MVT: MVT CID President & CEO Kenyattah Robinson Selected by IDA for 2017 Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program

Kenyattah Robinson, President and CEO of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (MVT CID), has been selected by the International Downtown Association (IDA) for its 2017 Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program. Robinson, along with three other Washington, DC-area urban district management leaders — Rachel Rose Hartman of the DowntownDC BID, John Wiebenson of the Georgetown BID and Rick Ammirato of the Bethesda Urban Partnership — comprise this year’s cohort of 28 of the industry’s brightest professionals representing four countries and 17 provinces and states. The Emerging Leaders Fellowship is a week-long experiential program that will take place June 11-16 in New York City and will bring together IDA professionals from within the urban district management industry. The fellows will develop essential leadership and place management skills, and gain practical tools in the areas of place-based economic development, the live-work-play experience, and public-private partnerships.

“I am honored and thrilled to have been nominated by my Board of Directors and selected by IDA to join these incredible professionals for this year’s Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program,” said Robinson. “IDA is a recognized thought leader in the creation of better places in communities throughout the world. I look forward to learning new ideas and innovative approaches that will contribute to the future of our cities, and that will greatly enhance the strategies that we apply right here in Mount Vernon Triangle. I want to also congratulate my DC-area colleagues, Rachel, John and Rick, on their selection and look forward to working and learning alongside them in New York.”

Mount Vernon Triangle CID Chairman, Berk Shervin, President of The Wilkes Company, commented, “On behalf of the MVT CID Board of Directors and staff, we congratulate Kenyattah on his selection to the IDA 2017 Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program. We look forward to gleaning his insights as we sustain our efforts on behalf of the Mount Vernon Triangle community for the Triangle to be a preeminent destination of choice for anyone who chooses to live, work, do business or entertain in the District of Columbia.”

“The International Downtown Association is looking to build the future of our industry, and these accomplished executives are the shining stars of our profession,” said David Downey, President and CEO of IDA in a press release. “With this program, we’re educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders.”

The program features intensive instruction delivered by IDA partners at Baruch College, the City University of New York, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and the Coro New York Leadership Center. Technical in-the-field training will be provided by professionals within several business improvement district organizations across the city. The event takes place at the ICSC Leadership Center in New York City, with field visits provided by several local BID leaders.

“The smashing success of our inaugural Fellowship program in 2016 underscored how critical this training is to our growing industry,” said Downey. “This is the only program of its kind created specifically for urban place management professionals. IDA is looking to further illustrate the importance of our industry by raising up leaders with the necessary skills to champion inclusive city building.”