GW Center for Excellence in Public Leadership

Established at the height of the District of Columbia’s financial crisis in 1997, GW’s Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (GW CEPL) was formed as an innovative public-private partnership among the academic, business, professional, and philanthropic communities within the District. Key stakeholders included the Fannie Mae Foundation, DC Government, Giant Foods, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the World Bank, DC Agenda, and the GW School of Business and Public Management (now GWSB). The purpose of the partnership was to help the DC Government create a cadre of highly skilled public administrators who could support governmental change efforts. The Center for Excellence in Municipal Management— as it was called at the time — set out to fulfill this mission through two main activities: (1) high-quality executive education in leadership and public management, and (2) expert management advice. As a result, the Center established its nationally accredited Certified Public Manager® program, the Program for Excellence in Municipal Management (PEMM). Today, 25 years, 34 Cohorts, and nearly 1,000 graduates later, PEMM stands as a success story in establishing a skilled mid-level leadership pool in DC Government. DC Government then reached out to CEPL to create the DC Executive Leader Program (DC ELP), now in its 7th Cohort, which develops high-ranking career officials, including Deputy Directors and Chiefs of Staff. We are pleased to report that the alumni of both PEMM and ELP continue to frequently request the Center’s support with expert management advice, leadership training and coaching. Renamed the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership in 2005 in recognition of our work with federal government and the Metropolitan Washington region, GW CEPL looks forward to another 25 years of serving the District of Columbia by developing public leaders who make a positive difference in their organizations, communities, and the lives of the people they serve.