Eric Jones
Chair
Eric Jones is a seasoned political strategist with two decades of experience advising businesses, campaigns, candidates & non-government organizations. For the last two years, Mr. Jones has served as the VP of Government Affairs, DC-Commercial for the Apartment & Office Building of Metropolitan Washington (AOBA). In his role, Mr. Jones is responsible for representing the organization and its membership before the executive & legislative branches of the District Government. In addition, Mr. Jones also represents the AOBA before community groups, citizen/civic associations and as their representative in various trade associations as well as on the board of several organizations.
Prior to his work at AOBA, Mr. Jones spent almost 13 years as the Associate Director of Government Affairs for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington. ABC of Metro Washington is the pre-eminent advocate for fair and open competition and the merit shop philosophy, and the premiere construction association in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.
Prior to his work with ABC of Metro Washington, Mr. Jones ran his own consulting firm specializing in small business, non-profit and political consulting. He is also a former Congressional Staffer, Consultant to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and At-Large DC City Council Candidate (2014). Mr. Jones continues to serve as a trainer/coach in the areas of campaign management and political strategy. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the DC Jobs Coalition, a four-time Mayoral Appointee and a past member of the Board of the Premier Community Development Corporation (PCDC), the DC Democratic State Committee (DCDSC) and the DC Young Democrats (DCYD).
Jones holds B.A. from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and a M.S. from the New England College of Business and Finance and a graduate of the McKinsey & Co Black Executive Leadership Program. Mr. Jones also serves as a Mentor, is active in the Morehouse College Alumni Association Washington DC Chapter and the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.
He joined the Board in 2022.
Brett Allen
Vice Chair
Brett W. Allen is the Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for the DC Chamber of Commerce where he represents the over 1,200 member-businesses, both small and large. In his role, Brett actively engages with the DC Council and the Executive Office of the Mayor to advocate for and advance pro-business legislation and policies in Greater Washington DC.
Prior to joining the DC Chamber, Brett served as Senior Legal Counsel for DC Ward 5
Councilmember, Kenyan R. McDuffie, and also served as the General Council for the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development. Brett began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn where he prosecuted a myriad of cases to include assaults, vehicular crimes, drug-related crimes, robberies, and attempted murder.
Brett’s experience also includes representing the New York City Correction Officer’s
Benevolent Association (COBA) and its 10,000 plus membership in defense of criminal and administrative charges brought by their employer, the New York City Department of Corrections; and serving as a trial attorney for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, DC.
Originally from Detroit, MI, Brett considers Washington, DC his second home. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University, and his Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia, New York State, and the United States Federal Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.
Larry Condelli
Secretary
Dr. Larry Condelli is an Institute Fellow and managing researcher at AIR. His work includes research on adult ESL students, accountability, and providing professional development and technical assistance to educators of adult learners. He directs the state technical support project for the National Reporting System (NRS) and provides training and technical assistance to states on accountability and using data for program management and improvement. He was instrumental in developing this national accountability system for the federally funded adult education and literacy program.
Dr. Condelli’s major research work has been in evaluation of adult ESL instruction, including directing the What Works Study, the largest national empirical study of the effectiveness of instructional practices for adult ESL students. He also directed a national experimental study examining an ESL literacy instructional intervention.
Dr. Condelli is a co-founder of LESLLA, an international organization devoted to research and improving instruction for adult low-literate migrants. He founded AIR’s adult learning practice area and he serves as a senior advisor for the National Assessment of Adult Education and on all of AIR’s Office of Career Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE)-funded projects and state-funded adult education projects.
He joined the Board in 2022.
Luann Sinclair
Treasurer
I was born and raised in Massachusetts and received my undergraduate degree from Hampshire College, an experimental college in Amherst, Massachusetts. My graduating class in 1975 was Hampshire’s first graduating class. I moved to Washington, DC in 1976, attended law school, raised my family, and have been part of the Washington legal/business community throughout my adult life. My children attended Georgetown Day School in DC from K through 12 th grades because it provided an open, diverse academic environment. Recently, I retired from my position as General Counsel to the Tower Companies, a local real estate company, which I held for 16 years. My late husband opened Big Wheel Bikes in Georgetown in 1971, and I have been overseeing the operation of the four (4) remaining locations since January 2022. During my 40 years of practicing law, I have had the opportunity to represent all sectors of the real estate community in the Greater Washington DC Metropolitan Area as well as nationally and internationally. I offer AoH my legal expertise in real estate, business and finance. Although I don’t have a background working with nonprofit organizations, I have extensive experience with managing employees from all walks of life, and developing a positive, productive work environment.
