2025 DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARDEES 87TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING
#KLAVE2025
Kesha Hodge Washington, Esq. Councilwoman, Phoenix AZ T he Honorbale Kesha Hodge Washington, Esq. was sworn in as
environments, before moving into private practice. Within months of joining Council, she stepped up to co-chair the general obligation bond outreach
District 8 Councilwoman on April 17, 2023, she is the first African American woman to be elected to the Phoenix City Council. Councilwoman Hodge Washington serves on the Audit Committee, the Economic Development and Housing and Transpor- tation Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittees, and her top priorities in the district are homelessness, affordable and attainable housing, and economic development. Councilwoman Hodge Washington is a first-gener- ation college graduate who earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of the Virgin Islands and her law degree from Arizona State University College of Law. After graduating from law school, she clerked at the Arizona Court of Appeals and served as Assistant Attorney General working to protect children in phys- ically and sexually abusive
campaign and worked diligently to ensure its
“HODGE WASHINGTON REMAINS A VOCAL ADVOCATE FOR HOUSING PROTECTION ...”
successful passage, becom- ing the first bond package passed in over twenty years. With her leadership, the bond received overwhelming support to secure $500M investment for various city projects ranging from public safety and infrastructure/ new and renovated facilities to economic development and sustainability measures. Hodge Washington remains a vocal advocate for housing protection and combatting the devasting, long-lasting impacts that flow from an eviction and homelessness. Among other measures, she leads in calling for protective initiatives, such as right to counsel programs, that bring balance and fairness to the eviction process. Councilwoman Hodge
Washington also values inclusivity and transparency in all aspects of government. She ensured those principles were extended to the City’s Civilian Review Board and successfully championed for the inclusion of ethical standards and procedural safeguards to ensure equal access of information, further fostering a more accountable and just system. She is a professional problem solver, lawyer, consensus builder, and passionate leader com- mitted to the constructive development of our
community. With over 20 years of experience in law firms, government prac- tice, and in-house settings has given Councilwoman Hodge Washington valuable insight on how to effectively achieve results. Among her community service, she helps to raise scholarship money for high school and college students, mentors young women, and provides free legal services to those in need. She is also active with several organizations including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Ameri- can Bar Association. ♦
SPRING 2025 ♦ THE JOURNAL 35
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