“We are like dry bones on an island all by ourselves, nobody cares about us.” That’s how Derrick Wallace, one of the candidates running to become the next Orange County Commissioner for District 6, described the area’s situation. Wallace, who made this observation on Monday, was speaking to a diverse group of ministers and pastors at his Campaign Headquarters located on 2000 Bruton Boulevard in the heart of District 6.
Having lived his entire life in the district, Wallace, CEO of the largest African-American construction company in Florida, told the group he is running for office because he wants to be an advocate for the people in District 6, to help improve their lives. Largely a poverty-stricken district, he said no one is currently advocating on behalf of its residents.
“When I saw the slate of candidates in the race, I just could not sit by and allow another 8 years of more of the same,” he said. “There’s need for a solid advocate and I will be that voice.”
Likening District 6 to a wasteland, Wallace also said, the area has been ignored for many years, with city and county funding being directed to the Venues Projects and outside the district.
Wallace told the group he has served on numerous organizations, including as Chairman of Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission and on Florida Chamber of Commerce, Business Force and Goodwill Industries of Central, and that he understands economic development. He also referenced several construction projects his firm had built, including Jones High School and Universal’s Hulk and Spiderman Rides.
He said the issues facing the people in District 6 are lack of jobs, inadequate educational opportunities, lack of affordable housing and safety and security. Wallace would like to bring various groups and business owners to the table to develop an action plan for tackling the problems. He believes too, not only should black-owned businesses be involved, but those on International Drive and other well-off areas of the district. Emphasizing the lack of jobs for area residents, he said one problem is that employers have a bias against hiring people who have a police record.
“I thought that if you had a record you couldn’t get a job, but that’s not true. It’s the people who hire who don’t want them and that’s clearly a bias.” In this regard he would like to see changes in the mind-set of employers.
Wallace also mentioned city of Orlando Commissioner-elect Regina Hill, who had been arrested many times in the past and was just elected by voters in District 5.
Wallace, who graduated from Jones High School, would like that educational institution to serve as a catalyst for training young people. He thinks that various trades or other types of training ought to be offered to youths to better equip them for jobs in the labor market.
Asked to elaborate on his vision for Pine Hills, a low-income area in the district with a relatively high crime rate, Wallace said he will work with residents to develop a strategy for the area.
“I am aware of the Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District, but I am not going to tell you I have a plan,” he said. “I have lived in Pine Hills and will work with the people to devise a plan for the best way forward.”
Wallace said, churches are the strongest organizations in the community and if they worked together more can be accomplished to help solve the problems of the district. “The Church can solve a whole lot of problems in District 6, but I don’t feel they are working together,” he said. “A lot of them [churches] are struggling on their own, but so much more can be done together… forget about who is the head, we have to start focusing on the people.”
Wallace told the group that as a businessman, he is accustomed to “calling it like it is,” and committed to being frank, open and always accessible. “I am not looking for a job, but looking to make change in the best interest of the community,” he said. “Things are not always black and white, but you have to be committed and want the best for the people you represent.”
