Ballston BID names new CEO

The Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) has named Danette Nguyen its next CEO, the Arlington County organization announced Monday.

A Ballston resident, Nguyen previously was the managing director of the Maryland Women’s Business Center (MWBC), a program which encourages women to start, sustain and grow their businesses. Additionally, Nguyen spent five years working at the Fairfax City Economic Development Authority, according to her LinkedIn profile. She has a bachelor’s in management information systems and marketing from George Mason University.

“Danette’s impressive track record and experience are exactly what we need in Ballston,” Simon Carney, senior vice president of Brookfield Properties and president of the Ballston BID board, said in a statement. “Her ability to collaborate across both private and public sectors, strategize and execute economic initiatives is where she excels. Danette brings a forward-thinking approach to the BID at a time when innovation and bold ideas are crucial.”

Nguyen, who steps into the role Thursday, replaces Tina Leone, who had led the organization from its 2011 founding until June. She is now the CEO of District Dogs, a pet care business. Cassandra Hanley, who previously worked as the executive director of Capital for Children, a private-equity membership organization that invests in Washington, D.C.-based youth development nonprofits, led the organization during the transition.

The Ballston BID represents commercial property owners in a 25-block neighborhood, which offers more than 8.3 million square feet of office space, one million square feet of retail space and 9,000 residential units. A tax paid by commercial property owners within the BID funds the organization.