New Leaders for Citizens Assoc., Georgetown BID
By • March 3, 2025 0 650
It is a time of change all around — including the Citizens Association of Georgetown and the Georgetown Business Improvement District.
CAG Names Amy Titus President, Gerald Musarra Vice President
“Due to the time commitment, Paul Williams has stepped down as President to focus on his full-time, dual role running both Oak Hill Cemetery and Oak Hill Historic Preservation Foundation,” according to the Citizens Association of Georgetown, a non-profit civic organization representing the interests of Georgetown residents, and whose “programs, education and historic preservation make Georgetown safer, more beautiful and more connected.” Its Board of Directors elected Dr. Amy A. Titus as President and Gerald Musarra as Vice President.
CAG President Amy Titus
Dr. Amy Titus is a C-suite advisor, management consultant, HR executive, and entrepreneur with a passion for building the workforces of the future. With over 30 years of international human capital experience, she has led large-scale workforce transformations in complex, global businesses and public sector organizations. As a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting, Amy played a pivotal role in expanding the firm’s talent management offerings in both financial services and government. She was instrumental in scaling digital solutions, increasing market share, and leading key growth initiatives.
Before Deloitte, Titus was an HR executive at BearingPoint and Citigroup, and prior to that, founded her own consulting firm, with offices in Washington, D.C., Switzerland, and Egypt. She is a sought-after writer, speaker, and thought leader on the future of work and learning. Amy is deeply committed to corporate citizenship—she serves on the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) International Advisory Committee and sits on the boards of College Bound and Friends of the National Arboretum. She joined CAG in June 2023 as Chair of the Governance Committee and was elected to Vice President in June 2024. Titus holds the International Coaching Federation certification and a Doctorate in Adult Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
CAG Vice President Gerald Musarra
CAG Vice President Gerald Musarra, courtesy CAG.
Gerald Musarra is a lawyer and government affairs professional. He held a succession of legal and policy positions during his government career, beginning as an Honors Attorney in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation and followed by positions with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the White House National Space Council. He authored the regulations that established the first licensing framework for US commercial space transportation activities.
After leaving government service, Musarra joined Lockheed Martin, eventually becoming its Vice President for Government and Regulatory Affairs. He established a specialized team for strategic management of a diverse portfolio of domestic and international tax, trade, regulatory and merger and acquisition issues.
In the nonprofit sector, Musarra has served on the boards of the Washington Literacy Center and Cultural DC. His focus now is on service to his community, Georgetown, where he and his partner are longtime residents of the East Village. Musarra is the President emeritus of the GeorgeTown Club. During his tenure, the Club established a new Community Affairs Committee and the Historic GeorgeTown Club Foundation, undertook a comprehensive restoration of the Club’s buildings, and recruited new management. He is the current President of the Club’s preservation foundation. Musarra joined the CAG board in June of 2024 as its Strategic Advisor and has guided development of the organization’s new mission statement, strategic plan and the charter for its new core Community Strategies Committee. He is a graduate of Georgetown College, New York University and the Georgetown University Law Center. He is a member of the State Bar of New York.
Georgetown BID CEO Deborah Kerson Bilek
The Georgetown Business Improvement District announced last week that Deborah Kerson Bilek will become its next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Joe Sternlieb.
“Georgetown is the region’s fourth-largest BID, based on 2023 revenue of $5.2 million,” according to the Washington Business Journal.
Bilek — who will officially begin as CEO of the Georgetown BID in mid-April — is an executive leader with over 20 years of experience in policy, planning, and public and nonprofit management in the Metropolitan Washington Region. She most recently served as the Executive Director of Urban Land Institute Washington, a member organization with a mission to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact.
“We believe Deb’s mix of public and private experience and strong strategic visioning will prove invaluable as she leads the Georgetown BID in its next chapter,” said Terese Wilson, Chair of the Georgetown BID Board of Directors. “She is a consensus builder, and we have no doubt she will bring BID members, the community, and city partners together to further initiatives that will benefit Georgetown.”
In her role at ULI, Bilek viewed herself as the “Chief Relationship Officer” for the organization’s 2,100 members who span a diverse network of private and public professionals in the real estate and land use industry. Bilek worked at ULI for over a decade in progressively senior roles, including as ULI’s Vice President, Advisory Services, where she supervised and managed the operations of the global Advisory Services Program through COVID.
Prior to her time at ULI, Bilek worked as a planner at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, supporting the National Capital Regional Transportation Planning Board. She has also served as staff in the Legislative and Executive branches of the Federal Government. She began her career in Washington, D.C., as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Federal Transit Administration. Bilek holds an Executive Certificate in Facilitation from Georgetown University. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from New York University, and her undergraduate degree in anthropology magna cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis.
As CEO of the BID, Bilek will be responsible for shaping Georgetown’s future as Washington’s premier mixed-use neighborhood, advancing initiatives across retail, office, hospitality, entertainment, and residential sectors. She will report to the Board of Directors and will be responsible for the guidance and management of the BID’s staff in administration and financial reporting as well as directing the day-to-day activities of the BID.
“I am passionate about building community, and I enjoy working across sectors and with multiple stakeholders to achieve a common purpose,” said Bilek. “I am also a firm believer in the power that BIDs can have as drivers of economic vitality and growth—both for the neighborhoods they serve and for the larger cities in which they are located. Georgetown is an amazing and unparalleled neighborhood—its location, history, character, and corridors draw local, national, and international visitors every day. I am so excited about the opportunity to serve the community as the BID’s CEO and look forward to getting started!”
