Adrian M. Fenty
Former Mayor, District of Columbia, USA
Adrian M. Fenty was the sixth, and youngest, Mayor of the District of Columbia in Washington DC, from January 2007-January 2011. As Mayor he championed innovative solutions to the District’s greatest challenges, especially in the District’s public school system, housing and public safety.
He became a national leader in the area of urban education reform, which included placing the city’s school chief as a direct report to the mayor. The change allowed him to institute unprecedented reforms, including establishing performance-based teacher evaluation. These have lead to a steady rise in student test scores and graduation rates . In 2010, enrollment in District of Columbia Public Schools increased for the first time in 39 years.
Mayor Fenty is recognized for achieving record increases in public safety citywide. The Fenty administration expanded community policing strategies and vastly increasing the number of officers on regular foot patrol. As a result violent crimes and property-related crimes dramatically reduced. Mayor Fenty streamlined the District’s citywide call center, allowing residents to access all public information through a single number, 311, that is available 24-7.
Despite the economic downturn Mayor Fenty maintained a rapid pace of development for the district, driving transformative projects and leading the city to maintain a AAA bond rating. Projects included a 1-year waterfront revitalization, affordable housing projects, community renewals and school and library modernization projects. In 2009, the District attracted 10,000 new residents, achieving the largest single-year growth in population since WWII.
Mayor Fenty expanded health care coverage for the uninsured; in 2009, the District was ranked 2nd in the nation for connecting residents to health care.
Since leaving office, Mayor Fenty has launched a consulting practice providing strategic advice and business development solutions to an array of clients. He also undertakes media appearances and is a sought-after speaker on education reform and how to use a private sector approach to running a government. In the fall of 2011, he will serve as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Politics at his alma mater, Oberlin College. Fenty is active in a number of philanthropic endeavors, sitting on the boards of Fight for Children, the Junior Tennis Champions Center and the Advocacy and Public Affairs Committee of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
