(Washington DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced transitions of executive leadership in the Cabinet and appointed positions.
Lindsey Appiah – Acting Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
Lindsey Appiah is appointed Acting Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ). Deputy Mayor Appiah began her career in public service as an Assistant Attorney General representing the Department of Children’s Services and the Department of Labor in the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General where she managed a team of attorneys that represented the departments in various matters, including state tort actions and federal civil rights action. In 2012, Deputy Mayor Appiah began her career in District government at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) and served in several leadership roles, including Assistant General Counsel, General Counsel, and Interim Director. Deputy Mayor Appiah joined the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice as Chief of Staff in 2021.
Susana Castillo, Director of Communications – Executive Office of the Mayor
Susana Castillo is appointed Director of Communications in the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM). Director Castillo began her career working at the Latin American Youth Center where she focused on positive youth development, media literacy, and substance abuse prevention for DC youth. She then joined the Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs where she focused on building relationships with nonprofit organizations and conveying the Mayor's priorities to the local Latino community. In 2016, Director Castillo joined the Mayor’s Communications Office as Deputy Press Secretary. In January 2019, she was promoted to Press Secretary, helping to manage the day-to-day media presence and public relations of the Mayor and several government agencies during the District’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Director Castillo most recently served as Deputy Communications Director, overseeing the EOM press, graphics, digital, and messaging team.
Colleen Green, Acting Director – Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Colleen Green is appointed Acting Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Director Green has significant experience in finance, real estate, advisory services, operations, strategic planning, and business development. She has worked for both for-profit and nonprofit housing development organizations and has owned and operated a property management and construction management firm that developed more than 2,000 housing units in Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester County, NY, Richmond, VA and Washington DC. At the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) she oversaw the acquisitions and dispositions for a $60 million national real estate investment fund. Director Green has worked at several prolific financial institutions including TIAA-CREF, Citibank, Key Bank, Fleet Bank, and Bank of America. As a Vice President in the Real Estate Capital Groups of both Bank of America, Fleet, and Key Bank, she was responsible for originating and underwriting construction lending transactions. Most recently, served as Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Initiatives at CORE DC. From 2007 to 2009, Director Green served as Chief of Staff at DHCD, overseeing core day-to-day agency functions including human resources and funding affordable housing, community development, and economic development projects.
Courtney Hill, Director – Mayor’s Office of Scheduling and Advance (MOSA)
Courtney Hill is appointed Director of the Mayor’s Office of Scheduling and Advance (MOSA). A seasoned political operative with a passion for bridging electoral politics, social justice advocacy, and policy, Director Hill founded Polaris Strategies, a DMV-based political consulting firm specializing in advancing candidates from communities of color by managing the candidates’ operations, scheduling, and training programs. Director Hill recently served and had leadership roles on the advance teams of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, where she led core advance functions including site, crowd, press, and-production lead for several domestic and international trips. Most recently, Director Hill served as trip manager for President Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia, managing scheduling and travel logistics for more than 100 White House executive and advance staff, press, and other principals.
Richard Jackson, Interim Director – Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE)
Richard Jackson is appointed Interim Director of the District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). Director Jackson has more than 20 years of experience in the chemical and environmental engineering fields and served more than two decades in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear-trained submariner. Director Jackson’s experiences include hazardous waste management, chemical production and processing, nuclear power plant maintenance, occupational safety, and quality assurance auditing. He began his career at DOEE in 2008, starting as a hazardous waste inspector before being promoted into agency leadership where he served as Associate Director of the Toxic Substances Division and Deputy Director of the Environmental Services Administration. Director Jackson was instrumental in establishing several new DOEE programs, including the Rail Safety and Emergency Response Division, the Indoor Mold Inspection and Compliance Program, and the Site Remediation and Response Program. Director Jackson recently served as DOEE’s Senior Deputy Director, overseeing daily operations of the agency’s six administrations.
Timothy Spriggs, Acting Director – Department of Public Works (DPW)
Timothy Spriggs is appointed Acting Director of the Department of Public Works (DPW). Director Spriggs has a long and distinguished career of public service, working in complex government agencies and military and global civilian operations. From 2005 to 2007, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the U.S. Army Joint Forces Headquarters of the DC National Guard, helping develop strategic plans to execute a Physical Security Program protecting Army personnel, property, facilities, and assets against unauthorized entry or sabotage. From 2009 to 2010, Director Spriggs served as Strategic Grounds Operations Manager where he led strategic operations for the civilian ground convoy transportation firm in Iraq with oversight of a $50 million budget, more than 1,000 Iraqi drivers, and 14 regional ground operations managers across Iraq and Kuwait. Director Spriggs joined the District government at the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), serving as Director of Operations and Deputy Director before joining DPW in 2018 as the Citywide Snow Program Coordinator.
Director Spriggs recently served as Administrator of DPW’s Security and Safety Administration, responsible for safety and security, risk management, emergency preparedness, stormwater management, snow coordination and removal, facility maintenance, public space planning and acquisition, and property disposal.
Tommy Wells, Director – Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs (OPLA)
Tommy Wells is appointed Director of the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs (OPLA). Director Wells’ career in public service spans more than 30 years. In 1989, he led a successful class action lawsuit, LaShawn v. Barry, to address the city’s failure to protect children in its care. In 1991, he took the helm of the DC Consortium for Child Welfare, where he helped create neighborhood-based family service collaboratives to coordinate the delivery of city and nonprofit resources to underserved District residents. From 2006 to 2015, Director Wells served as the Ward 6 councilmember on the Council of the District of Columbia, where he garnered broad support for his efforts to make the District more livable and walkable. In 2015, he was appointed DOEE Director where he was responsible for protecting the environment and conserving the natural resources of the District.