Janeese Lewis George
Ward 4 DC Councilmember
Janeese is honored to serve as the DC Councilmember for Ward 4. She is a third generation Washingtonian, a native of Ward 4, and a proud graduate of DC Public Schools. She grew up in a working-class family that instilled in her the importance of hard work, education, and public service. After graduating college, Janeese completed a year of service providing critical academic support to underserved students with City Year. She then earned her Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law and went on to work for Philadelphia’s first African-American District Attorney. She returned to the District to work for DC Attorney General Karl Racine as the Assistant Attorney General in the Juvenile Section of the Public Safety Division. Janeese and her husband Kyle reside in Manor Park with their puppy Sully. Janeese loves spending time with her family, reading, and mentoring.
Candace Tiana Nelson
Chief of Staff
Contact for: General inquiries, Council and Ward issues, and legislation.
Candace Tiana Nelson serves as the Chief of Staff for Councilmember Janeese Lewis George. She manages the day‑to‑day operations of the office, the staff, and Stakeholder Relations. Ms. Nelson has been a public servant for many years, serving in leadership roles pertaining to community outreach, legislation, operations, policy, and performance management responsibilities at the Department of Small and Local Business Development, the Executive Office of the Mayor, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Employment Services, and the Department of Health Care Finance. Her performance and project management expertise led to details at both the Workforce Investment Council and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity. Additionally, she was appointed and served as the Transition Director and Chief of Staff for the District of Columbia’s 2022 Attorney General Transition, shepherding out the Racine Administration while ushering in the Schwalb Administration and submitting a 233‑page Transition Memo with an 88‑page appendix.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a graduate of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School’s Peace and Conflict Resolution – Policy of Decision‑Making Fellowship at George Mason University.
Emily Cassometus
Senior Counsel
ETatro@dccouncil.gov • 202-322-6894
Contact for: Legislative issues and questions
Emily serves as Senior Counsel for Councilmember Lewis George, advising on community safety and other policy matters. Before joining the office, she worked in government affairs and policy advocacy, as a disability and criminal rights attorney, and taught pre-school. Emily earned her JD from Georgetown Law and has lived in DC since 2011. Emily has a long list of books on hold at DC Public Library and loves heading to Audi Field to cheer on the Washington Spirit.
Sebastian Weinmann
Deputy Committee Director/Interim Committee Director
sweinmann@dccouncil.gov • 202-812-4994
Contact for issues regarding the Committee on Facilities and Family Services, education, and health.
Sebastian serves as the Deputy Committee Director of the Committee on Facilities and Family Services. His portfolio includes issues related to facilities, child welfare and foster care, disability rights and services, education, and health. He joined the Committee in February 2023 as a William Cranch Fellow and then served as a Legislative Assistant. Previously, he served as a Law Clerk on the U.S. Senate HELP Committee. He holds a B.A. in political science and international affairs and a J.D.
Barbara Rogers
Community Engagement Director
brogers@dccouncil.gov • 202-288-9820
Contact for: Constituent services requests and community engagement.
Barbara Rogers serves as Community Engagement Director for Councilmember Lewis George. Barbara is a DC Native born and raised in the Shaw neighborhood, and she now resides in the Lamond-Riggs community. Barbara has a bachelor degree in Science of Accounting and over 25 years of tax preparation and accounting experience. She also has in-depth expertise communicating with federal and state agencies. Additionally, Barbara brings years of community experience as a former 2-term ANC Commissioner for 4B08 and having served as President of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (2015-2018; 2021-2023). Being the president and an executive board member of LRCA has allowed her the opportunity to plan and organize many community events. Barbara loves her community and being of service to others. She has a special place in her heart for seniors. In her free time, Barbara enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Oscar Montiel
Constituent Services Director
OMontiel@dccouncil.gov • 202-531-8320
Contact for constituent services requests.
Oscar serves as Constituent Services Director for Councilmember Lewis George. Oscar is a proud DC Native who has resided in Ward 4 for nearly three decades. He has more than eight years of experience working for the DC Council — most recently as Constituent Services Director for Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau and before that as Legislative Aide to At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds’ Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization. Oscar has a deep passion for DC’s history and loves spending his free time with his daughters and family.
James Lewis
Constituent Services Coordinator
JLewis@dccouncil.gov • 202-286-6311
Contact for constituent services requests.
Jim serves as a Constituent Services Coordinator for Councilmember Lewis George. Jim has a background in legislative, organizing, and constituent services work over the past six years in DC and in the Pennsylvania State House. He has lived and studied in DC since 2012 (a Catholic University Cardinal) and loves the District, its people, history, and culture — especially its food! He enjoys hiking in Rock Creek & Ft. Totten Park, discovering new restaurants and local bars, especially Andrene’s and Lyman’s, and growing tomatoes in his home garden. Jim is originally from Norristown, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. He now lives with his wife and their cat, Sophia, in Riggs Park.
Ben Rosenfeld
Communications Director
brosenfeld@dccouncil.gov • 202-286-5268
Contact for press inquiries
Ben Rosenfeld serves as the Communications Director for Councilmember Lewis George. Prior to joining the team, Ben worked on the U.S. Senate campaign of Congressman Adam Schiff and on MSNBC’s Velshi and Alex Witt Reports. He has also worked as a community organizer for Michigan Liberation in Macomb County, Michigan, working on criminal justice reform and harm reduction issues. Ben graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Public Policy and is a die-hard Wolverines sports fan. In his free time, Ben loves spending time outdoors and trying new food around D.C.
