Committee of the Whole Roundtable on PR 26-741: Mark Battle Confirmation to UDC Board of Trustees - June 24, 2026
Committee of the Whole Roundtable on PR 26-741: Mark Battle Confirmation to UDC Board of Trustees - June 24, 2026
The Committee of the Whole, chaired by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, held a roundtable hearing on PR 26-741, the resolution to confirm Mayor Bowser's nomination of Mark Battle to the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) for a term expiring May 15, 2030. The hearing opened at 10:21 a.m. in Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building. Three public witnesses testified, followed by the nominee and a late appearance by UDC Board Chairman Session. The record will close at 5 p.m. on July 8, 2026, and the nomination is tentatively scheduled for consideration at the July 14, 2026 council meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Robert Vincent Branham testified in strong support of the nomination, emphasizing Mark Battle's extensive public service and contributions to the District of Columbia. Branham also made tangential remarks about media treatment of Black leaders, ranked-choice voting (which he called a "scam"), and his own initiative to rescind it. He urged the committee and council to approve the nomination.
- Manuel Jackson testified about his personal need for Medicaid coverage for dental implants and expressed interest in potential university engineering assistance, but did not address the nominee's fitness. He noted he had never been in the hearing room before.
- Bill Rice testified in support of the nomination, focusing on the benefits of the planned new DC Archives to be built at UDC (replacing Building 41 on the Van Ness campus). He described the current archives at 1300 Naylor Court as inadequate and noted that demolition is expected to begin shortly, but construction is delayed due to a funding gap. Rice urged Mr. Battle to support the project and asked the council to confirm the nomination.
- Mr. Session, UDC Board of Trustees Chairman, arrived late and spoke in support of Mark Battle, noting that Battle would be the 15th and final appointee to fill the board. He emphasized the board's ambitious trajectory and the importance of student housing and archives for raising UDC's profile. He acknowledged the council's restoration of $6 million of a $10 million cut to UDC's budget and the capital funding for the purchase of Congress Heights property.
Discussion Items
- Nominee Mark Battle presented his background: a UDC alumnus (B.A. in print journalism, 1999), graduate of Howard University School of Law, with extensive legal and governance experience at DC Water, PEPCO, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and as a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister. He serves on several boards. He expressed deep personal commitment to UDC's strategic plan goals: raising second-year retention to 80%, six-year graduation to 65%, nearly doubling degrees awarded, growing enrollment toward 6,000 students, and more than tripling annual giving. He identified student housing as a key opportunity to improve the student experience and UDC's image. He acknowledged challenges including tight public resources and the need to boost philanthropy and partnerships. He pledged full effort, independent judgment, and disclosure of any conflicts of interest.
- Chairman Mendelson questioned the nominee about measurement of success, conflicts of interest, time commitment, and his reaction to the archives testimony. Battle responded that success would be measured by enhanced student outcomes (retention and graduation), housing, and telling UDC's story better. He had no known conflicts but would disclose any. He was unaware of the exact time commitment but committed to adjusting his schedule. On archives, he reserved judgment until he could study the plan within the board’s strategic framework. Chairman Mendelson clarified that the archives project is in the capital budget separate from UDC and that the campus would not bear its cost; the university's support is sought without financial burden.
- Chairman Mendelson also noted that the council restored $6 million of $10 million cut by the mayor in UDC's budget and added capital funds for the Congress Heights property purchase, urging the board and president to move forward.
Key Outcomes
- No vote was taken; the roundtable was for gathering testimony.
- The record will remain open until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, for additional written submissions.
- Chairman Mendelson indicated the nomination is tentatively scheduled for consideration at the July 14, 2026 council meeting.
- Chairman Session expressed strong board support for Mark Battle's confirmation and for the archives and housing initiatives.
Meeting Transcript
I'm calling to order this hearing a round table of the Committee of the Whole of the Council of the District of Columbia. I am Phil Mendelson, Chair of the Council, Chair of the Committee of the Whole. Today is Wednesday, June 24th, 2026. The time is 1021 in the morning. We are in room 412 of the Johnny Wilson building. And the subject of this round table is PR 26-741 entitled Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia, Mark Battle confirmation resolution of 2025. This legislation was introduced at the request of the mayor on June 4th of this year of this month. And the stated purpose of it is for the council to confirm the mayor's nomination to appoint Mark Battle to the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia for a term to expire May 15, 2030. According to the law, the UDC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of 15 members. Of these, 11 are appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. Three are alumni from either the university or one of its predecessor institutions, and one is a full-time student elected by the UDC student body. Today's round table will serve as an opportunity for the committee to hear from constituents, students, faculty, and others with regard to the fitness of this nominee to serve on UDC's board. The record in this matter will be open for approximately two weeks. That is, it will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8th, 2026. And sometimes we actually get a little bit of oversight as part of the process. So with that, there were three witnesses who signed up before we get to the nominee. Robert Vincent Branham, if you could come to the table, Manuel Jackson, if he is here, and Bill Rice. I support Mark's nomination because of the work he has done through his public service on behalf of DC. I realize my time is limited, but in advance, I'm requesting some grace to speak. If I'm able to paraphrase comments by Mr. Michael Still, too often black men are viewed or storyline by means other than their works, what they have accomplished and contributed to their community. If I can push this a little further and make it just a bit more personal, the good works done by black men are all too often invalidated and made illegitimate. Mark has accomplished many things in his public service. So too, if I may self-assert, have I. I wish there were at least one other certain council member here and other local media illuminaries present from the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the Washington City Paper, 51st News, and Citicast, DC, to hear me. Despite having been devalued and misrepresented, I refuse to crumble and to fall to their reporting bitterness, like Mark Battle, like Kenyon McDuffie. I remind everyone, including those who claim the victory from a low voter election day turnout of 17%. There are over 702, 250,000 citizens in wards in eight boards of DC. Black, white, young, senior citizens, native DC born, newly arrived to DC, progressive, liberal, moderate, conservative, Democrat, Socialist, Republican, Democrat, Statehood, Green, Independent, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, other persons of faith or little faith, who deserve more than a seat at the table, but also an opportunity to be heard and to be seen. We are all people of DC and deserve to be included in the progress and destiny of DC. While there will be new leadership coming to DC, we cannot ignore our past and forget how we got here, and who sacrificed so much to get us here. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray. To my friend and neighbor Kenyon, I share these words. Keep your head up and keep the faith. Trust yourself through some, though some may doubt and defame you or lie about you, don't deal in the lies, or hate you, don't give in to their hate. If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those to the imposters just the same, if you can bear to hear the truth, you have spoken twisted by knaves, or to watch the things you gave your life of public service to be broken. If you can make one heap of your winnings and risk it all on one turn of pitch and toss and lose and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss. If you can force your heart and nerve and continue to serve in your due season long after they are gone. And so hold on to when there is nothing in you except the will which says to them, hold on. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue and walk with kings and not lose the common touch. If you can feel the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run, then yours is the District of Columbia, and everything there is decent and honorable in it. Which is more, you will forever be a real leader, a righteous victor. Kenyon knows this, know this. You are loved and respected not only by your family, but also by so many others who saw a better DC in you and through your civic leadership. Like Mark and Kenyon, I am proud of my public service work and for all the people of the District of Columbia and America. I am disappointed, good, valid, and productive public service. For all the people done by competent and courageous black men, is made cheap and disrespected. Having strayed just a little bit in this testimony, let me go back to the topic. Mark's public service is extensive and impressive.
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