Washington, DC

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a series of appointments in her Administration:

Lucinda Babers, to be Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure

Ms. Babers has served as the Director of the District Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) since 2007. She has led the agency through a significant transformation, including the closure and opening of three service centers, elimination of passenger vehicle safety inspections, creation of a more secure credential (along with central issuance), and implementation of REAL ID and Limited Purpose Credentials. Prior to her service as director, Ms. Babers served as Deputy Director of DC DMV and held senior management positions at Amtrak. Ms. Babers holds a Master of Science in Business from Johns Hopkins University.

Jay Melder, to be Assistant City Administrator for Internal Services

Mr. Melder currently serves as Chief of Staff for the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. In this role, Mr. Melder manages high-priority Mayoral health initiatives and oversees all health and human services outreach and community engagement. Previously, he served as Deputy Director in the Mayor’s Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs, where he coordinated relationships with the DC Council on Health and Human Services and Labor and Workforce issues, and as Chief of Staff at the District Department of Human Services, where he managed over 1,000 full time employees and a budget of over $500 million. Mr. Melder holds a Master of Fine Arts from American University.

Wayne Turnage, to be Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services

Mr. Turnage is currently the Director of the District Department of Health Care Finance (DCHF) and concurrently serves as Interim Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. Mr. Turnage has spearheaded efforts to reform several of DHCF’s major provider reimbursement systems, established a program of accountability for the agency’s redesigned managed care program, and organized and oversaw the implementation of a plan to reduce fraud in the Medicaid home care program. Prior to his administration appointment, he served as Chief of Staff at Virginia Commonwealth University and as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources for Virginia Governor Mark Warner. Mr. Turnage holds a Master of Public Administration from Ohio State University. With this appointment, Mr. Turnage will continue his concurrent role as Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and Director of DHCF.