Former D.C. City Administrator Rashad Young will officially join the institution as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer effective Oct. 12. (Courtesy Photo)
By Micha Green
AFRO D.C. Editor
mgreen@afro.com
Howard University announced that former D.C. City Administrator Rashad Young will officially join the institution as Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Strategy Officer effective on Oct. 12. In these roles, Young will be responsible for managing the portfolio of External Affairs and Real Estate as well as implementing the University’s strategic plan- “Howard Forward.”
“I am pleased to welcome veteran administrator Rashad Young to Howard University in the new role of SVP and Chief Strategy Officer,” Howard President Wayne A.I. Frederick said in a statement. “Mr. Young has a proven track record of managing strategic initiatives for complex organizations by improving efficiency and implementing solution-oriented processes. His wealth of experience will be a great addition to our leadership team.”
Young’s new appointment comes almost two months after he abruptly left his post as city administrator and one of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s top aides since she took office in 2015.
While there was city-wide bewilderment surrounding Young’s abrupt departure from Bowser’s team, the Mayor spoke about the former city administrator’s major contributions to the District during his years of service.
“From advancing education reform to making historic investments in affordable housing, and from transforming services for families experiencing homelessness to modernizing our schools, libraries and critical infrastructure, Rashad helped us deliver exceptional results for our residents,” Bowser said in a statement in August when Young left his post. “He also ensured we enhanced our financial footing to be best prepared for the unforeseen, and that has been put to the test as together we weather the global pandemic and its economic impacts. We applaud him for his service to our city.”
Young, who served as city manager for Alexandria, Virginia before coming to the nation’s capital, was the longest serving city administrator in D.C. government history.
“Although it is bittersweet to leave my post as city administrator with the District, I am truly excited to be joining the team at Howard University, particularly during this moment in our society when the future of our youth is so clearly important to the future of this nation,” said Young. “President Frederick has established a high bar of success for the future of the institution and I look forward to joining the team that will bring that vision to fruition.”
