Kenyattah Robinson
Kenyattah Robinson, President and CEO of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (MVT CID), has been selected by the International Downtown Association (IDA) for its 2017 Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program. Robinson, along with three other Washington, DC-area urban district management leaders — Rachel Rose Hartman of the DowntownDC BID, John Wiebenson of the Georgetown BID and Rick Ammirato of the Bethesda Urban Partnership — comprise this year’s cohort of 28 of the industry’s brightest professionals representing four countries and 17 provinces and states. The Emerging Leaders Fellowship is a week-long experiential program that will take place June 11-16 in New York City and will bring together IDA professionals from within the urban district management industry. The fellows will develop essential leadership and place management skills, and gain practical tools in the areas of place-based economic development, the live-work-play experience, and public-private partnerships.
“I am honored and thrilled to have been nominated by my Board of Directors and selected by IDA to join these incredible professionals for this year’s Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program,” said Robinson. “IDA is a recognized thought leader in the creation of better places in communities throughout the world. I look forward to learning new ideas and innovative approaches that will contribute to the future of our cities, and that will greatly enhance the strategies that we apply right here in Mount Vernon Triangle. I want to also congratulate my DC-area colleagues, Rachel, John and Rick, on their selection and look forward to working and learning alongside them in New York.”
Mount Vernon Triangle CID Chairman, Berk Shervin, President of The Wilkes Company, commented, “On behalf of the MVT CID Board of Directors and staff, we congratulate Kenyattah on his selection to the IDA 2017 Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program. We look forward to gleaning his insights as we sustain our efforts on behalf of the Mount Vernon Triangle community for the Triangle to be a preeminent destination of choice for anyone who chooses to live, work, do business or entertain in the District of Columbia.”
“The International Downtown Association is looking to build the future of our industry, and these accomplished executives are the shining stars of our profession,” said David Downey, President and CEO of IDA in a press release. “With this program, we’re educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders.”
The program features intensive instruction delivered by IDA partners at Baruch College, the City University of New York, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and the Coro New York Leadership Center. Technical in-the-field training will be provided by professionals within several business improvement district organizations across the city. The event takes place at the ICSC Leadership Center in New York City, with field visits provided by several local BID leaders.
“The smashing success of our inaugural Fellowship program in 2016 underscored how critical this training is to our growing industry,” said Downey. “This is the only program of its kind created specifically for urban place management professionals. IDA is looking to further illustrate the importance of our industry by raising up leaders with the necessary skills to champion inclusive city building.”
About Kenyattah Robinson
Robinson is the President & CEO of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (MVT CID), a private, nonprofit organization established to enhance the overall quality of life for residents, employees, visitors, and property owners within the 17 city-block and 56 block-front footprint that comprises the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood of Downtown DC. With more than 18 combined years of combined public- and private-sector management, real estate finance and advisory, policy, public affairs, and urban place-making experience, Mr. Robinson has led or supported numerous capital budgeting, asset acquisition, portfolio strategy and management, asset utilization and due diligence, and asset disposition projects on behalf of Federal Department of Defense/civilian, state, municipal and non-profit land-holding organizations. He has specific experience in the use of alternative finance for acquisition of real property, renewable energy and energy savings for Federal, state and local projects. Robinson has spoken at regional and national forums
on topics related to the increased use of public-private partnerships and other alternate financing strategies to acquire or reposition Federal real property, and to leverage private capital to procure renewable energy assets and enhance building energy efficiency.
Prior to joining the MVT CID, Mr. Robinson served as a Senior Vice President & National Director on the Public Institutions team at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a global commercial real estate advisory and investment management firm. Prior to JLL, Mr. Robinson held positions at AEW Capital Management in Boston, Fannie Mae in Washington, DC, the office of retired U.S. Sen. John Breaux (LA) at the U.S. Capitol, and at the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency in Baton Rouge. He supplemented his education with White House and Capitol Hill internships. For more information about Kenyattah please visit http://www.mvtcid.org/content/
About The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District
The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District is a private, nonprofit organization established to enhance the overall quality of life for all members of the community including residents, visitors, business owners, and property owners in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood in Downtown DC. The Mount Vernon Triangle is considered to be one of Washington DC’s best examples of a mixed-use community, a vibrant neighborhood in the heart of the City—both geographically and culturally. Its boundaries include 17 blocks within the East End of downtown Washington, D.C., bordered by Seventh Street to the west, Massachusetts Avenue to the south, New York Avenue to the north and New Jersey Avenue to the east. The Mount Vernon Triangle is a welcoming, authentic, and centered neighborhood that mirrors the City’s unique mix of historic and modern buildings, longtime and new residents, and diverse cultures, restaurants, and urban experiences. For more information, we invite you to explore our website at www.mvtcid.org or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
