About the Commission

Presidential appointees (3) are appointed to the Commission by the President of the United States. Terms of service are six years.

Presidential Appointee

Vacant (Virginia)

The President of the United States has yet to appoint someone for this position.

Presidential Appointee

Thomas M. Gallas (Maryland)Vice-Chairman

Thomas M. Gallas was appointed to the National Capital Planning Commission in January 2016. Mr. Gallas is chief executive officer of Torti Gallas and Partners, Inc., a position he has held since 2010. Mr. Gallas has held several positions since joining the firm in 1985, including executive vice president from 1995 to 2010 and chief financial officer from 1985 to 1995.

He was a consulting manager at Price Waterhouse from 1980 to 1985. Mr. Gallas serves on the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He became a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional in 2004. Torti Gallas and Partners, Inc. received a Greengov Presidential Award in 2010 and has received a number of international and national design awards from various entities, including the American Institute of Architects, Congress for the New Urbanism, American Planning Association, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Gallas received a BS from the University of Maryland.

Presidential Appointee

Beth White (At-Large)Commissioner

Beth White was appointed to the Commission initially in January 2012, and reappointed for another term in 2016. Ms. White is the president and CEO of the Houston Parks Board, the nonprofit leading the Bayou Greenways 2020 project. Her previous positions include serving as the director of the Chicago Office of The Trust for Public Land, managing director of communications and policy for the Chicago Housing Authority, the chief of staff for the Chicago Transit Authority's Chicago Transit Board, and the assistant commissioner for the city of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development.

In addition, Ms. White was the founding executive director of Friends of the Chicago River. She serves on the board of NeighborSpace and is the former chair of the Lakewood Balmoral National Historic District Committee. Ms. White received a BA in Philosophy from Northwestern University and MA in Urban Studies from Loyola University.

Mayoral appointees (2) are appointed to the Commission by the Mayor of the District of Columbia. Terms of service are four years.

Mayoral Appointee

Arrington Dixon (Washington, DC)Commissioner

Arrington Dixon is president of Arrington Dixon & Associates, Inc. (ADA Inc), a computer and telecommunications professional service business. Mr. Dixon has served in various public-sector capacities, including chairman and member of the Council of the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

He is currently Chairman of the Anacostia Coordinating Council and a Life Member of the Committee of 100 on the Federal City. A graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Mr. Dixon continues to support national defense efforts as a Colonel in the Army Reserve. He holds a B.A. from Howard University and a J.D. from George Washington University. Mr. Dixon was first appointed to the Commission in 1995 and was most recently reappointed in 2018 by Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Mayoral Appointee

Linda Argo (Washington, DC)Commissioner

Linda K. Argo was appointed to a four year term on the Commission by Mayor Muriel Bowser in February 2019. She is recently retired from American University where she served as Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Relations, overseeing local government and neighborhood relations, compliance with the 10-year Campus Plan, off-campus real estate and campus auxiliary services. Before joining AU, she served in several DC government administrations as both Director and Deputy Director of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Prior positions include Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations and Administration with the College Construction Loan Insurance Association (Connie Lee), Executive Director for Education Finance with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and Director of Business Development and Manager of Education Finance with the Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae).

Ms. Argo is a proud nearly 40-year resident of the District of Columbia and is active in her Ward 3 neighborhood where she resides with her husband, David. Together they have three grown children and eight grandchildren. Ms. Argo received a BA in French from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an MS in Education from the University of Southern California.