PR 26-0010 — District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors Dr. Unique N. Morris-Hughes Confirmation Resolution of 2024

Annual Economic Report providing a quantitate look at key economic factors in the District of Columbia.

• Create a new approach to business services by launching the Office of Talent and Client Services.

• Honored by Walkers Legacy as the 2018 Community Advocate award.

• Successfully launch the Paid Family Leave program on-time and under budget Chief Strategy Officer & Acting, Chief of Staff | 2016 – 2017 District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, Washington, DC Lead the agency in a strategic “turn-around” effort to eliminate federal non-compliance and bring the agency into good standing with US Department of Labor.

Design and implement turnaround and operational strategies to improve agency federal program performance.

Work with the Office of the Deputy Mayor and the Director of the Employment Services as subject matter expert with federal program implementation.

Create policies that promote a positive culture and atmosphere.

Lead agency performance management, labor market information and research agenda.

Develop innovative grant funding program to build capacity of the network of training providers that serve at-risk youth and students.

Selected Accomplishments:

…continued… Dr.

Unique Morris-Hughes • Lead the efforts for the District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services Office of Youth Programs to exit “High Risk”.

• Accelerated the enforcement of existing local labor laws to increase the number of employed District resident’s, highlighted by administering the First Source program penalty in the program’s history.

• Attaining a top five (5) national ranking within the District’s worker’s compensation program and recovering more than $25M in back wages and damages on behalf of District residents.

• Lead the DC Infrastructure Academy which initial strategic investment which was funded at $22.5M.

Develop and launch innovative training program focused on connecting the infrastructure industry (transportation and logistics, information security, public utilities, and energy efficient technologies) to the District’s skilled workforce.

• Implemented the reorganization of the nation’s largest summer youth employment program of approximately 13,000 participants to include 22-24 year old’s, as well as the inaugural launch of the Mayor’s Opportunity Student Scholarship (MOSS), providing scholarships to 200 participants in excess of $250K.

• Oversee the Summer Youth Employment Program for the District of Columbia where Forbes magazine cites Washington DC is the number one city for summer jobs.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) & Acting Assistant Superintendent for Wellness and Nutrition | 2014 – 2016 District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Washington, DC Oversaw eight offices totaling 82 full time employees and supported core functions of agency.

Lead the agency in a strategic “turn-around” effort to eliminate federal non-compliance and bring the agency into good standing with US Department of Education.

Selected Accomplishments:

• Lead the District of Columbia through a corrective action plan which led the District of Columbia to be off the “High- Risk” sanctions which were previously held for over 15 years.

• Supervised three facilities maintained by the agency and oversaw per pupil funding, enrollment processes and general tuition payments for residents.

• Lead Federal Programs Office, overseeing approximately $75 million and entitlement programs of Title I, Title II and Title III.

• Managed annual enrollment audit for the DC, allocating $650 million of funds to support the public school system.

• Governed all offices under COO;

including, but not limited to, Wellness and Nutrition Services, Office of Contracts and Procurement, Office of Enrollment and Residency, and Office of Dispute Resolution.

• Lead highest ranked Summer Meals program in the country as designated by the United States Department of Agriculture.

• Created cross-cutting federal education grants guidance aligning cost and activities amongst five grants.

Deputy Assistant Superintendent, Federal Grants Management | 2012 – 2014 Deputy Director, Office of Grants Management and Compliance 2012-2013 Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Washington, DC Demonstrate expert knowledge of federal grant program laws, regulations, accounting principles, procurement laws governing public funds, applicable Office of Budget and Management Circulars, and the Education Department Government Administrative Regulations.

Offered technical support and training to program managers.

Developed and provided guidance on grants management policies.

Trained and provided knowledge of A-133 audit of grant programs.

Also served as Deputy Director and Director of the Office of Grants Management and Compliance from 2012 to 2013.

Assistant Head of School, Performance | 2011 – 2012 Septima Clark Public Charter School, Washington, DC Serve as liaison to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Public Charter School Board, and other District of Columbia Agencies.

Advised school faculty and staff on the effects of current policy and legislation.

Offered guidance to staff on DC Municipal Regulations.

Delivered training to staff, leadership, and board of trustees on school operations policy.

Recruited and hired new staff and served as point of contact for all parents and staff.

Also served as acting Special Education Coordinator, overseeing special education staff.

Achieved LEA level compliance for federal entitlements supplementary to ESEA programs, Highly Qualified Teacher documentation, and other federal grants.

Dr.

Unique Morris-Hughes Program Manager/Center Director | 2008 – 2009 District of Columbia Public Schools, Washington, DC Created and implemented new programs that are measurable and high quality, such as Adult, Family, and English Language Literacy Programs.

Used research-based programs to create best practices, including NCLB compliance for Title I Part A and Title III.

Provided overall leadership and administration to staff of six.

Provided resources, programs, and information to shareholders and practitioners in professional communities.

Produced outreach strategy and implementation plan;

exceeded 20% target of student/family population.

Director of Programs | 2006 – 2008 Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area, Washington, DC Created opportunities for students to learn financial literacy, workforcepreparedness, business, and economics.

Created opportunities for corporate partners and volunteers to teach students the importance of financial literacy, business, and economics.

Implemented research-based curriculum and programs.

Served as primary contact for school system and district government.

Increased number of student participants within six months of program implementation.

Generated resources through fundraising.

Public Policy Coordinator | 2002 – 2005 Amazon.com, Seattle, Washington & Washington, DC Worked closely with the Vice President of Global Public Policy and Directors of US Federal and State Public Policy with compliance.

Conducted research on legislative proposals and provided briefs on legislation of interest to senior management.

Responsibly managed team budget and team internal website.

Served as the political action committee (PAC) coordinator and ensured compliance with federal election campaign laws.

Teaching Experience Adjunct Instructor & Consultant | USDA Graduate School, Washington, DC | 2009 – 2016:

Design instructional materials for performance management courses.

Provides training to state and federal employees for Program Evaluation.

Adjunct Faculty | Trinity University, Washington, DC | 2007 – 2010:

In-classroom instructor while utilizing web-based technology.

Advised students on scholarly research and writing in courses:

Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Principles of Management and Leadership, and Social Entrepreneurship.

Professional Service & Memberships Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., 1999- present Trustee, US Conference of Mayor’s Workforce Development Board, 2017 – present Director for Region III, Board of Directors, National Association of State Workforce Agencies, 2020 – present Board of Directors, Workforce Investment Council, District of Columbia, 2017 – present Appointee/Mayor Designee, Adult Career Pathways Taskforce, 2017 – present National Forum of Black Public Administrators, 2012 - Present American Educational Research Association, 2010 – Present Selected Publications, Speeches & Conference Presentations Morris, U., December 2009.

Measuring program performance and web 2.0 technologies:

Getting the most from your programs while engaging youth.

NCNW-Dorothy Height Leadership Institute.

Washington, DC.

Dr.

Unique Morris-Hughes Morris, U., April 2010.

The Relationship between Servant Leadership Characteristics and State Domain Hope:

Validation for the Inclusion of Hope in the Servant Leadership Theoretical Model.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore Research Symposium.

Princess Anne, MD.

Morris, U., October 2010.

Critical perspectives of early literacy coaching and the affects in at-risk populations.

Consortium for Research on Educational Accountability- National Evaluation Institute.

Williamsburg, VA.

Morris, U.

(2012) Psychological Capital of African American Professionals as Influences of Performance and Job Satisfaction as Mediated by Self-Perceived Authenticity., University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

(Doctoral Dissertation).

Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertation and Theses databases.

Morris, U., Crosson-Settler, R., Leach, F., & Edogun, K., April 2013.

From Compliance to Reform:

Balancing Efforts to Reform Public Education in the District of Columbia.

National Forum of Black Public Administrators National Conference.

Atlanta, GA.

Morris, U., August 2017.

Keynote Address:

Being Unapologetically Authentic as Young Government Leaders.

Blacks in Government National Conference.

Atlantic City, NJ.

Morris, U., April 2017.

Perspectives on the impact of practice, program, and policy.

Rutgers University Urban Teaching Matters Conference.

Camden, NJ.

Morris-Hughes, U.

June 2018.

Private –Public Business Partnership Key to Strengthening DC Workforce and Economy.

LA Sentinel.

https://lasentinel.net/tag/dr-unique-morris-hughes Morris-Hughes, U.

April 2018.

DC Summer jobs program grows up.

Washington Post.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/summer-jobs-for-young-people- are-an-investment-in-our- future/2018/05/18/aa7fa4f6-5924-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067 story.html?noredirect=on&utm term=.f518f1926d51 Morris-Hughes, U.

2019, October.

Smart Cities Connect Conference:

Inclusion, Innovation, and the Workforce of the Future.

https://www.digi.city/articles/whats-new.

Morris-Hughes, U.

2019, October.” Inclusive future of work”.

https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-unveil-future-work- dc.

Morris-Hughes, U.

May 2019.

Filling in the Workforce Gap Through Infrastructure Academies.

American Infrastructure Magazine.

https://americaninfrastructuremag.com/filling-workforce-gap-infrastructure-academies/ Morris-Hughes, U.

2022.

Talent Pipeline Launch Event with Senior Administration Officials, Employers, Union Leaders, Training Providers, and Local Officials.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements releases/2022/06/17/readout-of-talent-pipeline-challenge-launch-event-with-senior-administration-officials-employers- union-leaders-training-providers-and-local-officials/.

Schreur, E., Yu, H., Pedigo, S., Standbrook, J., Taylor, M.

& Morris-Hughes, U.

( 2022).

A Refined Approach to Measuring Take-Up Rates in Paid Family Leave Programs:

A Case Study from The District of Columbia’s Paid Family Leave Program [Manuscript submitted for publication].

Monthly Labor Review, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Awards and Honors • 2022 DC One Fund Ambassador – Appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser to serve as chief fundraiser the Districts annual giving campaign supporting community-based organizations in the District of Columba.

By Leading and representing 37,000 DC government employees, Ambassador Morris-Hughes raised nearly $1.3 million dollars in the 67th annual campaign in less than 8 weeks.

Dr.

Unique Morris-Hughes • 2022 Leadership Award Honoree, Crittenton Services – an honor recognizing outstanding leadership in the District of Columbia benefiting young women (https://crittentonservices.org/press-resources/).

• 2018 Workforce Game Changer of the Year – An annual award recognizing workforce development practitioners and strategist across the county (https://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/06/prweb15585576.htm).

• 2018 The University of the District of Columbia Community College Division of Workforce Development & Lifelong Learning Trailblazer Award.

• 2018 Walker’s Legacy Women in Economic Development Award • 2015 DC Career and Technical Education Champions Award • 1994 Seattle Youth Advocate of the Year (https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19960421&slug=2325240) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mass Media and Social Media Impressions Career and Workforce Development • Facebook:

The First 90 Days:

Best Practices for the New Mom- Dr.

Unique Morris-Hughes • TV:

WJLA – Armstrong Williams Show - UMH-WJLA 8.27.22 WUSA9 - DOES Director Odie Donald II and Chief Strategy Officer Unique Morris-Hughes on Great Day Washington • Twitter:

@DOES DC Director Dr Unique Morris-Hughes on how they're fixing the system to help residents and hiring over 200 people in the process Education and Youth • Youtube:

Dr.

Unique Morris-Hughes Answering Questions from Pioneer Fellows at Ted Talks in Washington, D.C.

Dr Unique Morris-Hughes Speaking at Rutgers University-Intro Mayor Bowser Provides Grants to Connect More DC Residents to Earn-and-Learn Opportunities Mayor Bowser Launches 2020 Mayor Marion S.

Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, 1/31/20- Director Dr.

Unique Morris-Hughes makes speech Faces of the 40th - Director Dr.

Unique Morris-Hughes Paid Family Leave • TV:

Fox 5 - FOX 5 Zip Trip Union Market:

5 Must Stops! • Youtube:

Mommy on a Budget- Thrive by Five DC Philanthropy and Fundraising • Youtube:

DC One Fund message from Director Unique Morris-Hughes.

Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments John A.

Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004 D r.

Unique N.

Morris-Hughes Dr .

Unique Morris-Hughes is the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES).

In her role as State Labor Secretary, she is directlyresponsible for a budget of $196 million in local, federal, and special purpose funds administered by the District of Columbia and the federal government for workforce development programs and training, unemployment compensation, universal paid leave administration, and labor standards enforcement, along with more than $80 million in active capital projects.

Previously, Dr.

Morris-Hughes was the Chief Strategy Officer for DOES.

Appointed by Mayor Bowser to assist the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity (DMGEO), Dr.

Morris-Hughes was named Special Assistant & Assistant Director of DOES in 2016.

Within 18 months, her efforts helped lead to the removal of the agency’s youth programs from a federal watch list.

Previously, Dr.

Morris-Hughes served at the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), where she guided that agency through a federalcorrective actionplan.Asa result of the correctivesteps taken at OSSE, the District exited federal high-risk status for grant oversight, operation management, and fiscal reporting.

Dr.

Morris-Hughes’ other major accomplishments include, while at OSSE, leading the District of Columbia to its ranking as the top state (and jurisdiction) in the country for the US Department of Agriculture summer meals program.

Dr.

Morris-Hughes is a member of the American Educational Research Association, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the Textbook and Academic Authors Association of America, the National Alliance of Black School Educators, the National Black MBA Association, the International Leadership Association, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

A Ward 4 resident, Dr.

Morris-Hughes earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Johnson C.

Smith University, her Master of Business Administration from Trinity University, and her PhD in Organizational Leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor To:

Kimberly A.

Bassett, Steve Walker From:

Betsy Cavendish Date:

October 10, 2024 Subject:

Legal sufficiency review of a resolution appointing Unique Morris-Hughes as a member of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced Order and found it to be legally unobjectionable.

If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-727- 0872, or me at 202-724-7681.

______________________________ Elizabeth Cavendish ______________________________________________________________________________ The John A.

Wilson Bu• 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue• NSuite 300 Washington, D.C.

20• Office (202) 724-7681