Community Spotlight

A membership organization created by the 1963 merger of the Georgetown Citizens Association and the Progressive Citizens Association, the Citizens Association of Georgetown aims “to preserve the historic character, quality of life and aesthetic values of Georgetown with a particular eye toward protecting the interests of the neighborhood’s residents and homeowners.” Prior to the merger, the older groups had partnered to get Congress to designate Georgetown as a historic district in 1950.

CAG’s president is Bob vom Eigen. Earlier this year, Leslie Maysak was named executive director, succeeding Betsy Cooley. Maysak was previously executive director of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E. A longtime CAG volunteer with a background in nonprofits, she started CAG’s Concerts in the Parks series and served as chair of the Georgetown Gala.

“We bill ourselves as the quality of life organization,” says Maysak. CAG is like “a little town hall with people coming in all the time,“ both to the Wisconsin Avenue office and to the monthly meetings. “Many, many times we’re just redirecting people,” she says.

Much of the work is handled in committee. “The community projects that we do are very diverse. They really each have to have their committee.”

Historic preservation and zoning is the organization’s largest program, working in tandem with the ANC. Another key committee is public safety, which — through donations separate from membership dues — pays for a guard from a security company, who works a 40-hour week, and for five surveillance cameras. The Fair Skies group, which is contesting the FAA’s new routes over Georgetown due to increased noise, operates under CAG’s “nonprofit umbrella.”

AG was “very instrumental” in the development of Georgetown University’s new campus plan, says Maysak, who calls town-gown relations “100 times improved” since she moved to Georgetown in 1999.

Membership has grown over the past few years, but a recruitment campaign, likely to include hosting new-neighbor receptions at the George Town Club, is in the works. Individual membership in CAG is $55 and family membership is $75. The benefits include a discount card, participation in members-only events and a reduced price to attend the annual gala in October.

Citizens Association of Georgetown
1365 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 200
202-337-7313 | cagmail@cagtown.org