Josh Gibson

SUMMARY Entrepreneurial self-starter, successful in the creation of new ventures and the revival of struggling efforts, with a passion for public service across nonprofit, for-profit, political, and volunteer sectors. EMPLOYMENT Executive Director, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington Education Foundation Washington, DC 2008 to Present Hired to reinvigorate organization and take it to next level of programmatic, fundraising, and public relations success. Responsible for all elements of organizational operation. Commenced efforts at expansion in areas such as continuing education, sustainability, and jurisdictional expansion. Initiated expanded individual, corporate, foundation, and governmental fundraising. Executive Director/Founder, Adams Morgan Business Improvement District (BID) Washington, DC: 2004 to 2006 Served as founding executive director of community revitalization and business services organization, managing a $500,000 budget and leading a team of ten staff and contractors, providing necessary and well-received cleanliness and security services. Key Accomplishments: Revived an inherited, near-failing organizational effort Spearheaded successful outreach campaign, convincing property owners to voluntarily increase their own taxes, resulting in the BID's creation by the Mayor and Council Worked hand-in-hand with contractor to create and implement a clean-up program resulting in the removal of 210 tons of litter from neighborhood streets in one year Hired, trained, and supervised staff of security aides, culminating in over 1,500 public safety and hospitality interventions in one year Developed, in conjunction with Councilmember Jim Graham, a first-of-its-kind partnership and contracting relationship with the Metropolitan Police Department, allowing use of on-duty, overtime police officers to enhance neighborhood safety while responding to the BID's needs; served as a citywide model Worked to maximize budget through the use of an innovative nonprofit organization for cleaning services, and through careful balance and integration of low-cost in-house staff with high-cost, high impact police contractors in provision of security services Proved BID model could succeed outside downtown and high-income neighborhoods, providing quality service on a fraction of the size of comparable DC organizations Wrote successful $100,000 grant application to Metro to study and improve marketing of struggling local bus line, initiated follow-up process which resulted in the expansion of the line and its integration into the high-profile Circulator bus system Managed initial and subsequent annual meeting and board election processes, conducted ongoing board relations management, with early critics later joining the board Created organization's administrative framework from the ground up, hiring accountants, acquiring all necessary insurance, creating relationship with contractors and suppliers Manager of Operations (DC Office), Flexcar Washington, DC: 2001 to 2004 Provided primary oversight for all elements of daily organizational operations for fledgling, start-up local office of nation's largest and oldest car sharing company Key Accomplishments: Promoted after two years, responsibilities expanded beyond original portfolio of community relations, membership outreach, marketing efforts, and government relations to also include member relations and fleet management Participated in expansion of membership from 20 to 6,000, and of fleet from 10 to 100 Conceived and implemented successful plan to convince local governments to provide free parking to Flexcar vehicles; drafted all written proposals and related documents Drafted successful partnership renewal and expansion proposal to Metro Senior Business Program Manager, Latino Economic Development Corporation Washington, DC: Summers 1997 and 1998, 1999 to 2001 Developed revitalization programs for businesses in mixed-income target neighborhoods. Key Accomplishments: Drafted two successful $35,000 applications to the Mayor for Latino Community Grants Selected to serve as member of Mayor's Retail Task Force and Mayor's Task Force on the Small Business Impact of September 11, 2001 COMMUNITY Commissioner, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1C SERVICE Washington, DC: 2000 to 2005 Elected three times by community to serve on grassroots Advisory Neighborhood Commission, a nationwide model for neighborhood-level involvement. Created and provided vital link between 2,000 constituents and Mayor, City Council, and other agencies. Key Accomplishments: Won 2000, 2002, and 2004 general elections with nearly sixty percent of the vote Worked to restore structure and credibility to a struggling organization Led successful effort to work with the city to reopen a shuttered low-income health clinic Leveraged public and private resources to turn a vacant lot into a successful garden Sitar Arts Center Washington, DC: 2001 to 2005 Served on the Board of Directors for a community children's arts nonprofit organization. Elected Secretary by fellow Board members. Responsibilities included governance, fundraising, and community outreach. EDUCATION/ Researcher, Universite de Paris/Centre Malher ACADEMIA Paris, France: 2007 During sabbatical year, served as researcher, writer, editor, and French/English translator to France's best-known and most respected authority on immigration policy. Wrote draft of key chapter in cutting-edge book on comparative Twentieth Century denaturalization policies worldwide, a topic with implications for current civil liberty and homeland security policy. John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts: 1996 to 1998 Master in Public Policy degree. Selected as the first recipient of full tuition, merit-based Carnesale Scholarship. Winner of Harvard-wide 1998 Traveling Fellowship to Paris. Williams College Williamstown, Massachusetts: 1990 to 1994 Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, double major in political science and French studies. PERSONAL Winner of the 2005 Public Service Award from the Williams College Regional Association of Washington, DC. Fluent in French. Conversant in Spanish. Former White House Intern.