District Of Columbia 2025-2026 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill PR26-0059 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	MURIEL BOWSER
2	2	MAYOR
3	3	Feb
4	4	ruary 10, 2025
5	5	The Honorable Phil Mendelson
6	6	Chairman
7	7	Council of the D istrict of Colu
8	8	mbia
9	9	John A. Wilson
10	10	Building
11	11	1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
12	12	Washington, DC 20004
13	13	Dear Chairman Mende lson:
14	14	In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
15	15	142; D.C.
16	16	Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 4 of the Food Policy Council and Director
17	17	Establishment Act of 2014, effective March 10, 2015, D.C. Law 20-191, D.C. Official Code § 48-3
18	18	123,
19	19	I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
20	20	Ms. Rachel C lark
21	21	Quincy Place, NE
22	22	Washington,
23	23	DC 20002
24	24	(Ward 5 )
25	25	for reappointment as a public member of th e Food Policy Council for a
26	26	term to end March 1, 2028.
27	27	Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
28	28	nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
29	29	I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
30	30	do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
31	31	Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
32	32	Sincerely,
33	33	Muriel Bowser
34	34	Mayor 1
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66	66	A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
67	67	~ -~~
68	68	'thairman Phil Mendelson
69	69	at the request
70	70	of the Mayor
71	71	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
72	72	To confirm the reappointment
73	73	of Rachel Clark to the Food Policy Council.
74	74	RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
75	75	resolution may be cited as the "Food Policy Council Rachel Clark Confirmation Resolution
76	76	of
77	77	2025".
78	78	Sec. 2. The Council
79	79	of the District of Columbia confirms the reappointment of:
80	80	Rachel Clark
81	81	Quincy Place, NE
82	82	Washington, DC 20002
83	83	(Ward 5)
84	84	as a public member
85	85	of the Food Policy Council, established by section 3 of the Food Policy
86	86	Council and Director Establishment Act
87	87	of 2014, effective March 10, 2015 (D. C. Law 20-191;
88	88	D.C. Official
89	89	Code§ 48-312), for a term to end March 1, 2028.
90	90	Sec.
91	91	3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
92	92	upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Mayor.
93	93	Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. RACHEL G. CLARK
94	94	EXPERIENCE
95	95	GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Washington, DC
96	96	Policy Director, Redstone Global Center for Prevention & Wellness, 2021 – present
97	97	● Direct and implement the Redstone Center’s District of Columbia and federal policy agenda
98	98	focused on public health and sustainability, including intervention strategies for promoting safe
99	99	and healthy communities, sustainable food systems, access to public spaces and physical
100	100	activity, improved air quality, and active transport
101	101	● Collaborate with GW Public Health faculty and researchers to develop and implement policy
102	102	-
103	103	informed research with real-world applications
104	104	● Provide policy guidance to the Center and local organizations on policy initiatives to improve
105	105	healthy food access, physical activity, transportation, community health and safety, and
106	106	planetary health
107	107	● Oversaw research for and drafted major policy report, Neighborhood Park Service: Strategies
108	108	for an Activated and Equitable Park System for the District of Columbia
109	109	● Collaborate with District agencies and community-based organizations on implementation of
110	110	environmental and public health policies and programs
111	111	● Draft testimony, policy briefs, and fact sheets to support policy agenda
112	112	● Provide written and oral testimony at public hearings and roundtables
113	113	● Lead GW-based initiative on decreasing carbon emissions in the healthcare sector as part of the
114	114	GW Climate & Health nstitute
115	115	● Manage graduate research assistants
116	116	DC FOOD POLICY COUNCIL, Washington, DC
117	117	Mayoral Appointee, 2022 – present
118	118	● Appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser to serve on coalition of public and government food
119	119	leaders advising on policy to achieve an equitable, healthy, and sustainable food system
120	120	● Engage with District agencies, residents, and businesses to support development and
121	121	implementation of District food policies that address climate change and food system resiliency
122	122	● Co-Chair Sustainable Supply Chain Working Group
123	123	COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Washington, DC
124	124	Legislative Counsel, Committee on Transportation & the Environment, 2018 – 2021
125	125	● Drafted over 15 bills related to nutrition, environmental protection, and public health, including
126	126	legislation on clean energy and energy efficiency targets, sustainable procurement, nutrition
127	127	standards at hospitals and homeless shelters, senior food insecurity, nutrition education for
128	128	healthcare providers, food entrepreneurship, urban agriculture, and prenatal and infant
129	129	insurance coverage
130	130	● Drafted and steered the development and enactment of major omnibus legislation on
131	131	sustainable waste management, with provisions targeting food and food packaging waste
132	132	● Led Committee oversight of the Department of Energy and the Environment, DC Green Bank,
133	133	DC Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency, Department of Public Works, and the DC
134	134	Food Policy Council, including preparing oversight questions and drafting official
135	135	correspondence with agencies RACHEL G. CLARK
136	136	EXPERIENCE (cont.)
137	137	● Led senior hunger working group comprising multiple District agencies and community-based
138	138	organizations to develop policy interventions to reduce senior food insecurity in the District;
139	139	drafted and introduced legislation based on working group recommendations
140	140	● Helped secure the passage and funding of legislation improving the nutritional quality of meals
141	141	and standards for physical activity at D.C. schools; drafted amendments that addressed
142	142	rollbacks to school nutrition requirements and made the District the first major jurisdiction to
143	143	prohibit flavored milk in school meals
144	144	● Led the Committee’s successful efforts to secure funding for food and nutrition priorities,
145	145	including improvements to WIC implementation; enhancements to the school breakfast
146	146	program to improve meal quality and increase participation; investment in “food as medicine,”
147	147	school wellness, and environmental literacy programs; and the creation of a new Office of
148	148	Urban Agriculture
149	149	● Supported Committee Chair in her role as Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of
150	150	Governments (MWCOG)’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Food and Agriculture and as Vice-Chair of
151	151	Committee on Climate Energy and Environment Policy
152	152	● Prepared and staffed Committee Chair for public hearings, committee markups, legislative
153	153	meetings, and public events
154	154	U.S. FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION, Silver Spring, MD
155	155	Regulatory Counsel (on Detail), Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, 2018
156	156	•Assisted the Office of Regulations and Policy with a major rulemaking updating the regulatory
157	157	definition of “healthy”; helped facilitate team meetings with nutrition experts, legal advisors,
158	158	and Center leadership; served as lead drafter of proposed regulation and preamble
159	159	•Advised Center on regulations and guidance documents related to labeling, nutrition, and food
160	160	additive safety
161	161	Associate Chief Counsel, Office of the Chief Counsel
162	162	, 2015 – 2018
163	163	● Advised the Center for Tobacco Products on its authorities under the Federal Food, Drug, and
164	164	Cosmetic Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and other applicable laws and regulations
165	165	● Assisted with major proposed rulemaking related to tobacco product manufacturing practices;
166	166	participated in site visits and meetings with industry
167	167	● Assessed legal risk of and evidentiary support for regulations, guidance, and enforcement
168	168	actions
169	169	● Reviewed press materials and agency correspondence with Congress and private industry
170	170	CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST , Washington, DC
171	171	Legal Fellow for Regulatory Affairs, 2014 – 2015
172	172	● Authored an 80-page regulatory comment related to food additive safety on behalf of a
173	173	stakeholder coalition that became the basis for a lawsuit challenging a final rule
174	174	● Drafted citizen petition to FDA to ban the sale of powdered caffeine that resulted in
175	175	enforcement action and final guidance declaring the product illegal; helped present petition to
176	176	FDA leadership RACHEL G. CLARK
177	177	EXPERIENCE (cont.)
178	178	● Spearheaded effort to expand allergen labeling regulations to include sesame, including
179	179	meeting with FDA and members of Congress
180	180	● Advised organization leadership on regulatory and legislative priorities and strategy, including
181	181	drafting memoranda on legal vulnerabilities to policy proposals
182	182	U.S. DISTRICT COURT, DISTRICT OF VERMONT , Burlington, VT
183	183	Law Clerk to the Honorable William K. Sessions III, 2013 – 2014
184	184	● Drafted opinions addressing a variety of criminal and civil matters
185	185	● Prepared the judge for oral argument when he sat by designation on the Second and Ninth
186	186	Circuits; drafted published opinion in the Ninth Circuit
187	187	● Assisted in a criminal and a civil trial
188	188	EDUCATION
189	189	HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, Cambridge, MA
190	190	Juris Doctor, cum laude, May 2013
191	191	● Harvard Food Law Society, President
192	192	●Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Senior Executive Technical Editor
193	193	● Authored independent research paper on racial discrimination at USDA
194	194	● Student Attorney in the Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic
195	195	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, New York, NY
196	196	Bachelor of Arts in Politics and English, magna cum laude, May 2008 Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
197	197	John A. Wilson Building \| 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 \| Washington, DC 20004
198	198	Rachel Clark
199	199	Ms. Rachel Clark is Policy Director of the Redstone Global Center for
200	200	Prevention & Wellness at the Milken Institute School of Public Health
201	201	at George Washington University, where she leads a policy agenda that
202	202	promotes public health and sustainability in the District of Columbia,
203	203	including strategies for supporting sustainable food systems, nutrition,
204	204	access to public spaces and physical activity, and active transport.
205	205	Before joining the Redstone Center, Ms. Clark served as a Legislative
206	206	Counsel for the Committee on Transportation & the Environment at the
207	207	Council of the District of Columbia, where she helped lead legislative
208	208	efforts related to nutrition, environmental protection, and public health.
209	209	Before shifting her focus to District policy, she spent several years working at the federal level as
210	210	an attorney advisor at the Food & Drug Administration and as a legal fellow at the Center for
211	211	Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety watchdog group.
212	212	A Ward 5 resident, Ms. Clark earned her Bachelor of Arts in Politics and English from New York
213	213	University and her Juris Doctor from Harvard University . GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
214	214	Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
215	215	Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
216	216	______________________________________________________________________________
217	217	The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
218	218	To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
219	219	From: Betsy Cavendish
220	220	Date: October 4, 2024
221	221	Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution re appointing Rachel Clark as a member
222	222	of the Food Policy Council
223	223	This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above- referenced Order and found
224	224	it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate
225	225	to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-727-
226	226	0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
227	227	______________________________
228	228	Elizabeth Cavendish