WASHINGTON, DC - (October 13, 2022) - The board of directors of Events DC today named Angie M. Gates president and chief executive officer of the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, following a comprehensive national search. Gates, who most recently served as DC’s Director of the Office of Cable, Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME), will guide the organization tasked with generating economic and community benefits for DC residents and businesses through premier events beginning on November 14, 2022.

“On behalf of Events DC’s board of directors, I am thrilled to welcome Angie M. Gates as our new president and CEO,” Max Brown, chairman, Events DC board of directors. “Following a rigorous selection process by our search committee and search firm, we are confident in our decision to name Angie as Events DC’s newest leader. With decades of experience in the venue management and entertainment industries and a deep understanding of DC, Angie will work tirelessly with staff, our customers, and other stakeholders to guide our organization through an extraordinary time in the District.”

A 20-year veteran in the fields of event management, entertainment, film and public service, Gates’ expertise ranges from tourism and hospitality to film and venue operations. Notably, Gates was named the first African American General Manager of the iconic Warner Theatre and earned Washington, DC its first Emmy at the 60th Annual National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Award show. Gates also recently received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joseph R. Biden.

In 2020, Gates was appointed to serve on the Washington, DC ReOpen DC Advisory Group, the COVID-19 task force charged with delivering recommendations and a plan to reopen DC safely and sustainably.

Added Brown, “Angie’s demonstrated leadership throughout her career, her expertise in venue management, large scale event oversight and management, and work to establish DC as a world-class film and entertainment location made her the ideal candidate to guide Events DC into the future.”

Under Gates’ leadership, Events DC will further its mission of building community connections through impactful events and programming as the city continues to flourish following the COVID-19 pandemic. As the conventions, meetings, sports and entertainment industries continue to evolve, Gates will be tasked with driving sustainability, innovation and a thriving tourism economy in DC that will serve as a national model.

“As a Ward 6 resident, Washington, DC has been my home for many years, and the opportunity to lead this organization is an incredible honor,” said Gates. “When I look toward the future, I’m inspired by the work of my predecessors and the commitment of the Events DC team to foster community across all eight Wards and continue to bring in conventions and meetings from across the country and indeed, the world. I will continue to further Events DC’s initiatives such as our 9th Street retail project, booking events at the ESA in Ward 8, and importantly, supporting our customers and partners who rely on us every day at the Convention Center.”

Gates succeeds Samuel R. Thomas, Chief Operating Officer, who served as interim president and CEO following the resignation of Gregory A. O’Dell in March 2022.

“We are grateful for Samuel’s leadership as interim president and CEO for the last five months, and for his commitment to the organization throughout his time as Chief Operating Officer,” said Events DC Board Member Jay Haddock-Ortiz. “Under the leadership of Angie, Samuel, the entire executive team and our board members, I am confident that Events DC will continue to flourish.”