December 07, 1999
Mayor Williams Announces New Deputy Mayor Model
Mayor Announced Two Other Key Appointments in his Administration
(Washington, D.C.) Mayor Anthony A. Williams today announced the appointment of his four Deputy Mayors. The new deputy mayor model will restructure the District government's executive leadership. Deputy Mayor's were appointed for Economic Development, Children, Youth and Families, Public Safety and Operations, during a press conference at One Judiciary Square.
"The Deputy Mayor system will enable us to make lasting improvements to service delivery," said Mayor Williams. "We have been fortunate to have had the benefit of Norman Dong as our interim City Administrator, who has risen to the occasion and done an outstanding job managing all of these disparate agencies. But now, rather than have one person responsible for all of the agencies, we have four area specific experts."
Erik Christian was announced as Deputy Mayor for Public Safety. In this capacity, he will oversee such agencies as the Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the Department of Corrections. Mr. Christian will be responsible for implementing the Mayor's Public Safety Initiatives throughout the District. His goal will be to achieve public safety results in the District through the collaboration of various governmental agencies and the community.
Carolyn Graham was announced as the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth and Families. She will be responsible for the human services cluster, including the Department of Human Services, Office on Aging, Department of Recreation and the Department of Health. Her goal is to create a comprehensive, fully integrated and accessible system of human services delivery for children, youth and families of the District of Columbia.
Eric Price was introduced as the current Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. His appointment was effective last October. As Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Mr. Price will oversee such agencies as the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Employment Services. His goal will be to make the planning process sensitive and appropriate for neighborhoods while coordinating the various governmental agencies to attract new development.
Norman Dong was named the Deputy Mayor for Operations and City Administrator. Mr. Dong previously served as Acting City Administrator. In this new capacity, Mr. Dong is responsible for handling the day-to-day operations of the city to translate the Mayor's vision into the practical reality of how the government operates. He will oversee such agencies as the Department of Public Works and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Also, he will oversee the areas of District-wide initiatives, performance measures, strategic planning and competitive services.
"When we looked at our agencies and the services they provide, we saw that they fall within four priority areas. These are the same priorities that I have been focused on since the day I announced my candidacy for Mayor," said Mayor Williams. "We will have clear lines of accountability, and better opportunity for cooperation across agency lines."
The District Government looked at such cities as Chicago, New York, Phoenix, Boston, Seattle and San Diego, Atlanta and Boston, to see how those cities organized their governments to deliver services. Other cities that use the Deputy Mayor Model include Detroit, Indianapolis, New York City, and Phoenix.
The Mayor also announced the appointment of Robert Rigsby as Corporation Counsel. Mr. Rigsby has been serving as the District's Interim Corporation Counsel and chief law officer since July. He has been an important partner in the District's citywide effort to make neighborhoods safe, and is pushing forward with community prosecution and other reforms.
"In a short time, Mr. Rigsby has helped me to navigate through some complex issues, and has been a steadfast steward of the public trust," said the Mayor. "He has shown the kind of leadership our Corporation Counsel's office needs over the long term to make it a model agency."
The Mayor also appointed Grace Lopes to the position of Special Counsel of Receiverships and Institutional Reform Litigation. In this capacity, she will coordinate the District's interaction with the receivers, and work closely with the Mental Health, Foster Care and Housing receivers.
