Muriel Bowser serves as Washington, DC’s seventh elected Mayor. Sworn in on January 2, 2015, she pledged to bring a fresh start to the District of Columbia, create pathways to the middle class for residents, and foster a culture of inclusion, transparency and action.

Mayor Bowser expanded opportunity across all 8 Wards of DC by strengthening job training programs, and by attracting and retaining jobs in the District. As of the first quarter of 2016, there are burgeoning projects across the city that will eventually deliver 32,000 new jobs. Washington, DC is the economic engine of the metropolitan region, and has one of the strongest local economies in the country.

Mayor Bowser is committed to producing, protecting and preserving affordable housing. In her first budget, she devoted an historic $100 million to the Housing Production Trust Fund, putting an unprecedented number of affordable housing units into the pipeline. She also made historic investments in education to accelerate the pace of education reform. DC has the fastest improving urban school district in the nation.

The Mayor is committed to making sure every Washingtonian gets a fair shot, including its most vulnerable residents. When she came into office, she pledged to end homelessness. She has taken bold moves to deliver on that commitment, including releasing a plan to replace the city’s largest family shelter with small, dignified family housing.

In everything she does, the Mayor puts District residents first, and ensures that the city’s priorities match the peoples’ priorities. She holds community engagement forums to solicit public input prior to finalizing her fiscal year budget. She is creating a more transparent and open government through a cutting edge open data policy. She championed the successful launch of one of the largest, most transparent body worn camera programs in the nation, to enhance trust between the community and DC’s metropolitan police department. And she launched an inclusive technology program to support startups and entrepreneurs offering products and services to underserved communities.

Prior to her time as Mayor, Bowser served as the Ward 4 councilmember of the DC Council – first elected in a special election in 2007, and re-elected in 2008 and 2012. As a Councilmember, Bowser served as the Chairwoman of the Committee on Economic Development which created more than 5,000 units of affordable housing, passed legislation to build a new soccer stadium and secured from the federal government the best portion of the Walter Reed campus for DC. Bowser led her colleagues to pass comprehensive ethics reform and increased transparency in government contracting.

Bowser also served as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in the Riggs Park neighborhood. A native Washingtonian, Bowser earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Chatham University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from American University.

Mark Clouse is the President of the Washington Commanders, where he oversees all

facets of the team's business, community, and stadium operations. Clouse joins the Commanders after nearly three decades of experience in the food industry, including senior management positions at Fortune 200 companies leading many iconic brands. He most recently was the President & CEO of The Campbell's Company, over his 6 years in the role, he oversaw brands including Goldfish, Rao's, Pepperidge Farm, and more.

Prior to his time at The Campbell's Company, Mark served as the CEO of Pinnacle Foods and as Chief Commercial Officer & Chief Growth Officer at Mondelēz International. In addition, Mark has had leadership roles in Brazil, China, and Singapore while working at Kraft Foods.

Mark also served in the United States Army as a pilot and completed his service as a

Captain. Mark is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and holds a

Bachelor of Science in Economics. He also currently serves on the board of directors at

the BrownForman Corporation.

Mike Drye is a Partner and Director of Business Development for the Sports practice at HKS, the lead architect for the Washington Commanders' new stadium on the RFK Campus. Throughout his career, he has stayed focused on delivering innovative solutions for every project, regardless of scale. Mike is focused on aligning clients' visions with the HKS team's passion for creating highly tailored, 1-of-1 venues to deliver legendary results throughout the world. Mike is currently working with the Commanders and the District to deliver the new stadium in our nation’s capital.

Brian J. Hanlon is the Director of the Department of Buildings, appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser in May 2023 and confirmed by the DC Council in November 2023. On November 4, 2025, Director Hanlon was also appointed by the Mayor as the RFK Project Executive. In this role, he is responsible for the planning and delivery of the new RFK stadium, associated infrastructure, and the Mayor’s vision for the RFK campus.

Director Hanlon is an accomplished administrator, leader, and registered architect with more than 35 years of private and public sector experience. 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.

His mantra for the DOB team is to “Keep it Safe” through rigorous enforcement of the life safety provisions of the construction and housing codes, to “Keep it Green” by encouraging sustainable construction practices and forward-looking updates to the green energy code, and “Keep it Moving” to reduce process friction for developers, design professionals, builders, and homeowners to drive economic development.

Director Hanlon’s mission helps support Mayor Bowser’s transformative Growth Agenda. He emphasizes that DOB is a catalyst for economic development in the District, and under his leadership, DOB has launched new programs that move building projects along faster, such as Concept Review, Pop-Up Permits, and Fast Track Fit Outs. The agency is doing more than ever to ensure DC residents have safe housing thanks to new inspection and enforcement initiatives, stronger collaborations with public- and private-sector partners, and more community outreach efforts.

Tom Webster is Metro’s Chief of Planning and Performance Officer and leads Metro’s teams responsible for planning, sustainability, capital programming, performance, data analytics, and strategy and policy development. Tom is passionate about Metro’s role in connecting people with opportunities and the value transit delivers to our communities, environment and future. Tom joined Metro in 2012 and has held several leadership roles in strategy, planning, capital programming, and management and budget. Prior to joining Metro, Tom served in leadership and management roles at the Maryland Department of Transportation and in Montgomery County government. Tom earned his Bachelor’s in Policy Studies and History from Syracuse University, as well as a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse.

Mike O’Hara is a Principal and Regional Development Manager for Bohler DC, with 30 years of

experience in civil engineering design a strong focus on urban redevelopment throughout the

District and Northern Virginia. Over the course of his career, he has helped generate

development opportunities and led a diverse portfolio of projects, including large-scale mixed-

use, residential, commercial, higher education, retail, industrial, and adaptive reuse

developments. Mike’s solutions-driven mindset delivers meaningful value to both projects and

the neighborhoods they shape. This experience is evident in the key leadership roles he has

played on many of the region’s most prominent development initiatives including the

redevelopment of Union Market District, The Stacks, The Fields at RFK Campus, Potomac Yard

in Arlington/Alexandria, and numerous developments surrounding Nationals Park.

Passionate about advancing the land development industry, Mike is committed to shaping local

policy and driving economic growth in the DC region. He co-chairs the Washington DC

Economic Partnership (WDCEP), serves on the Federal City Council, and sits on the ULI

Washington Advisory Board, Housing Council, and the NAIOP DC Executive Committee. He

also serves on the Board of Directors for the DC Building Industry Association (DCBIA) and

contributes to key working groups with DDOT, DOEE, DOB, and DC Water.

Matthew Bell, FAIA FCNU is a registered architect who specializes in large-scale architecture and urban design. He is Professor of Architecture at the University of Maryland and Principal at Perkins Eastman in Washington, DC and has been active throughout the Washington/Baltimore region with projects ranging from waterfronts, new towns, and neighborhoods to residential projects, civic, and mixed-use buildings and schools. He has served as president of the Neighborhood Design Center in Baltimore and Prince George's County, Maryland, assisting communities and community groups in matters of urban design and planning and was the Director and Conference Chair of the Northeast

Regional meeting of the Mayor's Institute for City Design. Bell’s graduate students at Maryland have twice won the Urban Land Institute/Gerald Hines Urban Design and Development Competition. Bell is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the Congress for the New Urbanism. His professional work has received awards from the American Institute of Architects, the Congress for the New Urbanism, the USGBC, NAIOP, the Urban Land Institute and the Committee for 100 on the Federal City. Bell has degrees in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Notre Dame and Cornell

University and serves on the Historic Preservation Review Board in Washington, DC.

Christopher Livingstone has more than 20 years of infrastructure consulting experience focused on the transportation sector, including state and local government entities overseeing transportation and mobility-focused projects.

Chris Northrup is a Private Banking Officer at United Bank, leading client development

and relationship management for high-net-worth individuals and families. He delivers

strategic, customized financial solutions designed to exceed expectations and help

clients reach their financial goals. By aligning each client’s vision with a coordinated

team across deposit, lending, and wealth management, Northrup provides

comprehensive, highly tailored outcomes all under the umbrella of white glove service.

Northrup graduated from West Virginia University. He is currently a member of the

Economic Club of Washington and serves on the Board of Trustees of Emerging

Scholars, an education nonprofit focused on expanding opportunity for children in the

DMV. Passionate about financial literacy, Northrup works with children to build

foundational money skills and volunteers as a Lunch Buddy at the Bishop Walker

School.