This past month, George Washington University President Steven Knapp hosted ANC 2A commissioners for a breakfast meeting in his office at Rice Hall. The breakfast has become a biennial tradition for him, as he has reliably invited commissioners to his office shortly after the beginning of each new ANC term in order to introduce himself to those who are newly-elected.
The occasion has served as an opportunity for the president and ANC 2A members to discuss, in a casual setting, matters both personal and professional. It has been a valuable chance for commissioners to discuss topics of concern in the ever-evolving relationship between the University and the Foggy Bottom community, and the ANC has benefited over the years from being able to hear President Knapp’s perspective directly and candidly on a range of different topics.
This year’s breakfast was bittersweet, as it was the final such event for President Knapp. He announced last summer that he would not seek to renew his expiring contract as GW’s president, and will step down on July 31st. The University’s Board of Trustees selected Thomas LeBlanc as his successor in early January.
In recognition of President Knapp’s professionalism and commitment to dialogue with the ANC and the broader community over the course of his ten years at GW, the Commission unanimously passed a resolution at its February meeting to honor him on the occasion of his departure.
President Knapp has been a leader of integrity and substance, whose commitment to good faith engagement with the neighborhood has greatly enhanced the tenor of University-community relations over the course of his tenure. President Knapp’s commitment to Foggy Bottom was underlined by his restoration of the historic former F Street Club (1925 F Street NW), which he used as his official residence for almost his entire presidency. He was the first GW president to live on the University’s Foggy Bottom campus.
The ANC was proud to present President Knapp with a framed copy of its resolution at the conclusion of last month’s breakfast meeting, and wished President Knapp and his wife Diane much success as they transition to future endeavors.