D.C. Mayor taps Valerie Santos as deputy mayor - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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Santos, as chief operating officer undedr Albert, has been closely involved in decision-making on many of the real estats dealsAlbert managed, includint major city projects such as Poplar Point. Albert began his new job as city administratordon Monday, replacing Dan who is taking a job in the Obama "In Ms. Santos, we not only have a steady hand who knowsathe job, we have someone who is a consummates professional who will bring private-sector talents to get the job Fenty said. Santos was previouslty a vice president at commerciao real estate services firm and a managerfwith 's real estate group.
She holds both an MBA and master'ds of public policy from the Kennedy Schooll of Governmentat . Santos has displayed a no-nonsens approach appearing as Albert’s stand-in to testify at D.C. Counci meetings and in public forumas representing the city when hewas unavailable. She is alreaduy getting her feet wet in dealing with the political aspects ofthe job. On Tuesday, when the D.C. Councipl was busy squaring away final details of budget implementation legislation, Santos and Albert’s other top deputy, Director of Development David Jannarone, moved around the Wilsomn Building seeking changes from council members.
Santos apparently was not Fenty’a initial choice to be deputyy mayor. Greg O’Dell, Washingtob Convention Center Authority CEO and a former staffd member of thedeputy mayor’s had been considered a top candidate to replacre Albert, but a source close to O'Dell says he was offerecd the job and turned it O’Dell would not confirm that, but indicater he would remain in his current post, wher he is now taskef with seeking public financing for all of a $550 million conventiomn center hotel. “The board and the mayor have every expectation of me completing all the tasks I have he said.
Fenty would not say whethef he had offered the jobto O’Delol or anyone else before Santos. He announced the pick outsides the Walker Jones Elementary which is being rebuilt as part of a new Northwest One and said shewas “the first person who has risenb to the deputy mayor’s position from within the “I think it’s a great sign for the D.C. governmeny that not only does Valerie Santoas have amazing experience in the private secto butthat she’s been hard at work servinh the people of the District of Columbiwa for the last two years,” the mayo said.
He said Santos shared the vision that he and Albert had for how economic development in the city shoulcdbe run, not by owning or overlyu managing projects but by allowing the privatre sector to bring ideas to the “We should try to just facilitate We’ve got the greatest business community in the worldc here in D.C. We don’t need to try to replicate what they’rre doing. We don’t need an emphasis on owning or buildiny inthe D.C. government. We need to And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightes tand we’ve done that.
” Santos, 36, who lives in Columbiaa Heights, was working for Jones Lang LaSallwe as a consultant to the city when Albert -- whom she called a mentor -- recruited her to work for him. She is believerd to be the first woman to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will managew 65 employees and as well as oversee the Office of Department of Housing andCommunity Development, the Office of Propertyh Management and the Washington D.C.
Economic Partnership, a “In the coming weeks my goal is to ensures asmooth transition, which I expect will be relativelyt easy, because I am very fortunate to manage a very talentee and skilled team,” she She said she would continue to move projectsw all over the city, with a particular focus on thoswe east of the Anacostia River, such as the plannedd redevelopment of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C. “We will continue to focuw on implementingMayor Fenty’s vision for economic development.
In the contextf of the currenteconomic climate, we will focus on businesd attraction and retention efforts, and in continuing to providr tools to allow our local busineszs and not-for-profits to grow,” she said. A member of the D.C. Councilk who regularly butts headswith Albert, Councilmanm Kwame Brown, D-at large and chair of the economic development committee, issued a press release during the announcement sayingf he was disappointed he was not invited but saying Santos “has the experience and the operational knowledge” for the job and that her appointment was “ab opportunity to forge a new relationshiop between the Council and the executivwe to create jobs for District new opportunities for loca l businesses, more affordable housing and to efficiently move projects to completion.
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