On April 4th, Mayor Gray issued a proclamation commemorating April 2012 as “Financial Literacy Awareness Month” in the District of Columbia. The announcement highlights real progress District residents have made via the efforts of the city’s Bank on DC program, yet acknowledges that more work remains to be done.

Through this proclamation, the Mayor recommits the resources of the District government to aiding residents in maintaining their finances, supporting their households and building wealth. Read more about the financial literacy workshop.

In addition, the Mayor presented and swore in nine new members of the District’s Financial Literacy Council, which will be chaired by veteran financial-services advocate Tamara Haye Daufour and will help improve programs that educate District residents in how to manage their personal finances more effectively. The Mayor named six members of the Council, including its chair. The remaining three members were designated by DC Council Chair Kwame R. Brown; Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette M. Alexander, who chairs the Council’s Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs; and District Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi.

Those members are:

• Tamara Haye Daufour

• Brian Pick

• Idriys J. Abdullah

• Joseph Vaughan

• Yasuko Fumuro

• Kevin Wrege

• Angela Joyner

• Jamila Yore

• Malik Muhammad

Read more.

On April 5th, Mayor Gray announced that he had re-nominated an experienced public advocacy attorney to serve another term as the District’s People’s Counsel. Sandra Mattavous-Frye has served in the position in interim, acting and permanent capacities since 2010. Her current term expires in June, and her re-nomination is subject to approval by the DC Council. The Office of the People’s Counsel educates, represents and protects DC utility ratepayers. Read more.

Mayor Gray announced this week he has appointed two new members of the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (CYITC) Board of Directors. Longtime child-and-family advocate Megan Martin and former D.C. School Board President and City Administrator Robert Bobb will fill the unexpired terms of two members who resigned.

“Megan Martin and Robert Bobb are experienced advocates for the welfare of children and families facing the challenges unique to urban environments,” Mayor Gray said. “We believe that these appointees will bring additional leadership and stability to the Trust to help it get back to its focus on helping District youth.”

These new appointees ensure that the corporation’s work will continue with a full complement of mayoral appointments. The new members will lend their time and expertise in support of CYITC’s mission to “support and develop the highest quality programs to encourage innovation in services and organizations and to ensure that money invested is spent wisely through clearly defined and sustainable programs.”

Megan Martin is a Policy Analyst for the Center for the Study of Social Policy and holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan. A published author with 13 years of experience working on public policy issues on the federal, statewide and local levels, Martin is a Ward 5 resident.

Robert C. Bobb is President and CEO of The Robert Bobb Group, LLC, which specializes in public sector turnaround culting and provides expertise on the issues facing urban governments. He is recognized as one of the country’s preeminent public managers, with over 30 years’ experience. A graduate of Grambling State University and the University of Western Michigan, Bobb lives in Ward 4.

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On April 10, Mayor Gray thanked officials from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and CTIA-The Wireless Association for working with the District’s Metropolitan Police Chief, Cathy L. Lanier, in coming to an agreement that will provide new tools to law enforcement officials across the country as they combat a wave of crimes targeting smartphone users.

“I want to thank officials from the FCC and CTIA for working quickly with Chief Lanier and other public safety officials to give us the tools we need to combat this crime wave, which has challenged police officials across the nation,” Mayor Gray said. “The measures that the wireless industry and federal regulators have agreed to put in place will essentially ‘drain the swamp’ of fencing operations that are driving this uptick in phone thefts and robberies. I am proud that the District has played a crucial role in reaching this important national agreement, and I commend Chief Lanier for her efforts in doing exactly what I asked her earlier this year to do – use all appropriate means to combat the District’s recent uptick in smartphone-related crimes.”

Mayor Gray joined Chief Lanier, FCC and CTIA officials, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and public safety officials from around the nation at the John A. Wilson Building to announce the agreement. It includes measures that the nation’s major mobile service providers will put in place to render useless all mobile phones reported stolen. The mobile providers have also agreed to lead educational and public service initiatives encouraging phone users to take measures already available to them to render their phones less useful to potential thieves and robbers.

On March 11, Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced the District’s first citywide Anti-Bullying Action Plan, led by the D.C. Office of Human Rights (OHR). This comprehensive plan brings together D.C. government agencies, non-profit organizations, community partners and educators across the city to find solutions to confront and eradicate bullying across the District.

In 2011, Mayor Gray proclaimed April 21 “Bully-Free D.C. Day.” The initiation of the Anti-Bullying Action Plan coincides with the 2nd Annual Bully-Free D.C. Day and represents a significant step forward in ensuring an inclusive and ridicule-free city.

Bullying remains an endemic problem for youth and young adults across the country. While not a new phenomenon, the widespread use of social media has given youth a new platform on which to engage in hurtful – and often dangerous – bullying of their peers.

This issue reaches most children and young adults at some point in their life, whether as a victim, bully, or bystander. Recent statistics show that nearly 32 percent of youth are bullied and over 20 percent of children ages 10-18 are victims of cyberbullying.

Mayor Gray advocates a multi-sector approach to solve the growing problem of bullying, using a comprehensive, city-wide strategy in line with his “One City” vision. This far-reaching effort, known as the District of Columbia’s Anti-Bullying Action Plan, consists of four stages, including: 1) formation of a multi-stakeholder task force, 2) commissioning of a research report, 3) creation of a Model Policy and Standards, and 4) a forum for D.C. agencies and stakeholders to learn about the District’s new anti-bullying efforts. Read more.

Earlier this week, Mayor Gray announced that he and key members of his economic development team will travel to China in late June.

“To build a diversified new economy for the District that is less dependent on the federal government, we must increase the District’s profile in the global marketplace,” said Mayor Gray. “This trip will help our local businesses better compete around the world and create jobs here at home.”

The trip will include local government officials and business leaders. While in China, the District will renew its Sister City relationship with Beijing. Attendees will also take part in the 2012 INFORMS International Conference on Sustainability. Officials will also create a new economic partnership agreement in the technology, education, sustainability, and tourism sectors with the city of Suzhou.

Some of the primary goals of the trip include matching District businesses with potential Chinese partners as well as meeting with potential foreign investors about opportunities in the District’s booming real estate market.

The work being done on this trip is expected to generate millions of dollars in revenue for the District through the public and private partnerships developed. Read more.

The year 2012 marks the 150th Commemorative Anniversary of the Emancipation Act in the District of Columbia and includes a year-long celebration of educational and cultural events and activities throughout the city. April 16, 2012 is D.C. Emancipation Day and is an official city government holiday.

On March 29, Mayor Vincent C. Gray and At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange announced events and activities, introduced partnerships and unveiled a website to kick off the 2012 District of Columbia Emancipation Day and 150th Commemorative Anniversary of the Emancipation Act in the District of Columbia. Mayor Gray also presented a proclamation in recognition of this special occasion at the African American Civil War Museum.

The D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 ended slavery in Washington, D.C., freed 3,100 individuals, reimbursed those who had legally owned them and offered the newly freed women and men money to move on to a better life. District residents commemorate the Act, and the courage and struggles of those who fought to make it a reality, on D.C. Emancipation Day each year.

The event listings for the 150th Commemorative Anniversary of the Emancipation Act in the District of Columbia can be found at www.emancipation.dc.gov.