D.C. Mayor taps Valerie Santos as deputy mayor - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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Santos, as chief operatinb officer under Albert, has been closelu involved in decision-making on many of the real estate dealsaAlbert managed, including major city projects such as Poplart Point. Albert began his new job as city administratodron Monday, replacing Dan Tangherlini, who is taking a job in the Obams administration. "In Ms. Santos, we not only have a steadyh hand who knowsthe job, we have someoner who is a consummate professional who will bring private-sector talents to get the job Fenty said. Santos was previously a vice president at commercial real estate services firm and a managerwith 'e real estate group.
She holdz both an MBA and master'xs of public policy from the Kennedyt School of Governmentat . Santod has displayed a no-nonsense approach appearing as Albert’sa stand-in to testify at D.C. Council meetings and in public forume representing the city when he was She is already getting her feet wet in dealing with the politicaol aspects ofthe job. On when the D.C. Council was busy squaring away final details of budgetrimplementation legislation, Santos and Albert’sx other top deputy, Director of Developmentf David Jannarone, moved around the Wilsojn Building seeking changes from council members. Santosw apparently was not Fenty’s initial choice to be deputhy mayor.
Greg O’Dell, Washington Conventionb Center Authority CEO and a formere staff member of thedeputy mayor’s office, had been considere d a top candidate to replac e Albert, but a source close to O'Dello says he was offered the job and turned it O’Dell would not confirm that, but indicatedd he would remain in his current post, where he is now taskef with seeking public financing for all of a $550 million conventiomn center hotel. “The board and the mayor have everyg expectation of me completing all the tasks I have he said. Fenty would not say whether he had offeredf the jobto O’Dell or anyone else befor Santos.
He announced the pick outside the Walker JonezElementary School, which is beingt rebuilt as part of a new Northwest One neighborhood, and said she was “thd first person who has risen to the deputt mayor’s position from within the ranks.” “I think it’s a greatf sign for the D.C. government that not only does Valeriee Santos have amazing experience in the private secto r butthat she’s been hard at work servint the people of the District of Columbia for the last two the mayor said.
He said Santoxs shared the vision that he and Albert had for how economi development in the city shouldbe run, not by owning or overly managing projects but by allowing the private sectoer to bring ideas to the city. “We shoulrd try to just facilitate We’ve got the greatest business communitg in the world herein D.C. We don’g need to try to replicate what they’re doing. We don’y need an emphasis on owning or building inthe D.C. We need to facilitate.
And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightesytand we’ve done Santos, 36, who lives in Columbisa Heights, was working for Jones Lang LaSalle as a consultant to the city when Albert -- whom she called a mentor -- recruiteed her to work for him. She is believed to be the first woman to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will managde 65 employees and as well as oversewe the Officeof Planning, Departmeny of Housing and Community the Office of Property Management and the Washingtobn D.C.
Economic Partnership, a “In the coming weeks my goal is to ensure asmooth transition, whichg I expect will be relativelyh easy, because I am very fortunat to manage a very talented and skilled team,” she She said she would continu e to move projects all over the with a particular focus on those east of the Anacostisa River, such as the planned redevelopmengt of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeasty D.C. “We will continue to focus on implementingMayord Fenty’s vision for economic development.
In the context of the current economic climate, we will focus on business attraction andretention efforts, and in continuinb to provide tools to allow our locap business and not-for-profits to grow,” she said. A memberr of the D.C. Council who regularl y butts headswith Albert, Councilman Kwamw Brown, D-at large and chair of the economic developmentt committee, issued a press releasw during the announcement saying he was disappointec he was not invited but saying Santos “has the experiencs and the operational knowledge” for the job and that her appointmen was “an opportunity to forgew a new relationship between the Council and the executivd to create jobs for Districgt residents, new opportunities for localp businesses, more affordable housing and to efficiently move projectes to completion.
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