D.C. Mayor taps Valerie Santos as deputy mayor - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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Santos, as chief operating office r under Albert, has been closely involvee in decision-making on many of the real estat e dealsAlbert managed, including majorf city projects such as Poplar Albert began his new job as city administratof on Monday, replacing Dan Tangherlini, who is takintg a job in the Obama administration. "In Ms. we not only have a steady hand who knowsthe job, we have someoner who is a consummate professional who will bring private-sector talents to get the job done,” Fenty said. Santos was previouslh a vice president at commerciapl real estate services firm and a manageerwith 's real estate group.
She holds both an MBA and master'z of public policy from the Kennedy School of Governmentat . Santod has displayed a no-nonsense approach appearing as Albert’s stand-in to testify at D.C. Council meetings and in public forums representing the city when he was She is already getting her feet wet in dealiny with the political aspect ofthe job. On Tuesday, when the D.C. Council was busy squaring away final details of budgetimplementatiobn legislation, Santos and Albert’s other top deputy, Directore of Development David Jannarone, moved around the Wilsomn Building seeking changes from council members. Santosx apparently was not Fenty’s initial choice to be deputyu mayor.
Greg O’Dell, Washington Convention Center Authorityu CEO and a former staff member of thedeputh mayor’s office, had been considered a top candidatw to replace Albert, but a source close to O'Dell says he was offeref the job and turnex it down. O’Dell would not confirn that, but indicated he would remain in hiscurrent post, whered he is now tasked with seeking publiv financing for all of a $550 milliom convention center hotel. “The board and the mayor have every expectation of me completing all the taska Ihave here,” he said. Fenthy would not say whether he had offeresd the jobto O’Dell or anyone else before Santos.
He announces the pick outside the Walkert JonesElementary School, which is being rebuilt as part of a new Northwestf One neighborhood, and said she was “the first person who has risejn to the deputy mayor’s position from within the ranks.” “I thinj it’s a great sign for the D.C. governmeng that not only does Valerie Santos have amazing experiencwe in the private sector butthat she’s been hard at work servinv the people of the District of Columbi for the last two years,” the mayor He said Santos shared the visiom that he and Albert had for how economic development in the city shoulf be run, not by owninf or overly managing projects but by allowing the privatew sector to bring ideas to the “We should try to just facilitate We’ve got the greates business community in the world here in D.
C. We don’g need to try to replicate what they’re doing. We don’t need an emphasiws 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 that.” Santos, 36, who liveds in Columbia Heights, was working for Jones Lang LaSaller as a consultant to the city when Albery -- whom she called a mentor -- recruiteds her to work for him. She is believee to be the first woman to servd in the rolefor D.C. and will manage 65 employeesd and as well as oversee the Officweof Planning, Department of Housing and Community the Office of Property Management and the Washington D.C.
Economiv Partnership, a contractor. “In the coming weeks my goal is to ensurd asmooth transition, which I expecy will be relatively easy, because I am very fortunated to manage a very talented and skillesd team,” she said. She said she woulxd continue to move projects all over the with a particular focus on those east of theAnacostisa River, such as the planned redevelopmenty of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C. “Wed will continue to focus on implementingMayort Fenty’s vision for economic development.
In the contexrt of the currenteconomic climate, we will focusd on business attraction and retention efforts, and in continuingh to provide tools to allow our localp business and not-for-profits to grow,” she A member of the D.C. Council who regularly buttsx headswith Albert, Councilman Kwamr Brown, D-at large and chair of the economidc development committee, issued a press release duringv the announcement saying he was disappointed he was not invited but sayingg Santos “has the experience and the operational for the job and that her appointment was “an opportunity to forge a new relationship between the Counci l and the executive to create jobs for District new opportunities for local more affordable housing and to efficientlg move projects to completion.
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