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District Of Columbia Council Bill PR25-1068

District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill PR25-1068 Compare Versions

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1- ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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5-1
4+MURIEL BOWSER
5+MAYOR
66
7-A RESOLUTION
87
9-25-766
8+November 19, 2024
109
11-IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
10+The Honorable Phil Mendelson
11+Chairman
12+Council of the District of Columbia
13+John A. Wilson Building
14+1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
15+Washington, DC 20004
1216
13-December 17, 2024
14- To confirm the appointment of Ms. Kwelli Sneed as the Executive Director of the Office of
15-Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
17+Dear Chairman Mendelson:
1618
17-RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
18-resolution may be cited as the “Executive Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and
19-Engagement Kwelli Sneed Confirmation Resolution of 2024".
20- Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
19+In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
20+142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 101 of the Neighborhood Engagement
21+Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016, effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official
22+Code § 7-2411), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
2123
22-Ms. Kwelli Sneed 8th Street, NE Washington, DC 20011
24+Ms. Kwelli Sneed
25+8th Street, NE
26+Washington, DC 20011
2327 (Ward 4)
2428
25-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
29+for appointment as the Executive Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, to
30+serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.
31+Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
32+nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
33+
34+I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
35+do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
36+Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
37+
38+Sincerely,
39+
40+
41+
42+Muriel Bowser
43+Mayor 1
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77+~=-
78+at the request of the Mayor
79+A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
80+IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
81+To confirm the appointment ofKwelli Sneed as the Executive Director
82+of the Office of
83+Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
84+RESOLVED,
85+BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
86+resolution may be cited as the "Executive Director
87+of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and
88+Engagement Kwelli Sneed Confirmation Resolution
89+of 2024".
90+Sec.
91+2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
92+K welli Sneed
93+8th Street, NE
94+Washington, DC 20011
95+(Ward 4)
96+as the Executive Director
97+of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, established by
98+section
99+101 of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016,
100+effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official
101+Code§ 7-2411), to serve at the pleasure
26102 of the Mayor.
103+Sec.
104+3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
105+upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office
106+of the Mayor.
107+Sec.
108+4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. KWELLI SNEED
27109
28-Sec. 3. The Council shall transmit a copy of this resolution, upon its adoption, to the
29-nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
30- Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
110+ Washington, DC
111+
112+
113+SENIOR EXECUTIVE
114+
115+EXECUTIVE QUALIFICATIONS:
116+
117+Highly accomplished and results-driven executive with a proven 15-year track record of building, transforming, and
118+strengthening success of public organizations, departments, and teams in advancing strategic, programmatic, service delivery,
119+and regulatory priorities.
120+● Strength in defining, communicating, and implementing strategic plans to empower change, elevate quality of services,
121+reduce risk and cost, drive innovation, and achieve operational excellence.
122+● Effective leader and manager with recognized ability to motivate, energize, and enable large teams in delivering
123+consistent value and impact across complex and evolving environments.
124+● Demonstrated success in developing new offices, services, programs, models, policies, and best practices that have
125+contributed to improving public safety, workforce development, facilities maintenance, economic viability and equity,
126+and transportation and recreational services.
127+
128+PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
129+
130+Interim Executive Director 2023 – Present
131+DC Government, Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement
132+Executive Office of the Mayor, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
133+
134+Transitioned quickly following passing of Executive Director and given full administrative responsibility for the Office of
135+Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) responsible for the coordination of violence prevention strategy and programs
136+in the District of Columbia with a focus on utilizing public health approaches to respond to, reduce, and prevent violence. Office
137+collaborates with other District government agencies, non-profit organizations, and community organizations to provide
138+immediate wraparound services to victims and families affected by violent crime, develop violence prevention programs for
139+at-risk individuals, and establish positive relationships with youth and young adults using recreational and other positive
140+behavioral reinforcement methods.
141+
142+Hold responsibility for the overall planning, organizing, promotion, direction, and implementation of the management and
143+administration of the Office to maximize impact to critical violence prevention goals. Direct efforts of 120 employees through
144+8 direct reports comprised of Chief Operating Officer, Grant Manager, Director of Programs, Director of Internal and
145+Government Affairs, Director of Communications, Chief of Staff, and Executive Assistant. Provide oversight to 32 vendors
146+providing transportation, training, and event planning services.
147+
148+● Strategic Planning: Assessed needs and issues, defined and communicated the plan, built the team, expanded and
149+optimized effectiveness of programs and services, and enabled Office to achieve crime reduction and public safety goals,
150+and removal from corrective action plan within one year.
151+● Transformational Leadership: Realigned the grants and funding with programmatic and administrative compliance
152+requirements. Introduced processes and tools to track and elevate success of programs, to assess and improve
153+effectiveness of community-based partners, and align spend with programmatic needs. Maximized safety of field
154+employees by implementing communication system, tracking software, accessibility to wireless services, and case
155+management database.
156+● Human Capital Leadership: Established the 7-member leadership team, transitioned temporary staff to permanent roles,
157+and realigned community outreach, program analysis, community relations, program management, and grant
158+management roles with funding streams. Developed professional development plans for each role, and led employees
159+through SISC, NBTI Strong, and Leadership Circle 360 Assessments that improved collaboration and team work.
160+● Fiscal Management: Contributed to developing, presenting, and defining yearly budget to the Mayor to minimize
161+political and programmatic impacts. Drove the establishment of the Training Academy to provide monthly training
162+sessions and webinars on government practices and systematic reporting.
163+● Technology Leadership: Recruited technology resource to disseminate, track, support, and repair equipment that
164+reduced cost. Onboarded new Administrative Officer role to build the infrastructure for new location to support the
165+expansion of the Office. KWELLI SNEED Page 2 of 5
166+
167+● Programmatic Leadership: Strengthened curriculum for the Pathways workforce development program to enabled 15
168+cohorts of 25 court-involved individuals to gain training and subsidized work placement experience. Defined and
169+increased access to Family Support Services to family of victims and communities. Enhanced value of Leadership
170+Academy, a school-based program to provide counseling and services to middle and high school students heavily
171+impacted with violence in communities. Expanded and optimized effectiveness of People of Promise program in
172+providing services and support to individuals involved in criminal and gang activity or reside in high-crime areas.
173+● Process & Quality Improvements: Created and communicated workplace metrics. Conducted quarterly data-driven
174+discussions to monitor performance measures and milestones. Standardized practices and systems that enhanced
175+visibility of key drivers and enhanced quality of federal reporting.
176+● Relationship Building & Collaboration: Served as a partner to organizations throughout the United States on policy
177+reform, and on best practices and strategies adoption. Represented the Office at National Forums for Justice and Crime.
178+Liaised with Federal, State/Local agencies, professional boards, task force groups, and non-profit organizations to combat
179+violent crimes and support impacted individuals, families, and communities.
180+
181+Associate Director of City University & Career Pathways 2007 – 2023
182+DC Government, Department of Human Resources
183+
184+Recruited by Executive Director to drive the development of strategies, roadmaps, governance models, and partnerships for
185+portfolio of workforce development programs to establish effective pathways for District residents into District government
186+careers, prepare District high school students and graduates for entry-level roles, support current District workforce for upward
187+mobility, and enable the District government to comply with the Pathways to District Government Career Amendment Act of 2018.
188+
189+● Strategic Planning: Defined the strategy and one-year execution roadmap to develop and launch 4 Information
190+Technology, Health Care Administration, and Human Resources Apprenticeship Pathways Programs to build the next-
191+generation of health care, human resources, and technology professionals. Established City University to address
192+workforce skills gaps, reduce errors, and mitigate risks to g rant management, contract procurement, and human
193+resources throughout the DC government.
194+● Human Resources Leadership: Recruited and led team of 4 Program Specialists, Outreach Specialist, and Human
195+Resources Specialist in maximizing the overall success of programs. Built relationships and managed 14 vendors and 10
196+subject matter experts in developing and delivering programs.
197+● Transformational Leadership: Guided 72 DC government agencies in strengthening effectiveness of Priority Hiring
198+Programs to provider greater access to entry-level government jobs for District residents that have completed a District
199+public secondary school program. Educated Agency and Human Resources Directors on the Career Pathways legislation,
200+and collaborated with Agency leaders to develop priority hiring strategy.
201+● Fiscal Management: Oversaw, allocated, tracked, and reported on alignment of $10 million dollar budget to enable DC
202+government to comply with regulatory requirements and programmatic goals.
203+● Programmatic Leadership: Set-up the administrative processes and structure to develop, launch, and track success of
204+programs to the US Department of Labor. Developed the program standards, and created key partnerships with universities
205+and learning organizations to develop the curriculum and provide tuition-free instruction to the 1
206+st
207+ cohort of 25 participating
208+in the Information Technology, Health Care Administration, and Human Resources programs. Collaborated with DC
209+governments’ subject matter experts to develop and deliver grant management training program, procurement training
210+program for non-procurement specialists, and project management training program for DC employees.
211+● Outreach & Technology Leadership: Drove the development of marketing collateral, website, and social media
212+campaigns that increased awareness and attendance at informational sessions to the apprenticeship programs.
213+Partnered with Information Technology Department to increase awareness of vacant positions on District’s Human
214+Resources site. Developed the framework for requirements posting, screening process, and selection process to entry-
215+level government jobs.
216+● Public and Private Sector Partnerships: Built relationships with 25+ public and charter high schools, and 50+ community-
217+based workforce development partners to identify potential talent for the apprenticeship programs. Created key
218+partnerships with universities and learning organization to develop the curriculum for the apprenticeship programs.
219+
220+
221+
222+ KWELLI SNEED Page 3 of 5
223+
224+Chief of Staff / Senior Advisor to Director 2021 – 2022
225+DC Government, Office of Gun Violence Prevention
226+
227+Chosen and detailed to support new Mayor-appointed Director in establishing the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Building
228+Blocks DC, to reduce high crime and gun violence in the District leveraging collaborative efforts between government agencies,
229+non-profit partners, businesses, and community-based organizations. Researched and advised DC leaders on gun violence trends
230+and response strategies.
231+
232+● Administrative Leadership: Contributed to establishing the Building Blocks DC Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention
233+Office, the 1
234+st
235+ in the country to address gun violence using a public health approach and meet the urgent needs of residents.
236+● Human Resources Leadership: Defined the staffing plan, recruited 12 resources and served as Senior Advisor to the
237+Director for a staff of 40.
238+● Fiscal Administration: Managed and monitored the distribution of $15M in funding to 15 agencies in support of the
239+American Recovery Act to support gun violence initiatives that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
240+● Best Practices Introduction: Researched and advised DC leaders on gun violence trends and response strategies.
241+● Relationship Management: Partnered with University of DC to create a 4-week training program for violence interrupters.
242+
243+Human Resources Strategy Consultant 2021 – 2022
244+DC Government, Office of the State Superintendent of Education
245+
246+Selected and detailed to support newly appointed State Superintendent of Education in addressing 21% vacancy rate due to
247+operational issues and high attrition rates.
248+
249+● Human Resources Leadership: Defined and implement talent acquisition strategies that reduced vacancy of executives
250+and first line managers from 21% to 16% within 4 months. Identified unfilled positions with the longest vacancy rates.
251+Established a virtual hiring fair that led to hiring 40 management-level employees within 2 months.
252+
253+Chief of Staff 2018 – 2019
254+DC Department of General Services, Office of Director
255+
256+Chosen to support new Agency Director in turning around the Department responsible for building, maintaining, leading, selling,
257+securing, and sustaining the District’s real estate portfolio comprised of more than 840 real estate properties across the city.
258+Oversaw budget of $30M.
259+
260+● Transformational Leadership: Instrumental in optimizing the effectiveness of the DC Department of General Services in
261+upholding the mission of fostering economic viability, economic stewardship, and equity across the city. Assessed and
262+restructured executive and management resources that improved responsiveness to services from 90 to 60 days and
263+remoted barriers in understanding the human capital needs of the Department.
264+● Human Resources Leadership: Contributed to realigning and reorganizing the team, and communicated the Director’s
265+vision for change. Partnered with DC Department of Human Resources to align positions and compensations with District
266+standards. Managed direct staff of 9 overseeing legislative affairs, communications, human resources, and facilities.
267+● Process Improvement: Formalized employee training request process, performance management tools, job credentials,
268+grade levels, and salary structures. Pioneered apprenticeship program to retrain and certify employees in multiple
269+trades. Established performance metrics, and built and led process improvement team in tracking service requests and
270+escalating issues to managers.
271+
272+Interim Chief of Staff 2018
273+Deputy Director of Administrative Services 2017 – 2018
274+Human Resources Officer 2015 – 2017
275+DC Department of Parks and Recreation Salary: $???
276+
277+Originally recruited as Deputy Human Resources Office and promoted within 4 months to supervise diverse team of Human
278+Resources practitioners overseeing human resources functions for 600 employees. Advanced and given oversight for the
279+Operations, Facilities Management, Human Resources, Contract and Procurement, Food Services, and Information Technology
280+Departments. Selected by the Director into interim Chief of Staff role to lead organizational transformation projects.
281+ KWELLI SNEED Page 4 of 5
282+
283+● Facilities Improvement: Planned and managed the on-time and within budget completion of $150M capital construction
284+project to renovate 4 recreation centers.
285+● Vendor Diversification: Led the procurement of $22M in services and supplies with locally and federally certified small
286+businesses, resident-owned businesses, women and minority owned businesses, and disadvantaged business enterprises.
287+● Technology Modernization: Managed the implementation and upgrade of warehouse system that tracked all supply
288+orders for recreation programs and facilities that reduced cost and prevented risk of theft. Led the upgrade technology
289+across 32 recreation centers and pools that included public computer labs and gaming rooms with state-of-the-art video
290+game technology to support residents’ interests in eSports programs.
291+● Programmatic Leadership: Created and implemented the free summer engagement program for 400 homeless children
292+and for children within wards 7 and 8 without summer plans to prevent increase in summer crime rates and address
293+youth safety concerns.
294+● Human Resources Leadership: Led the annual and summer programming hiring efforts for 3 consecutive years, leading
295+to filling 500-600 seasonal positions within 90 days. Drove the realignment of the lifeguard certification process, and
296+negotiated with the union to implement an audit process that strengthened accountability of season lifeguard resources.
297+
298+Employee and Labor Relations Officer 2011 – 2015
299+Department of Public Works
300+
301+Recruited to counsel executives and managers on employee relations matters, investigate Equal Employee Opportunity (EEO)
302+cases, and prepare defenses and legal responses to claims and complaints field with the District’s Office of Employee Appeals
303+and District’s Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining. Evaluated union allegations and arguments, and negotiated
304+settlement of disputes, complaints, and grievances with union representatives.
305+
306+● Risk & Safety Leadership: Supported oversight of the agency’s risk and safety management program to ensure
307+compliance of safety protocols across field employees and operators of agency’s fleet vehicles.
308+● Process Improvement: Collaborated with committee members to revise 25% of collection routes that reduced overtime
309+and labor cost.
310+● Compliance: Implemented driving compliance programs with employee related regulations that encompassed traffic
311+violations and CDL licensure verification. Instituted agency-wide EEO Awareness programs, and developed Sexual
312+Harassment Prevention and Diversity training.
313+● Human Resources: Developed and implemented an employee reward program to incentivize aging sanitation workers
314+and meet the growing collection needs of the city.
315+
316+Deputy Director – Division of Transportation for Special Needs Students 2008 – 2011
317+Special Assistant – Office of the State of Superintendent 2007 – 2008
318+Office of State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
319+
320+Originally recruited as an initial team of 20 to build the Office of Superintendent of Education, the 1
321+st
322+ centralized education
323+office for the District. Promoted into new Divisional role to transition, manage, and transform the $94M Pupil Transportation
324+Department. Held accountability for 1,700+ employees and 800 vehicles while providing safe transportation services to 4,00
325+special needs children. Managed contract administration, risk and accident investigations, fiscal accountability, policy, planning,
326+and staff direction. Served as the liaison with District agencies and government officials.
327+
328+● Strategic Planning: Instrumental in establishing new Office of the State Superintendent of Education and transitioning state-
329+level education functions in accordance with the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007. Served on the transition
330+team to develop and execute the strategy to transfer, reorganize, and align functions with regulatory requirements and
331+educational goals.
332+● Transformation Leadership: Spearheaded, developed, and implemented the plan to transition the Special Education
333+Transportation organization in Federal Court receivership to the Office of the Deputy State Superintendent. Established new
334+standards, monitored compliance, and improved Division’s performance on court mandated KPIs and with District
335+regulations and requirements. Instituted policies to enhance communication with parents, integrated technology onto
336+vehicles, and worked with unions to improve compensation.
337+● Relationship Management: Established and maintained partnerships with AFSCME and Teamsters labor unions during
338+the transition. Worked with union leaders to increase compensation.
339+● Procedures Development: Collaborated with the Department of Health Care Finance to develop the District’s special
340+needs student transportation system Medicaid rules and procedures that resulted in $1.5M Medicaid reimbursement. KWELLI SNEED Page 5 of 5
341+
342+● Human Resources Leadership: Directed all personnel actions that included leave requests, job description development,
343+policies application, perspective employee interviews, employee complaint investigation, staff evaluation, and
344+recommendation for hiring, assignment, promotion, retention, transfer, and dismissal.
345+● Process Improvement: Led key Six Sigma project for the Department of Early Childhood Education that reduced renewal
346+cycle time from 90 days to 70 days for the Childcare Subsidy Program.
347+
348+EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
349+
350+Master of Business Administration; Concentration in Human Resources & Organizational Development
351+KELLER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, DEVRY UNIVERSITY – Oakbrook, IL
352+
353+Bachelor of Science in Chemistry & Mathematics
354+FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY – Tallahassee, FL
355+
356+Mayor’s Mentoring Circles, Mayor Muriel Bowser Administration
357+GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (DCHR)
358+
359+Executive Leadership Program (ELP)
360+GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (DCHR)
361+
362+Certified Public Manager Program (CPM)
363+GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (DCHR)
364+ Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor's Office of Talent and Appointments
365+John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
366+
367+
368+
369+Kwelli Sneed
370+
371+Ms. Kwelli Sneed currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of
372+the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE). Interim
373+Director Sneed is a long-time District government employee with a 15+
374+year career of building, transforming, and strengthening agencies. From
375+2007 to 2011, she worked at the Office of the State Superintendent of
376+Education as Special Assistant and then as Deputy Director of
377+Transportation.
378+From 2011 to 2015, Interim Director Sneed served as the Employee and
379+Labor Relations Officer at the Department of Public Works, then as
380+Human Resources Officer, Deputy Director of Administrative Services,
381+and Interim Chief of Staff at the Department of Parks and Recreation and
382+finally as Chief of Staff at the Department of General Services.
383+As the Dean of the Department of Human Resources’ City University and Career Pathways
384+programs, Interim Director Sneed was recruited to drive the development of a people -focused
385+strategy and program designed to develop the human capital for the District government and to
386+establish effective pathways for District residents into District government careers.
387+Interim Director Sneed recently served as C hief of Staff and S enior Advisor at ONSE, leading the
388+office’s human resource, capital, and organizational planning. She drives organizational
389+effectiveness through accountability and positive change management.
390+A Ward 4 resident, Interim Director Sneed earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry &
391+Mathematics from Florida A&M University and her Master of Business Administration from
392+DeVry University.
393+ GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
394+Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
395+
396+Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
397+
398+
399+______________________________________________________________________________
400+The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
401+
402+To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
403+From: Betsy Cavendish
404+Date: October 25, 2024
405+Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution appointing Kwelli Sneed as Executive
406+Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement
407+This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced Order and found
408+it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate
409+to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-727-
410+0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
411+
412+
413+
414+
415+______________________________
416+Elizabeth Cavendish
417+
418+