Washington, DC Economic Partnership Announces New Leadership
Keith Sellars, Former Chief Operating Officer, Promoted to President & CEO
Contact
Andi Joseph
Director, Research & Communications
202-661-8678
December 16, 2011
Washington, DC–The Washington, DC Economic Partnership’s (WDCEP) Board of Directors announced today that Keith Sellars, Chief Operating Officer of the WDCEP, has been promoted to the office of President & CEO. “Keith’s knowledge of the District, its neighborhoods and its development opportunities is outstanding and he is the right person to lead WDCEP into the future,” said Ed Rogers, Co-Chair of the WDCEP Board.
Sellars, a longtime resident of Washington, DC, has been an integral part of the WDCEP team for most of the last decade. As Chief Operating Officer, Sellars worked closely with former President & CEO Steve Moore, who stepped down this week to pursue new opportunities. Sellars’ knowledge of urban markets and experience with retail business development and his commitment, knowledge and relationships within the Districts business and economic development industry made him a standout candidate to transition to the role of President & CEO.
In Sellars’ tenure at the WDCEP, he has undertaken attracting retail and restaurants to the District of Columbia as well as business development for the organization. He has successfully led initiatives that have attracted both national and local retailers to the District of Columbia including Target, Best Buy, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s, Apple, Whole Foods and Costco. His comprehensive retail attraction strategy for WDCEP has included marketing materials and a coordinated outreach strategy for retail development at various International Council of Shopping Centers conferences and conventions, securing an average of 70 meetings with retailers at the annual ICSC meetings and implementing outreach plans and conducting site tours with local, regional and national brokers, retailers, and developers. In addition he has managed the organization’s budget and staff.
Sellars plays a significant role in developing the structures that have made the WDCEP a successful organization. He is responsible for business development for WDCEP and has run successful fundraising campaigns for the organization. He is a graduate of the Real Estate Apprenticeship Program (REAP) and has been recognized within the District government and the greater business community.
Sellars’ professional career includes 13 years with Whole Foods Markets, the country’s largest natural foods supermarket where he opened and managed stores throughout the United States, including California, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina and Washington, DC. Sellars’ experience also includes working with The Rappaport Companies of Mclean, Virginia, where he managed a shopping center portfolio of more than 700,000 square feet in and around the Washington metropolitan region.
Sellars’ professional associations include the International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute, DC Building Industry Association, African American Real Estate Professionals (AAREP) and International Economic Development Council.
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It is the mission of the Washington, DC Economic Partnership, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to promote business opportunities throughout the District of Columbia and to contribute to business retention and attraction activities