Projects
Snapshots of What We Can Do
DC Water Lead Free DC
DPC manages the outreach and communications efforts for the DC Water’s Lead Free DC (LFDC) program. This $4 billion initiative is focused on removing and replacing 48,000 lead service lines in communities with vulnerable populations throughout the District of Columbia. To meet this ambitious goal and working with DC Water’s Office of Marketing and Communications, DPC is driving a comprehensive community engagement and outreach program to ensure full participation from residents, property owners, businesses, and stakeholders, and has implemented a proactive, targeted canvassing strategy.
In 2024, DPC developed the LFDC “City-Wide Tour” to provide dedicated public awareness events across all Wards to promote resident participation in the program. We also provide oversight of a workforce development initiative in partnership with DC Water and its Department of Employment Services.
DC PLUG (Power Line Undergrounding)
Working with DDOT Office of External Affairs, DPC developed a strategic public engagement plan to reach stakeholders, residents, and businesses throughout Washington, DC whose neighborhoods are impacted by DC PLUG activity. We identify key project challenges, regularly engage with residents on their concerns, and make recommendations to DDOT and CM to resolve any issues. DPC works to provide awareness to residents on the economic benefits of DC PLUG to their neighborhoods, and interacts with elected officials, community organizations, and neighborhood influencers.
Our team designs and delivers Feeder-specific collateral including meeting invitations, 30 day-notification letters, signage, and 72-hour “No Parking” doorhangers to ensure that the community is informed well in advance of any construction. We create traffic advisories for DDOT distribution, provide ongoing digital project updates, and presentations to multiple agencies and organizations.
Alexandria City Public Schools-The High School Project
DPC managed the overall strategic communications and stakeholder engagement campaign for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) to redefine the high school experience and address growing student enrollment. Our outreach efforts were key to raising public awareness,facilitating School Board, government officials, and citizens’ approval of the expanded high school architectural design. To ensure real world employment needs, we supported the establishment of the Educational Design Team and four Industry Advisory Boards. As part of the Program Management Team, DPC coordinated multiple lanes including educational programming, development planning process, interim overcrowding strategies,and project execution.
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Prior to and during COVID-19, we secured the involvement of teachers, students, parents, neighborhood groups, faith-based institutions, businesses, and industry advocacy organizations from the Alexandria NAACP to the Alexandria Tenants and Workers Union. Amharic, Arabic, and Spanish language-materials and translators were available at all ACPS events, and DPC partnered with trusted influencers and service providers to provide feedback through the planning and implementation of Alexandria's High School Project.
DC Water Northeast Boundary Tunnel
DPC developed and executed a comprehensive public outreach and participation strategy to inform residents and stakeholders about the importance of DC Water’s Clean Rivers Northeast Boundary Tunnel, a five-year long construction project. We worked closely with impacted businesses and neighborhoods to share project benefits and address construction challenges via community meetings, social media, project microsite, and door-to-door notices--as we have done for each of the previous Clean Rivers tunnels.
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Working with the DC Water Office of Marketing and Communications, DPC coordinated regular NEBT progress updates and milestones. We facilitated an array of signature events including tunnel tours, tunnel boring machine naming ceremonies, and an artist competition to increase environmental awareness of DC rivers. DPC’s tracking log managed all communications and feedback to ensure a diversity of voices was reflected.
DowntownDC BID Parks Master Plan
DPC developed a comprehensive communications and outreach strategy that ensured that the Master Plan to reimagine parks and open spaces in downtown Washington, DC was community-driven with equity as its foundation. We designed and supported a robust public participation effort with the DowntownDC BID to reach impacted area businesses, office workers, residents, tourists, pedestrians, and homeless persons. DPC assisted with a series of key stakeholder interviews, virtual community forums and surveys to collect public feedback during each phase of the master planning process.
To encourage greater input, our social media campaign comprised a timeline of project-related up dates and posts advertising the survey gift card raffle from downtown restaurants. A QR code linking to the survey was distributed digitally and included with branded postcards that were shared at BID events and partner agency pop-ups.
Capital Grid Project
DPC provided strategic communications and public engagement for the launch of Pepco’s Capital Grid project, a long-term plan for continued delivery of safe, reliable, and affordable energy to customers. The project includes construction of a 10-mile underground transmission line, building a new substation in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood, and upgrading the infrastructure of three aging substations across the DMV.
Over a three-year period, DPC coordinated event logistics for dozens of community engagement initiatives targeting impacted multi-cultural communities throughout the city. Our team worked to create project branding, create messaging, design and distribute content in English and Spanish. DPC efforts helped drive public attendance at project information forums, community meetings aligned with project milestones, citywide and civic association events. We developed a stakeholder database to facilitate outreach and presentations to Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, DC Councilmembers, Business Improvement Districts and community organizations.
