A transformational change agent
My name is Deni Taveras and I am running for Maryland State Delegate in District 47B. I have lived here for over 18 years and have grown to deeply care for my district residents and the dire needs of my often forgotten community. I am running because I want us to finish what we started. We deserve better public schools, safer, cleaner streets and sustainable economic development.
For the County Councilmanic District 2, I have delivered on:
10 billion in INFRASTRUCTURE deveLopment
Construction of 9 new schools in the pipelIne, 3 to be Delivered by 2024
Construction of 2 new libraries, one due in 2021 and one in design
And there is still more to do
We must finish what we started. These are the things I commit to fighting for on your behalf.
Let me tell you a little about my story and how arrived at this decision to enter politics.
“I am running for State Delegate because we deserve better public schools, safer, cleaner streets and sustainable economic development. I’ve started to deliver that for you, but we need to finish what we started.”
Humble Beginnings, Bold Dreams
I was born and raised in Harlem, New York. From humble immigrant beginnings, my parents immigrated to New York, where they met. My mother was employed as a factory worker and my dad as a taxi driver. After losing my mom at the age of four, and my dad, who was murdered when I was eight, I was raised by my maternal grandmother.
My grandmother, who had a first-grade education, taught me the value of hard work and persistence. All she could do was send me to public schools from K-12. I was blessed to have her until my junior year in college.
I understand firsthand the struggles of those with limited financial resources and limited language skills. I saw how my grandmother struggled to make ends meet sewing piece work. My escape from our daily struggles was reading and attending school. I read as many books as I could and worked hard in school. I knew my grandmother could not afford to send me to college, so a scholarship was my only route.
Believes Everyone Deserves a Quality Education
I earned a BA from Barnard College and an MS from the University of Utah, both in the field of chemistry. I subsequently went to work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, who recommended that I attend Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. At Princeton University, I earned a dual master’s degree in public affairs and urban regional planning, with a certificate in science, technology, and environmental policy. After Princeton, I moved to the District of Columbia before settling in Adelphi where I believed my skills were needed most.
A Fighter for all Communities
Over the past ten years, I have been a strong pro-social justice and pro-choice advocate while seeking to improve the lives of working families and those in urban communities. I have fought for environmental justice, served in response to Hurricane Katrina, developed re-entry program strategies for formerly incarcerated individuals, and worked on a multitude of issues including the Dream Act Referendum. Along the way, I have built strong coalitions and alliances within and outside of my community.
“Along the way, I have built strong coalitions and alliances within and outside of my community. I am a transformational change agent.”
I am a person of action. As president of my homeowner's association at Presidential Park, I quintupled reserves, reduced delinquency rates, and improved public safety standards, which have contributed to increased property values. As a community leader, I have also taught at a local juvenile detention center and served the future leaders of our state as an instructor at the University of Maryland, College Park.
In the County Council, I helped
Increase county revenues from $3.3 billion to $4.6 billion
Enacted historic legislation to revamp our zoning ordinance through a 7 year effort culminating in a countywide map amendment
Sponsored legislation to establish a Language Access program and a Universal Representation program for immigrants in deportation proceedings, the latter was the first of its kind in the region
Launched a primary care for all program campaign countywide
Passed a sanctuary county policy for all immigrants to feel welcomed here
Passed legislation to transform our interaction with the gang database and document how we will handle police body camera footage
If you share my vision that you deserve better public schools, safer, cleaner streets and increased sustainable economic development, I humbly ask for your continued support.