Racial and Social Equity Committee (RASEC)
The Racial and Social Equity Committee (RASEC) was formed in 2020 to provide opportunities to build awareness, engage in mutual learning, and recommend actions that will foster a thriving, inclusive, and diverse community.
If you would like to join or learn more, call one of the contacts or send an email to [email protected].
The goals of the Committee are to:
- Learn and share knowledge about the history of racial injustice as it relates to Washington Grove and other communities,
- Examine policies and practices (including those that are seemingly neutral) to determine whether they are contributing to racial inequity and promoting inclusivity,
- Build relationships and make amends with neighboring communities, and
- Collaborate with other town commissions and committees to realize the above goals.
To accomplish its work, the committee has established a Leadership Team and set up the following subcommittees and workgroups:
- Town Inclusivity Subcommittee
- Research and Education Subcommittee
- Communications Subcommittee
- Neighboring Communities Subcommittee
- Emory Grove/Washington Grove Workgroup
- Workgroup on Removing Racially Restrictive Covenants
- Equity and Inclusion Survey Workgroup
- Town Anti-Racist Statement Workgroup
- Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Workgroup
Committee Documents
- All agendas and minutes are located at https://bit.ly/RASECDocs
- Procedural Guidelines (PDF)
- Emory Grove and Washington Grove Self-Guided Historical Walking Tour (PDF)
- Examples of Acknowledgements and Apologies for Past Racism:
- Presentation for 2023 Annual Town Meeting (PDF)

Contacts
Leadership Team Contacts
Paula Puglisi: 301-963-8555
Betsy Klinger: 301-325-1956
Via committee email: [email protected]
Committee News
The latest news from the Committee is described in the RASEC section of the most recent monthly Town Bulletin.
Fall 2022 Presentations on Accessory Dwelling Units
- Recording of September 22, 2022 presentation from Kol Peterson (Passcode: Myw5.J=R), nationally-known ADU advocate, author of “Backdoor Revolution: The Definitive Guide to ADU Development,” and founder of the world’s first tiny-house hotel.
- Recording of October 26, 2022 presentation from Lisa Govoni, a housing planner with the Montgomery County Planning Department, and Ehsan Motazedi, Deputy Director of the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (Passcode: 9^fU95nR), about the county’s ADU program and its goals.
- Slides from December 1, 2022 presentation from Nick Patten, an attorney who practices housing law in DC (PDF), about research regarding ADUs, diversity, and social equity.