It has been a great first month at city hall and I am truly honored to serve on behalf of our community. Thank you again. Through this newsletter, I want to provide an update on news and events of interest affecting our community and our city.

On January 2^nd at the Wortham Center, I was inaugurated into City Council along with 15 other City Council Members. We were joined in this ceremony by Mayor Annise Parker and Controller Ron Green. Following the city inauguration, I hosted the first ever District D Community Inauguration at Sunnyside Park.  And what a spectacular event it was! Those in the community showed up and showed their support as we honored the accomplishments of previous District D councilmembers and I spoke on my plans for the district.

The District D staff has hit the ground running and been busy researching and analyzing policy, attending to constituent concerns, and attending civic club and neighborhood meetings. I have had the great pleasure of meeting with almost every city department director and have learned a vast amount regarding the numerous and diverse services the city provides. I have also attended many community meetings and events and have had the opportunity to sit down with community leaders in the District D community.

It is a privilege to be appointed by the Mayor to serve on the Transportation Policy Council, which serves to provide policy guidance and coordination of the transportation planning activities of the Houston-Galveston Area region. I am also honored to serve on the following council committees: Budget and Fiscal Affairs; Transportation, Technology & Infrastructure; Housing and Community Affairs; and Ethics, Elections and Council Governance. Together with the other council members, I am diligently working to seek solutions to Houston's fiscal, transportation, infrastructure, and housing issues.

My top priorities for the District are to ensure that the Senior Minor Home Repair Program and the Second Chance Program are implemented within my first six months of office. These two programs are critical to assisting those in need and positively impacting the economic vitality of our community.  I will also proactively communicate and collaborate with the Public Works Department to ensure that streets and drainage projects are effectively addressed in the district.

There is much to be proud about in our historic District, and yet much work to be accomplished. I am available to hear your ideas and concerns as we collectively unite together to continue to move our district forward.

I joined the National Black United Front (NBUF) along with concerned citizens on Thursday, January 9, 2014 for the rally to save the Southmore Station Post Office on Almeda. My office is committed to working with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and federal officials to preserve this historic landmark.

According to the Houston Chronicle, "The post office, at 4110 Almeda, sits at the historic site of Houston's first sit-in demonstration. In 1960, Texas Southern University students marched from their campus to that location to challenge segregated lunch counters at Weingarten Supermarket."

On Friday January 17th, my staff attended the Public Works and Engineering Ride Along. They learned about the Rebuild Houston process, the process to repair a water main break and toured the water treatment plant. They are well equipped to assist you with all of your needs.

My staff and I joined the Greater OST/ South Union Super Neighborhood at their meeting on Thursday January 16th. It was great to introduce my staff to pillars in the community and share my vision for the district.

My staff and I enjoyed spending Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in the community. On Saturday, January 18^th, I joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Houston Alumnae Chapter for the 2014 Affordable Care Summit/Enrollment, Medicare Health Plan Dis-Enrollment & Health Fair at Metropolitan CME Church. On Monday, January 20^th, I attended the North Houston Frontiers Club annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast at the Hilton Americas-Houston Downtown.

I ended the remarkable day by attending the Affordable Care Act Press Conference with Texas Organizing Project, Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, State Senator Rodney Ellis, State Senator John Whitmire, State Senator Sylvia Garcia, State Representative Garnet Coleman, State Representative Sylvester Turner, Council Member Larry Green, Council Member Robert Gallegos and Resha Thomas with Texas Organizing Project.

Affordable and accessible healthcare is an issue of extreme importance to those in our community and I encourage residents who are without health insurance or who are underinsured, to explore your options under Obamacare. Prevention is key and we should all have peace of mind when it comes to our healthcare needs.