Mayor-elect Bowser Announces Additional Senior Hires

Washington, DC – Today, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser announced the appointments of Leif Dormsjo as Director of the Department of Transportation, Ana Harvey as Director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development, Matt Brown as Director of the Office of Budget and Finance, Angie Gates as Director of the Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, Christopher Shorter as Director of Agency Operations for the Office of City Administrator, and Lauren Vaughan as Secretary of the District of Columbia.

“I am excited that these savvy and hardworking Washingtonians are joining my administration. They are ready to get to work, and more importantly, are passionate about public service and dedicated to improving the quality of life for District residents. Together, we are building a team that is ready to hit the ground running on Day One and will work tirelessly to provide a more accountable and trustworthy government for all 8 wards,” said Mayor-elect Bowser.

Dormsjo recently served as the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Project Management at the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). Previously, he served as MDOT’s Acting Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity, he oversaw a $3.6 billion annual budget for the 10,000-employee department comprising the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the Port of Baltimore, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, and an extensive mass transit and highway network. He is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and Wesleyan University.

Harvey served as the President and CEO of HarveyHudson Group, a bank advisory group comprised of national experts in the areas of financial compliance, community reinvestment, and community engagement. In 2009, Ana was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women’s Business Ownership. Ana is a graduate of the Leadership Foundry, a program created by Women in Technology (WIT) to prepare senior executive women to serve on corporate boards.
Brown brings a wealth of budget and finance experience from both the private and public sectors. Brown most recently served as Director of the District Department of Transportation. Brown has served as the managing director of WMATA’s Office of Management and Budget Services and as a project manager with Public Financial Management. He has also overseen public budgetary and finance issues in New York City and Milwaukee. Brown is a graduate of George Washington University and Texas Wesleyan University.

Gates served as the Traveling Chief of Staff to the Mayor-Elect’s campaign. Prior to this position, she made history as the first African-American General Manager of the Historic Warner Theatre located in the heart of Washington, DC. Gates began her career as a film specialist for the New Orleans Film Commission and previously served as the Director of Engagement Relations and Marketing for the Theatrical Division of Clear Channel Entertainment. She is also a member of the DC Chapter of the Recording Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Grammy’s). She received her undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of New Orleans.

Shorter served as Chief Operating Officer for the District Department of Health. In this role, he provided day-to-day oversight of administrative operations for the agency’s five major departments. Shorter has served as Deputy Director of the Office of the State’s Superintendent as well as Chief Operations Officer and Chief of Staff of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. Shorter is a graduate of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Vaughan served as the Executive Director of My Sister’s Place, DC’s oldest domestic violence shelter. She joined the Board of Directors of My Sister’s Place in 2001 and has served as Co-Chair and Board Chair. In these roles, she established and enhanced programs, including completion of a multi-million dollar initiative to expand and renovate its emergency shelter, more than doubling its capacity. Vaughan is a graduate of Hampton University and George Washington University.

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Betsy Cavendish will leave the presidency of Appleseed to join the District government as the mayor’s general counsel. She becomes the second person in that post to join the District government; in 2007, Linda Singer left Appleseed to become D.C. attorney general, then a mayor-appointed office.

Read more at the Washington Post

Betsy Cavendish, who had worked as president of a non-profit group, was appointed general counsel. A graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School, she had previously worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and was an assitant professor at University of Illinois College of Law.

Charon Hines has been appointed director of the mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, having previously served on Bowser’s campaign and traveling chief of staff. She had worked with Montgomery County Public Schools from 2006 until 2014.

Lindsey Parker was appointed deputy chief of staff, after serving as director of legislative affairs and economic development in Bowser’s office. She served under former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty as deputy director of policy and legislative affairs

Read more at NBC Washington

Mayor-elect Bowser Announces Key Executive Staff Hires

Washington, DC – Today, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser announced the appointments of Betsy Cavendish as General Counsel, Charon Hines as Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, Lindsey Parker as Deputy Chief of Staff, Rob Hawkins as Deputy General Counsel, and Sean Floyd as Director of Scheduling.
“I am delighted these talented individuals will be taking key positions in my Administration. Together, they have years of quality experience working in or with the District and they are deeply familiar with the issues our residents face. Their knowledge and expertise will be critical to ensuring we deliver a fresh start for the District of Columbia,” said Mayor-elect Bowser.

Cavendish recently served as President of Appleseed, a nonprofit network of 17 public interest centers throughout the United States and Mexico. At Appleseed, she guided the organization on a number of ambitious programs related to social justice, particularly in the fields of financial access, education, and immigrant rights. Before joining Appleseed, she had extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, spent several years at the U.S. Department of Justice, and was an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Illinois College of Law. Cavendish is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School. She and her husband live in Chevy Chase along with their two daughters, both of whom attend Wilson High School.

Hines served as the Ward 4 coordinator for the Mayor-elect during the campaign and then served as the Traveling Chief of Staff for the Mayor-elect’s Transition Team. Previously, she was an instructor in Montgomery County Public Schools from 2006 until 2014, and also served as a principal and teacher in both Maryland and the District. Hines has graduate degrees from Trinity University and Bowie State University and an undergraduate degree from Mary Baldwin College. She resides in Lamond-Riggs with her husband.

Parker recently served as the Director of Legislative Affairs and Economic Development in the Council office of Mayor-elect Bowser. Previously, she served as Policy Director for Americans for Responsible Solutions, a non-profit organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and dedicated to the prevention of gun violence and responsible gun ownership. She also served as director of internal communications at Symantec, a Fortune 500 software company. Previously, she served as Deputy Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs under Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. She is a graduate of Yale University and resides in Columbia Heights.

Hawkins served as the Chief Legal and Policy Advisor in the Council office of Mayor-elect Bowser since 2009. In his most recent role as the Director of the Committee on Economic Development, Hawkins was responsible for oversight of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, WMATA, and affordable housing. During his tenure as the Director of the Committee on Government Operations, he helped the Mayor-elect craft comprehensive ethics reform legislation. Hawkins is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Virginia Tech. He resides with his wife and two children in Ward 2.

Prior to joining the Bowser Administration, Floyd worked as the Chief Operation Officer for the re-election campaign for Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois (2014), Director of Operations for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s campaign (2013), and as Pennsylvania Director of Operations for President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. Floyd is a native to the Washington Metropolitan Area and graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in Africa/African Diaspora Studies.

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Nesbitt, who served as senior deputy director of the Community Health Administration under then-Mayor Adrian Fenty, has been the director of the public health and wellness department in Louisville, Kentucky, since 2012.

Read more at the Washington Business Journal

These three appointments, Bowser said in a release, will “help tackle homelessness and provide critical services to those most in need in the District.” As part of her goals as mayor, Bowser has pledged to end family homelessness in D.C. by 2018 and overall homelessness by 2025.

Read more at the DCist

To direct the Department of Human Services, Bowser (D) is tapping Laura Green Zeilinger, who was deputy director of that agency during the Fenty administration and serves as executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

“Now is the right time to make meaningful change locally, and I really wanted to be part of that,” Zeilinger said after a news conference announcing her appointment. The announcement was made at Miriam’s Kitchen, a Foggy Bottom nonprofit that serves the homeless.

Read more at the Washington Post

Bowser Announces Key Appointments to Address Homelessness, Health Needs in DC

Mayor-elect looks to use experienced personnel to help end homelessness in the District by 2025

Washington, DC – Today, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser announced three key appointments to her Administration to help tackle homelessness and provide critical services to those most in need in the District; Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt as Director of Health (DOH), Laura Zeilinger as Director of Human Services (DHS), and Clinton Lacey as Director of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).
Nesbitt, Zeilinger and Lacey will help newly appointed Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Brenda Donald deliver on Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser’s pledge to end family homelessness by 2018 and overall homelessness in the District by 2025, and improve the health, safety and quality of life for more residents in the District.

As part of that effort, Mayor-elect Bowser discussed how her Administration will identify the resources needed to service the District’s homeless population and detailed how today’s appointments will help achieve that goal.

“LaQuandra, Laura and Clinton bring an extraordinary level of expertise to help address two priorities that will be a hallmark of my Administration: homelessness and our youth. I’m excited they will join a team that is ready to give more residents a fair shot in the District of Columbia,” said Mayor-elect Bowser.

Today’s announcement was made at Miriam’s Kitchen, an organization committed to ending chronic homelessness in the District of Columbia. They advocate for permanent supportive housing as a long-term solution, while meeting short-term needs by providing healthy meals and high-quality social services to more than 4,300 chronically homeless individuals each year.

Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director, Department of Health
As the next Director of the Department of Health (DOH), Dr. Nesbitt will be charged with promoting healthy lifestyles, preventing illness and providing equal access to quality healthcare services for all residents of the District of Columbia.

“Health and wellness are my passion and life’s work. To be able to help the District of Columbia improve its overall quality of life is an incredible opportunity. Under Mayor-elect Bowser’s vision, I truly believe we can advance the health of more residents in the nation’s capital,” said Dr. Nesbitt.

Dr. Nesbitt is a board-certified family physician who served as the Director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness in Louisville, KY from 2011 to 2014. Prior to her current role at LMPHW, Dr. Nesbitt served separate terms as Senior Deputy Director for the Community Health Administration and Senior Deputy Director for the Center for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation at the District of Columbia Department of Health. In addition to her professional activities, Dr. Nesbitt is a published author and served as an executive editor of Population Health: Management, Policy, and Technology, First Edition.

Dr. Nesbitt received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine, and a Master of Public Health in Health Care Management and Policy from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Laura Zeilinger, Director, Department of Human Services
As the next Director of the Department of Human Services, Zeilinger will lead an agency charged with assisting low-income individuals and families to maximize their potential for economic security and self-sufficiency.

“As someone who had dedicated themselves to tackling homelessness, I am excited to be the next Director of the Department of Human Services in DC. If we truly want to reach our full potential as a city, we must continue to address the needs of the least among us. I look forward to working with Mayor-elect Bowser to ensure we are providing more opportunities and services for all Washingtonians,” said Zeilinger.

Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, where she was responsible for the implementation of Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, an effort that includes the coordination of Federal homelessness policies among 19 Federal departments and agencies, as well as partnerships with State and local communities, non-profits, and the private sector.

Previously, Zeilinger served as Deputy Director for Program Operations for DHS. There, she led the creation of more than 1,000 units of permanent supportive housing as part of the Homeless No More Plan.

Zeilinger is an alumna of Sarah Lawrence College and a graduate of the Washington College of Law at American University.

Clinton Lacey, Director, Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services
Clinton Lacey will serve as the next Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. In this role, Lacey will give court-involved youth the opportunity to become productive citizens in the District.

“I am thrilled to have been called upon to lead the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. I look forward to working with Mayor-elect Bowser to see that we are providing opportunities for troubled youth looking for positive change and a path to a better way of life,” said Lacey.

Lacey has over 25 years of experience working with youth and families – 19 of which have been focused in the field of juvenile and criminal justice. From 1992 to 2004, Lacey served as the Associate Executive Director of Friends of Island Academy, developing and managing services for 16 to 24 year olds involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems of New York City. Lacey is an experienced trainer, facilitator and keynote speaker on such issues as racial and ethnic disparity, comprehensive re-entry services, gang intervention strategies, and overall youth and human development.

Lacey has a B.A. in Latin American and Caribbean History from Herbert H. Lehman College (City University of New York) and is a graduate of the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management at Columbia University.

Head shots and biographies will be posted to www.wearewashingtondc.org.

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During a gathering at Miriam’s Kitchen in Northwest, Bowser, who participated in her last D.C. Council meeting on Dec. 17 as the Ward 4 representative, tapped Laura Green Zeilinger to direct the Department of Human Services.

She chose LaQuandra Nesbitt, a board-certified family physician, to lead the Department of Health and Clinton Lacey as head of the District’s juvenile justice department.

Read more at the Washington Informer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2014
Contact: Joaquin McPeek, 916-599-4166

Mayor-elect Bowser appoints Polly Donaldson Director of the District Department of Housing and Community Development

Washington, DC – Today, at a public forum at Thurgood Marshall Public Charter School in Southeast, Mayor-elect Bowser appointed Polly Donaldson as the Director of the District Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The announcement came the day after Bowser made several key senior staff appointments, including Chief of Staff, Senior Advisor and Director for the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).

At DHCD, Donaldson will be responsible for leading the agency to create and preserve opportunities for affordable housing and economic development, and to revitalize underserved communities in the District of Columbia.

“Polly has more than two decades of experience overseeing and managing affordable housing and homeless service programs. She is a smart, committed public servant who has what it takes to help give the residents of the District of Columbia a fresh start,” said Mayor-elect Bowser.

“Mayor-elect Bowser is making the creation and preservation of affordable housing a top priority,” Donaldson said. “I know that together we will deliver a fresh start to ensure that District residents who work hard to make this city great have access to safe, high quality housing options.”

Prior to joining the Bowser administration, Donaldson served for more than a decade as the Executive Director of the Transitional Housing Corporation (THC), a non-profit, faith-based organization that develops and provides housing, social and employment services in Washington, DC. While at the organization’s helm, Donaldson has grown THC to a staff of over 50 and a budget of $5 million, allowing it to significantly increase the number of homeless families it serves annually from 40 to over 500.

Donaldson joined THC after a 17-year career in international community development in senior management positions at the Institute of International Education, Partners of the Americas, and The Center for Democracy. She was elected and served as the chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1-E in Mt. Pleasant.

Donaldson lives in Mt. Pleasant in Ward 1 with her wife Susan Rees and daughter Florence, and is an active member of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Dupont Circle. Donaldson holds a Bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences from The Johns Hopkins University.

Donaldson’s headshot and biography will be posted to www.wearewashingtondc.org.

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