Washington, DC – Today at McKinley Technology Education Campus, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser announced three key appointments to her Administration; Kevin Donahue as Deputy City Administrator, Brenda Donald as Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, and Jennifer C. Niles as Deputy Mayor for Education.
Donahue, Donald, and Niles will help lead the Bowser Administration’s efforts to deliver a fresh start for the District and its residents. The announcement comes a week after Mayor-elect Bowser announced Rashad M. Young as the District’s next City Administrator.
“At the beginning of this transition, I pledged to recruit the brightest people with the best ideas to serve the residents of the District of Columbia. Kevin, Brenda, and Jennifer are nationally recognized leaders and innovators in their respective fields who bring with them the talent and know-how to make the District’s government work for more residents,” said Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser.
Kevin Donahue, Deputy City Administrator
Donahue assumes a new position as Deputy City Administrator, where he will be City Administrator Rashad Young’s principal deputy. He will be tasked with bringing an innovative and data-driven approach to the oversight and coordination of government operations and public safety agencies. He will also be charged with re-instituting the CapStat performance management system in the District of Columbia.
“I am incredibly excited to come back to District government and work on behalf of the residents of Washington. Bringing innovative and data-driven approaches to government is something I am passionate about and have been working on for the last 15 years. I look forward to this new role and helping Mayor-elect Bowser implement her vision for an open, transparent, and responsive government,” said Donahue.
Donahue joins the Bowser Administration from the Obama Administration where he serves as the Director of the U.S. General Services Administration’s Performance Improvement Council, a group of the Federal agency Performance Improvement Officers and senior OMB officials, which collaborates across issue areas and agencies to improve the performance of Federal programs. Prior to that, Donahue was a Senior Advisor to the GSA Administrator, worked at the U.S. Department of Treasury, and in District government. Kevin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University.
Brenda Donald, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services
Donald comes to the Bowser Administration from the DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) where she serves as Director. She will be charged with making sure that residents of all ages receive the services they need to lead healthy and productive lives in the District of Columbia.
“As a long-time public official in the District, I am a strong believer in the government’s ability to improve people’s lives. I am thrilled to have been selected as Mayor-elect Bowser’s Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and could not be more excited to help her tackle critical issues like homelessness and ensuring access to quality health care for all Washingtonians,” said Donald.
Donald brings with her more than 25 years of senior management experience in the public and non-profit sectors. Prior to her current role, Donald served as Vice President of the Center for Effective Family Services and Systems for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where she worked to improve the outcomes of children living in the country’s most difficult situations. Donald has also served as Maryland’s Secretary of the Department of Human Resources, as DC’s Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families, and Elders, and as the director of CFSA. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism with honors from George Washington University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Arkansas.
Jennifer C. Niles, Deputy Mayor for Education
Niles will serve as Deputy Mayor for Education and will work closely with DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson to continue to improve school quality across the District and make the goal of having world-class schools in every ward a reality. Additionally, Niles will be instrumental in increasing collaboration between DCPS and Charter Schools.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as Deputy Mayor for Education and humbled to accept the responsibility to improve education for all students in the District. I look forward to working with Mayor-elect Bowser to see that every student in the District of Columbia gets the outstanding education they deserve,” said Niles.
Most recently, Niles was the founder and head of school of the award-winning E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, one of the highest performing charter schools in Washington, DC and the country. Previously, Niles was Director of Education Initiatives at The Ball Foundation of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, headed the Charter School Office for the Connecticut State Department of Education, and taught science and directed service-learning programs at middle and high schools in California and Massachusetts.
Niles is a graduate of New Leaders for New Schools, an intensive, year-long program to prepare urban principals. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a Master’s degree in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management, and a Master’s of Science degree in Public Administration from Trinity University.
Mayor-elect Bowser also presented MPD Chief Cathy Lanier and Chancellor Kaya Henderson, both of whom will continue to provide critical leadership to the District. The Mayor-elect acknowledged their incredible service and continued commitment to serve residents of the District of Columbia.