D.C. arts commissioners to resume social events, plan all‑staff meeting after June retreat

Commissioners on the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities said Wednesday that they will resume social events and convene an all‑staff meeting after takeaways from a June retreat emphasized the need to build trust and increase interaction.

“We had great attendance and meaningful dialogue,” Reggie Van Lee, chairperson of the commission, said of the June retreat. He summarized key takeaways: “the need for us to interact with each other more, to get to know each other better, to give each other grace, to build trust and gender trust amongst each of us.”

Van Lee said the commission will reenact social events between commissioners and staff — an initiative he said was used when he first arrived as chair — and that the commission plans to hold at least one all‑staff business meeting before the end of the calendar year so that “we can all hear the work of the commission.” He framed the all‑staff meeting as different from monthly commission meetings, where “some staff attend, some staff listen and phone in, but it's not all the staff there.”

The chair said the commission will continue to convene retreats as part of efforts to strengthen working relationships and to improve coordination between commissioners and staff. No formal policies or votes were taken during the public portion of the executive committee meeting; commissioners moved into a closed session after public updates.

The executive committee scheduled its next public meeting for Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.