15 Things You Need to Know This Morning

Title: President, Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District
Job: Economic development, attract and retain retail and office tenants, work with Clean Team ambassadors, marketing and event planning and advocating for parks, streetscapes and public improvements. 
Years on the job: 2.
Organization: Covers Mass Ave to the south, 7th St to the west, NY Ave to the north and New Jersey Ave to the east–1.7M SF of office, 5,300 residents and over 50 restaurants and retailers (75% locally owned).
Memorable project: The Yards Park–worked on creation of 5-acre riverfront park in the Capitol Riverfront, completed Sept. 2010. Transformational effect on community, leading to new access and engagement with river, modern design and vibrant neighborhood space.
Current project: Gathering historical and cultural “fun facts” about Mount Vernon Triangle for unique campaign about MVT’s connection to CIA and Hollywood. It’s also home to the world’s largest one-story bowling alley, 160-year-old churches and Prather’s Alley bakeries. 
CRE career: Started with work on Center City Action Agenda in 2005 with Office of Planning, Downtown BID and 200 CRE stakeholders.
Grew up: Madison, WI.
Current home: Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard.
Why DC: Interned for Sen. Russ Feingold.
Schools: Cornell and Oxford.
First job: Waitress at Inn Ivy–small hotel restaurant.
Job in another life: Something in the arts–singer, painter, photographer.
Daily habit: Building (and knocking down) towers of blocks with son.
Favorite app: Weather.com.
Favorite live show: Second City–Chicago comedy group.
Favorite restaurant: Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar.
Favorite music: Fun. at the moment. 
Recent vacation: Safari in South Africa.
Guilty pleasure: Pumpkin pie (all year round).
Bucket list: Visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Family: Married three years; one son and four fish.
Hobbies: Reading, jogging, playing Settlers of Catan board game and travel.
Startling fact: Raised a baby squirrel at age 10.