Greater Washington Partnership Marks 10 Years of Regional Impact, Sets Agenda for Next Decade of Growth
CEO-led alliance will focus on strengthening region’s economy, competing for major opportunities, preparing for AI, accelerating investments critical to Greater Washington’s growth
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ten years after the Greater Washington Partnership was founded on the belief that the region could accomplish more by acting together, the CEO-led alliance is setting an ambitious agenda for its next decade focused on strengthening Greater Washington’s economy and competitive position.
The agenda builds on a decade of work that has brought C-suite leaders from the region’s largest employers together to tackle some of its toughest challenges, including securing major investments in transportation and infrastructure, building stronger talent pipelines, expanding housing and small-business opportunities and taking on economic challenges that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
For its next decade, the Partnership will harness the investment, influence, expertise, assets and convening power of its CEO alliance around four ambitions designed to strengthen Greater Washington’s competitive position:
•Compete as one region for major opportunities that can drive economic growth
•Establish Greater Washington as the nation’s most AI-ready and AI-fluent region
•Create the conditions for a stronger regional economy by strengthening foundational industries and accelerating those poised for growth
•Turn major ideas and investments into real, measurable growth
“The Greater Washington Region has extraordinary strengths, and the choices we make today will shape our competitiveness for the next decade,” said Kathy Warden, Chair of the Greater Washington Partnership Board, and Chair, CEO and President of Northrop Grumman. “Working together, we can turn these strengths into increased investment, innovation, and opportunity.”
Meeting that moment will require the region to be more intentional about how it competes for investment, develops and attracts talent and turns its economic strengths into new opportunities for growth.
“Our first decade proved the value of bringing CEOs and C-suite decisionmakers together to look beyond jurisdictional and institutional boundaries and think strategically about Greater Washington’s future,” said Kathy Hollinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Washington Partnership. “Our next decade will be about putting that same power behind a clear economic vision that positions Greater Washington to compete nationally and on the global stage and focusing on where we can make the greatest difference.”
That collective strength is reflected in the leaders at the Partnership’s table. The Partnership is welcoming David Ricks, Chair and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company, to the Board, alongside Eduardo Peñalver, President of Georgetown University; Kurt Small, President and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield; and Corine Bushfield, Executive Vice President and President, Utilities, AltaGas Ltd., who will represent longstanding Board partner organizations. Together, they join CEOs and c-suite leaders whose organizations help shape Greater Washington’s economy and who come together through the Partnership to drive action on the region’s biggest opportunities and challenges.
An Agenda for the Next Decade
The Partnership was created to address challenges and opportunities that no single company, sector or jurisdiction could address alone. Its next-decade agenda will put that model to work against a focused set of economic ambitions.
WIN: Compete as one region for major opportunities The Partnership will bring businesses, sports organizations, universities, transportation systems, tourism leaders and public-sector partners together to pursue major sporting events, global gatherings, corporate investment and other opportunities that can bring investment, visitors and economic activity to the region. The goal is not only to compete for and win major opportunities, but to build coordinated programming around them that extends their economic impact across the region, creates opportunities for local businesses and communities, and gives visitors more reasons to experience all that Greater Washington has to offer.
LEAD: Become the nation’s most AI-ready and AI-fluent region The Partnership will work with employers and universities to help workers build AI skills, help businesses adopt AI safely and responsibly, turn more of the region’s research and ideas into companies and products, and ensure the infrastructure is in place to support AI-driven growth. The work will also help employers and workers prepare for the changes AI is bringing to jobs and industries across the region.
GROW: Create the conditions for a stronger regional economy The Partnership will work to strengthen the industries that anchor Greater Washington’s economy while accelerating those poised for growth and advance the business conditions needed to attract and retain companies, talent and investment.
BUILD: Turn major ideas into real growth Greater Washington is nationally recognized as the most AI-ready and AI-fluent region—attracting companies, people, and capital; increasing employer productivity; generating and retaining high-growth companies; creating new career pathways; and diversifying an economy that can no longer depend primarily on traditional federal employment and spending.
10 Years of Regional Action
For the last decade the Partnership has developed a model of regional collaboration that began with the ambitious idea of bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the nation’s capital.
In 2014, business and civic leaders across D.C., Maryland and Virginia came together behind Washington’s bid for the Games. Although the bid did not ultimately move forward, the experience demonstrated the potential of what bringing the region’s leadership and assets together behind a shared goal could accomplish. That group of CEOs decided to make that collaboration permanent.
On October 6, 2016, they convened the first Board meeting of what would become the Greater Washington Partnership, launching publicly the following year.
“When we founded the Greater Washington Partnership 10 years ago, we set out to prove that our region could achieve something greater than any one city or sector alone,” said Ted Leonsis, Co-Founder and Vice Chair of the Greater Washington Partnership and Founder, Chairman, Managing Partner and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “That idea started with an audacious effort to bring the Olympics here, but it was always bigger than a single event. It was about what becomes possible when we see ourselves as one region and put our collective assets behind a shared ambition. Ten years later, we have the opportunity to take that idea even further.”
Anniversary Celebration of 10 Years of Collaboration To celebrate a decade of impact and recognize the people and partners who have helped shape its work, Greater Washington Partnership brought together CEOs, senior business executives, elected officials and civic leaders from across the region on October 13 at Monumental Sports & Entertainment in Washington, D.C. The celebration featured a special performance by acclaimed musician and author Mark Rivera, whose career spans more than 50 years, including four decades as Billy Joel’s saxophonist and more than 30 years as musical director for Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.
“It was especially meaningful to welcome the Partnership’s Board and leaders from across our community to Monumental’s new offices—an expression of our belief in the energy, potential and enduring power of downtown Washington,” continued Ted Leonsis. “Strong downtowns and thriving businesses are essential to a competitive region.”
10 Years of Regional Impact: The Power of the Partnership
What began as an effort to bring the world to Greater Washington has become a lasting platform for the region’s leading institutions to pursue opportunities, unlock investment and strengthen Greater Washington’s ability to compete. Over the past decade, the Partnership has helped secure major infrastructure investments, connect students and workers to high-demand careers, expand investment in housing and small businesses, and build a stronger regional voice around the conditions needed for economic growth. Together, GWP Board organizations support 647,000 jobs — one in 16 across Greater Washington — and contribute $96.1 billion to the region’s GDP.
REGION RISING: A Roadmap for the Region’s Economic Future Region Rising set out a strategy to strengthen the industries that anchor Greater Washington’s economy, grow sectors with the greatest potential and improve the conditions needed to attract investment and jobs.
$1.23B+ in Infrastructure Investments: More than 50 major infrastructure projects backed by GWP have collectively received more than $1.23 billion in investment since 2019. 7,000+ Job Opportunities from 55 Employers The Partnership mobilized employers to respond to federal workforce disruption and connect workers with new opportunities.
SHARED PROSPERITY: $4.7B Committed Partnership employers committed billions to small businesses, emerging communities and expanded access to capital. $1.37B+ Committed to Housing Regional housing efforts helped create, preserve or advance more than 15,100 affordable homes. TalentReady: 25,000+ Students Reached TalentReady has connected thousands of students with career pathways tied to high-demand jobs since 2019. WMATA: $500M Annually for Metro Helped secure Metro’s first dedicated capital funding commitment from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
NEXT LEVEL: Supporting Entrepreneurs, Building Business Connections Next Level has connected 45 entrepreneurs across the region with senior leaders, investors, founders and employers across the Partnership’s network, with 67% reporting being considered, shortlisted or awarded a contract or RFP opportunity. National Capital Region 250: Advancing a Regional Agenda with Federal Leaders Advanced priorities with White House and federal agencies around transportation, faster project delivery, workforce competitiveness and modernization of the federal core.
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About the Greater Washington Partnership
Greater Washington Partnership is an alliance of the largest employers across industries in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Together, we leverage our collective experiences, resources and assets to identify shared challenges and offer real solutions to the region’s most critical issues including skills and talent, regional mobility, infrastructure and economic growth. Our goal is to ensure the entire region, from Baltimore through Washington, D.C. to Richmond, remains vibrant, economically competitive, prosperous for all and the best place to live, work and build a business. Learn more at greaterwashingtonpartnership.com.