Rather than run DC—his current job—he’s spent a third of the past year globetrotting or attending meetings around the country. It’s networking on steroids.
So what can Mayor Williams do for work on January 1 when his two terms come to an end? He’s not talking. Even those close to him say he’s been unusually careful about discussing his prospects.
Word has it that he’s made a run at the open presidency of American University. He saw himself as a candidate to run the World Bank or Red Cross. None panned out.
It’s unlikely he will stay in government, especially because his wife, Diane, would like to see him make some real money.
He’s not an easy sell in the private sector as he’s worked only in government for the past 30 years.
“He’s a skilled administrator,” says Tony Bullock, who ran Williams’s press operation for many years. “But he’s not good at asking people to do things for him. He can’t ask a waiter for a menu.”
So any job that involves raising money is probably out. Ditto lobbying. Or sales.
Which leaves investment banking. Williams knows numbers. He’s been CFO of the US Department of Agriculture and of the District. But neither beancounting nor global contacts have helped him land a job.
Law school?
