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Mayor Bowser Announces Cabinet Appointments

Friday, June 19, 2015

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, continuing her pledge of a fresh start for the District of Columbia, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the appointment of several cabinet members. Mayor Bowser appointed Jed Ross as Acting Chief Risk Officer of the Office of Risk Management and Stephen Taylor as Acting Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. Christopher Shorter who currently serves as Director of Agency Operations in the Office of the City Administrator will serve as Interim Director of the Department of Public Works.

"The work of these agencies is vital to ensure that our residents and businesses receive quality attention and service. I am thankful that Jed, Stephen and Chris have each answered the call to serve and to help carry out my promise to create pathways to the middle class for all District residents," said Mayor Bowser. "I look forward to seeing the fruits of their labor—working hand-in-hand with their colleagues across my Administration to make the District of Columbia an even greater place to live, work and play."

Jed Ross
Chief Risk Officer of the Office of Risk Management (ORM)
Ross will lead, guide and support District agencies’ risk management efforts in the areas of worker’s compensation; risk identification and analysis control; risk insurance; and, tort liability. Ross rejoined the Government of the District of Columbia as a Senior Advisor in the Department of Human Resources at the start of the Bowser Administration.  He provided advice and counsel to the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments during the recruitment and on-boarding of appointees to the Administration.  Ross provided similar support as Deputy General Counsel to the Mayor Elect’s transition team while employed by Goldblatt, Martin and Pozen LLP (GMP).  At GMP, he represented the interests of private, nonprofit and public entities in connection with labor, employment, administrative, legislative, policy, and real estate law.  Before joining GMP, Ross worked for both the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).  During his tenure at DCRA, he served as the Acting Deputy Director of Operations, Human Resource Director and as Chairman of the Board of Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings. While at OAG, Ross liaised with agencies throughout the District government.  He earned his JD from Syracuse University’s College of Law, and a BS in Marketing and Distribution Management from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business.

Christopher Shorter
Director of the Department of Public Works (DPW)
Shorter serves as the Director of Agency Operations in the Office of the City Administrator (OCA) for the Bowser Administration. He provides direct oversight of the offices of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, Performance Management and Agency Operations within the OCA.  Prior to this role, Shorter served as the Chief Operating Officer for the District Department of Health (DOH).  Shorter previously served as Deputy Director for the Special Education Transportation system within the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), as well as Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer for the District Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).  Outside of the District Government, Shorter also worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as well as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. He received a MPA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public & International Affairs and his BS in economics from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University in Tallahassee.

Stephen Taylor
Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB)
Taylor has served as Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of the District of Columbia where he offered legal counsel to the District Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) concerning its procurement operations. Prior to joining OAG, he served as the chief procurement officer for the City of Alexandria, Virginia.  Taylor, before working for the City of Alexandria, had 10 years of financial services regulation experience in the District government serving in roles at DISB and an agency that would later merge with DISB, the Department of Banking and Financial Institutions (DBFI).  At DISB, he most recently served as General Counsel, managing the Office of Legal Affairs. Taylor also directed DISB’s legislative and regulatory drafting programs, assisting in implementing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He also previously served as DISB’s Acting Deputy Commissioner and as the agency’s Senior Counsel.   At DBFI, Taylor served as General Counsel, providing advice regarding the District’s depository and non-depository financial institutions.  In addition, he managed DBFI’s revision of the District’s Banking Code and Predatory Lending law.  Taylor has also held positions in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Council of the District of Columbia. He holds an LLM and JD from Georgetown University Law Center and a BA from Fordham University.