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MURIEL
BOWSER
MAYOR
June 10, 2025
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Colu mbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvani a Avenue , NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 4 of An Act To establish and provide for
the maintenance of a free public library and reading room in the District of Columbia, approved June
3, 1896 (29 Stat. 244; D.C. Official Code § 39-104), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Ms. Brenda Donald
Colorado Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward 4)
for appointment as a member of t he Board of Library T rustees, filling a vacant seat formerly held by
Neil Albert, for the remainder of an unexpired term to end January 5, 2029.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciat e the Council’ s earlies t considerati on of this nominati on for confirmati on. Please
do not hesitat e to contact me, or Steven Walke r, Direct or, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments , should t he Counc il require additiona l information.
Sincerely,
Muriel Bowser
Mayor
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at the request of the Mayor
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To confirm the appointment of Brenda Donald to the Board of Library Trustees.
RESOLVED , BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA , that this
resolution may be cited as the "Board of Library Trustees Brenda Donald Confirmation
Resolution of 2025".
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
Brenda Donald
Colorado A venue, NW
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward 4)
as a member of the Board of Library Trustees, established by section 4 of An Act To establish
and provide for the maintenance of a free public library and reading room in the District of
Columbia, approved June 3, 1896 (29 Stat. 244; D.C. Official Code § 39-104), filling a vacant
seat formerly held by Neil Albert, for the remainder of an unexpired term to end January 5,
2029.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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BRENDA DONALD
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
P
RINCIPAL, BRENDA DONALD CONSULTING. (2023- Present)
EXE
CUTIVE DIRECTOR, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY (DCHA). Appointed
by the DCHA Board of Directors to serve in an interim appointment for two years to overhaul the agency and
lay the foundation for its long-term success. Major achievements included delivering several large major
redevelopment projects, completing the Housing and Urban Development’s corrective action plan reflecting
major underperformance by prior administrations, implementing a comprehensive repair and renovation plan
for all 6,000 public housing units, and sale of the outdated headquarters and relocation to state-of-the-art new
facilities. Another notable achievement was the elimination of several years of budget deficits, resulting in a $6
million operating surplus and $80 million in reserves. (2021- 2023)
DI
RECTOR, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CHLD And FAMILY SERVICES AGENCY (CFSA).
Appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser to return to CFSA to lead the agency out of its 30-year class-action
lawsuit. During this tenure, the foster care population was safely reduced by 35%, emphasis was placed on
upstream prevention and community-based family services with the establishment of ten Family Success
Centers in underserved neighborhoods. CFSA’s Family First Plan was the first in the country to be approved by
the federal government and was touted as a model for transformation. (2017- 2021)
DEP
UTY MAYOR FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. Appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser to
oversee the City’s health and human services agencies, including child welfare, juvenile justice, aging,
disability services, health care finance, health, mental health, and human services. These agencies provide
critical services to the District’s most vulnerable children and families, accounting for one third of the City’s
operating budget. The Office of the Deputy Mayor also managed three citywide programs: Age Friendly DC,
the Interagency Council on Homelessness, and the Mayor’s Safer, Stronger DC crime prevention program.
(2015 – 2017)
DIRECTOR, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES AGENCY. Appointed
by Mayor Vincent Gray to lead the District’s child welfare agency serving over 3,000 children and youth.
Responsible for creating a comprehensive, outcomes-driven framework (4 Pillars) to guide CFSA’s reform
agenda. Created a new focus on well-being, supported by a $3.4 million federal grant to build a trauma-
informed system. Results included a 25 percent reduction in the number of children in foster care. CFSA has
815 employees and an annual budget of $265 million. (2012 – 2015)
VICE PRESIDENT, CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE FAMILY SERVICES AND SYSTEMS, THE ANNIE
E. CASEY FOUNDATION. One of two program vice presidents for the nation’s largest foundation focused on
disadvantaged children and families. The VP for the Center for Effective Family Services and Systems is a
member of the Senior Leadership Team with oversight of a $65 million portfolio including juvenile justice and
child welfare systems reforms, evidence-based practice, and foster care services in six New England states and
Maryland. (2010 – 2011)
CABI
NET SECRETARY, MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (DHR). Appointed
by Governor Martin O’Malley to lead fourth-largest state agency with 7,000 employees in 24 local departments
serving 500,000 Marylanders. DHR programs serve children: child protective services, foster care, and
adoptions; families: temporary cash assistance, food stamps, child support, and medical assistance eligibility;
and vulnerable adults: protective and in-home services. Responsible for designing and implementing two major
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systems reform agendas: Place Matters (comprehensive overhaul of child welfare system) and MD RISE
(workforce development initiative for welfare and child support customers). DHR also funds and monitors
programs for homeless persons, refugees, migrant workers, and victims’ services. Annual budget: $1.8 billion;
7,000 employees in 24 counties statewide. (2007 – 2010)
DEPUTY MAYOR FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, FAMILIES AND ELDERS. Appointed by Washington,
DC Mayor Anthony Williams to oversee nine public agencies responsible for cradle-to grave services for over
225,000 residents: child welfare, aging, mental health, health, human services, juvenile justice, mental
retardation and disability services, libraries and parks and recreation. In addition to agency oversight
responsibilities, the deputy mayor was responsible for leading several major citywide initiatives, including the
Citywide Youth Development Strategy, Homeless No More, Offender Reentry, and the human capital
component of the Mayor’s New Communities initiative. (2005 – 2007)
DIRECTOR, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES AGENCY. Responsible
for leading reform agenda to dramatically improve services to approximately 6,000 children in the District’s
child welfare system. Prior to being appointed director, served as Chief of Staff, serving as key advisor to the
director and overseeing external relations, legislative affairs, communications, human resources, volunteer
services, and cross-agency initiatives. Major accomplishments as director included reducing social worker
caseloads, setting record number of adoptions and guardianships, and improving outcomes for youth aging out
of foster care. Leadership of 950 employees and an annual budget of $224 million. (Director: 2004 – 2005;
Chief of Staff: 2001 - 2004)
VICE PRESIDENT, MUNICIPAL PROGRAMS, DC AGENDA. Member of the senior management team
of a nonprofit organization designed to support community building and government reform efforts in the
District of Columbia. Executive management responsibilities included strategic planning, policy formulation,
networking, and resource development. Major accomplishments: planning, development and implementation
of the first DC Citizens Scorecard; assisted in the planning and development of the Center for Excellence in
Municipal Management; planning, development and implementation of the Cafritz Awards for Distinguished
DC Government Employees; and management support and technical assistance to the Healthy
Families/Thriving Communities Collaboratives and the Collaborative Council. (1996 - 2001)
FELLOW, ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION. Selected as one of ten Fellows for prestigious Annie E.
Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellowship. The 11 month Fellowship included two individual field
placements and a series of seminars sponsored by New York University's Wagner School of Public Policy.
Primary areas of focus included university-community partnerships and civic reform (1995). From 1998–2000,
served as Chairman of the Fellows Network, an alumni organization.
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CITY OF LITTLE ROCK. One of two Assistant City Managers with
oversight of personnel, finance, general services, and job training departments; cable television; substance abuse
prevention; public relations and youth programs. Directed implementation process for four key community
visioning task forces and was instrumental in securing a permanent revenue base of $3.5 million in new funding
for prevention, intervention and treatment programs. Population: 180,000. Annual budget: $80 million. (1993 -
1994)
Promoted from previous position as ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER, CITY OF LITTLE ROCK.
Responsibilities included managing the Job Training Partnership Act department and Public Relations division.
Established Middle Managers Group to provide cross-agency communications and a policy forum for division
directors and senior managers. Transformed government access cable television channel into full service
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municipal station with state-of-the-art programming studio. (1991 - 1993) Promoted from previous position as
STAFF ADMINISTRATOR. (1986 – 1990)
EDUCATION
Master of Public Administration, University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
B
achelor of Arts in Journalism, with honors, George Washington University.
Certificate, Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, John F. Kennedy School of
Government, Harvard University.
E
xecutive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
B
renda Donald
Ms. B
renda Donald has over 30 years of senior management experience
in the public and non-profit sectors. Ms. Donald has served three District
of Columbia Mayors -- twice as Deputy Mayor for Health and Human
Services, three times as Director of the Child and Family Services Agency
and most recently as Executive Director of the DC Housing Authority.
She also served as Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s Cabinet
Secretary for Human Services.
In 2021, Ms. Donald deferred retirement to take the helm of the DC
Housing Authority. During her tenure, Ms. Donald moved several long-
delayed housing developments forward, oversaw the largest increase in
public housing occupancy in five years, cleared the decades-old public
housing waiting list, implemented a comprehensive urgent needs campaign, and right -sized the
housing voucher program. She also cleared a multi-year budget deficit and left the agency with a
multimillion-dollar operating surplus and $80 million in reserves. Her most significant
accomplishment was leading the agency’s response to HUD’s corrective action plan to remedy
years of noncompliance prior to Ms. Donald’s tenure.
As Deputy Mayor, Ms. Donald oversaw agencies providing cradle to grave services, including
health, mental health, child welfare, homeless services, juvenile justice, disability services and
aging. In that role, she revived the Safe at Home program to allow seniors to age in place; opened
Genesis – the first intergenerational housing program for seniors and young mothers aging out of
foster care; and established the Safer, Stronger DC Community Partnership Prevention Program
to help rebuild communities by providing job training and employment opportunities and social
services to end cycles of violence.
Ms. Donald served as Director of the DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) under three
mayors and is widely credited with accelerating the District’s ongoing child welfare reforms and
establishing a host of performance improvements. Use of best practices in addressing reports of
child abuse/neglect and increased support for families helped to reduce the number of District
children in foster care from 1,800 at the start of FY12 to fewer than 600 at the end of her tenure.
Integral to the agency’s transformation from a foster care agency to a family-support system was
the establishment of ten Family Success Centers in key neighborhoods. Ms. Donald’s most notable
achievement at CFSA was ending the 33-year-old LaShawn class action lawsuit.
A Ward 4 resident, Ms. Donald earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Journalism
from George Washington University and her Master of Public Administration from the University
of Arkansas at Little Rock.
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 2000 4 • Office (202) 724-7681
To: Tomas Talamante , Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: March 10, 2025
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of Resolution nominating Brenda Donald as a member
of the Board of L ibrary Trustees
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above -referenced resolution and
found it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
hesitate to call Erika Satterlee, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202 -
724-1303, or me at 202 -724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Cavendish