Bowser taps Snowden for deputy mayor post
Former out lesbian Council candidate will focus on economic development east of the Anacostia
On Wednesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) fulfilled a campaign promise by naming progressive lobbyist and former At-Large Council candidate Courtney R. Snowden, an out lesbian, as deputy mayor for greater economic opportunity.
Announcing her selection of Snowden, Bowser touted the importance of the office, saying that the newly-created position was designed to “address the day-to-day needs of neighborhoods that have been overlooked.” Part of Bowser’s campaign was focused on bringing development to the city’s economically disadvantaged neighborhood, particularly those in Wards 7 and 8 that are separated geographically from the rest of the District by the Anacostia River.
“I applaud Mayor Bowser for recognizing the need to create this position,” Snowden said in prepared remarks. “For so many of us from these underserved communities, we can see the forest of cranes and hear the construction across the river, and we want that, too, right here.”
Snowden, a Ward 7 resident of the Deanwood neighborhood, previously ran for one of two non-Democratic seats on the D.C. Council in 2014, coming in fifth out of a field of 15 candidates. She previously worked for The Raben Group, a progressive policy and lobbying organization, where she focused on issues related to education and LGBT rights. Her appointment makes her the sixth openly LGBT high-profile official in the Bowser administration.
Richard J. Rosendall, president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA), said Snowden impressed GLAA during her 2014 campaign with her knowledge of policy issues and her demonstrated longtime commitment to and advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community, which ended up giving her a perfect score of +10 on GLAA’s candidate rating system.
“She’s highly capable and very smart,” Rosendall said. “I wish her well in the job. I think she will be an asset to the administration.”
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