Moderator
Ellen McCarthy
Arent Fox
Panelists
Nina Albert
Chief of Staff
DC Department of the Environment
Jennifer Steingasser
Deputy Director
Development Review & Historic Preservation
DC Office of Planning
Susan Longstreet
Deputy Attorney General Commercial Division
Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia
The DC government has multiple agencies whose missions are related
to real estate, and many of these agencies are led by women. Representatives
from the Office of Planning, Department of the Environment and
Office of the Attorney General discussed their roles in their
respective offices, as well as some of City’s real estate
development priorities for the coming years. Ellen McCarthy, the
former director of the DC Office of Planning, led the panel.
Ellen began by discussing the excellent professional opportunities
for women within DC government, particularly in the Fenty administration.
The panelists then highlighted specific real estate initiatives
within their offices. Nina Albert noted that 75 percent of greenhouse
gas emissions in Washington emanate from commercial buildings,
so the City is taking aggressive steps to curb commercial pollution
through legislation like the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of
2008. Jennifer Steingasser described opportunities for public-private
partnerships on the Anacostia waterfront. And Susan Longstreet
discussed the many ways in which the Office of the Attorney General
plays a role in DC real estate development -- her office provides
legal support to the Department of Real Estate Services, Office
of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, and
the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, among other City offices.
Click here for a list of attendees.
