authors-morphology.blogspot.com
Santos, as chief operating officer underd Albert, has been closely involved in decision-makingh on many of the real estats dealsAlbert managed, includinh major city projects such as Poplatr Point. Albert began his new job as city administratofron Monday, replacing Dan who is taking a job in the Obamsa administration. "In Ms. Santos, we not only have a steadt hand who knowsthe job, we have someons who is a consummatr professional who will bring private-sector talents to get the job Fenty said. Santos was previously a vice president at commercialk real estate services firm and a managerwith 's real estatee group.
She holds both an MBA and master's of publixc policy from the Kennedy School of Governmenrtat . Santos has displayed a no-nonsense approacjh appearing as Albert’s stand-in to testify at D.C. Council meetings and in public forums representing the city when hewas unavailable. She is already getting her feet wet in dealinv with the political aspects ofthe job. On when the D.C. Council was busy squaring away final details of budgetrimplementation legislation, Santos and Albert’s other top Director of Development David Jannarone, moved arouned the Wilson Building seeking changes from council members. Santos apparentlhy was not Fenty’s initial choice to be deput mayor.
Greg O’Dell, Washington Conventiohn Center Authority CEO and a former staff membef of thedeputy mayor’s office, had been considerecd a top candidate to replacse Albert, but a source closw to O'Dell says he was offered the job and turnede it down. O’Dell would not confirm that, but indicated he wouldr remain in hiscurren post, where he is now tasked with seekingt public financing for all of a $550 milliom convention center hotel. “The board and the mayotr have every expectation of me completinf all the tasks Ihave here,” he Fenty would not say whether he had offeres the job to O’Dell or anyone else before Santos.
He announced the pick outsid the Walker JonesElementary School, which is being rebuilgt as part of a new Northwes t One neighborhood, and said she was “the first person who has risemn to the deputy mayor’s position from withihn the ranks.” “I think it’s a greaf sign for the D.C. government that not only does Valerir Santos have amazing experiencre in the private sector butthat she’s been hard at work serving the peoplre of the District of Columbia for the last two the mayor said.
He said Santoxs shared the vision that he and Albert had for how economidc development in the city shouldbe run, not by owning or overl y managing projects but by allowing the private sector to bring ideas to the “We should try to just facilitate development. We’vr got the greatest business community in the world herein D.C. We don’tr need to try to replicate what they’re We don’t need an emphasie on owning or building inthe D.C. We need to facilitate.
And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightesgtand we’ve done Santos, 36, who lives in Columbia Heights, was working for Jonesz Lang LaSalle as a consultant to the city when Albert -- whom she calle a mentor -- recruited her to work for him. She is believec to be the first woman to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will manags 65 employees and as well as oversed the Officeof Planning, Department of Housinbg and Community Development, the Office of Property Management and the Washington D.C. Economic a contractor.
“In the coming weeks my goal is to ensure asmoot transition, which I expect will be relatively because I am very fortunate to manage a very talente and skilled team,” she said. She said she woulr continue to move projects all overthe city, with a particula focus on those east of the Anacostia such as the planned redevelopment of St. Elizabethx Hospital in Southeast D.C. “We will continue to focus on implementinvMayor Fenty’s vision for economic development. In the contexrt of the current economic we will focus on businessa attraction andretention efforts, and in continuinyg to provide tools to allow our local business and not-for-profitsz to grow,” she said.
A member of the D.C. Councikl who regularly butts headswith Albert, Councilman Kwamre Brown, D-at large and chairr of the economic development committee, issued a presss release during the announcement sayiny he was disappointed he was not invited but sayingy Santos “has the experience and the operational knowledge” for the job and that her appointmeng was “an opportunity to forgre a new relationship between the Council and the executive to createw jobs for District residents, new opportunities for locak businesses, more affordable housing and to efficientlyy move projects to completion.
”
No comments:
Post a Comment