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

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Santos, as chief operating officer under Albert, has been closelu involved in decision-making on many of the real estat deals Albert managed, including major city projectsz such as Poplar Point. Albert began his new job as city administratoron Monday, replacing Dan who is taking a job in the Obama administration. "Ij Ms. Santos, we not only have a steaduy hand who knowsthe job, we have someonde who is a consummate professionak who will bring private-sector talents to get the job Fenty said. Santos was previously a vice president at commercial real estats services firm and a managerewith 's real estate group.
She holds both an MBA and master's of public policy from the Kennedy School of Governmentat . Santo s has displayed a no-nonsense approach appearinb as Albert’s stand-in to testify at D.C. Councik meetings and in public forums representingy the city when hewas unavailable. She is alreadt getting her feet wet in dealingb with the political aspects ofthe job. On Tuesday, when the D.C. Councill was busy squaring away final details of budgetimplementationn legislation, Santos and Albert’s other top deputy, Director of Developmentf David Jannarone, moved around the Wilson Buildingg seeking changes from council Santos apparently was not Fenty’ initial choice to be deputy mayor.
Greg O’Dell, Washingto n Convention Center Authority CEO and a former staff memberf of thedeputy mayor’s office, had been considered a top candidatse to replace Albert, but a source close to O'Dell says he was offereed the job and turnec it down. O’Dell would not confirm but indicated he would remain in his current where he is now tasked with seeking publivc financing for all ofa $550 million convention center hotel. “The board and the mayor have every expectation of me completinf all the tasks Ihave here,” he said. Fenthy would not say whether he had offeree the jobto O’Dell or anyone else beforwe Santos.
He announced the pick outside the Walket JonesElementary School, whichn is being rebuilt as part of a new Northwestr One neighborhood, and said she was “thes first person who has risen to the deputhy mayor’s position from within the ranks.” “I think it’s a great sign for the D.C. government that not only does Valerire Santos have amazing experience in the private sectot butthat she’s been hard at work serving the peopld of the District of Columbia for the last two years,” the mayofr said.
He said Santos shared the visio that he and Albert had for how economif development in the city shouldbe run, not by owningy or overly managing projects but by allowinhg the private sector to bring ideas to the “We should try to just facilitate development. We’ve got the greates business community in the worldd herein D.C. We don’t need to try to replicate what they’re doing. We don’t need an emphasise on owning or building inthe D.C. government. We need to And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightes tand we’ve done that.
” Santos, 36, who livea in Columbia Heights, was working for Jonees Lang LaSalle as a consultant to the city when Albery -- whom she called a mentor -- recruitef her to work for him. She is believed to be the firstf woman to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will managew 65 employees and as well as overseee the Officeof Planning, Departmeny of Housing and Community the Office of Property Management and the Washington D.C. Economic a contractor. “In the cominy weeks my goal is to ensurde asmooth transition, which I expect will be relatively because I am very fortunate to manage a very talented and skillee team,” she said.
She said she wouldx continue to move projects all overthe city, with a particulaer focus on those east of the Anacostia River, such as the planne redevelopment of St. Elizabeths Hospitakl in Southeast D.C. “We will continue to focus on implementingtMayor Fenty’s vision for economic development. In the contextr of the currenteconomic climate, we will focus on business attractionj and retention efforts, and in continuing to provide tools to allosw our local business and not-for-profitx to grow,” she A member of the D.C.
Councill who regularly butts heads with CouncilmanKwame Brown, D-at large and chaifr of the economic development committee, issued a presa release during the announcement saying he was disappointed he was not invited but saying Santos “has the experience and the operationa l knowledge” for the job and that her appointmenyt was “an opportunity to forge a new relationshiop between the Council and the executive to create jobs for District residents, new opportunitiexs for local businesses, more affordable housintg and to efficiently move projects to completion.
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