(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser announced the appointments of John Falcicchio as Chief of Staff; Beverly Perry as Senior Advisor; Michael Czin as Communications Director and LaToya Foster as Senior Communications Officer. Falcicchio and Perry will serve as the Mayor-elect's senior strategic advisors while Czin and Foster will be tasked with running the communications department.
Falcicchio, who managed Bowser’s first council campaign, will join the Administration after volunteering as a campaign advisor and director of the Mayor-elect's transition. Falcicchio recently served as a Senior Vice President of DKC, a New York based public relations firm. Previously, Falcicchio served as a Regional Political Director for the Democratic National Committee and was a long-time aide to former Mayor Adrian Fenty.
In 2013, Perry retired as the Senior Vice President and Special Advisor to the Chairman of Pepco Holdings. She served as a senior advisor for the Bowser campaign and Chair of the Leadership Co-chairs on the Mayoral transition. Perry has been a business and civic leader in Washington for decades. She served as Chairman of the Board of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and sits on the boards of numerous philanthropic organizations.
Czin comes to the Bowser Administration following a stint as National Press Secretary for the Democratic National Committee where he oversaw rapid response and served as the Committee’s top spokesman. Foster joins the Bowser Administration after serving as the late, Honorable Marion Barry, Jr.’s senior communications advisor. Previously, Foster worked as a TV host, reporter and in the federal government.
“I am thrilled to bring John, Beverly, Mike and LaToya on to help lead my team. They are experienced managers who each bring with them unique experiences working at the local and national levels and will help deliver a fresh start for the District,” said Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser.
Incoming Chief of Staff John Falcicchio said, “I am a firm believer that the government has a responsibility to ensure that everyone gets a fair shot. I could not be prouder to work for the residents of the District of Columbia to implement Mayor-elect Bowser's vision for a fresh start.”
Bowser's Senior Advisor Beverly Perry who will also be responsible for leading the District's intergovernmental affairs said, "I have known Muriel for years and have been continually impressed by her vision, work ethic and ability to deliver for her constituents. Muriel will lead the District to a fresh start. I’m excited to get to work on behalf of the Mayor-elect and the residents of the District of Columbia.”
Biographies:
John Falcicchio, Chief of Staff
John Falcicchio served as an advisor to the Bowser campaign and currently serves as the Mayor-elect’s transition director. Previously, Falcicchio was a Senior Vice President at DKC, a New York based public relations firm. In the 2012 election cycle, John was a Regional Political Director at the Democratic National Committee where he led political outreach on behalf of President Obama to elected officials, state parties and allied organizations in the Northeast and Florida.
Before joining the DNC, John was a longtime aide to Mayor Adrian Fenty, serving in various capacities including campaign manager and Senior Advisor to the Mayor. He also was the Mayor-elect's campaign manager on her first campaign. John worked in a number of campaign roles including manager of Bowser’s first Council campaign, as President Obama’s DC State Director (2008 primary), field organizer for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign and finance director/GOTV coordinator for Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson’s first mayoral run. Falcicchio is a graduate of the Catholic University of America.
Beverly Perry, Senior Advisor
Perry advised both the Bowser campaign and the Mayoral transition. In 2013, Perry retired as Senior Vice President and Special Advisor to the Chairman of Pepco Holdings. Perry joined Potomac Electric Power Company, a Pepco subsidiary, in 1990 as Manager of Government Relations for District of Columbia and Federal Affairs. Her responsibilities within Potomac Electric Power Company and PHI increased continuously over the years. She served in the position of Senior Vice President and as a member of Pepco's Executive Leadership Team for more than 10 years.
Perry's leadership and executive experience also includes an appointment by Mayor Anthony Williams (2005 - 2011) and she served as Chairman of the Board, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a $100 Million enterprise fund to promote tourism and market the District of Columbia as a convention destination. In December 2013, she was elected to serve as a director of CareFirst, Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc.
Perry serves on numerous boards and is involved in many philanthropic causes. She chairs the Board of the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum and is an active board member of the Smithsonian American Arts Museum; the Greater Washington Urban League; Arena Stage; Congressional Black Caucus Institute; and the Federal Judicial Nomination Commission for the District of Columbia.
She received her law degree from Georgetown University and her undergraduate degree from George Washington University.
Michael Czin, Communications Director
Most recently, Czin served as the National Press Secretary at the Democratic National Committee where he oversaw rapid response and was the Party's top spokesman. Prior to that position, Czin was the Northeast Regional Press Secretary for the 2012 Obama Presidential Campaign where he oversaw communications for nine states. From 2008- 2011, Czin served as Assistant Press Secretary and later Regional Press Secretary at the Democratic National Committee. During the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary, Czin worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Field and Communications in Iowa, Arizona and Wisconsin. Over the course of his career, he has advised a host of candidates for statewide office, from Iowa Secretary of Agriculture to numerous Senate and Gubernatorial campaigns. Czin graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
LaToya Foster, Senior Communication Officer
LaToya joins the Bowser Administration after serving as Communications Director and Spokesperson for the late, Honorable Marion Barry, Jr. For several years, Foster served as the host and producer of "In The Know," a Sunday morning, independently-produced, political affairs program that aired on the District’s ABC affiliate WJLA and sister station News Channel 8. In that role, Foster interviewed many of the world’s most powerful leaders and newsmakers, including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and a host of other renowned political and business leaders.
As a talk-radio host, Foster’s voice has been heard over the Radio One airwaves over the past decade, where she has anchored her own daily talk shows, as well as several weekend programs. Prior to her career in the media, Foster served as an International Transportation and Trade Specialist for the US Department of Transportation during the Clinton and Bush Administrations and frequently traveled to Africa in efforts to improve the quality of transportation systems globally, ultimately enhancing trade and economic development.