Chief of Staff
David J. Ross is the chief of staff for the DC Department of Human Services (DHS) and has served in this role since January 2021. David oversees all legislative, communications, constituent and community services, and emergency management functions for the agency.
David has served with DHS since 2005 as a grants management specialist, chief of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Employment Program, and deputy administrator for agency workforce programs (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and TANF Workforce Programs).
During his tenure, he co-authored a $10 million grant awarded to the agency by the US Department of Health and Human Services to expand the availability of fatherhood and parenting programs in the District; redesigned the TANF Employment Program to incorporate a new case management tool to assess and track customer engagement and case history; and, designed the first ever '2-Gen' compensation model for a TANF Employment Program, which provides financial incentives for customers to attain family-focused goals to include behavioral and physical health, social mapping, and education planning for children.
Prior to working for District Government, David served as an urban youth development volunteer with the US Peace Corps in Kingston, Jamaica, and as a program manager for the United Planning Organization (UPO), in Washington, DC.
David holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and African American Studies from San Jose State University, and a Master of Science Administration in Leadership and Organizational Development from Trinity-Washington University. He is a graduate of the Public Management Certification Program at George Washington University and holds a tier-one Procurement Certification from the DC Government Procurement Institute.
David is a board member of the Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center (AACRC), and a member of the 2023 cohort of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators' Executive Leadership Institute.
David practices servant leadership and believes it is his responsibility to provide his team with the tools, training, and resources needed for success.