One of the joys of working as an ANC Commissioner is meeting other committed, interesting neighbors — including fellow Commissioners. Roric McCorristin joined the ANC in 2023, same as me, representing northern Cleveland Park. I didn’t know him at the time, but we’ve become friends in the last two years.
Roric didn’t run for re-election, so he’ll be rotating off the ANC in January. I thought it would be interesting to do an “exit interview.”
Professionally, Roric has worked in international education to enhance access and representation for underrepresented groups. He also worked in Brussels for Members of the European Parliament. He founded the ANC 3C Environmental Justice Committee. He lives with his wife and 3 year old daughter in Tilden Gardens.
Q1: What was the best thing about being an ANC Commissioner? What was the worst?
A1: Getting to know more people in the neighborhood was the best part. I enjoyed meeting more of the community and hearing people’s ideas for Cleveland Park. I learned a lot about why people like living here.
The worst part was the time demands. I prioritized establishing boundaries around my parenting duties and family time, which I am proud of, but I feel like I missed out on some things. There were interesting committee meetings that I didn’t attend and I wasn’t immediately responsive to all emails. My constituents were very understanding about balancing parenting and my ANC duties, which I appreciate. And ANC 3C deserves a lot of credit for transparency and access — our committee meetings are recorded for YouTube and we keep each other updated with committee reports during our monthly meetings. So I didn’t feel uninformed. But you miss out. The role of Commissioner is an honor and a privilege, and I wish I could have dug in more.
Q2: Why did you run in the first place?
A2: I started noticing every cracked sidewalk and dangerous crosswalk after becoming a parent, when I started pushing a stroller around. I became interested in how these things are addressed and wanted to help new parents be represented in that process. When the future of the Cleveland Park Promenade was being decided, the parents of little kids who I talked to were thrilled by the idea of keeping the strip open and having a little more space and safety when running errands. There was this big disconnect between what my neighbors were saying and needing, and what I had read about previously on places like the local listserv.
Q3: Why are you retiring after only one term in office? The neighborhood needs you!
A3: My family needs a bigger living space sooner rather than later and, unfortunately, it became clear very quickly that it wouldn’t be feasible to stay in my single-member district. So I decided not to run for a second term. It’s frustrating. It’s a policy failure when families can’t stay in Cleveland Park, or any neighborhood for that matter, because of housing prices. We need to build more housing so that people can stay here, move here, live here. It’s vital for growing community. But people oppose even the idea of it because they fear it will bring their own property values down. That’s selfish and antithetical to growing community.
Q4: What’s your proudest accomplishment as a Commissioner?
A4: I am proud that I set up the Environmental Justice Committee. We had some very good meetings with representatives from the District agencies who explained city services to us in detail to make residents better informed. I would like to thank Laura Moore and Madeleine Gauthier, our community members on the committee, for getting involved and helping to establish this platform. They brought more ideas to the table — specifically, the table at Dolan where we brainstormed over coffee — than we could act on. I hope ANC 3C will continue the committee’s work in the new term.
Q5: How do we make Cleveland Park a better place?
A5: By checking our privilege. We live in a section of D.C. that has a history of exclusivity rooted in racism and classism. We can and should acknowledge that and work to prioritize inclusivity in the decisions we are making in the present moment. Even starting there changes things for the better.
Q6: Rapid fire:
- Best breakfast in Cleveland Park?
The Mayor sandwich and a large hot coffee at Cracked Eggery. Best enjoyed in a window seat!
- Best playground?
Forest Hills. We walk up Connecticut Ave. to get there. Doing it by bike would be ideal, but it’s not safe.
- Underrated/secret thing?
The book sale cart at the Cleveland Park Library! I love signed books and it’s astonishing what people get rid of.
- Thing that confuses you?
The idea that Connecticut Ave. exists for car commuters from Maryland. It’s our neighborhood street! We should be making it as safe and pleasant as possible for the District residents who call it home.
- Best German word that doesn’t have an English equivalent?
The word “doch” is helpful for pointing out when somebody is wrong. IYKYK!
ENDS//
