Historic Mount Pleasant will hold its annual membership meeting from 2:00 pm until 3:30 pm on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in the Large Meeting room of the Mount Pleasant Library, 16th and Lamont Streets NW. Neighbors and others interested in renewing their membership or joining for the first time are invited to do so at the Annual Meeting, or in advance on our website.
The meeting will review the organization’s recent activities and discuss plans and the results of the election of board members for the coming year. Ballots will be sent to members with this announcement. Annual reports for 2023 and 2022 are available on our website. They describe the decisions of the Historic Preservation Review Board affecting our historic district and other activities over the past two years.
The keynote speaker this year will be local historian Mara Cherkasky, the author of “Village in the City:
Mount Pleasant Heritage Trail,” among other publications. Ms. Cherkasky will be updating us on her ongoing project, “Mapping Segregation in Washington, DC,” and other aspects of Mount Pleasant history.
In accordance with our Bylaws, the proposed slate for the 2024 Board of Directors is attached, as well as a ballot that may be returned by email or regular mail. Ballots must arrive by April 11 to be counted.
We welcome volunteers for service on our Board of Directors and/or Design Review Committee as well as suggestions for activities of interest, at any time. Please consider joining us. We would all benefit from a Board that reflects the community at large as it changes over time.
We look forward to seeing you at the April 13 Annual Meeting to learn more about the history of one of DC and Mount Pleasant and to lend your voice to a discussion of issues affecting our neighborhood.
Proposed 2024 Board of Directors
Jonathan Herz, President
Jonathan has lived on Lamont Street since 1999 and has been on the HMP Design Review Committee since 2000 and the Board since 2012. He served as Vice President from 2015 until 2022 when he became President. Jonathan is an architect, retired from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is now a Senior Policy Fellow at a DC non-profit, promoting sustainability in the built environment.
Kevin Lorei, Vice President and Chairman of Design Review
Kevin has lived in Mount Pleasant since 1998, first on Newton Street and now 18 years on 19th Street. An architect in private practice with experience in both residential and commercial design, he has served on the Design Review Committee since 2019.
Carl Smith, Secretary
Carl has lived on 19th Street since 1987 and enjoys DIY projects, exercise, theatre and raising orchids. He joined the Board in 2014 and has served as Secretary since 2015.Carl is retired from the Defense Information Systems Agency and serves on the Board of Directors for Pernix Group.
Peter A. Moore, Treasurer
Peter moved to Washington DC in 2015 and after a brief hiatus in California moved to Irving Street in 2020. He joined the board in late 2022, as the treasurer. Peter and his wife are both Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (Ukraine 2011-2013) and have been active in DC international groups. Peter is currently a software engineering manager for a technology company focused on local, state, and federal
government projects. You can often find Peter and his wife walking their two dogs around the neighborhood.
Robert Frazier
A native Washingtonian, Robert has lived on Park Road since 1987 and managed the Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market since 2013. He serves on the Friends of the Mount Pleasant Library Board and the District Bridges’ Columbia Heights/Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Strategy Council. He moderates the
Mount Pleasant DC Yahoo Group and has a day job in public radio and global broadcast journalism.
Jesse Hokeness
Jesse moved to DC in 2010 and, after several apartments in Mount Pleasant, settled into a house on Harvard Street. He has spent most of his career in the corporate world but also volunteered with nonprofit boards and youth mentorship in DC.
Sohael Chowfla
Sohael has lived on Lamont St since 2019. He is a licensed architect in DC. He regularly works with historic structures in DC and places tremendous value on maintaining the history of place and the integrity of historic structures. While he is keenly interested in keeping the character of our streets and community intact, he also understands that people need to continue to inhabit and make modifications to their homes as their lives evolve.