15 Things You Need to Know This Morning

Title: Executive Director, Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District
Organization: Covers 34 blocks; $550k annual budget; one full-time staff, six Clean Team members, Safety Ambassador and Security Director; activities include six-week Summer Concert series, five-week movie series and annual Porch Fest (music-centered on residential porches).
Members: 220 commercial property owners and 330 business owners.
Years on the job: 6
Memorable project: Completion of 18th Street Streetscape in 2012 – $6.5M, 11-month total infrastructure renovation from Florida Ave., to Columbia Rd.
Current projects: Bringing Big Bus Tours and attracting tourists to neighborhood shopping, dining and entertainment; and creating valet stands throughout commercial corridor to improve 100-year-old limited parking problem. 
CRE career: Started as Communications Director for then Council Member Muriel Bowser. Realized economic development was changing city landscape.
Challenges: One-person office handling everything from bulk trash needing a pick-up to fielding reporters’ inquiries to planning for the next movie or concert series, while running between meetings with DDOT or ANC most evenings. 
Grew up: Syracuse, NY.
Current home: Brightwood, DC. 
Why DC: Family visited aunt and uncle every summer and fell in love with the city at young age. Started life here after grad school.
Schools: Alleghany College (BA) and University of Pittsburgh (MPIA).
First job: Receptionist at orthodontist office.
Job in another life: Airline pilot.
Daily habit: Swim at YMCA.
Favorite app: ParkMobile.
Favorite movie: Miracle on 34th Street.
Favorite musicians: King Soul, Cravin Dogs, Oxymorons, Beat Hotel and Jelly Roll Mortals. 
Favorite vacation spot: Yellowstone National Park.
Guilty pleasure: Any kind of cheese.
Bucket list: Staying at Raffles Hotel in Bali.
Hobbies: One live music concert weekly.
Startling fact: Bionic and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.