2023 WDCEP Annual Meeting

Thank you for attending WDCEP’s 2023 Annual Meeting!

The Washington DC Economic Partnership’s Annual Meeting is the highlight of Washington DC’s business community, attracting over 700 leaders, visionaries, and stakeholders to celebrate economic development and highlight the impacts and accomplishments of our city.

We heard from a number of incredible guest speakers, including DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. Councilman Kenyan McDuffie, Mayor Muriel Bowser, our Featured Speaker Justin Dean from Boston Consulting Group, and our Keynote Speaker Architect Eran Chen of ODA.

“Our job is to unleash the potential of the world, and there’s no better place to do that than in Washington, DC.” – Justin Dean, Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG

We celebrated by awarding the Michael V. Hodge Revenue Bond Deal of the Year Award to the DC P3 Street Light Project.

This year’s Annual Meeting was also bittersweet as we said goodbye to our President & CEO, Keith J. Sellars, after many years of excellent service. However, the Washington DC Economic Partnership is still in full swing, working tirelessly to enhance the economic vibrancy of the District.

Keynote Speaker

Architect Eran Chen, AIA

Founding Principal and Executive Director, ODA

Eran Chen has earned a reputation for delivering mold-breaking designs that will deliver a better urban future. His work has been widely published around the world and recognized by the American Institute of Architects and the Society of American Registered Architects.

Since starting his firm in 2007 Eran has grown the practice from small scale housing to large scale urban projects, with more than 9 million square feet of built work and more than 10,000 units of housing under his belt. His focus is on placemaking and the expansion of the public realm to improve lives in our cities. The firm is currently designing award-winning projects in 15 countries.

Eran is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation since 2018. He graduated with honors from the Bezalel School of Art and Design in Jerusalem, where he serves on the board. He is also on the board of the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

Featured Speaker

Justin Dean

Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group

Justin Dean is a leader in Boston Consulting Group’s Energy practice with 25 years of experience working in utility industries. Justin is a member of BCG’s Global Executive Committee, oversees BCG North America’s Mid-Atlantic System, is responsible for operations for the firm’s Washington DC, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh offices, as well as for the firm’s equity and inclusion efforts externally with clients in North America.

Within utilities, Justin has experience across the value chain—with a focus on electric and gas utility strategy and operations improvement, digital/product management in utilities, distributed energy resources, and “energy equity’,” which includes clean energy affordability/access, clean energy workforce development and broader utility workforce DEI, equitable access to capital and opportunity for diverse founders, and environmental equity for disadvantaged communities.

Justin holds a BS in mechanical engineering from UVA, a master’s in Engineering Management from Northwestern, and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management. Justin serves on the Global Advisory Board at the Kellogg School of Management and the Board of Trustees at the University of Virginia School of Engineering, and is an active member of AABE, Executive Leadership Council. He is the Vice Chair of Greater Washington Partnership’s Advancing Inclusive Growth Committee.