This panel will discuss how the myriad of stakeholders serving neighborhoods in Wards 7 and 8 can collectively leverage resources to provide greater social and economic opportunity for all the residents and business owners in these respective Wards.

MODERATOR
Ed Lazere, DC Fiscal Policy Institute

PANELISTS

• Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden, DC Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity
• Doyle Mitchell, Industrial Bank
• Edmund Fleet, THEARC
• Mary Brown, DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative
• Stan Jackson, Anacostia Economic Development Corporation

A presentation of key socio-economic trends of selected Ward 7 and 8 neighborhoods to understand what may drive private sector development over the next few years.
PRESENTED by Leah Hendey, Urban Institute

The Honorable Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor, Washington DC

This discussion will generate strategies for redeveloping/repurposing many of the vacant, blighted, and underutilized commercial spaces/parcels and how creating vibrant commercial corridors will help small businesses. The panel will provide recommendations and best practices for how these assets could be sold to small businesses as owner-occupied space or leased to small businesses and creating permanently affordable space. The panel will also highlight key policy concerns regarding such redevelopment projects as Barry Farms, St. Elizabeths, Poplar Point, and transit.

MODERATOR
Duane Gautier, ARCH Development Corporation

PANELISTS

• Bo Menkiti, The Menkiti Group
• Deborah T. Jones, Ward 7 Business Partnership
• Gina Merritt, Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures
• Stan Voudrie, Four Points LLC

The panel will highlight how to create an environment for small businesses to have the key resources needed to grow and expand, as well as building a strong workforce with the skills to take advantage of employment opportunities. The panel will also discuss the types of jobs that are needed to support the local economy, and what types of incentives are needed to not only attract such businesses/industries but how to support the existing businesses in the marketplace.

MODERATOR
Steve Glaude, Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development

PANELISTS

• Alan Novak, City Interests
• Jonas Singer, Union Kitchen
• Marie Johns, Leftwhich, LLC
• Tim Flanagan, Washington Area Community Investment Fund
• Tyoka Jackson, IHOP Franchisee Washington, DC

The purpose of this closing panel is to highlight the key findings of the Equitable Development Task Force which convened over the past year to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and impact of the 11th Street Bridge Park. This park is a highly anticipated community-driven design project that will transform aged infrastructure into an iconic new civic space bridging Capitol Hill and Historic Anacostia. The session will summarize the recommendations of the Task Force related to small business development, affordable housing and workforce development.

MODERATOR
Scott Kratz, 11th Street Bridge Park

PANELISTS

• Carla Harris, Ward 8 Workforce Development Council
• Evette Banfield, Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development
• Sarah Scruggs, Manna, Inc.

Presentation of The Baptist Award to this year’s honoree, Stan Jackson of Anacostia Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) as conferred by the Board of Directors of City First.

City First Gallery @ The Anacostia Arts Center | 1235 Good Hope Road SE