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GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
| OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS |
ONE JUDICIARY SQUARE
441 FOURTH STREET, N.W.
SUITE 1100
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20001
(202) 727-6224 |
For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, December 7, 1999 |
Contact: Vera Jackson
Germonique Jones
(202) 727-5011 |
Mayor Williams Announces New Deputy Mayor Model
Mayor Announced Two Other Key Appointments in his Administration
(Washington, D.C.) Mayor Anthony A. Williams today announced the appointment of his
four Deputy Mayors. The new deputy mayor model will restructure the District government's
executive leadership. Deputy Mayor's were appointed for Economic Development, Children,
Youth and Families, Public Safety and Operations, during a press conference at One
Judiciary Square.
"The Deputy Mayor system will enable us to make lasting improvements to service
delivery," said Mayor Williams. "We have been fortunate to have had the benefit
of Norman Dong as our interim City Administrator, who has risen to the occasion and done
an outstanding job managing all of these disparate agencies. But now, rather than have one
person responsible for all of the agencies, we have four area specific experts."
Erik Christian was announced as Deputy Mayor for Public Safety. In this capacity, he
will oversee such agencies as the Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of Fire
and Emergency Medical Services and the Department of Corrections. Mr. Christian will be
responsible for implementing the Mayor's Public Safety Initiatives throughout the
District. His goal will be to achieve public safety results in the District through the
collaboration of various governmental agencies and the community.
Carolyn Graham was announced as the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth and Families. She
will be responsible for the human services cluster, including the Department of Human
Services, Of fice on Aging, Department of Recreation and the Department of Health. Her
goal is to create a comprehensive, fully integrated and accessible system of human
services delivery for children, youth and families of the District of Columbia.
Eric Price was introduced as the current Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. His
appointment was effective last October. As Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Mr.
Price will oversee such agencies as the Department of Housing and Community Development
and the Department of Employment Services. His goal will be to make the planning process
sensitive and appropriate for neighborhoods while coordinating the various governmental
agencies to attract new development.
Norman Dong was named the Deputy Mayor for Operations and City Administrator. Mr. Dong
previously served as Acting City Administrator. In this new capacity, Mr. Dong is
responsible for handling the day-to-day operations of the city to translate the Mayor's
vision into the practical reality of how the government operates. He will oversee such
agencies as the Department of Public Works and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
Also, he will oversee the areas of District wide initiatives, performance measures,
strategic planning and competitive services.
"When we looked at our agencies and the services they provide, we saw that they
fall within four priority areas. These are the same priorities that I have been focused on
since the day I announced my candidacy for Mayor," said Mayor Williams. "We will
have clear lines of accountability, and better opportunity for cooperation across agency
lines."
The District Government looked at such cities as Chicago, New York, Phoenix, Boston,
Seattle and San Diego, Atlanta and Boston, to see how those cities organized their
governments to deliver services. Other cities that use the Deputy Mayor Model include
Detroit, Indianapolis, New York City, and Phoenix.
The Mayor also announced the appointment of Robert Rigsby as Corporation Counsel. Mr.
Rigsby has been serving as the District's Interim Corporation Counsel and chief law of
ficer since July. He has been an important partner in the District's citywide effort to
make neighborhoods safe, and is pushing forward with community prosecution and other
reforms.
"In a short time, Mr. Rigsby has helped me to navigate through some complex
issues, and has been a steadfast steward of the public trust," said the Mayor.
"He has shown the kind of leadership our Corporation Counsel's office needs over the
long term to make it a model agency."
The Mayor also appointed Grace Lopes to the position of Special Counsel of
Receiverships and Institutional Reform Litigation. In this capacity, she will coordinate
the District's interaction with the receivers, and work closely with the Mental Health,
Foster Care and Housing receivers.
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Erik P. Christian
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
Erik P. Christian has been appointed by Anthony A. Williams as Deputy Mayor for Public
Safety and Justice. In this position, he will be responsible for implementing the Mayor's
Public Safety Initiatives throughout the District. His goal will be to achieve public
safety results in the District through the collaboration of various governmental agencies
and the community.
Mr. Christian was detailed to the District government in June of this year to serve as
a senior adviser to the Mayor on public safety issues arising in the Metropolitan Police
Department, the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, the Department of
Corrections, the Of fice of the Corporation Counsel, the Emergency Management Agency, and
the Of fice of the Medical Examiner. In this capacity, he helped the Mayor launch the
"Capital Communities" Initiative in six open-air drug markets and convene the
city's Nuisance Abatement Task Force.
Mr. Christian comes to the District government after eleven years in the Department of
Justice, where he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of
Columbia and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
At the United States Attorney's Of fice for the District of Columbia, Mr. Christian was
assigned to prosecute homicide cases in the Superior Court and U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia. He served from 1994 to 1995 as Deputy Chief of the Misdemeanor Trial
Section, supervising trial attorneys prosecuting nonjury and jury demandable offenses.
In 1995, Mr. Christian was promoted to First Assistant United States Attorney in the
District of the Virgin Islands, where he was responsible for establishing and enforcing
office-wide policies. He also served as Criminal Chief, supervising Assistant United
States Attorneys prosecuting criminal cases in narcotics, economic crime, public
corruption, government fraud, environmental crimes, immigration, and other major crimes.
Mr. Christian graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Howard
University in 1982 and received a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law
Center.
Mr. Christian presently serves as Chairman of the D.C. Court of Appeals Unauthorized
Practice of Law Committee, and as a member of the D.C. Bar's Judicial Evaluation
Committee.
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Carolyn N. Graham
Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, and Families
Carolyn N. Graham has been nominated by Mayor Anthony A. Williams as the Deputy Mayor
for Children, Youth, and Families. In this position, she will be responsible for the human
services cluster, including the Department of Human Services, Of fice on Aging, Department
of Recreation and the Department of Health. Her goal is to create a comprehensive, fully
integrated and accessible system of human services delivery for children, youth and
families of the District of Columbia.
Ms. Graham has extensive experience in critical public policy issues concerning human
services delivery and neighborhood-based municipal services. She joins the District
government after an extensive career as a leader and administrator of human services and
support programs in the public and not-for-profit sectors.
Ms. Graham currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Mayor for Children and
Youth, and in this capacity was project leader in developing the Safe Passages FY2000
Children and Youth Action Plan; worked with the District Council and community partners in
the creation of an independent $ 15 million Children and Youth Investment Trust; and
conducted an assessment of the District's Child Welfare system. Prior to this position,
she served as an Assistant Management Officer for the DC Financial Responsibility and
Management Authority, working on human services delivery issues.
In 1997, Ms. Graham served as Consultant to the Deputy General Secretary of the
National Council of Churches of Christ, focusing on the role of the faith-based community
in making health care accessible to disenfranchised populations in (Harlem) New York City.
In 1995, Ms. Graham became the National Director for Council Services of the Girl
Scouts of the USA, providing management and technical consulting services to the 320 Girl
Scout councils throughout the USA, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
In 1992, Ms. Graham was appointed as Director of the Human Services Department of
Broward County, Florida, managing a staff of 1,200 with nine divisions and a budget in
excess of $120 million.
From 1987-92, Ms. Graham directed the DC State Health Planning & Development
Agency. In this capacity, she developed the 1989 DC State Health Plan, implemented the
DC's Certificate of Need (CON) law. While with the Agency, she designed and managed a
city-wide public input effort to assess the effectiveness of the health delivery and
finance systems, "Healthcare Summit 1991."
Ms. Graham holds a Master of Education (M.Ed) degree from Antioch College, a Master of
Public Administration (M.P.A.) from City University of New York, and a Master of Divinity
(M.Div.) from New York Theological Seminary. She was a Ford Fellow, a National Urban
Fellow, and an Urban Ministry Fellow.
She is a licensed/ordained Baptist Minister.
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Eric W. Price
Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
Eric W. Price has been nominated by Mayor Anthony A. Williams as Deputy Mayor for
Planning and Economic Development. In this position he will be responsible for
implementing the Mayor's Economic Development Initiatives throughout Washington D.C. His
goal will be to make the planning process sensitive and appropriate for neighborhoods
while coordinating the various governmental agencies to attract new development.
Mr. Price has extensive experience in economic development, housing, finance, planning
and zoning. He joins the District government after five years with the AFL-CIO Housing
Investment Trust, where he has served as Chief Investment Of ficer and Director of Housing
Production. He has directed all aspects of a joint $250 million homeownership initiative
with Fannie Mae.
Prior to joining the AFL-CIO, Mr. Price was the development of ficer for the Shore Bank
Development Corporation in 1994, where he was responsible for the development of
affordable multifamily housing in Chicago's westside neighborhoods. He also negotiated
acquisitions through sales contracts, options, and government tax purchase programs.
From 1991 to 1993, Mr. Price was the Project Development Manager for Isler &
Associates, where he was responsible for all phases of the development process for
numerous projects located throughout the state of North Carolina. He coordinated zoning,
site plan, and subdivision review procedures required to win project approval.
From 1985 to 1990, Mr. Price served as a Contracts Account Manager for the McDonnell
Douglas Corporation. In this position, he managed all phases of the Aircraft development
process including aircraft sales and negotiation, manufacturing and development, customer
support and delivery.
Mr. Price holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of California at Los Angeles and
a Master of Business Administration Degree from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke
University. While at Duke, he received the prestigious Fuqua Fellowship for his academic
work and business experience.
Mr. Price is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Multi-Housing Council,
and is a member of the National Housing Conference, the National Low-Income Housing
Coalition, and the Pension Real Estate Association.
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Norman S. Dong
Deputy Mayor for Operations/City Administrator
Mr. Dong served as Interim City Administrator until he was appointed the Deputy Mayor
for Operations and City Administrator of the District of Columbia by Mayor Anthony A.
Williams. In Mr. Dong's new appointment, he will continue to have responsibilities for
handling the day-to-day operations of the city to translate the Mayor's vision into the
practical reality of how the government operates. He will also continue to have
responsibilities for resolving problems between agencies and providing supervision and
support for agency directors.
Norman S. Dong was appointed the Interim City Administrator of the District of Columbia
by Mayor Anthony A. Williams. Mr. Dong is responsible for handling the day-to-day
operations of the city to translate the Mayor's vision into the practical reality of how
the government operates. He is also responsible for resolving problems between agencies
and providing supervision and support for agency directors.
Mr. Dong served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Management until his appointment as
Interim City Administrator. He was responsible for daily government operations, which
included coordinating implementation of short-term plans with agency directors to produce
rapid, visible improvements in service delivery. He was also responsible for working with
the Of fice of the Chief Management Officer and the Financial Authority to blend existing
efforts and staff into a new, unified government model.
Mr. Dong served as Director of the Of fice of Grants-Management and Development from
March of 1998 to January of 1999. Mr. Dong led a strategic planning effort that resulted
in the complete transformation of the of fice. Under Mr. Dong's leadership, OGMD became
one of the first District agencies to adopt a competitive service model that forces the
office to operate more like a business. OGMD also began tracking all federal funding
opportunities. For the first time, District agencies are informed of all upcoming
opportunities and they can receive application assistance, as needed, from OGMD.
Prior to becoming Director of OGMD, Mr. Dong served as Chief of Staff in the Of fice of
the Chief Financial Officer, where he worked with Mr. Williams and his senior management
team to improve staffing, processes, and systems to transform the District's financial
organization into a performance-based, results-oriented operation. These efforts resulted
in a clean audit for FY 1997, a balanced budget two years ahead of schedule, and an
increase in tax collections by tens of millions of dollars. Mr. Dong also played a leading
role in the development of the long-term strategic plan for the District's financial
organization.
Mr. Dong has also worked for the Federal Government as Special Assistant in the
Department of Housing and Urban Development Of fice of Policy Development and research.
Mr. Dong directed the U.S. national preparations for the Second Global Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat II). Mr. Dong also played a leading role in President Clinton's
National Homeownership Strategy, which focused on increasing homeownership among low and
moderate-income communities.
Mr. Dong earned a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Yale
College.
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Robert S. Rigsby has been appointed by Mayor Anthony A. Williams as Corporation
Counsel. As the chief law officer, the Corporation Counsel is responsible, pursuant to
Section 1-361 of the District of Columbia Code, for conducting all the legal business of
the District of Columbia. Mr. Rigsby oversees a staff of 186 lawyers and 396 support
staff, including paralegals and investigators. Mr. Rigsby is directly responsible for
administering an annual operating budget of over $48 million.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Rigsby was the Interim Corporation Counsel and served in
this capacity since July. He was also the Deputy Corporation Counsel of the Enforcement
Division. In that capacity, Mr. Rigsby was responsible for the overall administration,
direction and management of the Enforcement Division's programs, workload, and staff,
consisting of 90 lawyers, paralegal, secretaries, investigators, and police officers. Mr.
Rigsby administered a budget of over $4 million.
From February 1, 1997, to September 17, 1997, Mr. Rigsby served as the Acting Principal
Deputy Corporation Counsel. He assisted the then Corporation Counsel in coordinating,
planning, directing, and managing the Of fice, and supervised approximately 265 lawyers,
paralegal, secretaries, and investigators. In the absence of the Corporation Counsel, Mr.
Rigsby served as Acting Corporation Counsel.
Prior to joining the Of fice of the Corporation Counsel, Mr. Rigsby was an Assistant
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in the Narcotics Division.
From 1987 to 1992, Mr. Rigsby served on active duty in the United States Army Judge
Advocate Generals Corps. While in the Army, Mr. Rigsby served as a prosecutor, defense
attorney, administrative law attorney, international law attorney, law of war attorney,
legal advisor to the Multinational Force and Observers (Sinai, Egypt), and special
assistant United States Attorney for Tennessee and Kentucky.
As an Army of ficer, Mr. Rigsby received a number of awards, decorations, and honors
for outstanding trial work and acts of heroism and valor. He is presently a major in the
United States Army Reserves and is the senior legal officer for a Military Police Brigade.
Mr. Rigsby is a member of the Supreme Court of the United States Bar, the District of
Columbia Bar, United States District Court Bar, the Hawaii State Bar Association, the
American Bar Association, the Washington Bar Association, the Hispanic Bar Association,
the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the National Black Prosecutors
Association.
Mr. Rigsby was recently elected to the District of Columbia Bar's District Affairs
Steering Committee. As part of the President's National Capital Revitalization and
Self-Improvement Act, Mr. Rigsby was selected to serve as one of nine commissioners to
recommend modifications to the District of Columbia's Sentencing Guidelines. He was
appointed Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee for the 1997 Presidential Inauguration.
Since 1991, Mr. Rigsby has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland,
University College.
Mr. Rigsby is a member of the District of Columbia Coalition Against Drugs and
Violence. He serves as a mentor for the Youth Enhancement Project of Shiloh Baptist
Church's Family Life Center in Washington, D.C. and was recently appointed to the Board of
Directors of Shiloh Baptist Church's Family Life Center.
Mr. Rigsby was born in San Francisco, California and raised in Vallejo, California. He
received his juris doctor degree from the University of California, San Francisco,
Hastings College of Law. At San Jose State University in California, he received his
bachelor of arts degree with distinction. At the end of his sophomore year in college, Mr.
Rigsby earned a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves.
Mr. Rigsby is married to the former Ms. Anna Blackburne, a Hearing Commissioner on the
Superior Court since 1995, who was nominated by President Clinton on October 27, 1999, to
the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They are the proud parents of a son,
Julian Christopher Rigsby.
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Grace M. Lopes
Special Counsel for Receiverships and Institutional Reform Litigation
Grace M. Lopes has been appointed by Anthony A. Williams as Special Counsel for
Receiverships and Institutional Reform Litigation. In this position, she will be
responsible for coordinating and implementing the Mayor's initiatives regarding
receiverships and institutional reform throughout the District.
Ms. Lopes has extensive experience in managing institutional reform litigation as
Special Master for the United States District Court. She has served since 1991 as a
Special Master for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and since
1997 as Special Master for the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
Prior to these appointments, from 1989 to 1991, Ms. Lopes served as the Executive Director
of the D.C. Prisoners' Legal Service Project, Inc. From 1986 to 1989, she served as a
clinical law professor at the D.C. Law students in Court Program. Ms. Lopes also worked as
a clinical supervising attorney from 1985 to 1986 at Antioch School of Law.
Ms. Lopes has practiced law in the District of Columbia since 1981. She worked as a
partner in Venuti and Lopes from 1981 to 1985, where she specialized in criminal trial and
appellate work. She has published law review and journal articles on issues related tot he
justice system. Ms. Lopes has been active on various committees of the District of
Columbia Bar, the local courts and the Thurgood Marshall American Inn of Court. In 1994,
Ms. Lopes was awarded the John A. Wilson Community Service Award by the Trial Lawyers
Association of Washington, D.C.
Ms. Lopes received her B.A. in 1976 from Goddard College and Juris Doctorate in 1980
from the Antioch School of Law.
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| Anthony A. Williams, Mayor, District of
Columbia |
Valerie Holt
Chief Financial Officer |
Robert Rigsby
Acting Corporation Counsel |
Charles Maddox
Inspector General |
Abdusalam Omer
Chief of Staff |
Norman Dong
Deputy Mayor for Operations / City Administrator |
Eric Price
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development |
Carolyn Graham
Deputy Mayor for Children and Families |
Erik Christian
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety |
Back to top of page
Anthony A. Williams, Mayor, District
of Columbia |
Norman Dong
Deputy Mayor for Operations / City Administrator |
Eric Price
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development |
Carolyn Graham
Deputy Mayor for Children and Families |
Erik Christian
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety |
Agencies & Offices
- Dept. of Motor Vehicles
- Dept. of Public Works
- Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
- Office of the Chief Technology Officer
- Office of Personnel
- Office of Property Management
District-Wide Initiatives
- Competitive Services
- Performance Management
- Strategic Planning
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Agencies & Offices
- Dept. of Employment Services
- Dept. of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs
- Dept. of Housing and Community Development
- Dept. of Minority Business
- Office of Planning
Receiverships
- Dept. of Public & Assisted Housing Receivership
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Agencies & Offices
- Dept. of Health
- Dept. of Human Services
- Dept. of Recreation and Parks
- Office on Aging
Independent Offices
- DC General Hospital
- DC Public Library
- DC Public Schools
- Public Charter Schools
- University of the District of Columbia
Receiverships
- Child & Family Services Receivership
- Mental Health Receivership
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Agencies & Offices
- Dept. of Corrections
- Fire and Emergency Medical Services
- Metropolitan police Dept.
- Emergency Management Agency
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
- Justice Grants Administration
Receiverships
- Corrections Medical Receiver
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