Candidate Profile: Glenda Gail Parker For Alexandria City Council

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As voters begin casting early ballots for Alexandria's Nov. 2 general election, one of the races they will decide is Alexandria City Council.

City Council is made up of six at-large representatives and the mayor to serve three-year terms. Nine candidates are on the ballot in the general election. The six Democratic candidates as determined by the primary election are Canek Aguirre, Sarah Bagley, John Taylor Chapman, Alyia Smith-Parker Gaskins, Amy B. Jackson and R. Kirk McPike. Glenda Gail Parker is an Independent Green Party of Virginia candidate, Florence King is an Independent candidate, and Darryl Nirenberg is a Republican candidate.

Members who are elected in the Nov. 2 election will take office in 2022.
Voters can choose up to six candidates on their ballot.

One of the candidates is Glenda Gail Parker, an Independent Green Party of Virginia candidate. She has run for office before and advocated for fixing the sewage that enters the Potomac River from the city, a walkable and bikeable city, more affordable housing, and other priorities.

For more information about the upcoming election in Alexandria, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Elections.

Learn more about Glenda Gail Parker and why she is running for Alexandria City Council in 2021:

Editor's note: below are the unedited views of the candidate.

Age (as of Election Day)

74

Position sought (mayor, city council, school board, etc.)

City Council

Party Affiliation

Independent Green Party of Virginia

Family

Three grown children and 4 grandchildren.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

MBA with a Certificate in Software Engineering Administration (equivalent to a second master's degree.

Occupation

Sr Acquisition Program Analyst

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Appointed and served on the DC Metro Area Transportation Planning Board Citizen's Advisory Committee
Vice Chair/Secretary of the Independent Green Party of Virginia

Campaign website

www.votejoinrun.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

Three years ago I moved back into Alexandria City and found the same environmental issues existed that had been there for 20 years. While one was resolved shortly after I filed for office and the dumping of raw sewage into the Potomac has efforts underway to correct, I feel we need to closely monitor progress to completion.

The single most pressing issue facing our (city) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

How to translate community goals into funded budget lines. Community goals on safer walkable, bikeable Alexandria; more access to affordable housing, improvements in education facilities. I am a student of Jeff Speck's city planning rules, government budget analyst by trade and can lend my years of expertise to accomplishing funded projects to further improvement goals.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Yes. I support strongly the "Walkable City Rules" listed in Jeff Speck's book on city planning. It addresses environmental and zoning issues necessary to make welcome improvements.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

The Alexandria City Board has failed for the past 20-30 years to correct the dumping of City waste into the Potomac. This is egregious! It took a law to get them to do the right thing. Unforgivable.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I feel Alexandria Government responded well under the circumstances. I would like to see more streets closed off for dining, walkable and bikeable. Continued free bus service to the Metro Stations.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

More Trains, Less Traffic: the positive solution to so many issues.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Well, I have spent 34 years in service to the County working for the Dept of Defense, serving 23 years in the US Air Force Reserves, retiring as an Officer. I have many accomplishments in those capacities. I have also spent 15 years working with the Independent Green Party of Virginia to promote positive solutions that the two larger parties have largely ignored, much to the detriment of the Nation.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

You can do an untold amount of good if you don't care who takes credit for it!

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a doer.