MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
November 19, 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 Mendelson:
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 101 of the Neighborhood Engagement
Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016, effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official
Code § 7-2411), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Ms. Kwelli Sneed
8th Street, NE
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward 4)
for appointment as the Executive Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, to
serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
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 Bowser
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at the request of the Mayor
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To confirm the appointment ofKwelli Sneed as the Executive Director
of the Office of
Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
RESOLVED,
BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the "Executive Director
of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and
Engagement Kwelli Sneed Confirmation Resolution
of 2024".
Sec.
2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
K welli Sneed
8th Street, NE
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward 4)
as the Executive Director
of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, established by
section
101 of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016,
effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official
Code§ 7-2411), to serve at the pleasure
of the Mayor.
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. KWELLI SNEED
Washington, DC
SENIOR EXECUTIVE
EXECUTIVE QUALIFICATIONS:
Highly accomplished and results-driven executive with a proven 15-year track record of building, transforming, and
strengthening success of public organizations, departments, and teams in advancing strategic, programmatic, service delivery,
and regulatory priorities.
● Strength in defining, communicating, and implementing strategic plans to empower change, elevate quality of services,
reduce risk and cost, drive innovation, and achieve operational excellence.
● Effective leader and manager with recognized ability to motivate, energize, and enable large teams in delivering
consistent value and impact across complex and evolving environments.
● Demonstrated success in developing new offices, services, programs, models, policies, and best practices that have
contributed to improving public safety, workforce development, facilities maintenance, economic viability and equity,
and transportation and recreational services.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Interim Executive Director 2023 – Present
DC Government, Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement
Executive Office of the Mayor, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
Transitioned quickly following passing of Executive Director and given full administrative responsibility for the Office of
Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) responsible for the coordination of violence prevention strategy and programs
in the District of Columbia with a focus on utilizing public health approaches to respond to, reduce, and prevent violence. Office
collaborates with other District government agencies, non-profit organizations, and community organizations to provide
immediate wraparound services to victims and families affected by violent crime, develop violence prevention programs for
at-risk individuals, and establish positive relationships with youth and young adults using recreational and other positive
behavioral reinforcement methods.
Hold responsibility for the overall planning, organizing, promotion, direction, and implementation of the management and
administration of the Office to maximize impact to critical violence prevention goals. Direct efforts of 120 employees through
8 direct reports comprised of Chief Operating Officer, Grant Manager, Director of Programs, Director of Internal and
Government Affairs, Director of Communications, Chief of Staff, and Executive Assistant. Provide oversight to 32 vendors
providing transportation, training, and event planning services.
● Strategic Planning: Assessed needs and issues, defined and communicated the plan, built the team, expanded and
optimized effectiveness of programs and services, and enabled Office to achieve crime reduction and public safety goals,
and removal from corrective action plan within one year.
● Transformational Leadership: Realigned the grants and funding with programmatic and administrative compliance
requirements. Introduced processes and tools to track and elevate success of programs, to assess and improve
effectiveness of community-based partners, and align spend with programmatic needs. Maximized safety of field
employees by implementing communication system, tracking software, accessibility to wireless services, and case
management database.
● Human Capital Leadership: Established the 7-member leadership team, transitioned temporary staff to permanent roles,
and realigned community outreach, program analysis, community relations, program management, and grant
management roles with funding streams. Developed professional development plans for each role, and led employees
through SISC, NBTI Strong, and Leadership Circle 360 Assessments that improved collaboration and team work.
● Fiscal Management: Contributed to developing, presenting, and defining yearly budget to the Mayor to minimize
political and programmatic impacts. Drove the establishment of the Training Academy to provide monthly training
sessions and webinars on government practices and systematic reporting.
● Technology Leadership: Recruited technology resource to disseminate, track, support, and repair equipment that
reduced cost. Onboarded new Administrative Officer role to build the infrastructure for new location to support the
expansion of the Office. KWELLI SNEED Page 2 of 5
● Programmatic Leadership: Strengthened curriculum for the Pathways workforce development program to enabled 15
cohorts of 25 court-involved individuals to gain training and subsidized work placement experience. Defined and
increased access to Family Support Services to family of victims and communities. Enhanced value of Leadership
Academy, a school-based program to provide counseling and services to middle and high school students heavily
impacted with violence in communities. Expanded and optimized effectiveness of People of Promise program in
providing services and support to individuals involved in criminal and gang activity or reside in high-crime areas.
● Process & Quality Improvements: Created and communicated workplace metrics. Conducted quarterly data-driven
discussions to monitor performance measures and milestones. Standardized practices and systems that enhanced
visibility of key drivers and enhanced quality of federal reporting.
● Relationship Building & Collaboration: Served as a partner to organizations throughout the United States on policy
reform, and on best practices and strategies adoption. Represented the Office at National Forums for Justice and Crime.
Liaised with Federal, State/Local agencies, professional boards, task force groups, and non-profit organizations to combat
violent crimes and support impacted individuals, families, and communities.
Associate Director of City University & Career Pathways 2007 – 2023
DC Government, Department of Human Resources
Recruited by Executive Director to drive the development of strategies, roadmaps, governance models, and partnerships for
portfolio of workforce development programs to establish effective pathways for District residents into District government
careers, prepare District high school students and graduates for entry-level roles, support current District workforce for upward
mobility, and enable the District government to comply with the Pathways to District Government Career Amendment Act of 2018.
● Strategic Planning: Defined the strategy and one-year execution roadmap to develop and launch 4 Information
Technology, Health Care Administration, and Human Resources Apprenticeship Pathways Programs to build the next-
generation of health care, human resources, and technology professionals. Established City University to address
workforce skills gaps, reduce errors, and mitigate risks to g rant management, contract procurement, and human
resources throughout the DC government.
● Human Resources Leadership: Recruited and led team of 4 Program Specialists, Outreach Specialist, and Human
Resources Specialist in maximizing the overall success of programs. Built relationships and managed 14 vendors and 10
subject matter experts in developing and delivering programs.
● Transformational Leadership: Guided 72 DC government agencies in strengthening effectiveness of Priority Hiring
Programs to provider greater access to entry-level government jobs for District residents that have completed a District
public secondary school program. Educated Agency and Human Resources Directors on the Career Pathways legislation,
and collaborated with Agency leaders to develop priority hiring strategy.
● Fiscal Management: Oversaw, allocated, tracked, and reported on alignment of $10 million dollar budget to enable DC
government to comply with regulatory requirements and programmatic goals.
● Programmatic Leadership: Set-up the administrative processes and structure to develop, launch, and track success of
programs to the US Department of Labor. Developed the program standards, and created key partnerships with universities
and learning organizations to develop the curriculum and provide tuition-free instruction to the 1
st
cohort of 25 participating
in the Information Technology, Health Care Administration, and Human Resources programs. Collaborated with DC
governments’ subject matter experts to develop and deliver grant management training program, procurement training
program for non-procurement specialists, and project management training program for DC employees.
● Outreach & Technology Leadership: Drove the development of marketing collateral, website, and social media
campaigns that increased awareness and attendance at informational sessions to the apprenticeship programs.
Partnered with Information Technology Department to increase awareness of vacant positions on District’s Human
Resources site. Developed the framework for requirements posting, screening process, and selection process to entry-
level government jobs.
● Public and Private Sector Partnerships: Built relationships with 25+ public and charter high schools, and 50+ community-
based workforce development partners to identify potential talent for the apprenticeship programs. Created key
partnerships with universities and learning organization to develop the curriculum for the apprenticeship programs.
KWELLI SNEED Page 3 of 5
Chief of Staff / Senior Advisor to Director 2021 – 2022
DC Government, Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Chosen and detailed to support new Mayor-appointed Director in establishing the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Building
Blocks DC, to reduce high crime and gun violence in the District leveraging collaborative efforts between government agencies,
non-profit partners, businesses, and community-based organizations. Researched and advised DC leaders on gun violence trends
and response strategies.
● Administrative Leadership: Contributed to establishing the Building Blocks DC Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention
Office, the 1
st
in the country to address gun violence using a public health approach and meet the urgent needs of residents.
● Human Resources Leadership: Defined the staffing plan, recruited 12 resources and served as Senior Advisor to the
Director for a staff of 40.
● Fiscal Administration: Managed and monitored the distribution of $15M in funding to 15 agencies in support of the
American Recovery Act to support gun violence initiatives that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
● Best Practices Introduction: Researched and advised DC leaders on gun violence trends and response strategies.
● Relationship Management: Partnered with University of DC to create a 4-week training program for violence interrupters.
Human Resources Strategy Consultant 2021 – 2022
DC Government, Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Selected and detailed to support newly appointed State Superintendent of Education in addressing 21% vacancy rate due to
operational issues and high attrition rates.
● Human Resources Leadership: Defined and implement talent acquisition strategies that reduced vacancy of executives
and first line managers from 21% to 16% within 4 months. Identified unfilled positions with the longest vacancy rates.
Established a virtual hiring fair that led to hiring 40 management-level employees within 2 months.
Chief of Staff 2018 – 2019
DC Department of General Services, Office of Director
Chosen to support new Agency Director in turning around the Department responsible for building, maintaining, leading, selling,
securing, and sustaining the District’s real estate portfolio comprised of more than 840 real estate properties across the city.
Oversaw budget of $30M.
● Transformational Leadership: Instrumental in optimizing the effectiveness of the DC Department of General Services in
upholding the mission of fostering economic viability, economic stewardship, and equity across the city. Assessed and
restructured executive and management resources that improved responsiveness to services from 90 to 60 days and
remoted barriers in understanding the human capital needs of the Department.
● Human Resources Leadership: Contributed to realigning and reorganizing the team, and communicated the Director’s
vision for change. Partnered with DC Department of Human Resources to align positions and compensations with District
standards. Managed direct staff of 9 overseeing legislative affairs, communications, human resources, and facilities.
● Process Improvement: Formalized employee training request process, performance management tools, job credentials,
grade levels, and salary structures. Pioneered apprenticeship program to retrain and certify employees in multiple
trades. Established performance metrics, and built and led process improvement team in tracking service requests and
escalating issues to managers.
Interim Chief of Staff 2018
Deputy Director of Administrative Services 2017 – 2018
Human Resources Officer 2015 – 2017
DC Department of Parks and Recreation Salary: $???
Originally recruited as Deputy Human Resources Office and promoted within 4 months to supervise diverse team of Human
Resources practitioners overseeing human resources functions for 600 employees. Advanced and given oversight for the
Operations, Facilities Management, Human Resources, Contract and Procurement, Food Services, and Information Technology
Departments. Selected by the Director into interim Chief of Staff role to lead organizational transformation projects.
KWELLI SNEED Page 4 of 5
● Facilities Improvement: Planned and managed the on-time and within budget completion of $150M capital construction
project to renovate 4 recreation centers.
● Vendor Diversification: Led the procurement of $22M in services and supplies with locally and federally certified small
businesses, resident-owned businesses, women and minority owned businesses, and disadvantaged business enterprises.
● Technology Modernization: Managed the implementation and upgrade of warehouse system that tracked all supply
orders for recreation programs and facilities that reduced cost and prevented risk of theft. Led the upgrade technology
across 32 recreation centers and pools that included public computer labs and gaming rooms with state-of-the-art video
game technology to support residents’ interests in eSports programs.
● Programmatic Leadership: Created and implemented the free summer engagement program for 400 homeless children
and for children within wards 7 and 8 without summer plans to prevent increase in summer crime rates and address
youth safety concerns.
● Human Resources Leadership: Led the annual and summer programming hiring efforts for 3 consecutive years, leading
to filling 500-600 seasonal positions within 90 days. Drove the realignment of the lifeguard certification process, and
negotiated with the union to implement an audit process that strengthened accountability of season lifeguard resources.
Employee and Labor Relations Officer 2011 – 2015
Department of Public Works
Recruited to counsel executives and managers on employee relations matters, investigate Equal Employee Opportunity (EEO)
cases, and prepare defenses and legal responses to claims and complaints field with the District’s Office of Employee Appeals
and District’s Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining. Evaluated union allegations and arguments, and negotiated
settlement of disputes, complaints, and grievances with union representatives.
● Risk & Safety Leadership: Supported oversight of the agency’s risk and safety management program to ensure
compliance of safety protocols across field employees and operators of agency’s fleet vehicles.
● Process Improvement: Collaborated with committee members to revise 25% of collection routes that reduced overtime
and labor cost.
● Compliance: Implemented driving compliance programs with employee related regulations that encompassed traffic
violations and CDL licensure verification. Instituted agency-wide EEO Awareness programs, and developed Sexual
Harassment Prevention and Diversity training.
● Human Resources: Developed and implemented an employee reward program to incentivize aging sanitation workers
and meet the growing collection needs of the city.
Deputy Director – Division of Transportation for Special Needs Students 2008 – 2011
Special Assistant – Office of the State of Superintendent 2007 – 2008
Office of State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
Originally recruited as an initial team of 20 to build the Office of Superintendent of Education, the 1
st
centralized education
office for the District. Promoted into new Divisional role to transition, manage, and transform the $94M Pupil Transportation
Department. Held accountability for 1,700+ employees and 800 vehicles while providing safe transportation services to 4,00
special needs children. Managed contract administration, risk and accident investigations, fiscal accountability, policy, planning,
and staff direction. Served as the liaison with District agencies and government officials.
● Strategic Planning: Instrumental in establishing new Office of the State Superintendent of Education and transitioning state-
level education functions in accordance with the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007. Served on the transition
team to develop and execute the strategy to transfer, reorganize, and align functions with regulatory requirements and
educational goals.
● Transformation Leadership: Spearheaded, developed, and implemented the plan to transition the Special Education
Transportation organization in Federal Court receivership to the Office of the Deputy State Superintendent. Established new
standards, monitored compliance, and improved Division’s performance on court mandated KPIs and with District
regulations and requirements. Instituted policies to enhance communication with parents, integrated technology onto
vehicles, and worked with unions to improve compensation.
● Relationship Management: Established and maintained partnerships with AFSCME and Teamsters labor unions during
the transition. Worked with union leaders to increase compensation.
● Procedures Development: Collaborated with the Department of Health Care Finance to develop the District’s special
needs student transportation system Medicaid rules and procedures that resulted in $1.5M Medicaid reimbursement. KWELLI SNEED Page 5 of 5
● Human Resources Leadership: Directed all personnel actions that included leave requests, job description development,
policies application, perspective employee interviews, employee complaint investigation, staff evaluation, and
recommendation for hiring, assignment, promotion, retention, transfer, and dismissal.
● Process Improvement: Led key Six Sigma project for the Department of Early Childhood Education that reduced renewal
cycle time from 90 days to 70 days for the Childcare Subsidy Program.
EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Master of Business Administration; Concentration in Human Resources & Organizational Development
KELLER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, DEVRY UNIVERSITY – Oakbrook, IL
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry & Mathematics
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY – Tallahassee, FL
Mayor’s Mentoring Circles, Mayor Muriel Bowser Administration
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (DCHR)
Executive Leadership Program (ELP)
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (DCHR)
Certified Public Manager Program (CPM)
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (DCHR)
Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor's Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
Kwelli Sneed
Ms. Kwelli Sneed currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of
the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE). Interim
Director Sneed is a long-time District government employee with a 15+
year career of building, transforming, and strengthening agencies. From
2007 to 2011, she worked at the Office of the State Superintendent of
Education as Special Assistant and then as Deputy Director of
Transportation.
From 2011 to 2015, Interim Director Sneed served as the Employee and
Labor Relations Officer at the Department of Public Works, then as
Human Resources Officer, Deputy Director of Administrative Services,
and Interim Chief of Staff at the Department of Parks and Recreation and
finally as Chief of Staff at the Department of General Services.
As the Dean of the Department of Human Resources’ City University and Career Pathways
programs, Interim Director Sneed was recruited to drive the development of a people -focused
strategy and program designed to develop the human capital for the District government and to
establish effective pathways for District residents into District government careers.
Interim Director Sneed recently served as C hief of Staff and S enior Advisor at ONSE, leading the
office’s human resource, capital, and organizational planning. She drives organizational
effectiveness through accountability and positive change management.
A Ward 4 resident, Interim Director Sneed earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry &
Mathematics from Florida A&M University and her Master of Business Administration from
DeVry University.
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: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: October 25, 2024
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution appointing Kwelli Sneed as Executive
Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced Order and found
it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate
to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-727-
0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish