D.C. Mayor taps Valerie Santos as deputy mayor - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Santos, as chief operating officer under has been closely involvedin decision-makinvg on many of the real estate dealx Albert managed, including major city projects such as Poplard Point. Albert began his new job as city administratordon Monday, replacing Dan Tangherlini, who is taking a job in the Obam a administration. "In Ms. we not only have a steady hand who knowwsthe job, we have someoned who is a consummate professional who will bring private-sectodr talents to get the job done,” Fentyg said. Santos was previousl y a vice president at commercial real estatre services firm and a managertwith 's real estate group.
She holds both an MBA and master'as of public policy from the Kennedyu School of Governmentat . Santos has displayef a no-nonsense approach appearing as Albert’s stand-in to testifuy at D.C. Council meetings and in public forum representing the city when hewas unavailable. She is already getting her feet wet in dealing with the political aspects ofthe job. On Tuesday, when the D.C. Council was busy squaring away final details of budget implementation legislation, Santos and Albert’s other top Director of Development David moved around the Wilson Buildinfg seeking changes from council members. Santos apparentlg was not Fenty’s initial choic e to be deputy mayor.
Greg O’Dell, Washington Convention Center Authorityu CEO and a former staff membe of thedeputy mayor’s office, had been considerecd a top candidate to replace but a source close to O'Dell says he was offered the job and turnedf it down. O’Dell would not confirm but indicated he would remain in hiscurrent post, where he is now tasked with seeking public financinbg for all of a $550 million convention centee hotel. “The board and the mayor have every expectation of me completing all the tasks I have he said. Fenty would not say whether he had offered the jobto O’Dello or anyone else before Santos.
He announced the pick outsid the Walker JonesElementary School, which is beiny rebuilt as part of a new Northwestr One neighborhood, and said she was “the firsgt person who has risen to the deputy mayor’es position from within the ranks.” “I thinki it’s a great sign for the D.C. governmentg that not only does Valerie Santoxs have amazing experience in the privatse sector butthat she’s been hard at work servingt the people of the Districtr of Columbia for the last two the mayor said.
He said Santos shared the visiom that he and Albert had for how economixc development in the city shouldbe run, not by owning or overl managing projects but by allowing the private sector to bring ideasx to the city. “Wew should try to just facilitate development. We’ve got the greatest businesws community in the world herein D.C. We don’t need to try to replicat what they’re doing. We don’t need an emphasisa on owning or building inthe D.C. We need to facilitate.
And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightesftand we’ve done Santos, 36, who lives in Columbiq Heights, was working for Jones Lang LaSallew as a consultant to the city when Albert -- whom she calledc a mentor -- recruiterd her to work for him. She is believed to be the firsf woman to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will manages 65 employees and as well as oversees the Officeof Planning, Departmeng of Housing and Community the Office of Property Management and the Washingtomn D.C. Economic Partnership, a contractor.
“In the coming weekss my goal is to ensure a smooth which I expect will berelativelyg easy, because I am very fortunate to manage a very talentef and skilled team,” she said. She said she woule continue to move projects all over the with a particular focus on thosee east of theAnacostia River, such as the plannedc redevelopment of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C. “We will continue to focus on implementingMayor Fenty’s vision for economic development. In the contextg of the currenteconomic climate, we will focuws on business attraction and retention efforts, and in continuing to providde tools to allow our locakl business and not-for-profits to she said.
A member of the D.C. Councipl who regularly butts headsswith Albert, Councilman Kwame Brown, D-at large and chair of the economixc development committee, issued a press release duringh the announcement saying he was disappointed he was not invitex but saying Santos “has the experiencs and the operational for the job and that her appointment was “an opportunityu to forge a new relationship betweebn the Council and the executive to create jobs for District residents, new opportunities for local more affordable housing and to efficiently move projectws to completion.
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