Fri. July 31, 2015
Washington, D.C. – The Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) board of directors announced July 30 that Neil O. Albert, former D.C. deputy mayor and city administrator and current senior policy advisor for Holland & Knight’s Public Policy & Regulation Practice Group, has been named executive director of the Downtown BID. “We are pleased and excited to announce that Neil Albert has agreed to serve as the new executive director of the Downtown BID,” said Michael McCarthy, chairman of the BID board of directors and vice president/director of acquisitions for Quadrangle Development Corporation.
“Neil brings city experience, private and public sector connections and a deep commitment to D.C. to this position and we are certain he will help sustain and build upon the past success of the Downtown BID.” An executive search committee, comprised of officers and board members, was appointed late last fall to conduct a national search for a successor to outgoing founding Executive Director Richard H. Bradley. Bradley announced last year his decision to relinquish his role after serving in his position for 18 years.
The BID board of directors on Thursday unanimously voted to approve the selection of Albert. Albert will assume the role of executive director in the fall.
“I’m honored to be chosen to lead the Downtown BID and look forward to building on the solid foundation established by Richard Bradley and the staff of the BID,” said Albert. “The Downtown BID for 18 years has contributed to the economic, safety, cultural, transportation and infrastructure improvements of downtown and has helped catalyze the growth and development of Washington, D.C. I look forward to working with the BID’s board of directors and many partners to continue the valuable contributions of the Downtown BID to this city.”
Prior to joining Holland & Knight in 2011, Albert served as city administrator and as deputy mayor for planning and economic development for Mayor Adrian Fenty. Albert co-founded and served as CEO of educational services firm, EdBuild in the District. He also served under Mayor Anthony Williams as deputy mayor for children, youth, families and elders and director of the District’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Albert currently serves as vice president of the board of library trustees and chair of the facilities committee for the Martin Luther King. Jr. Memorial Library, located in the BID.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled that Neil has been selected. He is the right person to sustain the many partnerships— public, civic and business— that have enabled Downtown to flourish,” Bradley said. “Neil will bring a fresh perspective, economic development expertise and the clarity of what it takes to lead the BID in a downtown that serves as the economic engine for the city and the region.” Bradley will continue to play a supportive role for the BID and he intends to remain engaged in larger planning and development activities serving downtown and the city at-large.
Bradley will continue to serve as executive director until Albert begins serving in his new capacity at the BID this fall.
Since 1997, the BID, under Bradley’s leadership, has significantly transformed public spaces in Downtown, creating and fostering transportation systems including the DC Circulator and the bikeshare system today known as Capital Bikeshare, championing major development projects such as CityCenterDC and setting citywide standards. As the first BID in Washington, D.C., the Downtown BID laid the groundwork for future BIDs. Today, there are nine BIDs in the District.
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The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) is a private non-profit organization that provides capital improvements, resources and research to help diversify the economy and enhance the Downtown experience for all. This special district, where property owners have agreed to tax themselves to fund services, encompasses a 138-block area of approximately 520 buildings from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west. As a catalyst, facilitator and thought leader, the DowntownDC BID promotes public/private partnerships to create a remarkable urban environment. For more information, visit DowntownDC.org or follow us on Twitter @downtowndcbid.