The DC History Center is excited to welcome Dania M. Jolley and Frank Leone to its Board of Trustees.
Dania M. Jolley brings a wealth of experience as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Cultural Affairs at Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for Washington, DC. Events DC is tasked with generating economic and community benefits for DC residents and businesses through premier events. It also builds community connections through impactful events and programming.
As Deputy Chief of Staff and Cultural Affairs, Dania co-manages the Office of the President and CEO of Events DC where she builds relationships with public and private partnerships and community cultural leaders. She also is responsible for developing and executing Events DC’s marketing and communications initiatives.
“The unique assets of the DC History Center are truly invaluable. I look forward to working with the Board and staff to continue efforts to make them more accessible to the city’s residents and visitors, especially the millions who visit its neighbor, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.”
In her Cultural Affairs role, Dania ensures that Events DC delivers cultural programs and events that are impactful for the city’s residents and visitors. The office is dedicated to making the unique assets of the nation’s capital accessible and sustainable for the city’s residents, visitors, and tourists. The office produces Passport DC and Around the World Embassy Tour, two iconic programs that highlight Washington’s international and diplomatic communities. The third far-reaching program is WalkingTown DC, a public tour program of guided walking and biking tours in neighborhoods throughout Washington, DC.
Dania has decades of experience delivering high-level collaborative support with executives across multiple vertical industries.
From her tenure as the former chief of staff in the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME) to her work as special assistant to the Chairman and CEO of Black Entertainment Television, Dania demonstrates her ability as a forward-thinking, business leader.
Dania received a BA from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia and an MBA from Trinity University in Washington, DC. She has been an active member of the Hampton University Alumni Association and the Washington, DC Chapter of the National Black MBA Association.
Frank Leone is the co-founder and co-chair of the Foggy Bottom Association History Project. He writes the project’s bi-weekly Funkstown blog, communicates with the media, and gives presentations about neighborhood history and historic preservation issues. He recently co-authored chapters on Foggy Bottom and the White House for Washington on Foot, 6th Edition.
Frank serves on the DC Preservation League Committees on Landmarks and Historic Districts. He is an avid reader, and enjoys traveling, and has had a life long interest in history.
“I look forward to building on my experience with local history to help the DC History Center engage local communities to learn about their history and the relevance of that history to today’s challenges.”
Frank holds a BA from the University of Virginia (1982) and graduated from the University of Virginia Law School (1985). Frank was a litigator with Hollingsworth LLP (a Washington, DC law firm) from 1985 to 2020. He retains his DC Bar License and has added a DC tour guide’s license.