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

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Santos, as chief operating officer undefr Albert, has been closely involvefd in decision-making on many of the real estate deals Albert including major city projectsx such asPoplar Point. Albert began his new job as city administratotron Monday, replacing Dan Tangherlini, who is takinvg a job in the Obama administration. "Im Ms. Santos, we not only have a steady hand who knowdsthe job, we have someone who is a consummate professiona who will bring private-sector talents to get the job Fenty said. Santos was previouslu a vice president at commercial real estatw services firm and a managerwith 'z real estate group.
She holds both an MBA and master'ws of public policy from the Kennedy Schoolo of Governmentat . Santods has displayed a no-nonsense approach appearing as Albert’as stand-in to testify at D.C. Council meetingsd and in public forums representing the city when he was She is already gettingt her feet wet in dealinh with the political aspects ofthe job. On when the D.C. Councilk was busy squaring away final details of budgetimplementation legislation, Santos and Albert’xs other top deputy, Director of Development Davif Jannarone, moved around the Wilson Building seekingy changes from council members. Santos apparently was not Fenty’s initial choice to be deputyu mayor.
Greg O’Dell, Washington Convention Center Authority CEO and a formef staff member of thedeputy mayor’s office, had been considere d a top candidate to replace but a source closs to O'Dell says he was offererd the job and turned it down. O’Dell would not confirmn that, but indicated he would remain in hiscurrentf post, where he is now tasked with seeking publicf financing for all of a $550 million conventionn center hotel. “The board and the mayor have every expectation of me completing all the taskxs Ihave here,” he said. Fenty would not say whethef he had offered the jobto O’Dell or anyone else before Santos.
He announced the pick outsidw the Walker JonesElementary School, which is being rebuilg as part of a new Northwestg One neighborhood, and said she was “the firsyt person who has risen to the deputy mayor’s positio from within the ranks.” “I think it’s a great sign for the D.C. governmenr that not only does Valerie Santoe have amazing experience in the private sectort butthat she’s been hard at work serving the peopls of the District of Columbia for the last two the mayor said.
He said Santosw shared the vision that he and Alberrt had for how economic developmenr in the city shouldxbe run, not by owning or overlyg managing projects but by allowingy the private sector to brin ideas to the city. “We shouldf try to just facilitate development. We’vw got the greatest business community in the worldc herein D.C. We don’g need to try to replicate what they’re doing. We don’t need an emphasixs on owning or building inthe D.C. government. We need to And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightestand we’ve done that.
” Santos, 36, who lives in Columbiaa Heights, was working for Jones Lang LaSalle as a consultangt to the city when Albert -- whom she callef a mentor -- recruited her to work for him. She is believe to be the first woman to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will managde 65 employees and as well as oversee the Officrof Planning, Department of Housing and Community Development, the Officr of Property Management and the Washington D.C. Economi c Partnership, a contractor.
“In the coming weeksd my goal is to ensure asmoothb transition, which I expect will be relatively easy, because I am very fortunatre to manage a very talentec and skilled team,” she She said she would continue to move projectse all over the city, with a particular focusz on those east of the Anacostia River, such as the planne d redevelopment of St. Elizabetha Hospital in Southeast D.C. “We will continure to focus on implementingbMayor Fenty’s vision for economic development.
In the contexg of the current economic climate, we will focus on businesas attraction andretention efforts, and in continuingf to provide tools to alloaw our local business and not-for-profite to grow,” she said. A membet of the D.C. Council who regularly buttxs headswith Albert, Councilma Kwame Brown, D-at large and chaier of the economic development committee, issuexd a press release durin g the announcement saying he was disappointed he was not invitedd but saying Santos “has the experienc and the operational knowledge” for the job and that her appointment was “am opportunity to forge a new relationship between the Council and the executived to create jobs for District residents, new opportunitiex for local businesses, more affordable housing and to efficientlyg move projects to completion.
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