Good afternoon, everyone:
This evening I will be joining my friend and colleague in public service, State Senator Kim Jackson for a joint virtual town hall meeting. More information will be available across our communications platforms. Everyone is welcome to join us.

On November 11, I had the great opportunity to meet with the board members at FODAC (Friends of Disabled Adults & Children) which is a wonderful organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for those who are mobility impaired by providing home medical equipment to those in need at little or no charge. Over the past few years my office has allocated $200,000 of discretionary CARES Act and ARP funds to support the work of this great organization. It was a pleasure to meet with the board to thank them in-person for this amazing community service. I would like to thank FODAC President and CEO Chris Brand for his excellent leadership and for the invitation to meet with his board.

That evening it was an honor to attend a reception to welcome the new pastor of Saint Philip AME Church, Dr. Anton D. Elwood and his wife Mrs. Shawana Elwood. Saint Philip is a pillar in our community, and it is a pleasure to welcome this dynamic faith team to our community. I wish them many years of success.
On November 18, as a prelude to the Thanksgiving holiday, it was a pleasure to Co-Sponsor a food distribution event in partnership with Mount Moriah Baptist Church and Potter’s House. Previously, my office has allocated over $80,000 in discretionary ARP funds to support the work of this organization. That day we distributed over 200 boxes of food to families in need. It was a great opportunity to help give back. I would like to thank Pastor Jerome E. King and all the event organizers who helped to make the event a great success.

On November 29 it was great to join my friends at MARTA for a groundbreaking ceremony for a Transit-Oriented Development project at the Kensington MARTA Station. This project will include senior, affordable and market rate housing, as well as the new headquarters for the DeKalb Housing Authority.

As I said in my remarks that day, I approached MARTA years ago to inquire about the plans for that area, to which there weren’t really any. However, in the subsequent years I have been meeting with MARTA on a regular basis. The significant development that is now going on in the vicinity of the Kensington MARTA Station is the result of that ongoing dialogue. This project is just the next step in my drive to revitalize the Memorial Drive Corridor. I want to commend and thank MARTA President and CEO Collie Greenwood, and Housing Authority President and CEO Pete Walker for their commitment to this area and for an excellent partnership. I look forward to many great things for this area in the future.
On December 1, I held my regular Mayors Roundtable meeting. This is an initiative that I started during my second year in office with the mayors in District 4. And during my tenure as Presiding Officer I expanded it to include all of the mayors in DeKalb County. The objective is to maintain open lines of communication and build better relationships with our municipal leaders in DeKalb County. To that end this initiative has been a success. At our most recent meeting, we engaged in a very candid dialogue about several issues. I would like to thank:
Tucker Mayor Frank Auman, Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman, Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, Clarkston Mayor Beverly Burks, and Pine Lake Mayor Melanie Hammet for taking time out of their busy schedules to participate. I will continue to hold these meetings for as long as our mayors see value in doing so.

That evening it was a pleasure to attend the Georgia Hispanic Construction Association's Building Georgia Awards Gala. It was a wonderful event that recognized excellence of Latinos in the construction industry, who are literally helping to build Georgia. I would like to commend GHCA Executive Director Rafael Villegas, and Board President Kevin Lares for their excellent leadership of this great organization. And I would like to thank my friend Chris Perlera for the invitation to attend.

On December 2 it was great to honor my dear friend, Pine Lake Mayor Melanie Hammet on the occasion of her retirement from office. In my remarks that evening I stated that Mayor Hammet personifies everything that anyone would want in a public servant. Qualities such as intelligence, diligence, loyalty, and compassion. Getting to know and work with Mayor Hammet over the past several years has been one of the highlights of my time in office. I really came to enjoy our “lake dates” where we would sit by the lake in Pine Lake and just talk. The whole evening was just a wonderful tribute to an amazing person, and I was honored to be included. I wish Mayor Hammet nothing but success in all her future endeavors. And I look forward to remaining close friends.
On December 3 it was an honor to Co-Sponsor and attend the National Council of Negro Women DeKalb Section Holiday Social in Stonecrest. I am proud to be a life member of this organization and serve in the company of such accomplished women. I would like to thank NCNW President Teresa Hardy for her leadership, and my dear friend former NCNW President Derrica Williams for the invitation to Co-Sponsor the event.

That evening it was great to attend the holiday party at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Callanwolde is a beautiful facility and a jewel in DeKalb County. The programs and events that they host provide a wonderful service to our community. That evening CEO Michael Thurmond was recognized for his service. It was a lovely event and it was an honor to be invited. I would like to commend and thank Executive Director Andrew Keenan and his entire board of directors for their leadership and stewardship of this wonderful facility.
On December 4 it was a pleasure to attend a Time Capsule Dedication Ceremony at the East Central DeKalb Community and Senior Center. The journey to get this facility built was a long and rocky road. But it was well worth the time and effort. Click here to watch the video.

25 years from now a group of citizens will gather for another ceremony to open the time capsule and experience the memorabilia preserved within. My team thought it was important to preserve some items from this time period to provide just a glimpse of our history, and I want to thank them for convincing me to pursue this initiative. In particular, I would like to thank my amazing Chief of Staff, Alesia Brooks for leading this process. To my knowledge this is a one-of-a-kind time capsule in a DeKalb County building, so that alone was inspiration for going down this path.
25 years from now, I don’t know where I’ll be. But, wherever I am I know that I will have a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart. Being able to do things like this is why I entered public service to begin with.
On December 8 it was a pleasure to attend a reception to honor the bicentennial for the City of Decatur. 200 years is an amazing milestone and it was great to join Mayor Patti Garrett along with City Commissioners George Dusenbury, Lesa Mayer, Tony Powers, Kelly Walsh and other city officials and friends to celebrate this wonderful occasion. I wish the City of Decatur at least 200 more years of progress and success.

On December 9 it was great to attend a gathering of the leaders and members of the Youth Aviation Program at DeKalb Peachtree Airport. This is a wonderful program that exposes our youth to the field of aviation. I want to commend and thank my friends Joe Hughes and John Trimble for providing this great public service.

On December 11 it was great to attend a reception honoring Tucker City Council Member Anne Lerner as she ends her tenure in that role. Councilwoman Lerner also personifies the qualities that we would want in a public servant, and I consider her to be a close friend. It was an honor for me to be in attendance. I look forward to great things from Councilwoman Lerner in the future.

That evening it was great to join my fellow Leadership DeKalb Alumni at their Holiday Soiree. I am a proud member of the class of 2016, and it was a great experience. I would like to commend and thank board chair and my fellow 2016 classmate Marquetta Bryan for her leadership of this great organization. And I would like to thank my dear friend and 2016 classmate Katherine Kelbaugh for the invitation to attend.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call my office at 404-371-4749, or visit my website at commissionerbradshaw.com. Follow me on all the major social media platforms for updates between the meetings, too.
As always, I will conclude my remarks by thanking the citizens of District 4 and DeKalb County for affording me this opportunity to serve. It is indeed an honor.
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