(L to R) West End Committee Chair Linda Leduc, APAH VP Carmen Romero, ECDC President Dr. Tsehaye Teferra, VA 8th District Congressman Don Beyer, CPRO Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy, CPRO President John Snyder, CPRO Board Member Michael Garcia, CPRO Board Member Amanda Fischer, CPRO Assistant Director for Administration and Operations Amy McWilliams, CPRO Events and Social Media Manager Stephen Gregory Smith.

Congressman Don Beyer (R-Va) paid a visit to the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) office on Monday, February 12. The visit was for him to hear the concerns and issues of Pike residents and businesses as they face the future.

Accompanied by his District Director Noah Simon and Immigration Case Worker Fiona Flory, the Congressman was welcomed by CPRO Board President John Snyder and Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy, as well as CPRO Board members Carmen Romero, Mike Garcia, Linda LeDuc and Amanda Fischer. ECDC (Ethiopian Community Development Council) President Dr. Tsehaye Teferra, a former long-time CPRO board member, also joined the group.

John Snyder offered information on transportation issues, as well as the Arlington Cemetery expansion and its effect on the Air Force Memorial. Carmen Romero discussed housing issues faced by APAH and other nonprofit housing developers, in addition to the County’s Affordable Housing Master Plan and the need to maintain the Pike’s diversity while revitalizing the corridor.
Dr. Teferra echoed the need to keep focus on the diverse population of the Pike, emphasizing inclusion of all, and support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Snyder presented the Congressman with a gift copy of Living Diversity, the photography Congressman Beyer was given a copy of “Living Diversity”, a collection of work by the Columbia Pike Documentary project, a team of photographers led by Lloyd Wolf, who collaborated to document the essence of Columbia Pike, the place they call home.

At the end of the visit, when asked what Pike citizens could do to help DACA children, Congressman Beyer said ”Keep demonstrating, keep calling your representatives and voicing your opinion. It all adds up. And, whether Democrat or Republican, elect good people.”SaveSave

(L to R) CPRO Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy,  CPRO President John Snyder, West End Committee Chair Linda Leduc, CPRO Board Member Michael Garcia, CPRO Board Member Amanda Fischer, ECDC President Dr. Tsehaye Teferra, APAH VP Carmen Romero,  VA 8th District Congressman Don Beyer, District Director for Congressman Beyer Noah Simon, and Immigration Case Worker Fiona Flory.