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MURIELBOWSERMAYOR
June 17,2026
The Honorable PhilMendelson
Chairman
Councilofthe Districtof Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
Inaccordancewith section2of theConfirmationAct of 1978,effectiveMarch 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142;D.C. OfficialCode § 1-523.01),and pursuanttosection2214 oftheDistrictofColumbia School
Reform Act of 1995,approvedApril26, 1996 (110 Stat.1321;D.C. OfficialCode § 38-1802.14),lam
pleasedto nominate thefollowingindividual:
Ms.AhnnaK.SmithIStreet,NE
Washington,DC20002(Ward6)
forappointmentas a member of the PublicCharterSchool Board, fillinga vacantseatformerlyheld
by Lea Crusey,fortheremainderof an unexpiredterm toend February24,2030.
Enclosed,youwillfindbiographicalinformationdetailingtheexperienceoftheabove-mentionednominee,togetherwithaproposedresolutiontoassisttheCouncilduringtheconfirmationprocess.
IwouldappreciatetheCouncil’searliestconsiderationofthisnominationforconfirmation.Pleasedonothesitatetocontactme,orStevenWalker,Director,Mayor’sOfficeofTalentandAppointments,shouldtheCouncilrequireadditionalinformation.
Sincerely,
MfrielHowserMfyor
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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 Ahnna K. Smith to the Public Charter School Board.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the "Public Charter School Board Ahnna K. Smith Confirmation
Resolution of 2026".
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
Ahnna K . Smith
I Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(Ward 6)
as a member of the Public Charter School Board, established by section 2214 of the District of
Columbia School Reform Act of 1995, approved April 26, 1996 (110 Stat. 1321; D.C. Official
Code § 3 8-1802.14 ), filling a vacant seat formerly held by Lea Crusey, for the remainder of an
unexpired term to end February 24, 2030.
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 Mayor.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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Ahnna K. Smith
Ex
perience
Education Strategy Group, Washington, DC
Principal April 2026 – Present
Senior Director March 2023 – April 2026
• Developed and launched a new portfolio focused on building the capacity of employers and employer -facing
organizations to expand career pathways, aligning workforce strategies with industry needs.
• Defined strategic priorities, identified growth opportunities, and secured new client engagements,
contributing to the firm's expansion and sustainability.
• Recruited, developed, and managed a team to execute high -profile projects, ensuring alignment with client
goals and industry best practices.
• Led the development and implementation of innovative workforce solutions, integrating data -driven
in
sights, industry partnerships, and policy alignment to maximize impact.
• Engaged policymakers, education leaders, and business executives to drive systemic change and position
the firm as a thought leader in workforce development.
• Secured contracts and philanthropic funding, driving financial sustainability, and expanding the firm’s
influence in the workforce , talent, and economic mobility space.
DC Workforce Investment Council, Washington, DC November 2018 – March 2023
Executive Director
• Managed a $22M budget, tripled organizational size, and launched five new grant programs.
• Developed employer partnerships, increasing participation by 100% and improving system alignment.
• Overhauled workforce development coordination, resulting in 1,000+ cross- agency referrals annually.
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, Washington, DC February 2018 – November 2018
Interim Deputy Mayor for Education
• Directed citywide education strategy, managing a multi -agency portfolio.
• Oversaw $2B in education funding, ensuring strategic alignment with city priorities.
• Managed cross -agency collaboration to address public safety, student attendance, and postsecondary
success.
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, Washington, DC October 2016 – February 2018
Chief of Staff
• Led a 19 -member team and hired 10 staff to support major education initiatives.
• Spearheaded citywide early childhood education expansion, creating 1,000+ new childcare seats.
• Launched the Advisory Group for Community Use of Public Space, improving access to educational and
recreational facilities.
U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC September 2014 – October 2016
Chief of Staff; Special Assistant
• Provided leadership for 25+ federal grant programs, including the $300M Investing in Innovation (i3)
program.
• Managed hiring, policy, and budgeting for a 100 -person team, improving operational efficiency.
• Led strategic initiatives to expand student access to high- quality teachers and innovative learning models.
Sabbatical February 2014 – September 2014
• Solo travel in India, Dubai, and Maldives, including a 10 -day silent meditation retreat near New Delhi, India.
• Volunteered in public school classrooms; completed a General Assembly Design Thinking Bootcamp.
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Teach For America, DC Region, Washington, DC February 2012 – February 2014
Executive Director
• Led a $9M operating budget and $6M annual fundraising campaign, securing multi -year philanthropic
investments.
• Managed a 31 -person staff supporting 350 teachers across 100+ schools.
• Increased staff diversity by 20% and launched a leadership development program focused on racial equity.
Previous roles: Senior Advisor & Policy Analyst (Office of Deputy Mayor for Education); Recruitment & Strategy
(Teach First, UK); District Strategy Advisor (Teach For America, New Orleans); First and Third Grade Teacher (Teach
For America, Miami-Dade County Public Schools).
Leadership
Marshall Memorial Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the United States 2022
Two Rivers Public Charter School Board of Trustees 2021 – Present
Seeding Disruption Fellowship 2020
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, ANC 1B08, Vice‐Chair, Washington, DC 2010 – 2012
Education
University of Maryland, College Park , MD
Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude
Government and Politics, concentration in Environmental Science and Policy
Interests
Playing basketball, coaching lacrosse, and international travel
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
A
hnna K. Smith
Ms
. Ahnna K. Smith is Principal and Senior Director at Education
Strategy Group (ESG). She brings with her nearly two decades of work
in the public sector at the local and national level, and experience as a
nonprofit executive and educator.
In her current role she leads efforts to expand opportunity for underserved
populations by transforming alignment and partnerships between
employers, the workforce development sector, and K -12 and
postsecondary college and career readiness investments.
Prior to joining ESG, Ms. Smith served as the Executive Director of the
DC Workforce Investment Council. During her tenure, she dramatically
expanded the role and impact of the agency, aligning the efforts of economic development,
education, workforce development, and regional employers, and overseeing a quadrupling of the
organization’s budget. Under her leadership the agency launched a citywide career coaching
program, developed innovative grants to scale access to high- quality educational and workforce
credentials, expanded investments in career pathways and skills -based hiring initiatives , and
established partnerships with regional and national business and workforce organizations.
As Chief of Staff for Innovation and Improvement at the US Department of Education, she
provided strategic leadership in policy and operations, personnel, and external communications
for an office that managed nearly $1 billion in grant programs in areas including community
development, school choice, and education innovation.
Formerly an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, she currently serves on her
daughter’s public charter school board of trustees and as a volunteer lacrosse coach for a no cost
league that seeks to expose more DC youth to the sport. She began her career as an elementary
school teacher in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
A Ward 6 resident, Ms. Smith earned her Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics from
University of Maryland.
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: Tomas Talamante, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: June 8, 2026
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of Resolution nominating Ahnna K. Smith as a member
of the Public Charter School Board
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