
VIRTUAL District Strong with Deputy Mayor for Education, Paul Kihn
DC’s Education Priorities
Please join us on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 for a VIRTUAL District Strong conversation with Paul Kihn, Deputy Mayor for Education of the District of Columbia. We will be joined by special guest, Maurice Edington, President of UDC.
Deputy Mayor Kihn will share the District's Pathways Blueprint, which aims to strengthen and expand pathways to college and careers for DC public school students. He would like to hear from FC2 trustees how the city can collaborate with industry to prepare the DC workforce.
Once again, this conversation is VIRTUAL. You will be given login details once you register below.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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Paul Kihn accepted an appointment by Mayor Bowser to serve as the Deputy Mayor for education on October 1, 2018. Mr. Kihn previously served for three years as the Deputy Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. As the Superintendent’s second-in-command, he helped lead the system through a significant transformation, including improvements in teacher and principal hiring and development, a transition to common core standards, the promotion of evidence-based innovations in schools and classrooms, a wholesale revision of charter authorizing policies and procedures, and smarter allocation of diminishing resources.
Prior to his work in Philadelphia, Paul supported district and charter turnaround efforts as a partner and a leader of the U.S. K12 Education Practice for the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Mr. Kihn is a former New York City public school English teacher and has also taught middle and high school English in Ireland and South Africa. In addition, Mr. Kihn has worked with adjudicated and out-of-school youth.
A Ward 2 resident, Mr. Kihn received a Master's in Educational Administration From Teachers College, Columbia University, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. He also holds degrees from Yale College and The University of Cape Town.

District Strong with Attorney General Brian Schwalb
Rights of the District
Please join us on Friday, March 14, 2025 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Brian Schwalb, Attorney General for the District of Columbia.
We have invited AG Schwalb to share his strategy for working with the federal government and defending DC local autonomy. He will also provide guidance on federal enforcement policies and how DC residents and businesses can protect their rights. This event will take place at Federal City Council (1310 L St. NW) in the First Floor Conference Room.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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Brian L. Schwalb has committed his legal career to using the law in service of others, advocating for what matters most to the people and organizations he represents. As the District of Columbia's second independently-elected attorney general, Brian is committed to fighting for D.C., advancing the public interest, and ensuring that the law works to make the District safer, healthier, and more equitable for all who live and work here.
Brian is a third-generation Washingtonian. After graduating from Duke University and Harvard Law School, and completing a two-year judicial clerkship, Brian served as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. After completing his service with the Justice Department, Brian entered private practice representing clients – individuals, businesses, nonprofits and families — in a multitude of high stakes matters including advocating for people injured by excessive, unconstitutional police force, defrauded out of their assets, and fighting for their lives on death row.
Among other professional recognitions, Brian is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, whose membership is limited to the top 1% of area trial lawyers and whose careers have reflected the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility, and collegiality. Brian is also an experienced law firm leader, having served as Venable’s firm-wide Vice Chairman and then as the Partner-in-Charge of Venable’s D.C. office.
Outside the practice of law, Brian has volunteered his time, legal services, leadership, and mentorship to organizations dedicated to enhancing D.C.’s justice system, mentoring D.C. Public School students, and reducing the local impact of HIV/AIDS. Brian is also an active supporter of cancer treatment and prevention, Holocaust education, and has served as an officer and trustee of his synagogue.
Brian and his wife Mickie Simon live in Ward 3 where they raised their three daughters – Jessica, Allison, and Sydney.

District Strong CFO Glen Lee
FY26 Budget Season
Please join us on Monday, March 3, 2025 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Glen Lee, Chief Financial Officer for the District of Columbia.
The District's latest tax revenue estimates will be published this coming Friday. As we head into what could be a tumultuous economic environment for the city, CFO Lee will share what tax revenue levels could look like in the near and medium-term, and what it all means for the FY26 budget. This event will take place at the Federal City Council (1310 L Street NW, 1st Floor Conference Center).
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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Glen Lee, the independent chief financial officer (CFO) for the District of Columbia, manages the District’s finances, including its approximately $21.2 billion operating budget and $3 billion capital budget. Mr. Lee was appointed to this position by Mayor Muriel Bowser and confirmed by the District mCouncil and Congress in June of 2022.
As CFO, Mr. Lee’s primary duty is to ensure that the District government is financially sustainable. To accomplish this, Mr. Lee’s team of 1,700 forecasts the District’s revenues and financial condition, develops and manages the District’s budget, administers the District’s taxes, and executes and records the District’s financial transactions. Mr. Lee’s team administers the District’s lottery and gaming programs and oversees the finances of the United Medical Center (Not-for-profit Hospital Corporation), the University of the District of Columbia, and the Washington Convention and Sports Authority (Events DC). He is also responsible for coordinating with congressional committees that oversee the District’s fiscal affairs. He regularly interacts with the Greater Washington region’s business and government leaders as well as the District’s financial stakeholders including bond rating agencies.
Previously, he served for 12 years as the finance director for the city of Seattle. During his tenure, Mr. Lee oversaw the implementation of financial and tax administration systems, as well as the successful financial recovery of the city’s retirement system. Prior to this appointment, he managed Seattle’s revenue forecasting and budget development functions.
Before joining Seattle, Lee worked as a fiscal and policy analyst for the State of California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office where his assignments included tax policy, revenue forecasting and tax administration.
As CFO for the District of Columbia, Mr. Lee sits on the boards of Events DC, Destination DC, the Green Finance Authority Board (DC Green Bank), Not-for-Profit Hospital Corporation, DC Retirement Board, and the Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation.
Lee serves on the Government Finance Officers Association’s Debt Management Advisory Committee and served on the Economics Department Advisory Board for Seattle University.
Glen Lee holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

District Strong with Councilmember Zachary Parker
Current State of Ward 5
Please join us on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Zachary Parker, Ward 5 Councilmember for the District of Columbia.
We have invited Councilmember Parker to speak with us about his legislative priorities and his thoughts about how the District can continue to attract businesses and residents to Ward 5. This event will take place at Federal City Council (1310 L St. NW) in Suite 325.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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Zachary Parker was elected in 2018 by Ward 5 neighbors to serve as their representative on the DC State Board of Education and was later unanimously selected by his colleagues to serve as president of the State Board in 2021. Zachary’s passion for public service is rooted in his two brothers’ struggle with inhumane economic and healthcare systems. His vision is for all neighbors to have a shared quality of life in thriving, healthy communities, regardless of zip code. On November 8th, 2022, Zachary was elected to serve as Ward 5 DC Councilmember, where he will help combat displacement, growing wealth and health disparities, and rising violence.
Before political office, Zachary spent eight years coaching DC public school administrators to improve student learning. Before that, Zachary was an award-winning 7th-grade math teacher in New Orleans, post-Katrina. Zachary sees daily the consequences of young people not receiving a quality education and working-class families unable to leverage the government on their behalf. He has dedicated his life to disrupting inequitable systems that fail Black and brown children and working-class families.
Zachary received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech and Language Pathology) from Northwestern University and his Master of Arts degree in Education Policy and Leadership from Columbia University, Teachers College. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and a board member of Love to Lange, a US-based nonprofit that supports educational programming in Langa, South Africa.

District Strong with Councilmember Wendell Felder
Current State of Ward 7
Please join us on Thursday, January 30, 2025 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Wendell Felder, Ward 7 Councilmember of the District of Columbia.
We have invited Councilmember Felder to speak with us about his legislative priorities and his thoughts about how the District can continue to attract businesses and residents east of the river. This event will take place at Federal City Council (1310 L St. NW) in Suite 325.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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Wendell Felder is a proud fourth-generation Washingtonian and dedicated community leader in Ward 7. He was born, and raised in Southeast Washington, D.C., and is a graduate of D.C. Public School's McKinley Technology High. Belonging to a big family, and being the second oldest child of nine siblings, he learned at a very early age the value of service and the importance of managing and building community relationships. Wendell has devoted his entire professional career to improving the quality of life for D.C. residents through his work as a public servant.
Wendell started his public service career in local government by serving in the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS), as the Ward 7 MOCRS where he advocated for 73,000+ residents addressing a wide range of constituent services concerns while ensuring that residents had access to community resources, government agencies, and city services. He then served in the Office of the City Administrator, as the Special Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff, where he provided direct support to the City Administrator in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the city. In the role, he also worked closely with deputy mayors, district government agency directors, and participated in the district’s legislative, and budgetary processes to elevate community priorities. He later served in the Office of the Deputy Mayor's Office for Planning and Economic Development, as a Community Development Manager, where he led and assisted in the planning, supervision, and execution of Economic Development Projects across Wards 7 and 8.
After leaving district government, Wendell served as the Director of Community Affairs at Sibley Memorial Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medicine, where he evaluated high-impact community engagement solutions designed to support community needs and address healthcare inequities throughout the District of Columbia. Currently, Wendell works in higher education at Howard University.
Wendell is a four-term Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) in Ward 7 and currently serves as the Chair of ANC 7D Commission, and the Ward 7 Democrats Organization. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc and served on the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority. Wendell earned his B.S. from Bowie State in Political Science. Wendell also is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he obtained his Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning. When Wendell is not working or volunteering his time, he enjoys spending quality time with his family. He currently lives in the Parkside neighborhood in Ward 7.
District Strong with Councilmember Brooke Pinto
Current State of Ward 2
Please join us on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Brooke Pinto, Ward 2 Councilmember of the District of Columbia.
We have invited Councilmember Pinto to speak with us about her legislative priorities and her thoughts about how the District can continue to attract businesses and residents to downtown and in Ward 2. This event will take place at Federal City Council (1310 L St. NW) in Suite 325.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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Brooke Pinto was sworn in as Ward 2’s Councilmember on June 27th, 2020 after winning the Special Election to fill the vacant seat. She is the first woman to hold this seat and the youngest DC Councilmember in history.
Brooke previously served in the Office of the Attorney General as a tax attorney where she represented the Office of Tax and Revenue as her client. She then served as the Assistant Attorney General for Policy and Legislative Affairs, during which time she drafted and introduced legislation to the Council on issues such as hate crimes, small business protection, and workers rights. She also advocated for DC Statehood before the National Attorneys General Association and on Capitol Hill. Prior to working in the DC government, Brooke worked in Senator Richard Blumenthal’s (D-CT) office as a Health and Aging Fellow.
Brooke earned her B.S. from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. She approaches her work as Ward 2’s Councilmember from a customer service perspective and brings a deep appreciation for workers and the small business community.
Brooke is also a graduate of Georgetown Law School. She became involved in the Ward 2 and DC community as a law student through her work with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, which sparked her passion for addressing affordable housing issues.
Brooke is focused on ensuring that the law — both as written and as enforced — is fair for everyone and is committed to helping our city recover from COVID-19 and taking up the call for greater justice and fairness among our city’s residents.
District Strong with Councilmember Charles Allen
Current State of Ward 6
Please join us on Thursday, October 24, 2024 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Charles Allen, Ward 6 Councilmember of the District of Columbia. We have invited Councilmember Allen to speak with us about his legislative priorities and his thoughts about how the District can continue to attract businesses and residents to downtown and in Ward 6. This event will take place at Federal City Council (1310 L St. NW) in Suite 325.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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Charles Allen is focused on building a Ward 6 with great schools at every level and a neighborhood you can always call home.
In his first three terms on the DC Council, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen has successfully championed bold legislative efforts around education, the environment, safer streets, strengthening Metro, public safety and criminal justice, campaign finance and elections reform, LGBTQ rights, and women’s health. His first piece of legislation, “Books from Birth”, has delivered more than 3 million books to the homes of DC families with a child under the age of five, at no cost to the families, with targeted enrollment of children in communities with lower literacy rates. It remains one of the most popular government-run programs in the District.
As Ward 6 Councilmember, he has focused his efforts on ensuring every student has a great neighborhood school, improving public safety, supporting small businesses, and creating more affordable housing – and in recent years, Ward 6 has created more new affordable housing than any other Ward, with many more homes in the pipeline. He has brought community members together to lead transformations of beloved public spaces, including Eastern Market Metro Park, the Southwest Library, the Southeast Library, and Swampoodle Park and Terrace, as well as nearly all of Ward 6’s public schools and playspaces. His “Vision Zero” and “STEER Act” legislation have pushed the District to move quickly to create safer streets for all. And the Council recently passed his landmark “Metro for DC” legislation to make bus service fare-free in the District and give DC residents a $100 balance on their SmarTrip cards.
As Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety for three Council Periods, Councilmember Allen led the Council in passing comprehensive policing reform and crime victims’ rights legislation, overhauling the city’s crime lab, banning ghost guns, creating the District’s “red flag” gun safety law, passing landmark second chances sentencing and workforce development laws, and expanding access to justice in the courts. Through the budget process, he created the District’s first-ever Gun Violence Prevention Director and exponentially increased funding each year for critical violence prevention and reduction programs and crime victims’ and reentry grants. Also passionate about elections and campaign finance reform, Councilmember Allen has passed legislation to make vote-by-mail permanent, create the District’s automatic voter registration system and “Fair Elections” public financing program, expand voting rights, and ban so-called government “pay-to-play” contracting.
In Council Period 25, he serves as the Chair of the Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment and sits on the Committees on Business and Economic Development, Health, and Judiciary and Public Safety. He is also the Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. In Council Period 24, Councilmember Allen also served as co-chair of the Council’s Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery, tasked with producing recommendations to equitably shape the District’s recovery.
Councilmember Allen graduated from Washington and Lee University and holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He lives in Northeast DC with his wife, Jordi, their two children, and their dog.
District Strong with Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department
Public Safety in the District
Please join us on Thursday, October 10, 2024 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. In this off-the-record conversation, she will update us on the current state of public safety in the District and MPD's future crime-fighting plans. This event will take place at Federal City Council (1310 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005) in Suite 325.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
Chief Pamela Smith
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Pamela A. Smith has over 25 years of law enforcement experience and a decorated career having achieved numerous commendations and awards. While in the United States Park Police, Smith served in major city field offices across the United States including San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, and Washington, DC, rising through the ranks to become Chief of Police for the United States Park Police in 2021.
She began her career with the United States Park Police in 1998 as a patrol officer in the San Francisco Field Office and received numerous commendations for her proactive efforts with drug enforcement, sobriety checkpoints, and community engagement. As her experience grew, she was reassigned to the New York Field Office where she continued her remarkable work ethic and joined the Canine Unit as a Canine Handler in the Explosive Ordnance and Detection Unit. She transitioned to a Senior Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), Law Enforcement Driver Training Program in Glynco, GA. She rose through the ranks as sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major, deputy chief and was ultimately promoted to Chief of Police, becoming the first African-American female to serve as Chief in the agency’s 230-year-old history.
After a successful career in law enforcement with the US Park Police, Smith joined the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in May 2022 as the Chief Equity Officer, assigned to the Executive Office of the Chief of Police. She led the department's efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), made an immediate impact at the MPD and ensured that DEI issues remained a priority in the department. She developed an organizational channel for department-wide accountability by providing strategic advice to the Chief of Police, executive leadership, and senior management officials within the department. In addition to her DEI focus, she supervised the Directorates for Employee Well-Being and Support Unit and Equal Employment Opportunity Office.
She made a significant impact in a brief time span and in April 2023, was promoted to the Assistant Chief of Police, Homeland Security Bureau where she led the operational and administrative functions of the Special Operations Division, Joint Strategic & Tactical Analysis Command Center, and the Office of Intelligence. On July 17, 2023, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she selected Pamela A. Smith to serve as the next Chief of Police at the Metropolitan Police Department. Smith was officially confirmed Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department on November 7, 2023.
Chief Smith is well known for her law enforcement commitment and advocacy, leadership, and her skillful passion to forge relationships within the agency and across the communities she serves. Throughout her distinguished career, she has earned numerous awards and recognitions from several organizations including the National Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE), the Women in Federal law Enforcement Public Service Award, Northeast Region Equal Employment Opportunity Office Recognition of Outstanding Excellence; and the National Council of Negro Women Award for Working Together in Unity.
Smith is a member of several organizations including the Washington Metro Chapter, National Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executive, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE). She’s also a sought-after speaker and panelist for many platforms focused on women in law enforcement, leadership, diversity and inclusion, and more.
It was her early years in foster care in Pine Bluff, AR that fueled her passion for helping and advocating for children. And as a minister today, she uses her platform to counsel and mentor youth and young adults to make a positive impact on their lives.
Smith has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia. She is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy (Session 265).
District Strong with At-Large Councilmember Robert White
Current State of DC
Please join us on Thursday, September 12, 2024 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Robert White, At-Large Councilmember of the District of Columbia. We have invited Councilmember White to speak with us about his legislative priorities and his thoughts about how the District can continue to attract businesses and residents to the city. This event will take place at Federal City Council (1310 L St. NW) in Suite 325.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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A proud fifth generation Washingtonian, Robert C. White, Jr. is in his second term as At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia. He chairs the Council’s Committee on Housing.
Robert began his career in public service as a law clerk in the Maryland District Court for Montgomery County. For five years, he worked in the United States Congress, serving as Legislative Counsel to the District’s Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. In 2014, he was tapped by Attorney General Karl A. Racine to serve as the first Director of Community Outreach for the DC Office of the Attorney General. In 2016, Robert was elected as an at-large Councilmember with the highest number of votes in the history of DC’s elected Council. He was re-elected in 2020.
Robert and his wife, Christy, an attorney with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, reside in Ward 4 with their daughters, Madison and Monroe. They attend St. Martin’s Catholic Church. Robert loves spending time with his family, reading, and riding his motorcycle.
District Strong with Brian Hanlon, Director of the DC Department of Buildings
Future of Buildings in DC
Please join us on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Brian Hanlon, Director of the District of Columbia Department of Buildings. This event will take place at Federal City Council (1310 L St. NW) in the First Floor Conference Room.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
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Brian J. Hanlon is an accomplished administrator, leader, and registered architect with more than 35 years of private and public sector experience.
Through his private sector work, Director Hanlon actively practiced architecture, managed the development of many billions of dollars of K-12 and collegiate real estate, and served in several leadership roles focusing on construction management and building technologies. He is driven to deliver solutions in the built environment that are responsive to the needs of people, while ensuring they are implemented and used in the most environmentally responsible manner possible. Director Hanlon’s passion and purpose is to work to make our spaces and places integral with a spirit of stewardship. This drives his work – so that future generations may have a future in which they thrive.
Director Hanlon returns to the public sector, having previously worked in District government as the Executive Program Manager at the Department of Real Estate, followed by his appointment as the first permanent Director of the Department of General Services (DGS), where the agency modernized the preventative maintenance and portfolio management of the District’s 30 million sq. ft. of real estate under his leadership. He was also responsible for $2.3 billion in new construction, renovation, and other capital projects including schools, parks, recreation facilities, office buildings, laboratories, senior centers, police stations, fire stations, and residential shelter facilities during his tenure. At DGS, he and the agency garnered multiple awards for design, innovation, and sustainable practices.
District Strong with LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan
Women’s Premier Golf Comes to DMV
A major women’s sporting event is coming to the DC region this time next year—the LPGA’s championship tournament, or the Solheim Cup. Like it has been in other host cities in the past, it is sure to deliver an economic boost for the region. Join us on Thursday, September 14 from 12 pm to 1 pm for a conversation about women's professional sports, the Solheim Cup, and what it means for the local economy with LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan.
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Mollie Marcoux Samaan is the ninth Commissioner of the LPGA since its formation in 1950. Her journey to the LPGA started at Princeton University, where she was a two-sport varsity athlete in soccer and ice hockey before graduating cum laude in 1991. In her senior year, she was awarded the Otto Von Kienbusch Sportswoman of the Year Award given to the University’s top female athlete. Following graduation, Marcoux Samaan served as assistant athletic director, assistant dean of admissions and coach of girls’ ice hockey and soccer at the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey.
She then began a 19-year career with Chelsea Piers Management, the company that owns and operates two world-class amateur sports complexes, Chelsea Piers New York and Chelsea Piers Connecticut, becoming executive vice president of Chelsea Piers' 400,000- square-foot multi-venue complex in Connecticut, a facility with more than 300 employees, including professional athletes, Olympians, former collegiate coaches, former Division I athletes and sports industry leaders.
In 2014, Marcoux Samaan was recruited back to Princeton as the University's Ford Family Director of Athletics. In her seven years as Director of Athletics, Princeton teams won a league-leading 65 Ivy League Championships and finished as high as 30th in the prestigious Learfield IMG Cup standings, which measures overall success of all Division I Athletics programs. During her tenure, Marcoux Samaan developed and executed a 5-year strategic plan that included the development of Princeton Tiger Performance, a unique holistic athletic performance initiative, and the design/development of over $200 million in facility renovations and new construction. In 2020-2021, Marcoux Samaan received the NACDA (National Association of College Directors of Athletics) Athletics Director of the Year Award.
A passionate golfer from a young age, Marcoux Samaan has taken that same long-term strategic thinking to the world’s oldest independent professional women’s sports league. In her tenure as LPGA Commissioner, she has defined the six strategic pillars and instituted a new Be Great performance model. She has worked closely with players, board members, partners, and independent advisors to crystalize the core purpose and values of the LPGA, which includes a firm commitment to being the global leader in women’s golf and using that unique platform to inspire, empower and transform the lives of girls and women on and off the golf course.
With a fervent commitment to working collaboratively with like-minded corporate partners, purses continue to rise on the LPGA Tour under Marcoux Samaan’s leadership with more than $95 million in total purses and events in 11 countries. 2022 has seen the highest purses and winners’ checks in women’s golf history. She also spearheaded the reorganization of the tournament business and operational models, as well as hiring the organization’s first chief marketing, brand and communications officer. She is committed to enhancing the LPGA player experience with a focus on the physiological, psychological and environmental factors leading to peak performance in golf and in life. She was instrumental in the rollout of the new LPGA Hall of Fame criteria and has focused new and substantial resources to the LPGA Growth Brands & LPGA Professionals, with the goal of integrating the organization and providing the game of golf to more girls and women from all geographic, racial and socio-economic backgrounds.
Marcoux Samaan has become a leader for all of women’s sports, assuming the spokeswoman mantel on issues related to equality and inclusion. She is a leading advocate for increasing investments and growing opportunities for women in girls in every field of sports and entertainment.
Susan Riel, Doyle Mitchell and Rick Adams
Regional Bank Leadeship
After the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, hard questions face the country and region's banking industry. How are local banks protecting themselves? How can we avert more bank collapses? Please join us on Monday, April 3rd at 12pm for a District Strong to hear from the leadership from some of the region's top banks: Susan Riel of Eagle Bank, Doyle Mitchell of Industrial Bank and Rick Adams of United Bank.

Deryl McKissack and Annelies Goger
How can we match DC's workforce to good-paying infrastructure jobs? Join us on Monday, March 6th from 12 pm to 1 pm for a District Strong with Deryl McKissack, founder of DC-based engineering and architecture firm McKissack & McKissack, and Annelies Goger, a leading scholar on workforce development at Brookings. The conversation will focus on the current state of workforce development in the District and strategies for building a stronger pipeline of workers. This is a great opportunity to learn about how to take advantage of the federal money coming in for infrastructure projects and build a more resilient and inclusive workforce in the nation's capital.

Jon Bouker and Ellen McCarthy
District Strong on Federal Land Use and Statehood
Please join us Friday, January 20th from 12pm to 1pm for a District Strong conversation on federal land use restrictions in the District with Jon Bouker, Partner and Government Relations Practice Co-Leader at ArentFox Schiff, and Ellen McCarthy, Principal of The Urban Partnership.
Private and public sector developers in the District face unique hurdles due to federal preemptions of what would be local decisions in any other jurisdiction. Such federal control holds back the promise and potential of the nation's capital. We've invited local land use experts to discuss how federal regulations hold back DC real estate development—and how statehood would help. The event will be co-moderated by Gregory McCarthy of Statehood Research DC and The Washington Nationals.

Kathryn Wylde and Jim Wunderman
Please join us on Friday, January 6, 2022 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm for a District Strong conversation about downtown recovery in New York and San Francisco with Kathryn Wylde, CEO of Partnership for NY and Jim Wunderman, CEO of Bay Area Council.
Downtowns across the country are struggling to recover to pre-pandemic areas. This is due to their disproportionate share of business closures, the lessening demand for downtown real estate due to remote work, and challenges associated with the loss of business travel and rise of e-commerce. We will see these issues from the viewpoint of two downtown experts, Kathryn Wylde from New York City and Jim Wunderman from Bay Area Council.

Elliot Ferguson and Angie Gates
Please join us on Wednesday, January 4, 2022 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm for a District Strong conversation about bringing tourists and events back to DC.
The District should be a top destination for tourists and conferences. Its economy and tax regime rely on those visitors spending dollars at hotels and restaurants. Much of the visitor traffic has recovered, but it's certainly not fully recovered, particularly for international travelers. And we should be aiming for more visitors than even before the pandemic. Join us on Wednesday, January 4th to hear from Elliott Ferguson of Destination DC and Angie Gates of Events DC to talk about their plan to boost tourism and events in the city.