MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
Ap
ril 9, 2025
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 201 of the District of Columbia Public
Postsecondary
Education Reorganization Act, approved October 26, 1974 (88 Stat. 1424; D.C. Official
Code § 38-1202.01), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Dr. Abidemi Oyedele
Peabody Street, NW
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward
4)
for
appointment as member of the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia,
filling a vacant
seat formerly held by Reginald Felton, for the remainder of an unexpired term to end
May 15, 2029.
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
2 airman Phil Mendelson
3 at the request
of the Mayor
4
5
6 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
7
8
9
10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
11
12
13
14
15 To confirm the appointment of Dr. Abidemi Oyedele to the Board of Trustees of the University
16 of the District of Columbia.
17
18
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this
19 resolution may be cited as the "Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia
20
Dr. Abidemi Oyedele Confirmation Resolution of 2025".
21 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
22
23 Dr. Abidemi Oyedele
24 Peabody Street, NW
25 Washington, DC 20011
26 (Ward 4)
27
28 as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia, established
29 by section
201 of the District of Columbia Public Postsecondary Education Reorganization Act,
30 approved October 26, 1974 (88 Stat. 1424; D.C. Official Code§ 38-1202.01), filling a vacant
31 seat formerly held by Reginald Felton, for the remainder of an unexpired term to end May 15,
32 2029.
33 Sec. 3. The Council shall transmit a copy of this resolution, upon its adoption, to the
34 nominee, the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia, and the Office of
35 the Mayor.
36 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. Abidemi Bisi Oyedele, Ed.D
Education
Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
Leadership Fellow May 2014
One year fellowship for public school leaders
Boston College Chestnut Hill,
MA Doctor of Education (Ed.D) May
2012
Concentration in Education Administration
Dissertation: Data driven principal preparation;
evaluating training programs and their impact on school leaders
Boston College Chestnut Hill,
MA Master of Education (M.Ed) May
2007
Concentration: Curriculum and Instruction
Concentration: Secondary History
Boston College Chestnut Hill,
MA Bachelor of Arts May
2004
Concentration: Political Science
Experience
Education Forward DC Washington, DC
Chief Executive Officer August 2022 -
Present
Lead, coach, develop, and retain high-performing senior leadership team
Develop, track, and monitor annual organizational budget to ensure sound fiscal stewardship of
resources
Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence, rigorous progress monitoring and evaluation, and
consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems
Actively engage and energize staff, board members, portfolio organizations, and funders
Develop, maintain, and support a strong board; serve as member of board and each committee;
seek and build board involvement with strategic direction for ongoing operations and fundraising
Develop and execute on fundraising strategy and goal setting
Expand revenue-generating and fundraising activities to support existing and future grantmaking
goals and organizational operations
Manage donor relationships, including research and cultivation of potential donors, donation
requests, and stewardship of existing donors Lead Investment Committee, guiding meeting content and developing strong relationships with
members (representatives from largest donors)
Deepen and refine all aspects of communications with the goal of creating a stronger brand
Use external presence and relationships to garner new fundraising opportunities and
Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
Dr. Abidemi Oyedele
Dr. Oyedele became Chief Executive Officer of Education Forward DC
in September 2022, after more than five years overseeing all of the
organization's grantmaking and grantee support work as Managing
Partner. As a first-generation immigrant and English l anguage learner, Dr.
Oyedele fundamentally believes in the transformative power of a high-
quality public education.
This belief guided his decision to join Education Forward DC as it seeks
to support the development of a public school system responsive to the
needs of students and families. Prior to joining Education Forward DC in
2017, Dr. Oyedele was a l eadership effectiveness director at the Lynch
Leadership Academy at Boston College. There he was responsible for the
coaching and professional development of district, charter, and Catholic school leaders in Boston
and the Boston metro area. Earlier in his career, Dr. Oyedele was the Executive Director of Match
Charter Public High School and Principal of Nativity Preparatory School in Boston.
Dr. Oyedele started his career as a history and English teacher as well as a substitute teacher in
Boston Public Schools. He currently lives in the Brightwood/Manor Park neighborhood with his
wife, Natasha and two children, Nolan and Gem, who both attend DC public schools.
A Ward 4 resident, Dr. Oyedele earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, his Master of
Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and his Doctor of Education in Education Administration
from Boston College 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: March 25, 2025
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of Resolutions nominating Michael Dannenberg, David
Croom, and Dr. Abidemi Oyedele as members of the Board of Trustees of the
University of the District of Columbia
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