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
Learn more about our speakers
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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 the National Links Trust
National Links Trust - Golf in the Nation’s Capital
Please join us on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. for a District Strong conversation with Co-Founder Michael McCartin and Executive Director Damian Cosby of National Links Trust (NLT).
NLT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to positively impacting local communities across the United States by protecting and promoting accessible, affordable and engaging municipal golf courses. In October 2020, NLT signed a 50-year lease with the National Park Service to operate and rehabilitate Washington, DC’s three public golf courses – Rock Creek Park Golf, Langston Golf Course, and East Potomac.
While planning in preparation for the projects is ongoing, NLT has worked to improve the conditions and operations at these facilities and conducts community-focused initiatives. These include the Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program, environmental sustainability projects to improve local ecosystems, a free family event series open to all in the community, and partnerships with other local non-profit organizations.
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact FC2’s Communications Associate, Ally Schultz, at aschultz@federalcitycouncil.org.
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.
Learn more about our speaker:
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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.
District Strong with Jodie McLean and Anthony Lanier
Innovations in Retail
Join us for a District Strong on Friday, June 16th from 12 pm to 1 pm. Featuring Jodie McLean, CEO of EDENS and Anthony Lanier, President and CEO of EastBanc, this webinar promises to be an insightful and engaging opportunity to explore the latest trends, strategies, and success stories in the realm of retail and downtown revitalization.
Register to Attend
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact FC2’s Communications Associate, Ally Schultz, at aschultz@federalcitycouncil.org.
Learn more about our speaker:
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Read Jodie’s District Leaders Profile here.
Jodie W. McLean is Chief Executive Officer of EDENS, one of the nation’s leading private owners, operators and developers of retail real estate. With a more than 25-year tenure at EDENS, she has been a key player in the company’s growth and expansion to its current marketplace leadership, capitalized by blue chip investors and assets valued at $6.5 billion.
Jodie is responsible for EDENS’ strategy to move the portfolio to major urban centers and first-ring suburbs, creating a portfolio of assets that are the center of community life. She was named Chief Investment Officer in 1997, President in 2002 and CEO in 2015. Overall, she has been responsible for the development, redevelopment, acquisition and disposition of more than $20 billion in retail assets. McLean passionately believes that retail should evolve beyond a shopping experience, and advocates for connectivity to the communities surrounding the company’s retail centers. To ensure this, each EDENS development is crafted to serve as an authentic gathering place, including a unique merchandising mix and welcoming design elements, fostering a sense of engagement with its neighbors.
A native of Chicago, IL, she holds a B.S. in Finance and Management from the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, and a degree from South Carolina Honors College.
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Anthony Lanier founded EastBanc in 1987 and is involved in all development decisions and the strategic direction of the firm. Over the course of his career Anthony has co-developed over four million Sq ft. of mixed use commercial Real Estate in multiple countries.
Anthony and his team offer superior local market expertise with substantial positive experience in successful zoning entitlement, neighborhood advisory political negotiations and large-scale Class A mixed-use development planning.
District Strong with Joe Sternlieb, Rachel Clark and Brenda Richardson: Working with the NPS
Many of the District's parks are owned and operated by the National Park Service. Activating, maintaining and improving those parks can sometimes be a challenge for DC residents who use them day-to-day. How can we better cooperate with the NPS to create public spaces that work best for everyone? To clue us in on the regulatory hurdles and opportunities and share findings from a recently released report on the topic, we've invited Joe Sternlieb (Georgetown BID), Rachel Clark (GWU) and Brenda Lee Richardson (Friends of Oxon Run) for a District Strong on Wednesday, May 31st from 12 pm to 1 pm.
District Strong with Dr. Michelle Walker-Davis, Derrick Mashore and Patricia Brantley
Half of DC students attend public charter schools and the District provides over $1 billion in funding for students at charters. What financial challenges do charters face? How do they navigate them and how are they different from the challenges of DCPS?
District Strong with Thomas Fulcher, Amy Bowser and Phil McCarthy
Exactly how dire are economic headwinds facing downtown commercial real estate markets? To tease out facts from headlines, we have welcomed leading voices from the real estate broker world—Thomas Fulcher (Savills) and Phil McCarthy (Transwestern)—for a District Strong on Monday, May 8th from 12 pm to 1 pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a better understanding of the economic issues and their potential impact on the market.
District Strong with Sheryl McMullen (Calgary) and Paul Levy (Philadelphia)
Downtown needs more residents. The District is just starting on a slew of conversions and Mayor Bowser's budget gives more incentives to promote more. Two cities—Philadelphia and Calgary—are ahead of the game when it comes to conversions and have plenty of lessons to offer the District. Please join us on Monday, May 1st from 12 pm to 1 pm to hear from Paul Levy (Philadelphia) and Sheryl McMullen (Calgary) about how the District can best reach its downtown housing goals.
Paul Kihn
Pathways to Success: Enhancing Career Opportunities for DC Residents
How can we make sure that more DC residents are on pathways toward rewarding careers? Join us on Monday, April 24th from 12 pm to 1 pm for a discussion with Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn. He will discuss this year's budget and the ways that the District is supporting young people with finding and keeping good jobs, learning while at work, and how the District will track what is working and what needs to change.
Learn more about our speaker:
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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.
Harriet Tregoning and Billy Grayson
The Future of Cars In Cities
Join us on Friday, April 14th from 12 pm to 1 pm for “The Future of Cars in Cities”. Commuting patterns and personal mode preferences have shifted. The District is in a great position to lead the conversation about how cities should plan for and design their downtown transportation systems and connections to the suburbs. Our esteemed speakers include Harriet Tregoning, the Director of NUMO, the New Urban Mobility alliance, and a renowned expert on urban planning, smart mobility, and community development, as well as Billy Grayson, the executive director of the Urban Land Institute's Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance, and an expert in sustainability development for companies and organizations.
Candice Jones, Jason Willis and Linda Harllee Harper
Stopping Youth Violence in the District
Violent crime committed by young people is up in the District. Why and what can the city do about it? Please join us for this important discussion about how to intervene to steer young people away from criminal behavior on Monday, April 10 from 12 pm to 1 pm. We will be joined by three experts in the field: Candice Jones (Public Welfare Foundation), Jason Willis (UDC) and Linda Harllee Harper (DC Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement).
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.

Randy Clarke and Kate Mattice
50 Years of MetroBus
Join FC2 and the MetroNow Coalition on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm for a District Strong Conversation with Randy Clarke, CEO and General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Kate Mattice, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). Register here: bit.ly/betterbusDS
Now is the time for better transit and bus service in our region. As we look back on 50 years of MetroBus, it is essential that we prioritize buses on our roadways, dignify the ridership experience, and work better together on transit. We look forward to hearing from Randy and Kate on how we can #BetterBus.
Co-hosted by Kathy Hollinger, CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, this is a unique opportunity to engage with transportation experts, advocates and stakeholders in a lively discussion about how we can build a better, more sustainable bus network for our region.
Prior to the conversation, please feel free to read the MetroNow Coalitions's 2023 Bus Transformation Project Progress Report.

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.

Charlene Drew Jarvis and Colbert I. King
Celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth and the 50th anniversary of DC Home Rule with us at #DistrictStrong tomorrow, February 27th, at 12pm! Join former DC Councilmember Charlene Drew Jarvis and columnist Colbert I. King as they explore the city's rich history of black culture and the impact of Home Rule on black communities.

District Strong on GMU in the Regional Economy
George Mason University (GMU) is a pillar of the Northern Virginia economy, both as an educator and as an innovation hub. Please join us this upcoming Friday, February 10, 2023, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm for a discussion about the university and its place in the regional economy with President Gregory Washington and FC2 Trustee and current member of the GMU faculty The Honorable Thomas M. Davis.
IN-PERSON District Strong with John Falcicchio
Please join the Federal City Council on Thursday, February 9th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm as we discuss the city's 5-year economic plan with John Falcicchio, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development in the District of Columbia. This event will take place at Martin Luther King Jr. Library (901 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001).
The MLK Library is located near the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro Station, serviced by the Yellow, Green, and Red Lines. Leave through the "9th Street" exit. The library is also accessible via Metro Center, serviced by the Orange, Silver, and Blue lines. Exit at the corner of 11th Street NW and G Street NW. Please note, the MLK Library does not have any public garages associated with the building. Therefore we urge you to take public transportation or ride-share.
Once you arrive, please come to the main entrance and use the elevators to the right. The event will take place in the 5th floor event space.
*Please note there will be an optional networking lunch from 11:30am to 12:00pm*

David Roodberg, Joseph Reilly and Theresa Backus
Please join us on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 from 12pm-1pm for a conversation on building energy performance standards. We welcome David Roodberg, CEO and President of Horning Brothers, Joseph Reilly, Vice President of Akridge, and Theresa Backus, Associate Director of Outreach and Engagement at Building Innovation Hub.

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.

Christina Grant and Carey Wright
Please join us on Friday, January 13, 2023 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm for a District Strong conversation about how to teach reading well in the District and other major cities.
We welcome Dr. Christina Grant, the State Superintendent of Education in Washington, DC and Dr. Carey Wright, the former State Superintendent of Education in Mississippi to talk about the measures and reforms necessary to improve student achievements in reading.

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.

Kimberly Russo and Kelly Sweeny McShane
Health disparities in the city are high. Part of the problem is a lack of access to high-quality and emergency care facilities. Plans are in the works to change that. A new hospital will be built in Ward 8, along with several healthcare clinics in lower-income areas. Thank you to our speakers, Kimberly Russo, Chief Executive Officer of The George Washington University Hospital, and Kelly Sweeny McShane, Chief Executive Officer of Community of Hope.

Yesim Sayin and Nate Edwards
Commercial property values downtown are plummeting as fewer workers come back to offices and some tenants are jumping ship. How far will values fall? What does this mean for the city's commercial tax base? How bad is the situation in the District compared to other cities? We invited two economy experts walk us through commercial real estate value trends.

Paul Dougherty, Matthew Pestronk, and Gary Cohen
Please join us on Monday, October 31, 2022 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm for a District Strong conversation with FC2 Trustees Paul Dougherty, President and Chief Investment Officer of PRP Real Estate Investment, Matthew Pestronk, President & Co-Founder of Post Brothers, and Gary Cohen, Chairman of Willco.
Although many office workers are returning to the office, it's unlikely they will return to pre-pandemic levels. That means downtowns office-heavy real estate will have to evolve to meet the new demand, which will likely be for more residential options. We've invited three of the city's downtown real estate heavy weights to discuss how office-to-residential conversions are going, how many more are planned, and how downtown's built environment may change into the next decade.