The DC BID Council is an association of Washington, DC’s 12 Business Improvement Districts.

The DC BID Council works with public and private external partners to catalyze neighborhoods and promote a vibrant and inclusive city by driving collaboration among the District’s 12 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). In addition, the DC BID Council supports the uniqueness of each BIDs and their delivery of daily critical public-facing services while helping to effectuate long term, inclusive enhancements that have provided powerful benefits to the District of Columbia’s residents, workers and visitors for the past quarter century and will continue to do so.

OUR TEAM

Colleen Hawkinson

Executive Director

With more than 20 years of public- and private-sector placemaking, place management, urban planning, and infrastructure delivery experience, Colleen brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Prior to joining the DC BID Council in 2024, Colleen served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District (BID), where she achieved remarkable success in advocating for and implementing transformative projects that enhanced the neighborhood’s vibrancy and livability. During her tenure at the Dupont Circle BID, Colleen spearheaded the successful advocacy and acquisition of $30 million for the construction of the Dupont Plaza and Streetscape project, a pivotal initiative that will revitalize the historic neighborhood’s public spaces. 

In addition to her infrastructure and economic development expertise, Colleen brings more than 15 years’ worth of experience working within DC government, and a strong ability to work across sectors on shared priorities. At the DC BID Council, Colleen is focused on growing existing partnerships and forging new collaborations to increase opportunities for all Washington, D.C. stakeholders through the physical and social environments. She works with civic and business stakeholders to advocate for inclusive and livable neighborhoods across the District.

Maura Brophy, NoMa BID

Board Chair

Maura Brophy is President & CEO of the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID). Brophy brings extensive expertise in urban planning, economic development, housing, and transportation policy, equipping her to effectively address the opportunities and challenges of D.C.’s dynamic BID communities. Under her leadership at NoMa BID, the neighborhood has seen impressive accomplishments, including rapid growth and record-low office and residential vacancy rates; and has led the nation in new apartment construction for the past five years. The NoMa-Gallaudet U Metro station, now open for 20 years as of November 2024, has risen from the 19th busiest station in 2020 to the 7th busiest today. As a board member of the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC), Brophy has played a critical role in advancing a historic effort to expand and revitalize the landmark transit station serving the nation’s capital. 


Prior to joining NoMa BID, she managed the transportation portfolio at the Federal City Council, a nonprofit focused on enhancing the economic vitality of Washington, D.C. Earlier in her career, she oversaw more than 2,000 multifamily residential units across the Washington Metropolitan area as an asset manager for Community Preservation and Development Corporation (now Enterprise Community Development), a prominent affordable housing nonprofit.

THE BOARD

The DC BID Council Board is comprised of the executive directors of our member organizations:

Executive Committee

  • Steve Moore, Southwest BID, Vice Chair

  • Gerren Price, DowntownDC BID, Treasurer 

  • Natalie Avery, Friendship Heights Alliance, Secretary

  • Kenyattah Robinson, Mount Vernon Triangle CID, Ex-Officio

  • Kristen Barden, Adams Morgan Partnership BID

  • Kristina Noell, Anacostia BID

  • Patty Brosmer, Capitol Hill BID

  • Emeka Moneme, Capitol Riverfront BID

  • Bill McLeod, Dupont Circle BID

  • Joe Sternlieb, Georgetown BID

  • Leona Argouridis, Golden Triangle BID

Our Industry

BIDs are place-focused nonprofits dedicated to maintaining, enhancing and promoting urban places. More than 2,700 similar organizations throughout North America focus on urban places in a flourishing industry that is growing worldwide. They are typically called place management organizations.

  • Washington, DC BIDs are funded by the private sector. Property owners vote to assess themselves within a defined area. The resulting funds are used to deliver improvements specifically for that area. 

  • Place management organizations take a robust role in many facets of strengthening neighborhoods, through economic development, business support, marketing, community events, public space management, landscaping, cleaning the streets, and supporting transportation mobility and walkability. 

    • On the ground: They support the small business community, attract office and retail tenants, cultivate daytime and nighttime vibrancy, create gathering places, manage cultural events, and bring people together.

    • Among Public Officials:  BIDs cultivate public-private partnerships to effect critical change on a variety of issues: boosting the economy, upgrading the park system, tackling chronic homelessness, improving transportation networks, and enhancing the overall quality of the public realm. All of these activities help to foster a more resilient and desirable city.

  • In Washington, DC, BIDs are nonprofit organizations governed by a board of directors. The boards can include property owners, residents, commercial tenants, cultural organizations, nonprofits, and other stakeholders. Every five years each BID must renew their BID charter with the DC Government. This process is overseen by DC’s Department of Small and Local Business Development.

  • BIDs provide services and programs tailored to their neighborhoods that go beyond the municipal services the city provides. They do not replace the city's responsibilities to build infrastructure, provide services, conduct long-range planning, and uplift businesses — but they play a key role in supporting and enhancing those efforts. 

  • BIDs are critical on-the-ground community listeners, and they take community feedback to directly inform their programs for their specific area. They bring together business, community and government stakeholders to tackle complicated cross-sectoral problems, such as improving transportation mobility with various stakeholders, or upgrading and managing urban parks. BID staff are regularly visible in their neighborhoods, ensuring the public space is maintained, and supporting residents, visitors and business owners. 

  • From Friendship Heights to Anacostia, DC’s BIDs help bring busy commercial and mixed-use areas to life every day. A similar organization is likely working in every major city or neighborhood that you visit. The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore are just two of the BIDs in Baltimore; Arlington is home to Rosslyn, Ballston, and National Landing BIDs. Montgomery County utilizes an Urban District mechanism to provide similar services in Bethesda, Friendship Heights, Silver Spring, and Wheaton. To learn more about the place management industry, visit the International Downtown Association. [downtown.org]