Salah Czapary Appointed to Lead Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture
Mayor Muriel Bowser has appointed the openly gay former Ward 1 Council candidate to head office overseeing D.C.'s nightlife industry.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has appointed Salah Czapary, a gay former candidate for the D.C. Council, to a post within her administration following her re-election to a third four-year term.
Bowser’s office made the announcement on Thursday, as one of several moves regarding Cabinet agencies and appointed positions.
Czapary, who garnered about a third of the vote in the Ward 1 Council race against Councilmember Brianne Nadeau in the Democratic primary, will serve as Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture.
While the mayor did not officially endorse Czapary in that race, she has previously clashed with Nadeau and other members of the Council’s left flank on various issues, and many of her employees and political allies, dubbed the “Green Team,” either supported Czapary outright or donated to his campaign, as reported by the Washington City Paper.
According to the office’s website, the office serves as an intermediary between nightlife establishments, residents, and D.C. government, with the aim of promoting “a safe, economically and culturally vibrant night time economy.”
In his new role, Czapary will conduct outreach to business owners and others in the nightlife industry, seek to provide assistance in solving issues or problems by coordinating with D.C. government agencies, and educate nightlife establishments and their staff on existing policies or regulations through quarterly trainings.
Czapary previously lead community outreach initiatives, engaging feedback from residents and stakeholders, including members of the nightlife industry, when he served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Police at the Metropolitan Police Department. He also oversaw community working groups seeking to garner feedback from residents about policing concerns, to develop better relationships between officers and those they serve, and to improve volunteer service programs.
Prior to joining MPD, Czapary founded and managed the operations of the Nagypapa Foundation “to encourage experiential travel and education,” according to a press release from the mayor’s office.
Czapary tweeted out the announcement, writing: “Thank you @MayorBowser for the opportunity to continue to serve the city I love.”
A little update from me, on Monday I will start a new job as the Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture.
Thank you @MayorBowser for the opportunity to continue to serve the city I love. https://t.co/B9JlcePfGv pic.twitter.com/cWWehrG6xE
— Salah Czapary (@czapary) November 10, 2022
The DC Nightlife Council, a nonprofit trade association representing local bar, restaurant, nightclub, entertainment venues, congratulated Czapary on his appointment in a tweet.
Congratulations to…
…Salah Czapary on being nominated by @MayorBowser for confirmation by the DC Council to serve the community as the new Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture (MONC).#DCnightlife #DCisOpen!@czapary @councilofdc@DCMOCA @dcmonc#DCision22 pic.twitter.com/AhQ1q92fWA
— DC Nightlife Council (DCNC) (@DCNightlifeDCNC) November 10, 2022
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the appointment, Czapary’s qualifications, or his vision for the office.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
