GUEST: Chief of Staff Reflections
By: Council Member Isaiah Thomas
Tags: Politics, Leadership, Government, Reflections, Black Women

By Dom Miller

When I think of my first year as Chief of Staff, the phrase “trial by fire” often comes to mind. Even prior to the stay at home order, working in Council felt like being pushed into a pond by a loving uncle whose goal is to teach you how to swim.

But could you believe I wouldn’t have it any other way?

Just two months of being in City Hall full time, I had to transition my entire team and our Council Member to virtual workspaces, when most of us didn’t even have working phones yet. When it first began, just like everyone else, I assumed that we would be home for no more than 2 weeks; the last thing our Freshman member assured us as we all exited the office as a team for the last time.

The beginning of the pandemic was scary. Coupled with the regular fear of just being a person dealing with an global pandemic, I also had the tremendous anxiety of being a person with answers. Just 3 weeks prior, I was happy just to have a health insurance card with my name on it, but then I found myself scouring the internet for easy to order PPE….. It was a lot and it was fast. Not to mention, we quickly began our first budget session, which would also be affected greatly by the pandemic.

BUT, somewhere amongst the chaos, it became just slightly easier. I stopped pulling out my guides to MDO departments and became familiar with the ladies you need to know to get things done. I understood the importance of partnership at all levels and why these task forces keep popping up ( they actually work and actually matter but more on that later). I would never claim to “have this job down pact”, however, it did get to a point where I was no longer scared, and I did find answers.

Before we entered in January, I was terrified about all the worst that could happen, and how I could manage at the helm. But now, those fears disseminated over these months in quarantine because I have been able to see what my team can do and most importantly what I can handle. Before the pandemic, the biggest mistake to me, was walking across the council floor at an inappropriate time or having a typo in an email to all of council (this did happen, and I did survive). But it was through the pandemic that I saw, that those issues were minor and that my main job is to support people the best way I know how. It was about being innovative and thinking outside of the box for issues that, as a native Philadelphian, I have seen all my life and some very new ones illuminated by the pandemic.

With this new found “fearlessness”, Resource Hubbs were created to support young people ages 14 to 21 with after school programs and free space to take online classes. We began coordinating weekly lunch drops for our struggling nursing homes staff throughout the city. And in my opinion, the most important was responding to citizens who felt that the city was not listening to their needs related to COVID-19, by hosting town halls where the members just listened. From this, we created the Arts & CultureTaskforce, the previously mentioned Resource Hubbs, and a great deal of targeted PPE drops off to areas who really needed.

Working with someone like Councilmember Thomas gives me and the team the freedom to grow and think as broadly as we can, however it also comes with a great responsibility because the people we serve expect real results and not just quick fixes. I say that because all that has happened this year has pushed me to that point and beyond. Before the pandemic I was excited for community programs and plotted a gradual course to bigger ideas. Now Uncle COVID pushed me into the deep end, and it was my job to sink or swim.

With next year looming, I feel I have this doggie paddle thing down (okay I’m done with this metaphor), and see what we really can do. I look forward to expanding the Resource Hubbs with the support of other Council Members, public-private partnerships, and more than 3 weeks to plan. I now see that beyond housing, food insecurity is one of the greatest issues our neighbors face and will look to provide and support programs that supply food. Exploring options for food pantries and community gardens opportunities that not only provide food but pathways to healthier lifestyles. We still have many more neighbors to listen to and I look forward to completing the remaining districts with the Disadvantaged Communities Taskforce. And finally, continuing to support the amazing Representative behind the Police Reform Work Group which has implemented meaningful legislation and initiatives to advance police reform.

With so many moving parts, personalities, and traditions established long before my time, I may never “have this job down pact”. But I will continue to learn how to serve my hometown better each day.

Dom Miller is the youngest African American woman to serve as chief of staff for the Philly Councilmember in recent history. Miller’s passion’s include uplifting Black women, feeding the hungry and supporting impoverished families. When the Council day ends, you can find her binging Netflix with a large cup of coffee. When the pandemic is over, Miller looks forward to sending postcards to those she loves from across the world.