During a legislative meeting and Committee of the Whole hearing on Tuesday, the D.C. Council deliberated on a bevy of mayoral agencies and boards. This particular meeting came after Melinda Bolling, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s nominee for director of the Department of For-Hire Vehicles, withdrew from consideration under pressure from the council.
With all the issues befalling the District, the nomination discussion proved to be compelling. The following list highlights six important nominations and what’s at stake for these newly confirmed agency heads.
Pamela Smith, Chief, Metropolitan Police Department
The D.C. Council unanimously approved Pamela Smith as chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Since D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) revealed Smith as her pick for MPD’s top spot, Smith has been making the rounds at public safety meetings, public safety walks, and crime scenes. She and her public safety colleagues also supported Bowser in her push for accountability measures.
Early on, Smith, a law enforcement professional with more than 25 years of experience, touted the need for a whole-of-government approach to addressing crime. In September, she released an updated strategic plan focused on crime prevention and intervention, accountability for perpetrators of crime, and sustainability via the recruitment of new officers and inclusion of partner agencies.
In her remarks before the council, Smith said she was speaking to agency leaders and building on what her predecessor, Robert J. Contee III, put in place. During the latter part of October, the Council Committee Public Safety and the Judiciary unanimously approved Smith’s nomination, with Council member Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) extolling Smith’s insistence on including families and boosting staffing within the police department.
A point of contention as expressed by Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5) on Tuesday morning was — and will most likely continue to be — Smith’s hesitance to ask officers to help the Office of the D.C. Auditor with its police staffing study. D.C. Auditor Kathleen Patterson said Smith described it as an issue for the police union to discuss.
Sam Abed, Director, Department of Youth and Rehabilitative Services
The council approved an emergency resolution confirming Bowser’s appointment of Sam Abed as director of the Department of Youth and Rehabilitative Services (DYRS).
However, this confirmation didn’t come without controversy. Council members Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) and Robert White (D-At Large) voted “present” while Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5) voted “no.”
In recent weeks, DYRS has come under scrutiny amid reports about dismal conditions at the Youth Services Center on Mt. Olivet Road in Northeast where male and female youth are detained by order of the court.
After learning about fights between youths and assaults on staff, Council members Trayon White (D-Ward 8) and Anita Bonds (D-At Large) and staff members from Council member Brooke Pinto’s office paid a surprise visit to USC on Monday.
After the visit, White, who oversees DYRS on the Council Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, recounted stories he heard from detained youth. He mentioned a lack of soap, educational neglect, and staff shortages that forced detainees inside their cells for hours at a time.
He also highlighted discrepancies between youth and staff members about the true nature of what occurs within the center’s walls.
During the council breakfast Tuesday, White once again decried the conditions and noted staff shortages and lack of cultural competency among those who work with Abed. Even so, he, Pinto and Bonds said it was best to follow through with the nominations. Pinto pressed for the staffing issue to be a top budget priority for fiscal year 2025.
In the interim, White said that Abed is in the process of drafting a plan. The Ward 8 council member also alluded to upcoming public hearings about conditions at the center. But those assurances didn’t suffice for Robert White, Allen and Parker, all of whom suggested postponing the confirmation until Abed presented his plan and the mayor’s office confirmed that the plan would be executed.
Abed comes to the DYRS from the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services where he served as secretary for more than a decade. In that role, he managed and operated the state’s juvenile justice system. He also chaired the Maryland Juvenile Justice Reform Council and served as director of a committee that implemented a development approach to juvenile justice reform.
Delano Hunter, Director, Department of General Services
The council unanimously approved Delano Hunter’s nomination for director of the Department of General Services (DGS).
Hunter, a native Washingtonian and longtime fixture in the D.C. government, was named acting director of the D.C. Department of General Services (DGS) in March. The Council Committee on Facilities and Family Services, chaired by Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), unanimously approved Hunter’s nomination on Oct. 23.
Before joining DGS, Hunter served as director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. In that role, he managed a comprehensive recreation system that includes more than 1,000 employees, 104 recreation facilities, 930 acres of green space, and more than 200 fields and playgrounds.
Since assuming the helm at DGS, Hunter has worked with George to improve the agency’s response to D.C. Public Schools, the Department of Parks and Recreation and other client agencies. After a citywide tour of schools and recreation centers this past spring, Hunter and George developed a plan for repairs, with Hunter pledging to strengthen communication with client agencies.
Other DGS priorities, as explained by George, who has oversight of DGS, include preventative maintenance of buildings, contractor accountability, and work order integrity. During the Committee of the Whole’s Tuesday meeting, however, Council member Christina Henderson (I-At Large) cited concerns about a delayed dog park construction project in Ward 7. Council member Anita Bonds (D-At large) also raised questions about DGS’ maintenance of green space that surrounds certain facilities.
Brian J. Hanlon, Director, Department of Buildings
The council unanimously approved Brian J. Hanlon’s nomination as director of D.C. Department of Buildings (DOB).
DOB came into existence last year after council legislation split the beleaguered D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs into DOB and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection.
Since Mayor Bowser (D) tapped Hanlon as DOB director in June, Hanlon has expressed a desire to tackle illegal construction, better enforce building codes and facilitate housing code inspections. He has also cited the development of the brand-new agency’s standard operating procedures as one of his primary goals.
As explained by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), Hanlon has navigated the confirmation process with few complaints about his leadership and expertise. During DOB Day, Hanlon explained the inner workings of the agency in a way that George said shows transparency. Council member Pinto also sang Hanlon’s praises, saying that he has shown diligence and passion for improving DOB.
Hanlon’s nomination as DOB director brought him back to the D.C. government, where he formerly served as the executive program manager at the Department of Real Estate and the Department of General Services’ first permanent director. He has more than 35 years of public and private sector experience as an architect and administrator.
Charles Hall Jr., Director, Department of Human Resources
The council unanimously approved Charles Hall Jr.’s nomination as director of the Department of Human Resources.
As D.C.’s human resources director, Hall would have control over a system that provides human resource management to District employees, attracts, develops and retains a public sector workforce, and provides employees with services, particularly performance management, benefits, and professional development.
Hall’s installment comes exactly a week after the D.C. mayor issued an executive order updating the D.C. government’s sexual harassment policy. He comes to the D.C. government from Baltimore where he served in numerous human resource leadership roles at Under Armour, Baltimore City Department of Public Works, Baltimore City Schools, and Baltimore City Community College.
Tiffany Crowe, Director, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
The council unanimously approved Tiffany Crowe’s nomination as director of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, one of two agencies that came out of the breakup of the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
Bowser tapped Crowe in early September. Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) sang Crowe’s praises on Tuesday, touting her engagement with the community and her insistence on ensuring stability and public trust within the new agency.
In her new role, Crowe would be responsible for licensing, business regulations, and investigating and enforcing the Consumer Protection Procedures Act. She comes from the Office of the Chief Technology Officer where she served as associate chief technology officer. Other experiences include the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau where, for nearly a decade, Crowe served as senior advisor and counsel to the associate director of supervision, enforcement and fair lending.