Building Tomorrow’s DC: Featuring Mayor Muriel Bowser
Speaker Bios
Keith Anderson was appointed Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure (DMOI) by Mayor Bowser on October 13, 2023. Anderson, one of the longest-serving cabinet members, returns to lead the cluster in which he began his service in District Government. Previously, he served as Interim Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, Director of the DC Department of General Services, Director of the DC Department of Parks and Recreation and Director of the DC Department of Energy and Environment.
With his extensive background overseeing the District’s environmental and sustainability programs, managing the District’s portfolio of buildings, and leading the District’s recreational facilities, spaces, and programs, Anderson will elevate and align the work of the DMOI cluster to support DC’s comeback. He brings deep institutional knowledge of District Government and strong insight of the hopes and needs of community partners to the cluster that works each day to build safer, stronger, and more resilient DC.
Genevieve Hanson has spent over 19 years overseeing real estate transactions and assets valued over $6 Billion and has more than 10 years’ experience as a strategy and operations consultant. Genevieve is the CEO and Founder of H & H Realty Group focused on leveraging real estate consulting and multi-family development to generate social and environmental impacts.
Prior to H & H, Genevieve was a Partner at Ernst & Young, LLP, providing real estate strategy services to the Dept of Commerce, Veterans Affairs, Army, Navy, Air Force, HUD, City of Baltimore and University of Pittsburgh.
As an Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Genevieve led real estate policy, asset management, supply chain operations and sustainability program.
While at U.S. General Services Administration and the DC Government Deputy Mayor’s Office for Planning and Economic Development, Genevieve managed the strategy, solicitation process and deal structure for multiple acquisitions and dispositions for properties up to 110-acres.
Genevieve earned a B.A. in International Relations from the College of William and Mary and an MBA from the University of Chicago
Suzanne White serves as Vice President of Real Estate Services at the Washington DC Economic Partnership, an economic development partner with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development in DC. Suzanne is focused on corporate office attraction, expansion, and retention throughout DC. Suzanne works closely with regional tenants and all key players in commercial real estate to help attract and grow the number of jobs and the amount of office space leased in the District.
Suzanne brings more than 16 years of commercial real estate brokerage experience to WDCEP, representing both landlord and tenant clients in transactions that encompass all facets of commercial leasing. Suzanne was previously a Director at Newmark, focused on landlord representation, and Vice President with CBRE, focused on multimarket real estate portfolios in its Global Corporate Services Group. Suzanne started her career in brokerage after years as a reporter at the Washington Business Journal where she covered commercial real estate. Suzanne is active in her community as a volunteer at Miriam’s Kitchen and Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland.
Suzanne holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and Psychology from Michigan State University.
Kathleen Beeton was confirmed as the Zoning Administrator in November 2023. She is a highly accomplished urban planning professional with more than 28 years of experience in local government. Previously serving as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and the Deputy Zoning Administrator for the Department of Buildings (DOB), Kathleen provides strategic leadership, organizational expertise, and cross-functional coordination for the day-to-day operations of DOB.
Kathleen began her service as Deputy Zoning Administrator in the Office of the Zoning Administrator in May 2010. Prior to her work for the District of Columbia, Kathleen worked for the City of Alexandria, Virginia as a Division Chief in the City's Planning and Zoning Department. Kathleen managed the long-range planning program, which included comprehensive general plans, sub-area master plans, a transportation plan, and a collaborative planning area program with contiguous jurisdictions.
A resident of the District of Columbia for more than a quarter century, Kathleen has earned a Master of City and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.) from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, in Urban Studies from Albion College. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and the American Planning Association (APA).
Esther Ezra is the Deputy Director of Real Estate in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). She supports the Director in overseeing the inter-agency acquisition, asset management, leasing, disposition and strategic planning of a portfolio of District-based development projects worth over $13 billion. Located across all eight District Wards, the projects vary in size from small-scale neighborhood retail to the 100 acre St. Elizabeth’s East Campus Redevelopment to the $4 billion initiative to reclaim the long-neglected Anacostia Waterfront.
Ms. Ezra measures the agency's success primarily in the maximization of public value and community benefits negotiated into land dispositions, including additional affordable housing, underserved community economic development, job creation and small and local business development. She leads a team of project managers who provide an open, transparent, responsive and service-oriented real estate department for the residents and businesses in the District of Columbia.
Ms. Ezra joined DMPED in 2017 as an Associate Director of Real Estate overseeing a cohort of project managers and projects. Prior to joining DMPED, Ms. Ezra worked as an attorney, analyst, banker, marketing specialist, project manager, consultant and executive for local landlords and developers. Ms. Ezra began her career with Citibank and more recently was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University teaching the Capstone course in the Master of Real Estate program. Ms. Ezra holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Marketing from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Tiwana Hicks is the current Associate Director of the Portfolio Management Division for the Department of General Services (DGS) and ensures all District of Columbia employees have a safe space to effectively serve residents. As a responsive and effective action-oriented leader, Tiwana leads a team of real estate experts who oversee and manage the District’s leasing, acquisition, and disposition activities for over 39 million square feet of improvements and 1,400 properties, valued at over $20 billion.
In her previous role as Realty Officer, Tiwana managed the DGS Portfolio Verification Project, inventorying and assessing all District-owned real estate assets. Tiwana was recognized by DGS leadership in 2017 for her efforts in developing the customized ARCHIBUS system, an Integrated Workplace Management System, which was the first-ever city-wide portfolio management database to be designed and implemented.
Prior to joining DGS in 2017, Tiwana served in both the public and private sectors, honing her skills in transactional real estate, project management, database and systems design management, and administrative law.
Tiwana is a native Washingtonian, proud product of the District of Columbia Public Schools system, and hardworking mother of two. She holds an undergraduate degree from Howard University and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Sharon Kershbaum is currently appointed as the Interim Director of the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT). Director Kershbaum is a seasoned public sector administrator with extensive local and federal operations experience. Prior to DDOT, she worked as the Chief Operating Officer of the DC Department of Human Services. Sharon previously served at the US Department of Treasury as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget. Sharon also worked for the District Government during the Fenty Administration as a “CapStat” Program Manager in the City Administrator’s Office as well as the Deputy Chief Procurement Officer. Sharon worked at Fannie Mae as Chief of Staff and Director in its Community Lending Division and for the City of Philadelphia as a Deputy Budget Director. Sharon also served as Executive Director of Operation Understanding, a youth leadership development program with a mission to foster harmony and understanding between the African-American and Jewish communities in Philadelphia.
Sharon has served as a Fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration since 2016. She received her MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and her BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Monty Hoffman formed Hoffman & Associates in 1993 with a single townhouse conversion and has since then transformed the company into a nationally recognized market leader across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. With more than 30 years of experience, Monty actively leads the company’s business development, market strategy, and design initiatives for every Hoffman & Associates project.
Monty has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and CNN, and recognized in the power lists of Washington’s SmartCEO’s Future 50, Commercial Observer and was recently recognized as Washington Business Journal’s Developer of the Year and Washingtonian of the Year.
He is a founding board member of the DC Students Construction Trades Foundation, which provides educational and apprenticeship opportunities for District students interested in design, engineering and construction. He served on the DC Public Schools Engineering Advisory Board and Federal City Council board and is an active board member of the Southwest Business Improvement District.
Monty graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology.
Amy Bowser is an Executive Vice President in CBRE’s Mid-Atlantic Brokerage Group. Ms. Bowser represents owners and tenants for sale and lease transactions of commercial office space. She has specialized in the Washington, DC Office market since 1999 and leads one of DC’s top Agency Leasing teams.
Ms. Bowser has completed over 600 transactions totaling 11.5 million square feet and over $6.5 billion in value. Notable deals include law firm Williams & Connolly’s 300K SF lease at The Wharf in 2022 and The Washington Post’s move to One Franklin Square in 2015. Ms. Bowser is also active in DC's efforts to revitalize its downtown, serving as a board member for the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District.
During her career, Ms. Bowser has been recognized several times for her involvement in complex, high-profile office deals. She was an honoree of The Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business in 2022. Ms. Bowser was named the #1 leasing agent in the District for 2019 and 2021 by CREBA. Commercial Observer included her in DC’s 25 Most Powerful Real Estate Players for 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Before joining CBRE, Ms. Bowser spent nearly 25 years at JLL, where she was consistently recognized as a top performer.
Vicki Davis is a Managing Partner, and co-founder of Urban Atlantic. While overseeing development and asset management for Urban Atlantic, Ms. Davis has managed the development of more than $3 billion in real estate projects and overseen a portfolio in excess of $5 billion in real estate investments. Her 30-year real estate career includes serving as Deputy Director of the Maryland Housing Fund and its Housing and Community Development’s Division of Credit Assurance, as well as portfolio management for MNC Financials’ South Charles Realty Corp. and multifamily development for Trammell Crow Residential. She has developed more than 10,000 multifamily residential units and nearly 3 million commercial square feet for Urban Atlantic, including 11 large-scale public-private redevelopments for local jurisdictions, transit authorities, and public housing authorities in DC, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Tennessee.
Ms. Davis holds an MBA in Finance from American University, an MS in Engineering & Construction Management from the University of Texas, and a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland. She serves on the Boards of the DC Building Industry Association, Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District, ULI Terwilliger Center, and CulturalDC.
Solomon Keene is the President of the Hotel Association of Washington, D.C. (HAWDC). Established in 1906, HAWDC stands as a non-profit trade association championing the interests of District of Columbia's hotels. Our Association actively represents hotels in diverse legislative, governmental, and public affairs spheres.
Since 2007, Solomon has dedicated his expertise to HAWDC, serving in various capacities including member services, government affairs, legislative affairs, community affairs, workforce development initiatives, labor relations, and communications.
Since 2007, Solomon has dedicated his expertise to HAWDC, serving in various capacities including member services, government affairs, legislative affairs, community affairs, workforce development initiatives, labor relations, and communications. Prior to joining HAWDC, Solomon was in the financial services industry as a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley in Ormond Beach, FL. Upon moving to Washington, DC Solomon worked with the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones.
Solomon is a native of Newport News, VA and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, FL and holds a Masters of Public Administration (MPA).
Muriel Bowser is the seventh elected mayor of Washington, DC. She has a strong record of creating a bold urban policy agenda, making tough decisions in a high stakes environment, and shaping a diverse economy.
Mayor Bowser has served her hometown in elected office since 2004 as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (2004-2006), Member of the DC Council (2007-2015) and now Mayor since 2015. On November 8, she became only the second person elected three times as mayor of Washington, DC. She is the first African American woman to be elected to three, four-year terms as mayor of an American city.
Since taking office, Mayor Bowser has boldly reset DC’s global and national competitiveness, sped up affordable housing production, diversified the DC economy, oversaw consistent enrollment growth across the District’s public schools to its highest enrollment since Home Rule, increased satisfaction in city services, refocused our efforts around achieving statehood, and invested in programs and policies that allow more families to live and thrive across the city.
Mayor Bowser is a strong leader and crisis manager with 25 years of management and financial experience balancing budgets, achieving AAA bond ratings, and clean audits. Faced with the health and economic challenge of the century, Mayor Bowser guided Washington, DC through COVID-19, racial and justice protests, pandemic-spawned crime and unemployment increases, and the events of January 6th. She commissioned the first Black Lives Matter public street mural, which established a safe area for police and demonstrators using public art, inspiring dozens of others around the world. She reorganized the government to respond to the multiple threats and led over 200 hours of public press updates and national press briefings. She issued over $2 billion in unemployment, rent and business relief and secured federal reimbursement, and drafted recovery and growth strategies that will return DC to pre-pandemic revenue levels in less than one fiscal year.
Mayor Bowser made and kept bold promises on the creation of affordable housing a hallmark of her service to DC. And she has been at the forefront of national thought leadership on affordable housing and homelessness. She led the U.S. in per capita affordable housing investment; committed an all-time high $1 billion of city resources to tackle affordable housing; and led the National League of Cities task force to craft a federal call to action on the affordable housing crisis.
Mayor Bowser is committed to an equity agenda; she has focused on investing in DC small businesses and since the beginning of her Administration has increased the District’s spending in the CBE community from just over $300 million to over $1.1 billion, publishing a Green Book listing for DC government and regional partner procurement opportunities. Mayor Bowser also created the first ever Office of Racial Equity, Office of Gun Violence Prevention, expanded the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program to young people up to age 24, and funded the first ever Black Homeownership Fund. In two short years, she will deliver on her promise to deliver a full-service hospital in Ward 8.
Mayor Bowser has played key roles in delivering transformational economic development projects, creating jobs and housing for DC residents—including the Audi Field, the Entertainment and Sports Arena, St. Elizabeths, Walter Reed, McMillan, and The Wharf.
Mayor Bowser has served as a Board Member of the Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, chaired the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board and serves on the Advisory Boards of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the African American Mayors Association. She is a graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and of Leadership Greater Washington. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Chatham University and a Master of Public Policy from the American University.
Mayor Bowser tells everyone that there’s only one job better than being mayor of her hometown, and that’s being Miranda’s mom. Mayor Bowser was blessed to become a mom by adoption and proud to show everyone that there are many ways to be a family. She and Miranda call Ward 4 home.