About UsWho We Are

Who We Are

BID SAM Ambassadors pose for a group photo at Bike to Work Day 2017. Photo: Rich Kessler, 2017

Staff
Ambassadors
Board of Directors
Employment Opportunities

The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) was founded in 1997 and is a private non-profit organization that provides capital improvements, resources and research that keep the BID area clean, safe, economically and environmentally strong and accessible. The DowntownDC BID is a catalyst, facilitator and thought leader in diversifying the economy, promoting public/private partnerships and enhancing the DowntownDC 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 properties 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.

The DowntownDC BID employs Safety/Hospitality and Maintenance ambassadors, also known as SAMs, who keep DowntownDC streets clean, safe and friendly and assist residents, workers and visitors with a variety of needs. Administrative and management staff are experienced and knowledgeable individuals who share a passion and vision for improving the physical, economic and social environment in DowntownDC.
Read the BID's 2017 Annual Report

Our

Staff

Executive

Neil Albert
President & CEO

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Neil Albert has been President and CEO of the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) since September 2015. Prior to joining the BID, Neil was a senior policy advisor at Holland & Knight LLP in their public policy and regulation practice for over 4 years. Neil’s career in DC includes senior executive service with the Govermnent of the District of Columbia including serving as City Administrator and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development for Mayor Adrian Fenty and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and Director of Parks and Recreation for Mayor Anthony Williams. From 2005-2007, Neil co-founded and led EdBuild, an educational services firm focused on improving public and charter schools in DC. Neil is a member of the 2013 class of Leadership Greater Washington. Neil was named a 2016 Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader and was selected by the Washington Business Journal in 2015 as a Power 100 of 2015 “Connector." Neil serves on the board of several civic and public organizations. He currently chairs the board of commissioners of the District of Columbia Housing Authority, is a member of the executive committee of the DC Policy Center, and is a member of the board of the International Downtown Association (IDA). Neil Albert earned an MBA in finance from the New York Institute of Technology and is an avid marathoner.

Essence Smith, Executive Assistant & Program Analyst

Administration

Nabavi Oliver
Director of Administrative Services

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Nabavi Oliver, Esq. is the BID’s new Director of Administration, responsible for human resources and internal operations, corporate matters and board responsibilities. Nabavi joins the BID from EagleForce Associates, Incorporated, where he served as the Director of Business and Legal Operations. He brings an array of proven expertise in increasing revenue and generating processes and procedures that create lasting success and sustainability. Nabavi’s passion for helping emerging and established organizations to thrive has driven his career in both the public and private sectors. Among his significant previous positions, Nabavi worked for the District of Columbia in the Office of Contracting and Procurement, Department of Human Resources and the Executive Office of the Mayor. Previously, Nabavi practiced law at Dewey & LeBoeuf in New York, where he is still barred. Nabavi earned his J.D. from Barry University School of Law and a Bachelor’s of Science from Florida State University. He is a D.C. resident.

Jalal Chaoui, Payroll Manager

Jalal Chaoui (Jay) is the Payroll Manager for the DowntownDC BID, where he is responsible for processing payroll and employee benefits. He previously served as the operations office manager for the SAM ambassadors where he oversaw office payroll and monitored equipment, uniforms, and supplies. Jay joined the BID in December 2001 with a background in hospitality. He served at the Marriott Hotels for 10 years as a staff accountant. He earned a degree in Physics from Rabat Science University in Morocco.

Jeremiah DeSousa, Administrative Assistant/Receptionist

Jeremiah DeSousa joined the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) as an Administrative Assistant in 2016. He formerly worked as a BID Safety/Hospitality Ambassador. In previous roles, Jeremiah dedicated his time to the education and promotion of social justice and homeless outreach programs.

Parker Roach, Human Resources Manager

Parker Roach joined the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) in May of 2012 with over 15 years of human resources and personnel management experience. Parker is a former Business and Human Resource Administrator for the Harwood Foundation, a non-profit organization serving people with disabilities. Parker also served as the National Recruiter and HR Generalist for SourceAmerica, formerly known as NISH. Parker is a graduate of Morgan State University. Parker is active in his community, serving as Advisor and Director of Tournaments for Braddock Road Youth Club and is the Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach for Paul VI Catholic High School’s girl’s basketball program. Parker is also the bassist for his church choirs.

Tyrell Thomas, Acting IT Associate

Finance

Bertha A. Gaymon
Chief Financial Officer

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Bertha A. Gaymon is the Chief Financial Officer of the DowntownDC BID. She also serves as the fiscal agent for 12 BID subsidiary and affiliate corporations and oversees finance and budgeting, accounting and internal controls, project management and contract administration. Bertha joined the BID as the Finance and Administration director responsible for a full range of financial, human resources and administrative activities in 1997. Over the years, she has been instrumental in keeping the organization’s budget in balance and increasing its assessment collection rate. Bertha has extensive experience in bank negotiations and relations, inventory control systems and directing and managing the business and fiscal affairs of government and non-profit organizations. Before joining the BID, she served as the director of finance and administration for the Finance Project, a specialized non-profit firm that caters to public and private sector leaders, and was the corporate director of the National Commission on Children, a bipartisan entity chaired by Senator John D. Rockefeller IV. She also has served in various positions in the Prince George's County government and the state of Maryland. Bertha received a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. She is the board treasurer of her homeowners’ association and a Finance Committee member at her church. Bertha resides in Maryland and is married with three children.

DeLores Dickens, Accounts Receivable Assistant

DeLores M. Dickens joined the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) in October 1997 as receptionist/assistant to the president. She was previously employed with the International Downtown Association as a receptionist and office assistant, the U.S. Information Agency as an office manager/clerk in the books program department and the Pax River Naval Air Station as an office clerk.

Lulu Liu, Senior Accountant

Lulu Liu serves as Senior Accountant for the DowntownDC BID, maintaining the organization's general ledger and preparing month-end close procedures, reconciling account balances and bank statements, documenting, monitoring internal controls to ensure compliance and preparing the budget. Lulu also assists with performing variance analyses and with financial and tax audits. Lulu joined the BID in Jan. 2005 with a background in accounting. She previously served as staff and senior account in various positions in the commercial and non-profit sectors and with government contractors. She has also served as an instructor in the Beijing Teacher Institute. Lulu holds a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Baltimore and a Bachelor's degree in Education from Beijing Normal University.

Charles McFadden, Finance Assistant

Charles McFadden serves as the Administrative Assistant for the Finance Department, monitoring the finance calendar to ensure that deadlines are met, responding to questions and requests for information, creating spreadsheets to report various departmental expenditures, managing inventory of assets, monitoring aged payables and performing all other required general office support for department. Charles joined the DowntownDC BID in 2007.

Infrastructure

Ellen Jones
Deputy Executive Director

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Ellen is the Deputy Executive Director of the DowntownDC BID. She is the BID's former director of Public Realm Infrastructure, which included transportation, parks, and open spaces. Ellen began her tenure at the BID in transportation, managing the planning, implementation and marketing of the DC Circulator in collaboration with the city and other business improvement districts in 2003-2005. Making the DowntownDC BID bicycle-friendly has been an ongoing commitment for the BID, which started with bicycle parking installation in public space and includes piloting bike-sharing and creating the Pennsylvania Avenue protected bike lane in 2009. Ellen is directing the creation of a Public Realm Master Plan for over 50 locations in the BID. Partnerships with public and private entities will be essential to the implementation of the plan as exemplified by the current transformation effort for Franklin Park. In 2018, the BID will become the manager and operator of the park as part of a Federal/District/BID partnership. Ellen has a Masters of Public Affairs from the LBJ School, University of Texas, and is a D.C. resident.

Alex Block, Infrastructure & Planning Manager

Alex Block is an urban planner with 10 years experience in transportation planning, urban development and public policy. Alex loves to figure out the details of how cities work. Prior to joining the DowntownDC BID, Alex worked for the DC Office of Planning and as a transportation planning consultant. Alex holds a masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Homeless Services

Linda Kaufman
Director of Homeless Services

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Prior to becoming the Director of Homeless Services for the DowntownDC BID, Linda Kaufman was the National Movement Manager for Community Solutions where she worked to engage individuals, communities, and organizations in large-scale social change to end homelessness. Linda has worked in homeless services in DC since the mid-1980s, including as Chief Operating Officer of Pathways to Housing DC. She is a frequent and sought-after local and national speaker. Linda has a fierce love of justice, which drives her commitment to end homelessness. Using humor, compassion, and an awesome ability to tell stories, she is able to move a group of people to do things they never thought possible. Her thirty-year commitment working with homeless individuals has galvanized into a joyous and steely resolve to end homelessness. Linda received a Masters of Divinity at Virginia Theological Seminary, is ordained as an Episcopal priest, and ministers at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. She and her wife, Liane Rozzell, have two sons, one grandson, and a dog.

Marketing & Communications

Rachel Rose Hartman
Director of Interactive Marketing & Communications

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Rachel Rose Hartman is the Director of Interactive Marketing and Communications for the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID), directing marketing, events, branding and communications for the organization. Rachel previously held the position of communications manager at the BID where she fulfilled the roles of press liaison, spokesperson, editor, writer and email marketer. Rachel first joined the BID in Jan. 2014 with 12 years of political journalism experience. She previously held the positions of White House Reporter and Political Reporter for Yahoo News after covering several election cycles as a daily reporter for Congressional Quarterly. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Daily Beast and many additional publications and she has served as a guest on national and local television and radio. Rachel holds a degree in print journalism from American University. Rachel serves on the board of directors for the National Cherry Blossom Festival and was named a 2017 Emerging Leadership Fellow for the International Downtown Association. For press inquiries, please contact Rachel at rachel@downtowndc.org.

Roquois Clarke, Digital Content and Design Assistant

Roquois Clarke joined the DowntownDC BID in 2016 as Digital Content and Design Assistant, managing the BID's social media, website and web content, design projects and more. Roquois has experience working for various companies and non-profits including Scholastic Book Fairs, GWT Philanthropy, SEE Eyewear, the Adams Morgan BID and more. Roquois graduated with her Bachelors of Science degree in computer animation from Fullsail University and received the Advanced Achievers Award. Roquois is a professional singer/songwriter.

Adrian Saunders, Digital Communications and Design Manager

Adrian Saunders is a D.C.-area native with over ten years of design experience. Formally educated in architecture, Adrian uses his ordered sense of design to clearly articulate ideas across a variety mediums, from award-winning branding and graphic design, to web design and application development. At the DowntownDC BID, Adrian manages the organization’s day-to-day print/digital design projects and works with the Digital Content and Design Assistant to further the BID’s mission. When not designing, Adrian enjoys utilizing his creativity in other ways including photography, carpentry and digital fabrication. Adrian holds B.S. in Architecture from Catholic University.

Remi Wallace, Events and Strategic Partnerships Manager

In the effort to make DowntownDC the city’s premier destination, Remi develops exciting and creative opportunities to promote the DowntownDC brand and its visibility through public programming. Previously, Remi was Program Manager- External Relations at the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Remi holds a bachelor's degree in African American Studies from Howard University and has spent the majority of her professional career in arts management and hospitality in Washington, DC.

Ebony Walton, Marketing & Communications Manager

Ebony Patrice Walton is the DowntownDC BID's marketing and communications manager where she develops and produces website, marketing and multimedia content, creates promotional campaigns and strategies and conducts outreach to various BID stakeholders. Ebony began her tenure at the BID as a marketing assistant. She has worked in various capacities and on many projects and events that include the Momentum Awards, State of Downtown, banner permitting, uniform brand standards and holiday decor. She earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast news from Howard University. Ebony has held several pageant titles such as Miss Black Florida USA, Miss Black USA and Miss Black World DC. Ebony grew up in Miami, Florida and now resides in Maryland with her husband and three children.

Public Space Operations

David Pollard
Acting Director of Public Space Operations

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David M. Pollard II joined the DowntownDC BID as Deputy Director of Operations in November 2010, overseeing the BID's ambassadors. Prior to the BID, he served as the Security Director for Whelan/SFI at the American Red Cross. David has an extensive, +20 year career in the security industry managing large contracts within the Washington Metropolitan Area ranging from Reagan National Airport and Union Station to Gannett/USA Today. David currently serves on the Board of Directors for “In Gods Loving Hands,” a non-profit organization working with children and families with intellectual or physical disabilities.

Ronald Jones, Maintenance Services Manager

Ronald "Ron" Jones has worked for the DowntownDC BID for 10 years overseeing the Maintenance ambassadors. He previously worked for the D.C. Department of Public Works in the Special Operations Division. Ron says that being able to be a part of the positive change in the city and the area where he lived as a child has been more than he could have imagined.

Sandra Tapscott, Operations Assistant

Sandra M. Tapscott is a Washington, D.C. native who has worked for the DowntownDC BID since 2011. She transitioned to her current role of Operations Assistant in 2017 following six years of experience at the BID as a Safety/Hospitality Ambassador. Sandra also works for the Smithsonian National Zoo. She has a background in hospitality and education with previous experience at the Newseum, DC Public Schools, Archbishop Carroll High School and Gallaudet University.

Photo: Ebony Walton, 2016.

safety/hospitality & maintenance

ambassadors

Supervisors

Lawrence Alston, Maintenance Supervisor

Michael Creed, Safety/Hospitality Supervisor

Ethel Frye, Maintenance Supervisor

Alfreda Mintah, Dispatch

Blanca Ramirez, Maintenance Supervisor

Crystal Saunders, Safety/Hospitality Supervisor

Dion Simmons, Maintenance Supervisor

Charlie Stevenson, Maintenance Supervisor

Michael Williams, Maintenance Supervisor

Safety/Hospitality Team

Barron Avent-Bey, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Rayshawn Boseman, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Juvina Brown, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Mary Brown, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Michael Bunn, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Marquez Clifford, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Alyce Easterling, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Claudell Epps, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

David Hall, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Linda Jeter, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Roy Johnson, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Ronald Lloyd, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Okumu Oyoo, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Donna Riley, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Montee Saunders, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Jamil Thompson, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Robert Toney, Safety/Hospitality Team Member

Maintenance Team

Marquise Adams, Maintenance Team Member

Jose Tomas Avelar, Maintenance Team Member

Timothy Bolden, Maintenance Team Member

Bernard Bond, Maintenance Team Member

Wayne Cain, Maintenance Team Member

Norma Canales, Maintenance Team Member

Lurie Carlton, Maintenance Team Member

Elmer Coreas, Maintenance Team Member

Joe Cunningham, Maintenance Team Member

Raymond Dantzler, Maintenance Team Member

Anthony Davenport, Maintenance Team Member

Walter Davis, Maintenance Team Member

Rene Diaz Morales, Maintenance Team Member

Brandon Dixon, Maintenance Team Member

Keith Dorsey, Maintenance Team Member

Jhonte Eskridge, Jhonte Eskridge

Marcus Gethers, Maintenance Team Member

Nelson Giron, Maintenance Team Member

Chantyyra Graham, Maintenance Team Member

Antowan Grant, Maintenance Team Member

John Griffin, Maintenance Team Member

Tyrell Hale, Maintenance Team Member

DeMarco Head, Maintenance Team Member

Kevin Hill, Maintenance Team Member

Charles Jackson, Maintenance Team Member

James Jackson, Maintenance Team Member

Ernest Johns, Maintenance Team Member

Detz Johnston, Maintenance Team Member

Brittney Johnson-Colston, Maintenance Team Member

Derrick Jones, Maintenance Team Member

Terrence Kelley, Maintenance Team Member

Manuel Loza, Maintenance Team Member

Jessie Marlow, Maintenance Team Member

Julio Martinez, Maintenance Team Member

Antoine Miller, Maintenance Team Member

Frank McCoy, Maintenance Team Member

Julio Mendez, Maintenance Team Member

Andrew Moton, Maintenance Team Member

Roderick Robinson, Maintenance Team Member

Sarvelio Rodas, Maintenance Team Member

Rosa Rosales, Maintenance Team Member

Harold Royal, Maintenance Team Member

Lorenzo Sanders, Maintenance Team Member

Hector Segura, Maintenance Team Member

Lorine Simon, Maintenance Team Member

Jermaine Simpson, Maintenance Team Member

Arnold Solis, Maintenance Team Member

Charles Stroud, Maintenance Team Member

Dillon Williams, Maintenance Team Member

Michael Winder, Maintenance Team Member

Famlea Wolf, Maintenance Team Member

Phillip Wright, Maintenance Team Member

Marcus Young, Maintenance Team Member

The BID Board of Directors participates in a board meeting. Photo: Adrian Saunders, 2013.

board of

Directors

Board of Directors 2017 - Executive Committee

Randall Boe, Chairman

Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Monumental Sports and Entertainment

Robert H. Braunohler, Second Vice Chair

Regional Vice President, Property Group Partners

Kingdon Gould III, Past Chair

Vice President, Gould Property Company

Peter D. Johnston, First Vice Chair

Senior Vice President & Regional Manager, Boston Properties

Matt Klein, Past Chair

President, Akridge

Ginger Laytham, Secretary

Senior Executive Officer to the President, CEO and Chairman, Clyde’s Restaurant Group

Michael McCarthy, Past Chair

Corporate Vice President, Quadrangle Development Corporation

Gregory A. O'Dell, Member

President and Chief Executive Officer, Events DC

Chase Rynd, Treasurer

President and Executive Director, National Building Museum

Yeni Wong, Member

President, Riverdale International

Board of Directors 2017

Anthony Balestrieri, Member

Director & Head of Acquisitions, Metlife

Jeffrey Bank, Member

Chief Executive Officer, The Alicart Restaurant Group (Carmine’s)

Ann Chisholm, Member

District of Columbia Government Relations Officer, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Donna Cooper, Member

President, PEPCO

Jackie S. Duke, Member

Regional Vice President of Operations, Brookfield Properties

Thomas E. Finan, Member

Managing Director, Trammell Crow Company

Scott Frisch, Member

Chief Operating Officer, AARP

Mary Gilbert, Member

Regional Commissioner, U.S. General Services Adminstration

Brian Grant, Member

1st Vice President, Equity Residential

Kathy Guy, Member

Vice President, JBG Smith

Thor C. Headley, Member

Vice President, Hines

Norman Jemal, Member

Principal & Senior Vice President, Douglas Development Corporation

Chris Jennings, Member

Executive Director, The Shakespeare Theatre Company

Steven Jumper, Past Chair

Director of Corporate Public Policy, Washington Gas Light Holdings Inc.

Boo Kim, Member

Director of Operations, District Commons

Tom Knoll, Member

Pastor, First Trinity Lutheran Church

Carol Lascaris, Member

President Emeritus, National Museum of Women in the Arts

Gregory Leinweber, Member

General Manager, Hotel Monaco

Robin McClain, Member

Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Destination DC

Wallace Mlyniec, Member

Lupo-Rici Professor of Clinical Legal Justice; Director, Juvenile Justice Clinic, Georgetown Law

Christopher P. Mundy, Member

Senior Vice President, Oxford Properties Group

Stew Newbold, Member

Director of Restaurant Operations, ThinkFoodGroup

Todd Payne, Member

Government Affairs Manager, Microsoft

Lisa Ruggles, Member

Senior Vice President, Portfolio Research, CoStar Group, Inc.

Kim Sajet, Member

Director, National Portrait Gallery

Kenneth Schwartz, Member

Partner, Arnold & Porter LLP

John Smith, Member

General Manager, Macy's

Gail Smith-Howard, Member

General Manager, Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill

Paul R. Tetreault, Member

Director, Ford’s Theatre

Gerardo Martinez Freyssinier, Liaison

Communications Senior Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank

Thomas James, GSA Liaison

Deputy Regional Commissioner for Public Buildings Service, GSA National Capital Region (nominee)

Kyle Ragan, GSA Liaison

Office of Facilities Management, GSA National Capital Region