Feld Kicks Off Council Campaign in Old Town

Alexandria City Council candidate Melissa Feld (D) said she is committed to listening to the voices of citizens during her campaign kickoff Saturday at in Old Town.

The newcomer to city politics highlighted her career working on Capitol Hill and her experiences as a mom in Alexandria. The Canada native and mother of two Alexandria City Public Schools students said she has been listening to parents all over the city, “at the dog park and on the sidelines at soccer games.”

“My career is based on listening and acting,” said Feld, who has worked for U.S. Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) and former Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt. “I have managed office budgets and had to adhere to the laws of the federal government and was subject to public scrutiny.”

Feld is currently a principal with Power Based Associates, an organization specializing in research and corporate intelligence for various organizations and companies. 

She said she picked Hooray for Books as the venue for her kickoff because it’s a “creative” and “independent” business that is representative of the city as a whole.

She said she would like to better educate entrepreneurs about the permitting process in the city and streamline that process by minimizing red tape so new businesses can hit the ground running.

She also identified transportation as a key focus of her campaign. She said she’d like to see smart, safe development built around transit centers like Metro stations.

“I think it’s time for bike lanes,” Feld told Patch. “Our kids should be able to bike to school.”

Marjorie Conner, who met Feld after their children hit it off at , introduced the candidate on Saturday night. Conner said she felt her friend would make “a fabulous” member of council.

Conner said her friend’s commitment to service was evident when Feld and her husband, Gary, drove first-responders and nurses to work in the middle of record snowfalls a few years ago.

“[The Felds] got them to their shifts because, where they’re from, they know how to drive in the snow,” Conner said.

Feld is one of 14 Democrats running for council. Six nominees will be chosen during a primary scheduled for June 12.

For more Patch coverage of the 2012 Election, "like" Del Ray Patch and Old Town Alexandria Patch on Facebook and follow @delraypatch and @alexandriapatch on Twitter.