Before each Board meeting, we will provide Trustees with a one-page briefing on the most important trends and insights on the meeting’s policy theme. You will leave the Board meeting with engagement opportunities for each policy theme.
Below is a more detailed description of the policy themes for this year’s four Board meetings.
Workforce as a Business Issue
The District’s workforce development pipeline needs some retooling. The District is creating good jobs, but not enough local residents have the skills to take them. Meanwhile, too many major employers are leaving downtown for suburban Virginia, where they can access the workers they need. Flipping the typical workforce discussion on its head, we will explore workforce development from the employer perspective as central to DC’s competitiveness. How can the system work better for employers and residents?
Climate Change and Resilience
The District must be proactive to prepare for climate change. While predictions that the District won’t be the capital by 2119 seem farfetched, our communities and our economic and physical infrastructure are in direct harm’s way. Flooding will get worse. Heat waves will get worse. How can we change our built environment to mitigate the impact? How can we protect communities that are most vulnerable? How can we better manage our water resources if our only water source (the Potomac) is compromised?
Education – Colleges and Universities
The District is fortunate to have a rich ecosystem of colleges and universities that bring dynamism to our economy and culture. How can universities play an even bigger role in the District, particularly when it comes to the economy, the workforce and helping foster our tech ecosystem?
Transportation and Infrastructure
We are entering a new transportation landscape. Public curb space, roads and sidewalks will be redesigned to fit new modes of transportation. How should future rights, responsibilities and regulations for those modes—scooters, bikes, pedestrians, cars, light rail and buses be negotiated so that everyone is safe and traffic moves smoothly? As the region gets behind the humble bus with renewed energy, what other kinds of investments and reforms to public transportation will work best in this new landscape?
