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MU
RIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
May 19, 2026
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 4 of the Office on Ex- Offender Affairs
and Commission on Re-Entry and Ex-Offender Affairs Establishment Act of 2006, effective March 8,
2007 (D.C. Law 16-243; D.C. Official Code § 24-1303), I am pleased to nominate the following
individual:
Ms. Celeste Santifer
Riggs Road, NE
Washington, DC 20011
(Ward 4)
for appointment as a public voting member of the Commission on Re -Entry and Returning Citizen
Affairs, filling a vacant seat formerly held by Oliv ia Elder, for the remainder of an unexpired term to
end August 4, 2028.
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 earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Sincerely,
Muriel B owser
Mayor
; ~
3 at the request of the Mayor
4
5
6 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
7
8
9
10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
11
12
13
14
15 To confirm the appointment of Celeste Santifer to the Commission on Re-Entry and Returning
16 Citizen Affairs.
17
18 RESOLVED , BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA , That this
19 resolution may be cited as the "Commission on Re-Entry and Returning Citizen Affairs Celeste
20 Santifer Confirmation Resolution of 2026".
21 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
22
23 Celeste Santifer
24 Riggs Road, NE
25 Washington, DC 20011
26 (Ward 4)
27
28 as a public voting member of the Commission on Re-Entry and Returning Citizen Affairs,
29 established by section 4 of the Office on Ex-Offender Affairs and Commission on Re-Entry and
30 Ex-Offender Establishment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-243; D .C .
31 Official Code§ 24-1303), filling a vacant seat formerly held by Olivia Elder, for the remainder
32 of an unexpired term to end August 4, 2028.
33 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
34 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Mayor.
35 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
Celeste Santifer
P
rofessional Summary
SHRM-SCP certified HR leader with executive-level people operations and community impact
experience. Drove 73% workforce growth and a 52% increase in employee satisfaction at AAFA, earning
three consecutive promotions. Harvard-trained leader with hands-on program experience across all 8 DC
wards.
K
ey Skills:
● Strategic HR Leadership and Organizational Development
● Talent Acquisition, Retention, and Succession Planning
● Performance Management Systems and Employee Engagement
● Board Governance and Executive Administration
● Community Engagement and Stakeholder Relations
P
rofessional Experience
Project Coordinator | United Planning Organization | Washington, DC
June 2025 to October 2025
● Coordinated 3 weekly financial literacy and housing workshops serving 20+ attendees per
session, handling logistics and stakeholder communications across all 8 DC wards
● Built an online client management and assignment tracking system that clarified ownership of
deliverables and lifted client satisfaction by 41%
● Created an event supply inventory system in Smartsheet, improving accuracy and supporting
outreach to underserved communities
P
rofessional Development | Career Pause | Lewisburg, WV
May 2023 to June 2025
● Stepped away from nonprofit leadership to handle family caregiving (now resolved)
● V olunteered as a peer mentor in a recovery program, coaching 20+ people on goal-setting and
resource access, with 64.7% of participants showing measurable improvement
● Finished leadership and talent management courses from Harvard and Stellenbosch, adding depth
in organizational development and AI tools for HR
Chief P
eople and Administrative Officer | AAFA | Arlington, V A
November 2019 to May 2023
● Scaled workforce 73% in 6 months, filling 11 critical roles and cutting time-to-hire 30% through
streamlined recruiting and digital onboarding
● Built a performance management system (SMART goals, quarterly reviews) for 25+ staff,
increasing productivity 20%
● Launched wellness and flexibility initiatives, boosting engagement 25%, reducing absences 15%,
and improving retention
● Used employee survey data to drive change, increasing employee satisfaction 52% and morale
47% YoY
● Earned three promotions in four years (Manager → VP → Chief People & Administrative
Officer) based on sustained results
Executive Assistant
| Robert Half | Washington, DC
May 2019 to November 2019
● Managed board relations for 12+ directors, preparing quarterly materials and meeting minutes
with 100% accuracy
● Redesigned board onboarding with standardized checklists, cutting the timeline by 40% while
keeping full compliance
● Handled calendars for 3 C-suite executives across time zones, hitting 98% scheduling accuracy
O
ffice Manager | YMCA of Metro Washington | Washington, DC
July 2007 to May 2019
● Ran daily operations for a 17-location organization, fielding 150+ member inquiries monthly with
95% satisfaction
● Supported the CEO, COO, and SVP of HR, coordinating 40+ weekly meetings across 3 sites with
no scheduling conflicts
Education and Certifications
G
eorgetown University Pivot Program, McDonough School of Business | Certificate of Completion
(Expected June 2026)
Business and entrepreneurship program covering entrepreneurship principles, business communications,
negotiation, personal finance, and professional development.
Senior Certified Professional | Society for Human Resources Management | May 2020 to Present
Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles | Harvard University | 2025
Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence | Harvard University | 2025
A Strategic Approach to Talent Management | Stellenbosch University | 2025
CSM High Performance Skills Course (v.3) | See More Labs | 2025
Negotiation Strategies Course | Negotiation Works | 2025
Project Management Certificate | Google | Expected March 2026
Generative AI for Leaders | Vanderbilt University | Expected March 2026
T
echnical Skills
HR Technology: ATS, HRIS, Performance Management Platforms, LMS, Payroll Systems
Software: Microsoft Office (Advanced), Smartsheet, Digital Collaboration Tools, Project Management
Platforms
Analytics: Employee Surveys, Workforce Analytics, Compensation Benchmarking
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
C
eleste Santifer
Ms. C
eleste Santifer is an experienced HR strategy and administrative
operations professional. She previously served as Chief People and
Administrative Officer at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of
America, where she led operations, HR, governance, and administration.
She currently volunteers with the National Association of Concerned
Veterans, Negotiation Works, and is coordinating volunteers with
Progressive Life Center.
Drawing on her lived experience as a returning citizen, she navigated her
reentry journey with intention so she could later support others through
her testimony. She completed Project Empowerment through the DC
Department of Employment Services and was selected as the July 2025
cohort class speaker. She participated in a Justice Leadership Institute cohort through Life After
Release from April to August 2025 before being accepted into the Georgetown Pivot Program.
These efforts to stabilize are critical to successful reentry.
Since her release, Ms. Santifer has strategically prioritized professional development, completing
certifications at Harvard University, Stellenbosch University, Vanderbilt University, and
Negotiation Works, along with plans to renew her SHRM-SCP credential.
During her reentry, Ms. Santifer experienced firsthand the gaps in services available to justice-
involved women. Programs and resources were often designed without consideration for the
unique challenges women face, including trauma, family reunification, and access to gender
responsive support. These experiences drive her commitment to advocating for policies that
address these disparities.
Ms. Santifer seeks to use her lived experience to support the commission's efforts toward the
justice-involved community. She advocates for comprehensive reentry support, including stable
housing, mental health services, trauma -informed care, job readiness programs, and mentorship.
She is committed to ensuring oversight that expands access to these critical services for all
returning citizens, particularly justice-involved women. Her combination of professional
experience and personal reentry journey positions her to contribute meaningfully to policies that
promote successful reintegration
A Ward 4 resident, Ms. Santifer is cur rently pursuing her certificate at McDonough School of
Business through the Georgetown University Pivot Program.
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. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: May 8, 2026
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution appointing Celeste Santifer as a member
of the Commission on Re-Entry and Returning Citizen Affairs
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 Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at
202-727-0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish