District Of Columbia 2025-2026 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill PR26-0098 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	MURIEL BOWSER
2	2	MAYOR
3	3	February 28, 2025
4	4	The
5	5	Honorable Phil Mendelson
6	6	Chairman
7	7	Council of the D istrict of Columbia
8	8	J
9	9	ohn A. Wilson Building
10	10	1350 P
11	11	ennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
12	12	Washington, DC 20004
13	13	Dear Chairman Mende lson:
14	14	In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
15	15	142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 3 of
16	16	the Office of District Waterways
17	17	Mana
18	18	gement Establishment Act o
19	19	f 2022, effective March 22, 2023 (D.C. Law 24-33 6; D. C. Official
20	20	Code § 8–191.02), I
21	21	am pleased to nominate the following i :
22	22	Ms. Melissa B ird
23	23	Warder Street, NW
24	24	Washington,
25	25	DC 20010
26	26	(Ward 1)
27	27	for appointment as a n individual with experience
28	28	in maritime man a or po lic membe r of the
29	29	District W aterways A dvisory C ommission, f
30	30	ng a new s eat, for a term to end December 1, 2028.
31	31	Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
32	32	nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
33	33	I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
34	34	do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
35	35	Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
36	36	Sincerely,
37	37	Muriel Bowser
38	38	Mayor 1
39	39	2
40	40	3
41	41	4
42	42	5
43	43	6
44	44	7
45	45	8
46	46	9
47	47	A PROPOSED RESOLUTION ~ p~~
48	48	at the request of the Mayor
49	49	10
50	50	11
51	51	12
52	52	13
53	53	14
54	54	15
55	55	16
56	56	17
57	57	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
58	58	18
59	59	19
60	60	20
61	61	21
62	62	To confirm the appointment of Melissa Bird to the District Waterways Advisory Commission.
63	63	RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
64	64	resolution may be cited
65	65	as the "District Waterways Advisory Commission Melissa Bird
66	66	Confirmation Resolution
67	67	of 2025".
68	68	Sec. 2. The Council
69	69	of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
70	70	22 Melissa Bird
71	71	23 Warder Street, NW
72	72	24 Washington, DC 20010
73	73	25 (Ward 1)
74	74	26
75	75	27 as an individual with experience in maritime management or policy member
76	76	of the District
77	77	28 Waterways Advisory Commission, established by section 3 of the Office of District Waterways
78	78	29 Management Establishment Act
79	79	of 2022, effective March 22, 2023 (D.C. Law 24-336; D. C.
80	80	30 Official Code§ 8-191.02), filling a new seat, for a term of four years.
81	81	31 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
82	82	32 upon its adoption,
83	83	to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
84	84	33 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. Over twenty years of proven leadership in the urban planning field. A transformational leader driven by
85	85	challenges and opportunities to build great places to live and thrive. Passionate about cities, urban parks
86	86	and green spaces, and authentic engagement with communities. Skilled and effective communicator and
87	87	advocate. Known for creative thinking and problem solving with a focus on collaboration and partnerships
88	88	with community advocates, government agencies, and the private sector. Elevates equity and fosters team
89	89	development.
90	90	Comprehensive Plans
91	91	Public Speaking
92	92	Executive Office of the Mayor/DC Office of Planning
93	93	Executive Director, DC Census 2020
94	94	Directed the DC Census 2020 multimedia campaign and coordination of over 45 local, regional and
95	95	national partnerships, to impact over 700,000 DC residents.
96	96	Managed Mayor’s Complete Count Committee of government and private sector leaders to leverage
97	97	their expertise and influence to build effective engagement strategy.
98	98	Assembled DC’s largest coalition of advocates working in African-American, immigrant and low-income
99	99	household communities to increase participation.
100	100	Identified success metrics and tracking methodology.
101	101	Spoke at over 100 public events on behalf of the campaign in a variety of formats-informational
102	102	presentations, conferences, interviews, podcasts, radio.
103	103	Developed the first DC Census 2020 Grant program which awarded over $900,000 to local
104	104	organizations to foster hyperlocal and culturally relevant outreach plans.
105	105	Fostered unique engagement initiatives leading DC campaign to become a national model.
106	106	DC Office Of Planning
107	107	Associate Director, Neighborhood Planning
108	108	Managed diverse team of up to 10 staff members.
109	109	Directed 5 Small Area Plans from inception to Council submission and approval.
110	110	Provided oversight to multi-disciplinary teams covering engagement, land use, housing, social impact,
111	111	economic development, placemaking and delivered successful results across the city.
112	112	Successful management of consulting teams, budget control and on time delivery of projects.
113	113	Ensured portfolio alignment with mission, goals and needs of the city and government agencies.
114	114	Established lasting relationships with community stakeholders, community- based organizations,
115	115	advocates, and elected officials.
116	116	Nov 2020-Jul 2024
117	117	Oct 2018 - Nov 2020
118	118
119	119	Melissa Bird, AICP
120	120	PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
121	121	Partnership Development
122	122	Project/Team Management
123	123	Equity Analysis
124	124	Land Use Planning
125	125	AREAS OF EXPERTISE
126	126	Page 1 of 2 DC Office of Planning
127	127	Lead Planner
128	128	Jan 2005-Jan 2016
129	129	Senior level planner with oversight of land use, development, engagement and project management of
130	130	complex projects and mutli-disciplinary teams.
131	131	Provided planning oversight in multiple Wards in the District.
132	132	Successfully managed the first Streetcar Master Land Use Study assessing economic, housing and land
133	133	use impacts related to development of a comprehensive streetcar system.
134	134	Shepherded award-winning Southwest Area Neighborhood Plan (Small Area Plan) from inception to DC
135	135	Council’s adoption.
136	136	Democracy Fellow, Inaugural Cohort
137	137	Jan 2021-Jun 2021
138	138	National Conference on Citizenship
139	139	AWARDS/FELLOWSHIPS
140	140	Outstanding Plan 2016
141	141	Southwest Neighborhood Plan
142	142	National Capital Area Chapter of the
143	143	American Planning Association
144	144	National Top Ten Charter Award 2011
145	145	Streetcar Master Land Use Study
146	146	Master of Community Planning, 1998
147	147	Regional Land Use Leadership Institute, 2017
148	148	Urban Land Institute, Washington DC
149	149	University of Maryland, College Park MD
150	150	American Institute of Certified Planners,
151	151	2001
152	152	EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS
153	153	Melissa Bird
154	154	melissabird@gmail.com
155	155	Page 2 of 2
156	156	DC Office of Planning
157	157	DC Comprehensive Plan Manager
158	158	Led update of the DC Comprehensive Plan, a 20 year framework that guides future growth,
159	159	development, planning, equity and land use-use activity for the entire District.
160	160	Managed city-wide engagement across multiple formats.
161	161	Successfully engaged sister agencies, community organizations, elected officials to ensure success.
162	162	Ushered Comprehensive Plan through DC Council public hearings.
163	163	Feb 2016- Oct 2018 Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
164	164	John A. Wilson Building \| 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 \| Washington, DC 20004
165	165	Melissa Bird
166	166	Ms. Mel issa Bird has over two decades of experience leading and
167	167	managing transformative initiatives in urban planning, equity, and
168	168	community engagement. As the former Associate Director of
169	169	Neighborhood Planning at the Office of Planning, she spearheaded
170	170	numerous impactful projects, including the DC 2020 Census campaign,
171	171	award-winning place-based community plans, and engagement strategies
172	172	designed to advance equity and vibrancy in diverse neighborhoods.
173	173	During the 2020 Census, Ms. Bird led the largest and most complex
174	174	Census outreach campaign in DC’s history, ensuring the inclusion of the
175	175	city’s most vulnerable populations. By combining data-driven strategies
176	176	with on-the- ground engagement, the campaign was nationally recognized
177	177	for its innovative approaches to reaching hard-to-count communities.
178	178	A creative thinker and problem solver, Ms. Bird is deeply passionate about fostering equitable
179	179	outcomes that benefit all residents in urban communities. She is a member of the American
180	180	Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and an alumna of the Urban Land Institute’s Regional Land
181	181	Use Leadership Institute (Class of 2016).
182	182	A Ward 1 resident, Ms. Bird earned her Master of Community Planning from the University of
183	183	Maryland. GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
184	184	Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
185	185	Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
186	186	______________________________________________________________________________
187	187	The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
188	188	To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
189	189	From: Betsy Cavendish
190	190	Date: February 19, 2025
191	191	Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution appointing Melissa Bird as a member of
192	192	the District Waterways Advisory Commission
193	193	This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced resolution and
194	194	found it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
195	195	hesitate to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at
196	196	202-727-0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
197	197	______________________________
198	198	Elizabeth Cavendish