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MUR
IEL BOWSER
MAYOR
July 10, 2025
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania 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 202 of the District of Columbia Health
Occupations Revision Act of 1985, effective March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-99; D.C. Official Code § 3–
1202.02), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Mr. John Troast
California Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
(Ward 2)
for appointment as the consumer member of the Board of Dietetics and Nutrition, filling a vacant seat
formerly held by Chesley Richardson, for the remainder of an unexpired term to end March 12, 2026.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-m entioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council’s earlies t consideration of this nomination for confirmation . Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, s hould t he Council r equire a dditional i nformation.
Sincerely,
Muriel B owser
Mayor
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at the request of the Mayor
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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15 To confirm the appointment of John Troast to the Board of Dietetics and Nutrition.
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17 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
18 resolution may be cited as the "Board of Dietetics and Nutrition John Troast Confirmation
19 Resolution of 2025".
20 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
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22 John Troast
23 California Street, NW
24 Washington, DC 20008
25 (Ward 2)
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27 as the consumer member of the Board of Dietetics and Nutrition, established by section 202 of
28 the District of Columbia Health Occupations Revision Act of 1985, effective March 25, 1986
29 (D.C. Law 6-99; D.C. Official Code § 3-1202.02), filling a vacant seat formerly held by Chesley
30 Richardson, for the remainder of an unexpired term to end March 12, 2026.
31 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
32 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
33 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
JOHN G. TROAST
EDUCATION
Hamilton College, Clinton NY, 13323; May 2023, Bachelor of Arts Degree, Summa Cum Laude
History concentration with minor in Government
GPA: 3.94; Class Rank 19/500, Named to Dean’s List each year
Concord-Carlisle High School, Concord MA, 01742; June 2019, High School Diploma with High Honors.
Harvard University Summer School, Pre-College Program, Cambridge MA, 02138; July 2017
Portals to the Past: History Through Objects in Harvard Collections, HIST P-13000
PROFILE
Recent Hamilton College graduate with a passion for American history and our nation’s political process. Public and
private sector experience in legislative affairs, research, regional planning, and historic preservation.
GOVERNMENT & POLICY EXPERIENCE
Wyss Foundation, Democracy Program Assistant, February 2024 – Current
• Assist the Democracy Program Officer with the management of multi-million-dollar grant making portfolio
• Review grant applications, meet with prospective grantees, and help develop the Democracy Program’s
charitable giving strategy with the goal of maximizing impact
• Conduct detailed research on voting, courts, immigration, and technology policy at both the Federal and
State levels
• Assist the foundation’s Deputy Vice President on communications strategy and content development for
the Foundation’s Social Justice Programs
Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention, Delegate, September 2023
• Elected to serve as a delegate representing the Middlesex Third Senate District at the annual party
convention held in Lowell, MA
• Voted on the adoption of the party platform as well as resolutions and amendments to the party bylaws
Office of Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Legislative Intern, May 2022 – August 2022
• Compiled the Congresswoman’s weekly legislative schedule and constituent legislative request reports
• Drafted letters and other public statements on behalf of the Congresswoman
• Attended policy briefings and produced summary memos for senior Legislative staff
• Engaged with constituents and processed various constituent service requests
Will
iams & Jensen PLLC, Legislative Analyst Intern, January 2022 – May 2022
• Prepared detailed congressional committee hearing reports that were sent to partners and clients
• Researched relevant policy matters for partners and clients
HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND PRESERVATION EXPERIENCE
Carlisle Historical Society, Board Member and Volunteer Curator, 2017– Current
• Secured $43,000 State matching grant to fund historic preservation work on Ca. 1743 Samuel Heald House
• Involved in multiple local historic preservation projects and including spearheading effort to dismantle and
move historic stable building, considered one of the most sustainable wood frame deconstruction projects
undertaken in Massachusetts through public procurement
• Conduct research on local history on behalf of the Society and compose articles for the Society’s newsletter
• Oversee acquisition of new artifacts, provide input on museum operations, and management of the
endowment
• Streamlined exhibit spaces and created new exhibits, including one celebrating the 250th anniversary of the
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Adams + Beasley Associates, Historic Preservation Consultant, March – August 2021, August 2023 – Current
• Serve as contributing author of Preserving Grace (Due Fall 2024) highlighting the firm’s historic
preservation projects in Eastern Massachusetts
• Provided consultation on historic home rebuild projects, supplied historic documentation such as old deed
material, photographs, and guidance on th e replication of historic architectural details
JOHN G. TROAST
• Researched historic homes being renovated including the John Thoreau Store, owned by Henry David
Thoreau’s father, and the “Yellow House” once owned by Thoreau and later by Louisa May Alcott
Freelance Editor, July 2023 – October 2024
• Served as a principal editor for 250-page book, American Bloods, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Conducted original historical and genealogical research, proof reading, and content revisions
• Received in-text acknowledgement for contribution to the book.
Emerson Research Fellowship, Summer 2020
• Selected as freshman for competitive grant awarded annually to 50 Hamilton College students
• Conducted research focused on intelligence history, including CIA activities in Cuba during the 1960s
• Submitted Freedom of Information Requests to five presidential libraries, the State Department, and the
CIA in order to examine several hundred recently declassified documents pertaining to the topic
• Produced 30-page journal submission which was presented to Hamilton College in Spring 2021
REGIONAL & LAND USE PLANNING EXPERIENCE
Hamilton College Board of Trustees, Buildings Grounds and Equipment Committee, Student Member, September
2022 – May 2023
• Attended quarterly meetings of the Hamilton College Board of Trustees as non-vot ing member of the
BG&E Committee to discuss proposed projects and voice student perspectives.
• Committee oversees all facilities related decisions and a multi-million-dollar facilities budget.
Carlisle Master Plan, GIS Mapping Team Leader, Summer 2020, March – August 2021
• Worked with GIS contract consultant to create GIS data layers used by the town for strategic planning
purposes and led the team mapping Carlisle’s historic resources
• Collaborated with Masterplan Coordinator, Open Space Committee, Member of Select Board, and Carlisle
Tax Assessor’s office in order to ensure accuracy of maps and database
PUBLICATIONS
“Charlottesville's Lee Statue Belongs in a Museum.” Opinion Piece on Lee Statue in Charlottesville
published in nationally syndicated History News Network: https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/180846
Contributed to American Bloods, The Untamed Dynasty that Shaped a Nation by John Kaag (New York: Farrar,
Straus and Giroux, 2024) and received intext acknowledgement
RELEVANT ACADEMIC & COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS
Putnam Prize for American History, 2023. Presented to the graduating Hamilton College senior with a
distinguished record in at least four courses in American History.
Hamilton Class of 1979 Student Travel Award, 2023.Presented to select seniors to fund thesis research.
Hamilton Summer Internship Grant, 2022. Awarded to students pursuing summer internships outside their home
city. This award supported Congressional internship in Washington, DC.
Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society, 2021. Elected to academic honor society for undergraduate and graduate students
and professors of history
Daughters of the American Revolution Award, May 2019. Presented to the Best American History Student in the
Concord-Carlisle High School Class of 2019
Carlisle Old Home Day Scholarship, June 2019- One of two residents to receive a $2,500 scholarship in
recognition of volunteer service to the community
The President’s Volunteer Service Award. Awarded for community service, Gold 2019; Bronze 2016
Old Manse Hawthorn Book Award, May 2018. Presented to the Concord-Carlisle High School Student
demonstrating outstanding scholarship in the field of American Literature
OTHER INTERESTS
Enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking and cross-country skiing. Served as co-captain of the Hamilton College Nordic
Ski Club that competed in the USCSA Eastern Conference. Also was a member of the Concord-Carlisle High
School Nordic Ski Team that was Massachusetts State Champions in 2018 and 2019.
Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
John Troast
Mr. John Troast previously served as a legislative intern with Williams &
Jensen PLLC and the Office of Congresswoman Lori Trahan. He is
currently a democracy program assistant with the Wyss Foundation.
To date, one of Mr. Troast’s proudest accomplishments is being selected
as a delegate for the 2023 Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention.
Mr. Troast also previously served as a student member of the Hamilton
College Board of Trustees’ Buildings, Grounds, and Equipment
Committee, which is tasked with managing his college’s historic 1,000-
acre campus and multi-million-dollar facilities budget.
A Ward 2 resident, Mr. Troast earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from
the Hamilton College.
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
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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: May 13, 2025
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of Resolution nominating John Troast as a member of
the Board of Dietetics and Nutrition
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