Kimberly A. Bassett

Kimberly A. Bassett was appointed to serve as the Secretary of the District of Columbia by Mayor Muriel Bowser on December 11, 2018. In her role as the Secretary, she is the custodian of the Seal of the District of Columbia and manages the City’s ceremonial services; government document publishing and issuances; notary commissions and authentications; international and diplomatic activities; and public records and archive maintenance.

Ms. Bassett was the former Director of the Mayor's Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives (MOWPI) during Mayor Muriel Bowser’s first term. In this role, she served as the Bowser Administration’s chief advocate representing the needs and interests of women in Washington, DC. As Director, Ms. Bassett collaborated with local and national nonprofit organizations and public agencies to engage and increase District residents’ program participation. Ms. Bassett also advised Mayor Bowser on political positions and initiatives while also serving as her traveling Chief of Staff. Under Ms. Bassett’s leadership, MOWPI coordinated workshops programs and large-scale events to address issues including equal pay, healthcare access, public safety, and domestic violence. She oversaw the launch of the Work Smart Salary Negotiation Program in partnership with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) which was created to combat the gender pay gap by offering free salary negotiation classes to DC women. The program was featured in the Washington Post for successfully training thousands of DC women in all eight wards of the city since Spring 2016. She also launched Mayor Bowser's first women's leadership conference on civic engagement.

Prior to joining the District Government, Ms. Bassett was the former Executive Director of The Wireless Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate of CTIA-The Wireless Association. In this role, she was responsible for the Foundation’s charitable programs that enhance America’s communities through wireless technology. In this position, she helped to launch an unprecedented public-private partnership, text4baby, a free mobile award-winning health service for expectant mothers. In addition, she launched the first wireless safety cellphone game, BeSeen. She also worked with two of the nation’s most underachieving school districts (New Orleans and Washington, DC) to launch an app empowering parents to research their children’s schooling options

Ms. Bassett joined The Wireless Foundation after having served as Director of External Affairs for Verizon Washington, DC, where she was responsible for community engagement, government relations, employee advocacy and management of the Verizon Foundation. Prior to Verizon, she was the Director of Programs for DC Vote, an educational and advocacy organization dedicated to securing full voting representation in Congress for the residents of the District of Columbia. She worked as the Director of Programs and Partnerships for The Stephen Case Foundation (AOL), an initiative to bridge the digital divide in underserved communities. She also served as a presidential appointee in the Clinton Administration under U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley.

In her spare time, Kimberly serves on the boards of the Step Afrika! Dance Company, the North Carolina Central University College of Arts and Sciences and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Corporate Advisory Council. She is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and The Links Inc. Ms. Bassett holds a Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Arts from North Carolina A&T State University.

Email: secretary@dc.gov

secretary@dc.gov

Contact Phone: 

(202) 727-6306.

​

Connect With Us
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 419, Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 727-6306
Fax: (202) 727-3582
TTY: 711
Alternate Number: Notary: (202) 727-3117
Email: secretary@dc.gov