross border smuggling and foreign fighter facilitators activities were ever present, Maj Pate expected his platoon commanders to develop these same relationships on an individual basis. Following this direction, platoons took a personal interest in analyzing the ethnic diversities, differences, civic needs, concerns and attitude of the local people.
The sincerity of actions to improve the quality of life for locals, developed a degree of trust among various ethnic communities. The ability to channel individual platoon efforts to the best of their individual strengths enhanced the overall intelligence gathering and security of Echo Company’s assigned sector within the AO. As in our pre-deployment training, I feel this mutual co-operation and trust within the company’s AO enhanced our personal security and ultimately allowed for the continued safety of each of our Marines. To the best of his abilities, with limited resources, and at times of very limited direct support, Maj Pate maximized the efforts of his company to make the biggest positive impact within the entire AO. When the proper support was not available, Maj Pate went looking for it, found it, and brought it home to us in the field to use as we saw fit. While other Sector commanders limited access within their AO to their own personal units, Maj Pate would seek out other coalition commanders asking what they could bring to the table and how we could integrate together maximizing a unity of effort. In the absence of accurate 1st hand intelligence , Maj Pate would seek out other coalition and Iraqi commanders who had operated within the area previously and obtain whatever information necessary to enhance our situational awareness.
For these reasons and more, it worked. Maj Pate proved to his Marines that dropped into unknown regions along the border of a country harboring and facilitating unknown enemy insurgent activities, professional relationships could be formed. Regions where police presence was limited. Regions where individual families suffered from corruption, lack of employment, and limited financial support. Areas where basic infrastructure, utilities, educational, medical, and political support was limited or non-existent. The ability to succeed in this type of environment is not easy. It is not a job fitting of everyone who is given this type of challenge and responsibility. Maj Pate did so successfully on many various levels.
Brian was not satisfied with miniscule accomplishments achieved with minimal effort. He demonstrated that it was an expected course of action to keep the big picture in mind and tirelessly strive to achieve success. I took note of the following actions of Maj Pate – Reflect on the factors needed to achieve the desired result. Properly implement the tools and abilities of any and all available personnel, assets, and adjacent organizations. Challenges are not insurmountable. Healthy competition promotes a strong work ethic and pride within an organization. The lowest man on the totem pole has a strength that should be capitalized on, take advantage of this to unify internal efforts proceeding in a positive direction.
Ironic how some of our domestic concerns today could mirror the concerns Maj Pate faced while operating with a group of Marines conducting counter-insurgnecy operations in Iraq in 2009. Educational concerns, community security, police support, infrastructure issues, various areas within communities with their own agenda, ideals, and goals. Who will benefit from new or enhanced civic projects? How can we accomplish the most positive impact on this community in a limited time-frame? With a limited amount of financial support with which to acquire new tools, assets, or implement new physical projects, how will this money be used most effectively? Are there other organizations operating today which posses the tools and personnel qualified and outfitted to perform this job ? Are they available to support us today?
Can our mutually supporting actions contribute to the big picture goals of all? These are all challenges dealt with during our last deployment to Iraq. Maj Pate dealt with these challenges in a commendable fashion. He was able ask himself the hard questions which brought to light elusive yet critical answers. Answers that helped ensure the safety and well being of men committed to securing hostile regions no one has heard of and many never will. Answers which demand an educated level of reflection within yourself and your organization. He possesses the mental fortitude to press on in the face of adversity and look for alternative solutions. I witnessed Maj Pate’s personal accountability for his actions to his seniors to keep them well informed of the decisions he made and why he did so. He was able to give sound educated reasons for decisions made. His superiors respected his thought process and ability to handle diverse situations. This allowed our company to operate with a degree of latitude which was not earned or given to all other commanders operating within the AO. Any organization searching for an individual who is driven, earns respect through actions, and maintains a high degree of commitment, would be well served by a man of Brian Pate’s character. Echo Company was fortunate to have had the privilege of working under his direction.
Brian Pate is no longer my supervisor within my chain of command. I worked under him in an environment where I feel we earned the respect of each other. Every good leader requires good followers within the Marine Corps. I do not feel good followers can be men who could not accept and fill leadership positions. Maj Pate influenced his Marines in a fashion demanding they think and act like leaders. I appreciate the level of sincerity, honesty, dedication, and accountability shown to me under his leadership. He would not sleep until his job was done, and he succeeded in bringing every Marine home to Echo Company, Syracuse, NY.
Brian is a driven individual willing and able to make a difference in an honorable fashion. His creative and thorough thinking contributed directly to the success he enjoyed and I am sure he will continue to do so in future endeavors.
Respectfully,
Mark A. Moon
Gunnery Sergeant USMCR
2nd Platoon Commander, Echo Company
4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
Syracuse, NY
Within the world of politics, when a rational voice appears, one that makes great economic sense, we all need to stop and listen. We’re gifted to have that person on the Hill, especially when he’s willing to serve our community. My friend, our neighbor, Brian Pate, is worthy of your vote. His inclusive approach to leadership and his willingness to tackle the tough issues (crime, economic development, and education) guarantees that the future of the Hill will go way beyond liquor licenses and restaurant row. When it’s time to be counted, I’m counting on Brian Pate. I encourage you to do the same. Vote for Brian on November 2nd.
Thanks so much John, Mark and Sean. Win or loose, your endorsement means much to me.
All the best,
Brian
I’d be interested to hear Mr. Pate speak about the “more to the story about Hine” that his flyers talk about. Many of us in the neighborhood don’t think we got much of deal in the Hine negotiations. and that the scale and size of the development that is coming is out of character with the neighborhood. I appreciate that he and Mr. Frischberg spent much time on the negotations, but many of us stand with the folks on the ANC who rejected the ultimate MOU.
This is Brian’s statement from the last election. His new one can be viewed here (probably the better place to comment for discussions about this election) http://www.thehillishome.com/2012/10/meet-the-candidates-brian-pate-anc-6b05-2/
Thanks Claudia