MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
May
6, 2024
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of
the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman M endelson:
In accordance with section
2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142;
D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 305 of the Office of Asian and Pacific
Islander Affairs Establishment Act of 2001, effective October 3, 2001 (D.C. Law 14-28; D.C. Official
Code § 2-1374), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Ms. Jennifer H ara
Randolph Street, NW
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward
4)
f
or reappointment as a public voting member of the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander
Community Development, for a term to end April 17, 2026.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-m entioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Sincerely,
Muriel B owser
Mayor 1
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A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
;jl%;:,~
Chairma~endelson
at the request of the Mayor
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To confirm the reappointment
of Jennifer Hara to the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander
Community Development.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this
resolution may be cited as the "Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Community
Development Jennifer Hara Confirmation Resolution
of 2024".
J
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the reappointment of:
Ms. Jennifer Hara
Randolph Street,
NW
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward 4)
as a public voting member
of the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Community
Development, established by section 305
of the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs
Establishment Act
of 2001, effective October 3, 2001 (D. C. Law 14-28; D.C. Official Code§ 2-
1374) for a term to end April
17, 2026.
Sec.
3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office
of the Mayor.
Sec.
4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. Jennifer L. Hara
Summary of
Qualifications
Fifteen+ years of experience in the private sector, focusing on public relations and
communications for a small investment banking consulting firm. Leads the business
development, marketing and relationship building across all infrastructure sectors, including
transportation and energy.
Focus on transportation infrastructure and public private partnerships in the United States.
Intimate knowledge of PPPs in the United States and Canada, and innovative financing programs
of the US federal government.
Understanding of political decision making, international project finance, economic and strategic
planning, management development and implementation of innovative programs, and business
negotiations and communications.
Over ten years of managing proposal development and business capture activities, and of
developing marketing and strategic plans.
Experience managing a staff of 15 people and coordinating the activities of a 170+ member
community service organization.
Ward 4 resident since 2001 (14 years). Asian American and Spanish speaking. Daughter of a
local, municipal politician (Seattle).
Professional Experience
Taylor-DeJongh (Washington, DC)
Vice President, Marketing Nov. 1999-Present
As a member of the senior management of a boutique investment banking firm focused on energy and
infrastructure project structuring and finance globally, Ms. Hara participates in business lead generation,
relationship and network building, research and brand development and marketing for the firm. She
manages the firm’s transportation practice and client relationships within the sector, across both the public
and private sectors.
She manages and drafts proposals, pitches, and corporate brochures; provides research of international
markets, countries, and companies; and is responsible for the bidding, management and administration of
all government contracts. Ms. Hara has the ability to analyze solicitations, develop teaming relationships,
and create marketing strategies for specific capture efforts. She has developed budgets and defined
individual staff and firm resource requirements across consortiums.
Business Development
− Sourced and written over 800 proposals, including for the US Department of Transportation, the World
Bank group, the US Agency for International Development, the US Trade & Development Agency, and
other international financial institutions.
− Nurtured and formed working relationships with over 300 professional services firms for the purpose
of partnering and teaming on the delivery of services.
− Assisted in the generation and sourcing of over $7 million in revenues for the firm.
Market Research
− Performs research on sectors (transportation, power, water, oil & gas) and on regions (domestic and
international). Analyzes trends and opportunities for purposes of firm business development.
− Assisted with the traffic and revenue risk assessment and overall due diligence on the Washington State
DOT application for a loan for the SR 520 Floating Bridge Replacement Project in Seattle. −Assisted with policy analysis and development of suggestions for a private sector client for the Detroit
River Crossing Bridge Project in Michigan.
−Managed and directed all research, writing and coordination with client for Asian Development Bank
“Financing Merchant Power Projects” study and for two Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation studies,
“Financing Renewable Energy Projects” and “Potential for Growth of Gas as a Clean Energy Source in
APEC Developing Economies”.
−Directed and coordinated research, writing and the production for the Department of Energy’s National
Energy & Technology Laboratory “Distributed Generation Financing Notebook” (sources of financing
available from agencies worldwide).
Consulting
−Negotiated on behalf of the USDOT with the Florida DOT and the sponsors of the Florida I-595 toll-road.
−Assisted in the negotiation between USDOT and Transurban (private sector partner) on the refinancing
of the Pocahontas Parkway toll-road and proposed construction of the Richmond Airport Connector toll-
road in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
−Assisted in writing and coordinating the production of reports (Phase I, Project Information
Memoranda) for the Federal Highway Administration’s TIFIA Joint Program Office and the US Export-
Import Bank assignments and various other projects.
−Developed and managed a one and one-half day conference held in Guangzhou, China. Participants
included both public and private sector representatives and delegates from the member economies.
The workshop focused on institutional, technology and financing issues related to accelerating natural
gas development in the region, from upstream exploration/gathering to downstream distribution, with
an emphasis on smaller, less marketable, yet viable projects.
Equal Justice Works (Washington, DC)
Finance & Administration Department Assistant Oct. 1998 –
Nov. 1999
−Provided general office supervision for staff of 25 for an active non-profit organization focused on
public interest law. Tasks included resume database management, association protocol and policy
implementation, and coordination of travel and conference logistics.
−Co-designed departmental and organization strategic and work plans.
−Produced and instituted spreadsheets for Federal grant and organization accounting processes.
Salazar Law Offices (Seattle, WA) Paralegal/Legal Secretary Oct. 1995 –
Jul.
1997
−Promoted from receptionist to paralegal/legal assistant for law office specializing in immigration, family
law, personal injury, and criminal defense cases for a majority of clients from the Latino community.
−Actively took part in assisting clients with intricacies of the law, translating documents, interpreting for
attorneys, writing correspondence, editing, preparing various legal forms, helped prepare attorneys for
court and Immigration Service appearances and performed legal research for 150+ clients.
Education
The George Washington University (Washington, DC), August 1999
Elliott School of International Affairs,
M.A. in International Affairs, concentration in economics and international business
Seattle University (Seattle, WA), May 1995, graduated cum laude
B.A. in Spanish and International Politics
Universidad Andres Bello (Caracas, Venezuela), 1993, Latin American Quarter Study Abroad Program Publications/Conferences
“The Future of P3s in the US: Financing the Funding Gap for Infrastructure”, Financier Worldwide Special
Report, July 2013
“Structural Options for US Infrastructure: Alternative Sources of Financing”, Financier Worldwide, April 2013
“The Role and Impact of Export Credit Agencies in Project Finance”, The Principles of Project Finance (edited
by Rod Morrison), April 2012
Panel Moderator, SeaCargo Americas Conference, Port Funding Roundtable: Public & Private Sources of
Infrastructure Funding, November 2009.
Skills
Spanish language proficiency. Microsoft Office package, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Volunteer
Rotary Club of Washington DC (Washington, DC), July 2005 to present
President for the 2014-2015 Rotary year
Club Secretary, 2009-2011
Board Member, 2008-2011, 2013-2016
Scholarships Committee Chair, 2008-2013
Community Service Grant committee, 2007-2015
Rotaract Club Liaison (Rotarians aged 18-30) liaison, 2007-2013
Center American Resource Center (CARECEN) (Washington, DC)
Board Member, January 2006 to present Board Treasurer, 2008 to 2014
Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
Jennifer Hara
Ms. Jennifer Hara is Vice President of Marketing for Taylor-DeJongh.
Ms. Hara has been involved in the non- profit community in Washington,
DC for over 15 years. She has extensive experience in investment banking,
consulting and proposal development management. She is a proven leader
in employing diverse business strategies, marketing and development skills
to achieve success, while creating viable networks and partnerships. She
previously worked for Casa del Pueblo in Columbia Heights and has served
on the Board of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) since
2005.
A Ward 4 resident, Ms. Hara earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and International Politics
from Seattle University and a Master of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in
Economics and International Business from The George Washington University Elliott School of
International Affairs. GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
To: Tomas Talamante, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: April 30, 2024
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of Resolutions nominating Sina Uipi, Niranjan Adhikari,
Jennifer Anderson, Jennifer Hara, Karen Kwok, Jeffrey Le, Artisha Naidu,
Anesha Bhat, Halaevalu Vakalahi, Mike Park, Moh Sharma, Martha Watanabe,
and Yilin Zhang as members of the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander
Community Development
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced resolutions and
found them to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
hesitate to call Erika Satterlee, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-
724-1303, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Cavendish