Wilmington City Council Recommends Albert Mills for Vacant At-Large Council Seat
Friday, February 25, 2022
Wilmington City Council Recommends Albert Mills for Vacant At-Large Council Seat
The Committee of the Whole will propose the resolution for a vote by the full body of council on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
WILMINGTON – Albert Mills, a native of Wilmington and lifelong resident of the City who lives in the first councilmanic district, is Wilmington City Council’s recommendation for the At-Large vacant seat. The position had been filled by former Council Member At-Large Rysheema Dixon, who resigned on January 7, 2022.
Pursuant to the City Charter, the current City Council was tasked with filling the vacancy and started accepting letters of interest and resumes from residents interested in filling the vacancy.
On February 7, 2022, the application period closed and nineteen (19) candidates qualified to fill the seat as verified by the Department of Elections.
The Committee of the Whole of Wilmington City Council reviewed letters of interest and resumes from each qualified candidate and on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, and Thursday, February 24, 2022, public interviews took place to review the credentials of each applicant, which can be seen here and here.
Out of the 19 qualified candidates, only 18 candidates participated in the public interviews. Qualified candidate Monica P. Alvarez withdrew from the process on February 23, 2022. Each qualified candidate was provided with a list of potential interview questions prior to their interview date.
The recommendation of Mr. Mills to fill the vacancy for the At-Large seat will be presented by a resolution for a vote by the full body of council on March 3, 2022.
If the resolution fails to be approved, the Committee of the Whole will reconvene and propose by resolution another recommendation of a person who it previously interviewed to fill the vacancy for a majority vote by the full body of council. The committee of the whole will repeat this procedure until the vacancy is filled.
If the proposed resolution passes on March 3rd, a swearing-in and oath of office will take place at that meeting.
Mills is a formal Corporal and squad leader with the United States Army and a social worker and therapist who works with youth. Mills was previously employed with Kingswood Community Center, Inc. for over seventeen years where he supported probationary and community services programs. He currently serves as Program Coordinator for Youth Advocate Program Inc, Lead Therapist at Your Center, and Truancy Program Specialist at Art for Life Delaware.
Mills is also widely known for his role with his twin brother State Representative Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha as The Twin Poets, where he and State Representative Chukwuocha have inspired hundreds of children struggling every day with crime, prejudice, violence, and lack of opportunity to strive for their potential by making a difference themselves. Former Governor Jack Markell appointed the Twin Poets as 17th Poets Laureate of the State of Delaware on December 13, 2015.
For more information on the process of filling the vacancy, visit the Wilmington City Council website here.