The Greater Washington Partnership announced Kathy Hollinger as its new Chief Executive Officer. Hollinger is currently the President and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) and will begin her tenure at the Partnership on October 3, 2022.
“Kathy embodies everything the Greater Washington Partnership stands for. She is a proven leader with decades of private and public sector experience in the region and a deep commitment to business leading on some of the biggest issues we face from Richmond to Baltimore right now,” said Peter Scher, Vice Chairman at JPMorgan Chase and Board Chair of the Partnership. “The businesses and organizations that make up the Greater Washington Partnership are rising to meet this historic moment and under Kathy’s leadership, I know we’ll be able to continue to drive long-term success and sustainable solutions for all.”
“This region is near and dear to my heart and I’ve always worked hard to advocate for the private sector to play a leadership role in advancing inclusive growth,” said Kathy Hollinger, incoming CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership. “I’m humbled and honored to take on the role of CEO and steer this impactful organization and our region to be the most inclusive and competitive in the country.”
A 30-year resident of one of the nation’s largest and most visible regions, Hollinger has led RAMW since 2012, and represented thousands of restaurants and food service companies with more than 100,000 employees in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Through her vision and leadership, Hollinger brought sustained growth to a $5 billion revenue-generating industry, and visibility to a diverse range of companies and organizations transitioning through innovation and industry disruption. As RAMW’s voice and leading advocate during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hollinger successfully guided the industry and its members through a series of crises such as widespread closures, restricted capacity, masking requirements and a workforce shortage in the region.
Hollinger previously served as the film commissioner and agency director of the District of Columbia Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, where she was responsible for promoting the nation’s capital as a venue for film and television production nationally and internationally. With Kathy at the helm, Washington, D.C. became the premier destination of choice for film, television production, video, and multimedia projects with a 15% increase in film activity and more than $38 million in industry direct spending and revenue generation.
As CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, she will advance the work the Partnership has accomplished in inclusive growth, infrastructure and regional mobility, and workforce development since its founding.
“We founded the Greater Washington Partnership six years ago because we knew we could catalyze growth and help this region thrive at its maximum potential – and lift all communities in the process,” said Ted Leonsis, Founder & CEO, Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Partnership Co-Founder and Vice Chair. “Kathy’s experience in navigating tough challenges which impact our community, from COVID-19 to worries of inflation, positions her well to help the Partnership go even farther and even faster.”
“The Greater Washington Partnership’s mission of accelerating economic and inclusive growth in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. continues to gain momentum. Kathy Hollinger’s broad experience, coupled with her firm understanding of the Partnership’s ability to bring forth a more inclusive and competitive region, makes her an ideal CEO,” said Kathy Warden, Chair, President and CEO, Northrop Grumman, and Partnership Vice Chair.
“Kathy is widely recognized for her innovative and impactful leadership, fierce advocacy for the food and beverage industry, and her success in leading countless small and medium-sized businesses and their employees through an unprecedented global pandemic,” said Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Our comeback will be defined by how we work together as a region from Richmond to Baltimore with the District as the core. Kathy’s work at the Partnership will ensure that we grow businesses of all sizes and strive to ensure all residents a fair shot.”
Early in her career, Hollinger served as the senior director of external affairs for Comcast of the District. Under her leadership, Comcast received the “Business of the Year” award from the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, and the “Champions of Excellence Award” from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
“While at Comcast, Kathy advocated for the interest of our company, the industry, and our customers,” said Michael Parker, Senior Vice President for Comcast’s Beltway Region. “Her knowledge of – and relationships across – the mid-Atlantic region along with her depth of expertise spanning the public and private sector will position her for great success in this new role.”
“Kathy’s deep expertise in leading diverse stakeholders to align on complex issues positions her well to drive the vital mission of the Partnership,” said Dawn Sweeney, former CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Her results-oriented reputation and her political and business acumen ensure that she will thrive in her new role.”
Prior to joining RAMW, Hollinger was the founder and managing director of STORYBOARD Communications, LLC, a boutique strategic communications and public affairs agency that leveraged her years of experience in public relations, branding, and event marketing.
Over the past six years the Partnership has been committed to catalyzing economic and inclusive growth from Baltimore to Richmond through in-depth research and strategic partnerships. From the Regional Blueprint for Inclusive Growth – a ten-year, action-oriented roadmap that aims to close equity gaps and make the region a more inclusive and competitive economy by focusing on education, workforce, access to capital, affordable housing, infrastructure, and health equity; to addressing the demand for tech talent by training diverse high school and college students through the Talent Ready and Capital CoLAB programs; to the Baltimore’s Transit Future Campaign, an initiative to rally support among business leaders to help transform Baltimore’s transit system to better serve riders.
In March, Partnership organizations collectively allocated $4.7 billion over five yearsto support underrepresented communities and Minority Business Enterprises in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. U.S. Vice President Kamala D. Harris said: “This is a major step forward not only for the people of this region, but, by example, the role modeling (the Greater Washington Partnership plays) will benefit people around the country. It is truly a model that can and should be replicated around our nation.”
The Partnership has 33 board members.
About the Greater Washington Partnership
The Greater Washington Partnership is a first-of-its-kind civic alliance of CEOs in the Capital Region, drawing from the leading public, private, and nonprofit organizations committed to making the region from Baltimore to Richmond one of the world’s best places to live, work and build a business. Working in collaboration with leaders across our communities, the Partnership connects and leverages the region’s extraordinary assets to catalyze inclusive, actionable solutions that strengthen the Capital Region as a leading global center for commerce, innovation, and shared prosperity.
Media Contact:
Ajashu Thomas
Communications Manager
(404) 919-2498
ajthomas@greaterwashingtonpartnership.com
