Mayor Bowser Appoints Andy Shallal to Chair Workforce Investment Council

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Mayor Muriel Bowser has appointed Andy Shallal to serve as Chair of the District’s Workforce Investment Council, a private sector-led board responsible for advising the Mayor, Council, and District government on investments and strategies for the city’s workforce development and job training system. Mayor Bowser made the announcement at the Workforce Investment Council’s Quarterly Board Meeting. 

“The WIC plays a critical role in making sure our job training system meets the needs of residents and employers. We need a dynamic and creative leader to chair this important body, and Andy is that leader,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Since Andy came to the District five decades ago, he has made his mark on our city – as an artist, restauranteur, activist, and philanthropist. He has personally trained and hired hundreds of District residents, and I’m thrilled that he will help take our workforce system to new heights.”

Creating pathways to the middle class is a major priority of the Bowser Administration. To that end, the Mayor is focused on strengthening the workforce development system by providing high-quality training that leads to good paying jobs.

Shallal is the owner and founder of Busboys and Poets and Eatonville Restaurant. In his role as chair of the WIC, he will lead the board and work closely with Department of Employment Services staff to simplify, streamline, and align the District’s workforce development system to meet the needs of residents and employers. The Mayor has charged Andy with bringing fresh ideas to the table, pulling businesses together to better understand how the District can serve the employer community, and identifying any gaps in the current system.

“I am thrilled to accept the appointment as Chair of the Workforce Investment Council Board,” said Andy Shallal. “Even though there are more jobs than people in the District, too many DC residents do not have the education and the skills to fill those jobs. I am ready to get to work with Mayor Bowser to improve workforce development and ultimately achieve our shared goal of expanding meaningful prosperity and lift up our city.”