Herbert R. Tillery served his country with distinction for over 26 years and retired with the rank of Colonel, US Army. He has a proven track record of success in training and leadership positions requiring solid organizational skills and is known by his reputation for innovation, vision and tenacity.

Born in Morehead City, North Carolina, and raised in Washington, DC, Mr. Tillery graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School. From there, he attended North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1970. While on active duty, he earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Jacksonville State University.

As the Deputy Mayor for Operations, Mr. Tillery is responsible for providing leadership and direction in the management of the Office of Contracting and Procurement; the Office of Personnel; the Office of Property Management; the Office of the Attorney General; the Department of Small and Local Business Development; the Department of Public Works; the Department of Transportation; and the Department of Motor Vehicles. He has also concurrently served as the interim Director, Department of Health, (consisting of over 1,400 employees and a $1.5 billion budget) responsible for improving morale; restoring credibility in the public health care system; rebuilding the infrastructure; and leading the search for a new permanent director. He is concurrently serving as the interim Director, Office of Contracting and Procurement, with primary objectives of streamlining the contracting and procurement processes; improving customer support; providing expanded opportunities for Local, Small, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (LSDBEs); and matching the skills to the needs of the organization.

Prior to Mr. Tillery's appointment as Deputy Mayor, he served as the Executive Director of The George Washington University Center for Excellence in Municipal Management, where he was primarily responsible for the design, development, implementation and oversight of the Program for Excellence in Municipal Management. The Center, a unique public-private entity, founded to assist the Government of the District of Columbia with its management reform efforts, serves as the city's principal executive education and leadership development vehicle to deliver graduate level training to senior DC officials. The instruction has met the rigorous professional and academic criteria of the National Consortium of Certified Public Managers, which has authorized the District to confer the designation "Certified Public Manager" on graduates of the Center.