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MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
January 8, 2025
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania A venue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code§ 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 3043 of the Fatality Review Committee
Amendment Act of 2018, effective October 30, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-168; D.C. Official Code § 5-
1431.02), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Ms. Portia Fimhaber
Tuckerman Street, NW
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward 4)
for appointment as a community member who is not a District government employee member of the
Violence Fatality Review Committee, filling a vacant seat formerly held by Deborah Evans-Bailey, for
the remainder of an unexpired term to end October 12, 2026.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the
Council's earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do
not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor's Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Mayor
1
2 airman Phil Mendelson
3 at the request of the Mayor
4
5
6 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
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8
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10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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15 To confirm the appointment of Portia Firnhaber to the Violence Fatality Review Committee.
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17 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
18 resolution may be cited as the "Violence Fatality Review Committee Portia Firnhaber
19 Confirmation Resolution of 2025".
20 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
21
22 Portia Firnhaber
23 Tuckerman Street, NW
24 Washington, DC 20011
25 (Ward 4)
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27 as a community member who is not a District government employee member of the Violence
28 Fatality Review Committee, established by section 3042 of the Fatality Review Committee
29 Amendment Act of 2018, effective October 30, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-168; D.C. Official Code§ 5-
30 1431.01 ), filling a vacant seat formerly held by Deborah Evans-Bailey, for the remainder of an
31 unexpired term to end October 12, 2026.
32 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
33 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
34 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
PortiaFirnhaber
EducationMasterofScienceHomelandSecurityandEmergencyManagement October2020PurdueGlobalUniversity Indianapolis,Indiana
BachelorinSocialWork May2017IndianaUniversitySouthBend SouthBend,Indiana
Experience/CareerHistoryCommunityandHospitalResponseAdvocate February2023-presentNetworkforVietimRecoveryofDC WashingtonDC WashingtonDC© RespondtocrisiscallsintheDCmetrocommunityandhospital© Supportvictims/survivorswhohaveexperiencedandwitnessedacrime© Providethenecessaryresourcesandservicereferrals(legalandmentalhealth)© Personaladvocacyandemotionalsupportwhileassistingvictimsthroughthecriminal{justiceprocess© Collaborationwithlawenforcement,CrimeVictimCompensation,andotherorganizationsthatprovideresourcestovictimsofsexualassault,homicide,intimatepartnerviolence,eteAttendingextendedlearningtrainingspecifictovictimadvocacyandsupport.(SAVRAA)VictimAdvocate August2021-February2023
LaPorteCountyProsecutingAttomey’sOffice LaPorte,Indiana© Supportandempowervictimswhohaveexperiencedandwitnessedacrime(allcrimes,notlimitedtosexualassault,domesticviolence,humantrafficking,kidnapping,homicide,etc.)Identifyandassessneedstoprovidethenecessaryresourcesandservicestothevictim.© Personaladvocacyandemotionalsupportwhileassistingvictimsthroughthecriminaljusticeprocess
Assisttheprosecutorswithupcomingtrialsandcourthearingsbyupdatingandcontactingvictimstokeeptheminformed.© Assistingwithnocontactorder,civilprotectionorders,andvictimimpactstatement© Utilizevarioustechniquestypicalofsexualassault,domesticviolence,andhumantraffickingprograms(crisisintervention,situationalassessment,andanalyzingtheneedsofthevictimtoprovidesupportandproblemorconflictresolution)© Utilizingtrauma-informedcare-basedpracticestoworkwithsexualassaultandallcrimesurvivors© Collaboratewithotheragenciessuchaslawenforcement,theDepartmentofChildServices,courts,non-profitorganizationsforsexualassaultanddomesticbattery,IndianaViolentCrime‘CompensationFund,ChildAdvocacyCenter,etc.© Comprehensiveknowledgeofstate,local,andfederalpoliciesandregulationsregardingsexualassaultandvictimadvocacy.AttendChildandFamilyTeamMeetingsfacilitatedbyDCSandattendingChildProtectiveTeamMeetings.
© VictimofaCrimeActgrantprogram© 48hrimmediateresponsefordomesticViolence
FamilyCaseManager2(Investigator) August2017-August2021
IndianaDepartmentofChildServices
● Conduct investigations regarding allegations of abuse, neglect, abandonment, and special
conditions for children (additionally and not limited to child sexual abuse, domestic violence,
human trafficking, etc)
● Collect information through observation and completing 360 interviews with the children,
parents, and other parties involved.
● Assesses danger threats, child vulnerabilities, and caregiver protective capacities to determine
whether a child is safe or not safe
● Provide families with services to agency and community resources
● Facilitate Permanency Round Table Meetings and Child and Family Team Meetings - developing
goals and action steps to establish permanency
● Participate in Multi-disciplinary teams and Child Protective Team
● Maintains thorough documentation in the client records/appropriate information system(s) and
maintains organized client files
● Creating necessary court documents and orders/motions and court testimony.
● Mentored new interns and trained new employees through shadowing, documentation training,
and meeting facilitation.
● Special Project- Value stream analysis team to develop/implement workshops and projects
specific to have streamlined processes to ensure consistent information sharing across the state,
policy changes, and innovative steps for hotline and investigation roles.
Social Work Program Internship August 2016-May 2017
Indiana Department of Child Services Michigan City, Indiana 46360
● Acquiring the skills and ethical competencies of social work regarding families and children.
● Understanding case management systems and CANS assessment
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:
· Social Work andCriminal Justice Graduate with over seven years experience as a family case manager
and victim advocate
· Strong foundation in critical thinking, decision-making, communication skills, and knowledge relevant
to supporting emergency, trauma, and crisis
· Ability to exercise good judgment and discretion in handling confidential materials and matters
following company policies and procedures at all times
· Thrive under pressure and in a fast-paced environment
· Skilled in identifying an area of need and offering support to ensure smooth operation and projects
· Proficient in MS Suite (Excel, Powerpoint, Word, & Outlook)
· Analytical and research skills to develop and implement the emergency operations plan for safety and
quality response
. Proficient at collaborating with multiple teams and stakeholders during investigations, projects, and
meetings.
. Training new employees on documentation, interviewing, and facilitation.
. Understands and knows grant proposal writing, funding needs, and progress reporting.
. Participated in extended learning training about interviewing, investigations, trauma-informed care,
organizational trauma-informed, marginalized community work, social work, FEMA, etc.
· Excellent interpersonal skills include the ability to interact with all disciplines and represent the
organization at board meetings and industry events
Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
Portia Firnhaber
Ms. Portia Firnhaber has consistently pursued opportunities to deepen
her understanding and expertise in addressing the needs of vulnerable
populations. From 2017 to 2019, She worked at the Indiana
Department of Child Services (DCS) having experienced both
permanency and investigations roles.
During Ms. Firnhaber’s time at DCS, she was a child and family team
facilitator and trainer and facilitated a Permanency Round Table for
two years to establish goals for halted cases . She was also a part of a
department project (Value Stream Analysis) where she worked with a
team to create innovative plans in changing the hotline and
investigative process across the state. In 2021, Ms. Firnhaber moved
into Victim Advocacy, starting at the local county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office working as a
victim advocate.
This role empowered Ms. Firnhaber to empower her clients and their communities, including
educating them on safety and the criminal legal system. Working as a victim advocate, she honed
her skills in research and analysis, program reporting, and grant writing.
In 2023, Ms. Firnhaber started working at the Network for Victim Recovery of DC on the ir
Advocacy team and, in January 2024, she started a blog to better share information and her
thoughts on child welfare, trauma, and victimizations based on her personal and professional
experiences and research.
A Ward 4 resident, Ms. Firnhaber earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Indiana
University South Bend and her Master of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency
Management from Purdue Global University.
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: January 3, 2025
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution appointing Portia Firnhaber as a member
of the Violence Fatality Review Committee
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced Order and found
it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate
to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-727-
0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish