COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Three new members will be taking seats at the dais in Columbus City Council’s chambers come January.

Nancy Day-Achauer, Melissa Green, and Chris Wyche are all preparing to step into their new roles next year. All three city councilmembers-elect said they are excited for what comes next, and know the real work begins now.

“I am committed to public service,” Day-Achauer said. “It’s what I do. It’s in my DNA.”

She’s an ordained minister for the United Methodist Church and will represent District 2, which is on the Far West Side part of the city.

One of her main goals while on council is to address the city’s housing crisis.

“Everyone in every price point needs to have a place where they can afford to live,” Day-Achauer said. “If you don’t have an affordable place to live, then you’re never going to be able to be successful and thrive. And so addressing that is top priority for me.”

Melissa Green – the first ever licensed social worker elected to council – will represent District 6, the Greater Hilltop and Westland.

Over the last decade, she has worked to create youth programs and expand access to resources for people who use drugs. Green hopes her unique perspective can help often-overlooked communities.

“I think there’s a lot of intersections that oftentimes aren’t always brought to the forefront with the work that we do and social and human services that can help us create better policy that’s going to address needs for families across our community,” Green said.

Chris Wyche, a telecommunication expert at AT&T, will be representing District 1, which consists of Northland. He said he was inspired to run for council to create a positive change in his community.

“For me, it’s about preparing for the future of Columbus,” he said. “We’re expecting 3 million people to move to this region by 2050. That means we need to be making investments today in transit and workforce and housing to ensure that this is going to be a city in which everyone can live and thrive in the future.”

Achauer, Green and Wyche will all be sworn into council at the first meeting of the year on Jan. 2.