15 Things You Need to Know This Morning

Title: President/CEO, Washington, DC Economic Partnership.
Photo: SXSW kick-off event last week with WDCEP’s Tiffany Thacker, Damelia Shaw, and Julie Weber. 
Job: Attracting retail and tech to DC and working with brokers to fill office space. (Current vacancy: 12%.) 
Years at current position: 3; been with WDCEP 11. 
Organization: Team of 12 focused on business development and attraction, research, and marketing. 
Memorable project: Opening 28 grocery stores since 2001, which makes DC more livable. Most recent was Mom’s Organic Market in November. 
Current project: Getting ready to attend SXSW in Austin (WDCEP’s biggest presence so far) and RECON in Vegas to attract more tech and retail to DC.
Career start: Opened and managed Whole Foods around the country and got exposure to impact of retail on emerging neighborhoods. Most memorable was Lincoln Park in Chicago – Whole Foods’ first flagship store in the area. 
Grew up: Greensboro, NC.
Current home: Riggs Park in NE.
Why DC: Relocated to Whole Foods’ Georgetown store.
School: North Carolina Central University.
First job: Age 8-10, stocked candy aisle at father’s grocery story. Paid in candy.
Job in another life: Bass player in a jazz band. 
Daily habit: Take different route to and from work to scout opportunities in different neighborhoods. 
Favorite app: LinkedIn.
Favorite movie: Love Jones.
Favorite restaurant: Casa Luca.
Favorite music: Cassandra Wilson and Earth, Wind, and Fire. 
Favorite vacation spot: Gullah Islands, South Carolina.
Guilty pleasure: Pancakes at Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan.
Bucket list: Visit Sydney, Australia.
Hobbies: Started playing jazz bass after being on bucket list for 30 years. 
Startling fact: Owns over 200 vintage matchbox cars from childhood.