Mayor-Elect Gray Announces First Appointments, Gives out Termination Notices

Wednesday, mayor-elect Vince Gray announced the first of his appointments for his new administration with Allen Y. Lew serving as City Administrator and Gerri Mason Hall as Chief of Staff. Tuesday, several agency heads appointed by Mayor Fenty received termination notices from Gray indicating their services would no longer be needed come January. The terminations include Gabe Klein, District Department of Transportation Director, Brian Sivak, District Chief Technology Officer, and Linda Argo, Director of Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

After putting the budget gap-closing issue behind him Tuesday, Gray moved swiftly forward with his transition and created a new page on his transition website, listing appointees and their biographies. 

Allen Lew served under the Fenty Adminstration as the head of the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization. Lew spearheaded the development of the Nationals Ballpark and previously the Washington Convention Center Authority. In short, he understands how development works in the District and how to negotiate large contracts.

Ward 2 Councilmember Evans said about Lew, "he's terrific. I have known him for many many years." Evans said Lew has worked with "many many administrations" and that as a Councilmember Evan has "been supportive of him [Lew] at every step."

 Gerri Mason Hall currently works as a Sr. Vice President of Human Resources for the Corporate Services Divisionat at Sodexo where she has worked since 2006. She previously worked with Amtrak to implement and execute diversity programs.

As for the termination letters, DDOT Director Gabe Klein held a press conference this morning where he announced his impending departure. Evans said about Klein, "Gabe did a great job. I worked very well with him...he got a ton of stuff done." 

Evans said of Klein, Sivak and Argo, they were all "very good D.C.  employees" with whom he "had a great relationship."

But to the victor go the spoils, the "new mayor has the right to pick his own people," said Evans.

Does Evans anticipate any tension in the District Council with approving future appointees? It "just depends on who they are," said Evans.