Lafayette A. Barnes is director of the Office of Partnerships and Grant Services (OPGS) in the Executive Office of Mayor Adrian Fenty in the Government of the District of Columbia where he is responsible for facilitating a variety of philanthropic partnerships. Lafayette oversees the District’s competitive grants development and grant-making process as well as directs the government’s policies and procedures for soliciting and accepting private donations. He leads OPGS’ capacity building technical assistance programs to enhance the organizational development and executive leadership skills of local nonprofit and faith-based service providers. He also heads OPGS’ technical assistance efforts, in collaboration with the DC Department of Health, to strengthen the capacity of local emerging HIV/AIDS nonprofits to effectively secure and manage District grant resources.
Lafayette has served as a director and senior policy advisor to the former Mayor of Washington, DC, Anthony Williams and his administration. During the Williams Administration, he created and directed the Office of Partnerships and Grants Development (now called OPGS) and also facilitated the establishment of the District’s Agreement of Cooperation to become a Sister City with the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (also called Pretoria) in South Africa and renewal of the District’s Sister City Agreement with Dakar, Senegal in West Africa. Lafayette is currently an appointed member of Mayor Fenty’s Commission on African Affairs and a member of the DC/Tshwane Steering Committee.
Lafayette has served as director of foundation giving for at the Freddie Mac Foundation, director of external affairs for the School of Public Affairs at the University of Maryland in College Park, a development officer for the Office of Institutional Advancement at the University of Maryland, a foreign affairs analysts at the Library of Congress’ Congressional Research Service, and a research analyst for the Capital Group – a global institutional investment firm.
Lafayette is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Masters of Science in Foreign Service School, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, Management Concepts’ Grants Management Certificate Program, and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators’ Executive Leadership Institute. Lafayette is also a member of the International County/City Managers Association’s International Academy, Leadership Greater Washington Inc., Washington DC Chapter of Concerned Black Men Inc., and African American Unity Caucus.
