NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2000 Mayor Williams Swears In Members of Citizen Complaint Review Board and 15 other Boards and Commissions Williams Has Named Almost 500 Appointees In Just Over a Year (Washington, DC) Mayor Anthony A. Williams swore in 35 new members of 16 Boards and Commissions today, including members of the newly created Citizen Complaint Review Board. Williams has set a brisk pace for his administration, naming almost 500 appointees in a little more than a year in office. When Williams was sworn in as Mayor, there were more than 450 vacancies. Many Boards and Commissions did not have a quorum and could not function, impairing critical regulatory and oversight functions. The Citizen Complaint Review Board will oversee and establish an independent Office of Citizen Complaint Review for the District to review citizen complaints of alleged police misconduct involving harassment, use of unnecessary or excessive force, use of language or conduct that is insulting, demeaning, or humiliating, discriminatory treatment, or retaliation against a person for filing a complaint against a member of the Metropolitan Police Department. It will also recommend ways to protect the rights of all parties involved in the process of investigating allegations of police misconduct. The Mayor urged the newly created board to move swiftly to choose an Executive Director. The Mayor noted that 126 people competed for these five volunteer positions. Local advocacy groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance sat on an advisory panel led by former Councilmember Bill Lightfoot. The Mayor highlighted the qualifications and diversity of the appointees, who reflect the broad diversity of the city. Two nominees are from east of the River, two are native Washingtonians, and one is a police officer. This will be the first major board to be chaired by a Latino, Maria-Christina Fernandez. "Our new Citizen Complaint Review Board members are about to take on a vital role in our city, helping to build lines of trust and accountability between our police officers and the community," said Mayor Williams. Also appointed to the board are Michael Selmi, Michael Sainte-Andress, Patricia Ann Fisher and Stanley Wigenton Other Boards and appointees in the ceremony included: Board of Appeals and Review Ruth Ann Kaiser Nancy McCall A. Eduardo Belarezo David King Patricia Williams David Marlin Gail Davis State Mental Health Planning Council Anita Alexander Linda Kaufman Thyra Griffin Richard Budson Statewide Health Coordinating Council Nkechi Onwuche Linda Miller Dr. Alan Orenstein Washington Convention Center Advisory Committee John McGaw Child Abuse and Neglect Board Joyce Brooks Hon. Zinora Mitchell-Rankin Commission on Arts and Humanities Maurice Shorter Lou Stovall Gas Station Advisory Board Lucy Drayton Committee to Promote Washington Board of Directors Charles St. Charles Workforce Investment Council Michael Bessire Occupational Safety and Health Board Kathleen McKirchy Cable Television Advisory Committee Jourdinia Brown Commission on Human Rights Ana Beltran Board of Pharmacy Margaret Ann Breakenridge Committee on Violence Against Women Tina Boggan-Camara Cherie Bellamy Margaret Quick Reverend Donald Robinson Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Advisory Committee Linda Fisher