From brick-and-mortar renovations at
Union Station — both past and present — to growing D.C.’s image as a hub for high-tech innovation, the
Federal City Council has been at the table — if not at its head — for many of the District’s most notable projects.
For more than a half-century, the nonprofit has been filling the gaps to meet the city’s needs, fostering partnerships with both government and private entities to get projects done.
And, after eight years as the District’s mayor, Anthony “Tony” Williams has been at the helm as FCC’s CEO and executive director since July.
We talked to him about what makes the Council unique and how it decides which projects to tackle each year. At the top of
this year’s list are efforts to attract new industries to the area and to continue positive changes in the District’s educational system that could make it a model for the rest of the country.
What are the major differences between this council and the District City Council?
Obviously, we’re not a government organization. We’re set up as a non-self-interested group of businesses who have really — historically and going forward — been interested in pursuing projects that [the city] was barely able to do before our efforts. They’ve got to matter and they’ve got to be a stretch. We try to fill the gap where resources of the federal government or local government alone aren’t able to make these projects come to fruition.
How has your time as mayor informed your decisions and priorities on the Federal City Council?
You realize that so much of what you do leading a community is building partnerships, whether with nonprofits, the business sector, the faith community or different levels of government. These partners are very important. This realm of partnership is the focus of the Federal City Council. [Being mayor] has been an important precedent.
How does the group decide which projects to take on in a given year?
The goals that we’ve set and the projects that we pursue are really based on interaction and engagement with our members. Members of the group are traditionally the larger businesses in the city, but also the leaders of nonprofits, leading professionals.
"[We are] creating within each of these zones an environment of success, allowing people in these different roles, whether government or non-government, allowing them an opportunity to succeed."
Going forward, what we’re trying to do is maintain a continuous engagement with our members. What are their preferences, their views? That informs our goals and the outcomes we’re going to achieve. I’m an agent and a vehicle, but it’s really our members driving the show. We work with 250 members.
How is the Federal City Council’s role impacted by the budgetary factors of local and federal governments?
The D.C. government is doing well and has a surplus, but obviously there are still cost pressures, as there are elsewhere, so finding efficiencies in the operation of government has always been a concern. We look at structures and strategies to restrain long-term liabilities, for example.
As the Capital, the city’s doing well but is restrained by a debt cap. The demand for various economic investments far outstrips the debt cap, which is why we’ve been focused on looking into additional infrastructure and a financing bank of some kind.
What is the Council’s ultimate goal and aim with all of these projects?
I just think it’s creating within each of these zones an environment of success, allowing people in these different roles, whether government or non-government, allowing them an opportunity to succeed. Allowing that government official to realize his or her ambitions, or the private sector person to realize those goals, that’s our mantra — to create an environment for success.
Do you ever get confused with the other FCC?
We don’t go by FCC a lot here, so we don’t have that problem.