Malcolm Yates is originally from West Philadelphia, but grew up in Southwest Philadelphia around 59th and Springfield. He moved out of Southwest around 2007 and into Delaware County where he lived for awhile and got engaged in politics.
Malcom’s current job has him working for U.S. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon where he does District Outreach as the Community Affairs Director. Ms. Scanlon was sworn into office on January 3, 2019 and so many southwest residents might not know who she is or what she does. She serves as the Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and is also a member of the House Rules Committee and the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.
Working for the Congresswoman, Malcolm’s responsibilities are to build rapport, establish relationships, and in general connect with the entire 5th Congressional District. The 5th Congressional District includes Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, the entire Delaware County, Southwest Philly and South Philly. Because Ms. Scanlon spends most of her time in Washington, D.C., Malcolm will be the primary point of contact for residents within this district.
“Mary Gay Scanlon is a passionate and visible person, which is why I took the job,” Malcolm stated in an interview with the Globe Times.
Malcolm’s job is to make sure their office connects with the “who’s who” and “what’s what” so that community resources can be created that will have a good impact on the district and the city itself. Their goal is to build up the relationships and create meaningful programs that will benefit each constituent throughout the district.
“We don’t want to re-create programs that may not be tailor-made for this region or Southwest,” Malcolm said. To help prevent this, Malcolm plans to partner up with State Representative McClinton and Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, as well as any other elected officials in Southwest so that together they can identify new programs and get them the funding that they will need in order to be successful.
“We have to build trust and relationships before we can put out programs,” Malcolm went on to say. To build that trust, Malcolm wants to show the residents of Southwest the work that’s been done as well as the work they can do. He also aims to be present within the Southwest community by establishing satellite offices in various locations, so that residents can put familiar faces with the places.
Even with the large area that they will be overseeing, Malcolm still encourages residents not to hesitate to contact either himself or Congresswoman Scanlon directly. To reach Malcolm at the East Lansdowne Office residents can call 610-626-2020. If residents would like to contact Ms. Scanlon directly, they can call the Washington office at 202-225-2011.
