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Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 2
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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. 6
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Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau 10
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Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 14
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Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Zachary Parker 18
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Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Vincent C. Gray 22
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Councilmember Matthew Frumin 26
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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 28
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 32
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To recognize and honor the life and accomplishments Linda Harllee Harper . 37
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper was born and raised in Washington D.C. and was a 39
lifelong resident of the District who resided in Ward 4; 40
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper graduated from Jackson Reed High School, formally 42
known as Wilson Senior High School; 43
44 WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper earned her Bachelor’s degree in business administration 45
from the University of The District of Columbia and earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling 46
psychology from Trinity Washington University; 47
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper married her husband Byron Har per on March 24
th
, 49
2005; 50
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper and Byron Harper welcomed their son Blake Harper on 52
September 30
th
, 2005; 53
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper began her career in public service in the District of 55
Columbia as a Substance Abuse Prevention Officer at the former Oak Hill Youth Center; 56
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper worked in both the public sector and non-profit sector 58
throughout her career as an advocacy leader for the reform of the District of Columbia Juvenile 59
Justice System; 60
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper helped lead the effort to help establish the New 62
Beginning Youth Center to create a more restorative and rehabilitation focused center for the 63
Districts Youth Correctional Center; 64
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper shared her vision of helping the youth of the District of 66
Columbia with public beyond her role in government on her radio show “Led By Love”; 67
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper’s leadership in working to create safer communities for 69
District residents led her to hold multiple leadership roles within the District of Columbia 70
government including Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the 71
first Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and the Director of the Office of 72
Neighborhood Safety and Engagement; 73
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper’s leadership of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention 75
improved data collection and transparency around violent crime and advanced interagency 76
collaboration to strategically save thousands of lives in the District of Columbia ; 77
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper has led the Office of Gun Violence Prevention since its 79
founding to have invested more than $1.5 million in local community startup initiatives to better 80
resource District residents in solving and preventing gun violence in their own neighborhoods; 81
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WHEREAS, Linda Harllee Harper for her years of dedication to her community, family, 83
and friends of her home in the District of Columbia where she shared her passion of helping the 84
most vulnerable of the District community and worked to ensure that they were uplifted through 85
her work. 86
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, th at this 88
resolution may be cited as the “Linda Harllee Harper Posthumous Ceremonial Recognition 89
Resolution of 2023”. 90 91
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors Linda Harllee 92
Harper for her years of dedication to the District of Columbia whe re she led a career of public 93
service focused on helping the District’s most vulnerable residents and solving the epidemic of 94
gun violence. 95
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Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in 97
the District of Columbia Register. 98
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