Leadership
To lead the St. Elizabeths East development and its complementary goals to generate jobs, provide education and training for expanded employment opportunities, and diversify the City’s financial base, Mayor Muriel Bowser named The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) to head the development effort. The project is executed by the staff within DMPED.
St. Elizabeths East Team
Latrena M. Owens, Executive Director of the District of Columbia’s St. Elizabeths East Campus Redevelopment
Latrena previously served as Chief of Staff for the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and as Interim Chief of Staff for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). Ms. Owens also served as Chief of Staff at the Department of General Services, overseeing personnel, communications, resource allocation, performance management, and agency logistics.
At DMPED, Ms. Owens managed the $17 million Neighborhood Investment Fund and a construction portfolio exceeding $3 billion. She led coordination with District leadership, federal partners, and community stakeholders on major initiatives, including the Center Leg Freeway (I‑395) project, the Riggs Road/South Dakota Avenue reconfiguration, and more than 150 grant‑funded projects under the Neighborhood Investment Act of 2004.
She also held roles at the Department of Employment Services, managing workforce development components for the St. Elizabeths West Campus and Marriott Marquis projects. Her DC Government career began as a Capital City Fellow with the District Department of Transportation and DMPED.
Ms. Owens later served as Director of Student Success for the University of the District of Columbia Community College’s Division of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning, overseeing student retention, transition, and engagement initiatives. She previously served as Deputy Director of the Center for Workforce Strategies, managing career training programs and ensuring compliance with federal and local grant requirements.
Ms. Owens holds a Master’s Degree in Adult Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In 2024, she was named a Cafritz Awards Winner.
Anthony Moore, Development Manager
Anthony serves on the Real Estate team and brings more than 20 years of experience in DC Government, with expertise in human services, education, community development, and public safety policy. Before joining DMPED, he worked as a Community Outreach Specialist in the Executive Office of the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments (MOTA), supporting the implementation of key mayoral initiatives to engage and empower District residents.
He currently works with Latrena Owens on the St. Elizabeths East Campus project.