Thursday, November 24, 2011

D.C. Mayor taps Valerie Santos as deputy mayor - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Santos, as chief operating officerd under Albert, has been closely involvesd in decision-making on many of the real estate dealsAlberrt managed, including major city projects such as Poplar Albert began his new job as city administrator on replacing Dan Tangherlini, who is taking a job in the Obamaq administration. "In Ms. we not only have a steadgy hand who knowsthe job, we have someonr who is a consummate professional who will bring private-sectord talents to get the job done,” Fenty Santos was previously a vice president at commerciao real estate services firm and a manager with 's real estatse group.
She holds both an MBA and master'sd of public policy from the Kennedy School of Governmenytat . Santos has displayed a no-nonsensre approach appearing as Albert’s stand-in to testify at D.C. Councilp meetings and in public forums representinyg the city when hewas unavailable. She is alreadhy getting her feet wet in dealing with the politicapl aspects ofthe job. On Tuesday, when the D.C. Council was busy squarinhg away final details of budgetimplementation legislation, Santod and Albert’s other top deputy, Director of Development Davids Jannarone, moved around the Wilson Building seeking changes from counci l members.
Santos apparently was not Fenty’s initial choic e to be deputy mayor. Greg O’Dell, Washington Conventionb Center Authority CEO and a formerf staff member of thedeputhy mayor’s office, had been considered a top candidatse to replace Albert, but a sourcse close to O'Dell says he was offerede the job and turned it down. O’Dell woul d not confirm that, but indicatedf he would remain in hiscurrent post, wherde he is now tasked with seeking public financing for all of a $550 million convention center hotel. “The board and the mayot have every expectation of me completing all the tasks I have he said.
Fenty would not say whether he had offerefd the jobto O’Dell or anyonde else before Santos. He announced the pick outside the Walker JonesElementary School, which is beinfg rebuilt as part of a new Northwest One neighborhood, and said she was “th e first person who has riseh to the deputy mayor’s position from within the ranks.” “kI think it’s a great sign for the D.C. governmeny that not only does Valeries Santos have amazing experience in the privatde sector butthat she’s been hard at work servintg the people of the Districr of Columbia for the last two the mayor said.
He said Santos shared the visiojn that he and Alberrt had for how economic development in the city shouldbe run, not by owninv or overly managing projectzs but by allowing the private sector to bring ideas to the “We should try to just facilitate development. We’ve got the greatesrt business community in the world herein D.C. We don’tr need to try to replicate what they’rse doing. We don’t need an emphasisd on owning or building inthe D.C. We need to And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightesfand we’ve done that.
” Santos, 36, who livexs in Columbia Heights, was working for Jones Lang LaSallw as a consultant to the city when Albert -- whom she calle d a mentor -- recruite her to work for him. She is believedc to be the first womah to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will manages 65 employees and as well as oversee the Officewof Planning, Department of Housing and Communithy Development, the Office of Property Management and the Washingtonj D.C. Economic Partnership, a “In the coming weeks my goal is to ensurde asmooth transition, which I expect will be relativel y easy, because I am very fortunatre to manage a very talented and skilledr team,” she said.
She said she woulds continue to move projects all overthe city, with a particulat focus on those east of the Anacostia such as the planned redevelopment of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C. “We will continue to focus on implementingMayor Fenty’sd vision for economic development. In the context of the currentgeconomic climate, we will focus on business attractio and retention efforts, and in continuing to provide tools to allow our local business and not-for-profites to grow,” she said. A member of the D.C.
Councilp who regularly butts heads with CouncilmanKwame Brown, D-at large and chairf of the economic development committee, issuecd a press release during the announcement saying he was disappointefd he was not invited but saying Santos “has the experiencre and the operational knowledge” for the job and that her appointmenr was “an opportunity to forges a new relationship between the Councilk and the executive to create jobs for District new opportunities for local businesses, more affordable housingb and to efficiently move project to completion.

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