WDCEP Thanks Deputy Mayor Hoskins for His Service
June 4, 2014
On behalf of the organization, WDCEP President and CEO Keith Sellars would like to thank Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor L. Hoskins for his three-plus years of service, during which he acted as a co-chair on the WDCEP Board of Directors. He will become Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development and Public Infrastructure in Prince George’s County effective June 16, 2014.
“Deputy Mayor Hoskins has been an avid supporter of and advocate for the mission of the Washington, DC Economic Partnership,” Sellars said. “He has played an instrumental role in furthering our business attraction and retention efforts through his passion and dedication to our initiatives, including SXSW, ICSC, space finding tours and others .”
Several major accomplishments in the areas of planning and economic development under Deputy Mayor Hoskins’ tenure include:
• Major net growth in private-sector jobs, leading to a dramatic drop in the District’s unemployment rate to 7.5 percent – the lowest in 5 ½ years;
• Completion or near-completion of major retail, office and residential development projects that had long been delayed, including the City Market at O in Shaw, the Shops at Dakota Crossing in Fort Lincoln, and CityCenterDC in the heart of downtown;
• Significant progress on other long-delayed development projects, including the Skyland Town Center in Ward 7, the St. Elizabeths East Campus redevelopment in Ward 8, and the former Walter Reed campus redevelopment in Ward 4;
• The creation and implementation of the District’s first Five-Year Economic Development Plan;
• The creation of a D.C. China Center in Shanghai and other efforts to attract direct foreign investment in the District’s economy;
• And fruitful efforts to diversify the District’s economy beyond dependence on the federal government as the city’s main engine of economic vitality, including building strong relationships in the tech industry and encouraging growth of the District’s home-grown tech scene as well as attracting investment from national and international tech firms.