Mayor’s Chief of Staff
Tené A. Dolphin
Image of Tené A. Dolphin

Contact information
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Suite 327
Washington DC, 20004
Telephone: (202) 727- 2643
Fax: (202) 727-8527

The Chief of Staff provides leadership, strategic direction, and policy guidance to the Executive Office of the Mayor, Deputy Mayors, agencies, and citizens so that the District can strengthen children, youth, families and individuals; build and sustain healthy neighborhoods; promote economic development; make government work; and enhance unity of purpose and democracy.

Biography

With more than ten years of management experience, Tené Dolphin serves as chief of staff for Mayor Adrian Fenty's administration. Her experience ranges from project and operations management to professional event coordination and educator.

During Fenty's energetic grassroots run for mayor, Dolphin served as chief operations manager for the Fenty campaign, where she was responsible for the day-to-day campaign activities of the office staff and volunteers.

Before joining the Fenty management team, she worked in several business management and communications positions including as director of administration and operations at Westin Rinehart, a leading strategic communications consulting firm, and as business manager for the Vinyl Siding Institute, a Washington-based trade association.

Her campaign experience was honed during the 2004 presidential campaign cycle, where she served as director of special projects for the Democratic National Committee. There she was responsible for implementing emergency plans, organizing travel for 400 staffers being deployed to surrogate operations around the nation, and coordinating logistics for all new hires.

Dolphin also served as an educator for several years in Maryland's Prince Georges County. With revamping the city's school system at the top of Fenty's priorities, Tene's experience as a third-grade teacher brings additional insight and perspective to the mayor's office.

Dolphin graduated with honors from Howard University in Washington, DC, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She has always remained an active humanitarian, volunteering for several organizations including Habitat for Humanity, United Negro College Fund, and the National Council of Negro Women, to name a few. Originally from Philadelphia, Dolphin now resides in the Arboretum neighborhood of Washington.