Zachary Parker | |
|---|---|
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| Member for the Council of the District of Columbia from Ward 5 | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Kenyan McDuffie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chicago,Illinois,U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Northwestern University (BA) Columbia University (MEd) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Zachary Parker is an educator and American politician,currently serving as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia,representing Ward 5 since January 2023. [1]
Parker was born in Chicago. [2] He received a BS in Speech and Language Pathology from Northwestern University and a MA in Education Policy and Leadership from Columbia University. [2]
Parker worked as a math teacher with Teach for America and won his first election to the State Board of Education Ward 5 seat in 2018. [2] In 2021,Parker served as president of the State Board of Education. [2]
Parker was elected to the Council of the District of Columbia during the 2022 election cycle,besting a field of six other candidates which included former councilman Vincent Orange. [3] Parker eventually succeeded Kenyan McDuffie,who was elected to the At-Large council seat. [4] In 2025 Parker was assigned to serve as the Chair of the Committee on Youth Affairs. [5]
Since taking office,Parker has hosted the annual Ward 5 Day,a community festival celebrating local residents and businesses. The 2025 event at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center featured live music,local food vendors,historical exhibits,and resource tables from community organizations. The celebration also included a "Walk Thru Ward 5" history display,youth entrepreneur fair,and pet adoptions in partnership with Brandywine Valley SPCA,with support from DPR,MedStar Health,and Casey Trees. [6]
In 2022,Parker publicly came out as gay in a video statement posted to Twitter,stating his family and community already knew and that he wanted to share his identity publicly. [7]
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