Brianne K. Nadeau

Brianne K. Nadeau was first elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in November 2014, by the people of Ward 1. As Councilmember, Brianne is committed to increasing affordable housing and public safety, strengthening our schools and supporting small businesses. She is the chairperson of the Committee on Public Works and Operations. She also serves on the committees on Health; Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs; and Facilities and Family Services. 

For six years, she served as chair of the Committee on Human Services, making historic investments to end homelessness, expanding cash assistance to DC residents, enhancing rights and services for people with disabilities and investing in our direct services workforce. She has also served on the committees on Business and Consumer Regulatory Affairs and Government Operations. In 2016 she served as chair of the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs. 

Brianne is a community activist at heart andengages Ward 1 residents and businesses through civic organizations, volunteer opportunities in neighborhoods and schools, and through regular dialogue as part of her Brianne on Your Block events and telephone town halls, as well as through social media and her e-newsletter.

Brianne began her work in Ward 1 as a member of the Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association helping facilitate the neighborhood cleanup and bringing the voices of her neighbors into the discussion about local issues. Elected to ANC1B in 2006, she served 2 terms and built a reputation for supporting small businesses, fostering cooperation between residents and business owners, fighting for the abatement of abandoned properties, advocating for pedestrian safety, and ensuring community concerns were taken seriously by developers.

Brianne began her career at Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, where she trained student leaders and activists. She went on to serve as the press secretary and scheduler for Congressman John P. Sarbanes (D-Md.). Prior to serving on the Council, Brianne was Vice President at Rabinowitz Communications providing strategic counsel to faith-based, Democratic and environmental non-profit organizations, and served as a board member of Jews United for Justice.

Brianne earned an M.A. in Public Policy from American University where she concentrated her studies in the Women & Politics Institute. She earned a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College. While at Boston College, she worked to improve the local community with involvement in the Latinas y Niños Center, a treatment program for mothers recovering from addiction, and participated in service missions to the Appalachia region, El Salvador, and Ukraine. She also studied in the Philippines and Italy.

As a member of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Brianne has served as Chairperson of the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee, the Human Services and Public Safety Policy Committee, and the Region Forward Coalition. She advanced both the Regional Compact to End Homelessness and regional cooperation around immigrants arriving from Texas and Arizona.She also represents the District on the Local Government Advisory Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Council and serves on three committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Health and Human Services Committee, theLaw, Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, and the Redistricting and Elections Committee.

Brianne grew up in Michigan, the oldest of three daughters, in a family with a deep commitment to civic and political activism. Having gone to public school from K-12, Brianne has focused much of her attention on improving the District’s public schools. She was a Girl Scout for 13 years, earning the Scout’s highest honor, the Gold Award. Brianne lives in Park View with her husband Jayson and daughters Zoe and Madeline. Brianne and her family frequent the Temple Micah Storefront Project Shabbat services.

Compress biography