W. Wilson Goode, Jr.

  Last year, I purchased the domain name “goodeadvises.com” with the thought that I might launch a website by the end of 2020.   I was anticipating my professional transition from local government as I reached my City retirement age of 55. I made the transition from legislator to public policy advisor almost 5 years ago – and I have found it to be a good fit as part of my evolution. It is an evolution that began, in earnest, during my last term in legislative office. Within weeks after winning my last general election in 2011, I travelled to New York City to be the keynote speaker for a national convening on municipal responsible banking ordinances. There I shared my experiences with other legislators and policymakers related to fair lending and community reinvestment laws on the local level.   I received a National Achievement Award for that work in 2006. As a result of that New York gathering, I would become a Founding Board Member of Local Progress – a national municipal policy

I launched this blog on my 55 th birthday two months ago, the same day I gave notice of my retirement from City government. I became employed by Philadelphia City Council at age 34, after winning election as its youngest member. I have spent the prime years of my professional life there and I am grateful for that. To have the opportunity to create and impact municipal legislation in a major city for over two decades has been a blessing. I have helped to create more jobs, better wages and benefits, substantial investment in neighborhood economic development, fairer contracting and lending – and even fairer elections through campaign contribution limits, just to name a few things that I have accomplished over those years. I am proud of all of that, but that is also why I am leaving. City government can do good things when political leaders choose to lead, but great impact can also be made in civil society from further building the capacity of nongovernmental organizations to lead on