Cindy Bass is the Councilwoman-Elect for the 8th District Philadelphia City Council. For the past ten years, she has served as the Senior Policy Advisor on Urban and Domestic Policy to Congressman Chaka Fattah. Prior to joining Congressman Fattah’s staff, Ms. Bass was Special Assistant to then State Senator Allyson Schwartz, who is now a member of Congress as well.
In 2007, Cindy Bass was a candidate for City Council in Philadelphia’s 8th District. She finished second in a crowded field of challengers and, as a candidate received numerous endorsements, including both The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Daily News.
Cindy holds a deep commitment to increasing the role and the number of women and minorities in the political arena. She is a board member of The Philadelphia Chapter of NOW. She is also the former co-chairperson of the National Coalition of Black Women’s National Public Policy Committee, and the former chairperson of the Political Awareness Committee for this organization’s local chapter. Ms. Bass is a member of and/or previously affiliated with the Philadelphia Chapter of the League of Women Voters, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Democrat Women of Philadelphia, The NAACP, The Coalition of Labor Union Women, Metropolitan Career Center and the NARAL Foundation and a former steering committee member for 2000 African American Women PAC.
Cindy is a past president of East Mt. Airy Neighbors (EMAN), one of the oldest community organizations in the nation. EMAN was created to fight racial blockbusting and promote Mt. Airy as a diverse community. Today, Mt. Airy serves as a model for integrated neighborhoods nationwide. She also was the very first employee of Mt. Airy USA, one of the City’s premier community development corporations, where she developed a renowned housing counseling program.
Cindy’s dedication to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through civic activism has not gone unnoticed. The Philadelphia Tribune newspaper in its annual Most Influential Issue named her as one of the “10 People to Watch under 40” in 2004. The Philadelphia Daily News profiled her as an “Up and Coming Talent in Local Politics.” She was also selected by the American Council of Young Political Leaders to visit Brazil and meet with government officials and civic leaders to promote U.S-Brazil relations.
Cindy founded the Turnout Tuesday Coalition, which was made up of over 30 community based nonprofit groups to participate in non-partisan electoral activity in an effort to increase voter turnout and civic engagement among the public. During past presidential elections, The Turnout Tuesday Coalition worked to inform voters of new voting rules, their voting rights and on the importance of participating in the electoral process. Consequently, Pennsylvania has played a pivotal role in the outcome of the last two Presidential elections.
Cindy was elected and served as a committed delegate to Barack Obama in 2008 for the Democratic National Convention. She has served in senior positions for numerous campaigns, including candidates for Governor, U.S. Senate, Mayor and City Council races. She is currently an elected Democratic Committeeperson in the 22nd Ward and previously was a member of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee.
Cindy currently lives in the Mount Airy section of the City with her husband, Scott and their young
daughter, Carson.
