Shawn Townsend, RAMW President & CEO, is a veteran communicator and leader with
a career dedicated to building trusted expertise in public-private partnerships. No
stranger to the restaurant world, he grew up in the industry in his father’s restaurant. As
he built his career, Townsend spent more than a decade in the District of Columbia
government, eventually appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser as the inaugural Director of
the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture. In that role, he advised the administration on
the issues affecting much of the city’s hospitality industry, serving as a conduit to the
business community while identifying engagement opportunities. He was integral in
developing the District’s strategic hospitality engagement plan both before and during
the COVID-19 pandemic and brings to his role at RAMW a wealth of knowledge and
contemporary expertise.

Previously a Principal at Dewey Square, he supported the firm’s State and Local Affairs
and Multicultural Strategies practice, engaging with clients to provide strategic guidance
and awareness campaigns to address public policy issues. The insights, best practices,
and relationships he brings to RAMW is integral to the organization’s continued
success.