Jon Fernandez

Jon Fernandez serves as Project Director for the Federal City Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to progress in the Nation’s Capital and comprised of over 200 business leaders in the Washington D.C. area.  He joined the organization in 2007 and is responsible for developing and managing the organization’s major projects in areas ranging from public education reform to transportation, economic development, and health care. He works with elected and appointed government officials, leaders in the business community, and issue experts in the D.C. area to advance the work of the Council. Jon joined the Federal City Council after spending five years working for D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams, for whom he served first as a Senior Policy Analyst and then as Director of the Office of Policy Research and Development.  As policy director, Jon was the Administration’s point person responsible for advancing the Mayor’s legislative agenda and serving as the primary liaison to members of the Council of the District of Columbia and their staffs.  Jon also worked closely with senior staff at government agencies as well as with community advocates to develop legislation and resolve complex policy issues.  Prior to working with the District government, Jon served as a Senior Analyst in the Strategic Consulting division of CB Richard Ellis/Torto Wheaton Research, located in Boston, Massachusetts.    Jon earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.  He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas where he graduated magna cum laude, was elected Phi Beta Kappa, and received the prestigious Harry S Truman Scholarship in recognition of his dedication to a career in public service.  He currently serves on the boards of three non-profits: the Latin American Youth Center, Pre-K for All DC and the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation. He is a resident of Hyattsville, Maryland, where he lives with his wife, Melissa, and two wonderful children, Gabriella and Zachary.