Campaign Phone
3023774181
Neighborhood/area of residence
5th District
Education
College: Harvard University, Masters in City Planning: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Work Experience
Christian applies her skills and experience in urban planning and community economic development to make Wilmington’s neighborhoods better places to live, raise a family, and have a business. As Director of Cornerstone West CDC, she organized with residents, houses of worship, and community organizations to launch West Side Grows. For more than six years, she worked with many of you to engage residents in designing new playgrounds, build and renovate affordable housing, re-design streets for pedestrian safety, advocate for community policing, and expand opportunities for youth. Then, as the first Executive Director of the Wilmington Land Bank, she worked with residents to create programs that reflected community priorities and brought Wilmington’s vacant properties back into use. Today, she leads a consulting business that helps non-profit organizations secure the funding and professional services they need to achieve their mission.
Community Involvement
Christian serves as Chair of the New Castle County Housing Advisory Board and is the proud recipient of a community service award from Delaware Center for Horticulture. She volunteers with the HOMES Campaign advocating for housing affordability and holding landlords accountable. She is a member of Wilmington’s Fines and Fees Justice Team organizing for reforms to Wilmington’s parking and red-light ticketing and collection practices and affordable water billing. She has also been very active with Green for the Greater Good, a group of neighbors who have led efforts to keep the Rodney Reservoir safe, public and green and give residents the chance to be involved in designing the new park. Christian believes that civic associations are a key way for neighborhoods to identify priorities and speak with one voice to get neighborhood issues resolved. She helped to bring back the 5th District Neighborhood Planning Council and has worked hard to strengthen neighborhood civic associations.
Additional Information
Christian believes decisions get better when we work together. She doesn’t just talk the talk, she gets it done! Her experience working at the community level has taught her that residents know a lot, and that your understanding should inform policy-making. Christian is running for Council to be that person in government who will work collaboratively with community members to make things better for city residents and city neighborhoods. This means not just listening to residents but also sharing information with you about the decisions being made by the City administration and Council, helping residents understand how these decisions will impact you, and letting you know how to get involved and make positive change for your families and communities.
Community safety, housing affordability, street safety, and supporting our youth are Wilmington's top challenges. Christian believes that addressing housing affordability now, as rental and home prices have started to go up, is vital to ensure that residents can stay as Wilmington grows. In addition, we need the City to develop and implement an action plan to address homelessness, addiction, and mental health issues as interconnected issues. As your Council member, Christian will work hard to bring together City leadership to develop this plan in collaboration with residents, people who are impacted, and partner organizations. She will make sure the city works the plan and puts in resources, including accessing state and federal dollars.
Christian has been living, working and making a difference in the 5th District for over 15 years. As a member of Wilmington City Council’s Fines and Fees Task Force, Christian successfully worked with representatives from both the community and Council to develop a report and recommendations for reform that was approved by Council. Christian also served on the Rodney Reservoir Advisory Committee appointed by the Mayor. The Rodney Reservoir Advisory Committee supported broad community engagement in the design of the future Rodney Reservoir Park, which resulted in more than $2 million investment from the state of Delaware and is now under construction.
Wilmington’s growth is the product of policy choices. Christian believes that the benefits of our city’s growth should be widely shared. With the right policy mix, Wilmington can promote inclusive growth, where people of all income levels can be part of the City’s future. As your City Councilperson, Christian will work hard to put in place today the policies we need to make sure that current residents can afford to stay if they want to and be part of the positive change. These policies include requiring a portion of new developments that receive city subsidies include units that are affordable to people with regular jobs, rent stabilization, and local hire provisions for projects that are subsidized or contracted by the City.
Small business is the engine of economic growth. In addition, small and locally-owned businesses are much more likely to hire locally. As a Member of Council, Christian will work to expand Wilmington's support for small businesses and explore ways to promote local entrepreneurship, including reforming Wilmington's business licensing fee structure which recently increased the annual license fee for many small businesses. Christian also will work to expand local procurement by Wilmington City government and support the residency requirement for city jobs.
Achieving positive impact together is the best way that City Council and the Mayor can improve their relationship. Christian is committed to listening to and learning from everyone, including the Mayor, city staff, other Council members, and residents. People don’t always agree or see things the same way. Christian sees this as a strength of our democratic system of government. Christian believes that ideas get better when more people have the chance to provide input. Christian will work respectfully and collaboratively to develop policies that can promote the sustainability of the City and improve the lives of residents.
