Jason Millison serves as the Deputy Director of Public Engagement & Strategy for the DC Dept of Parks and Recreation. He’s an enthusiastic communicator with expertise in public information campaigns, marketing, brand building, event planning, and strategic program execution. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in sports marketing from Northwestern University. After a decade in the private sector working in mass media and professional sports, (NBC Sports Chicago, Discovery Channel, and the Washington Nationals), he joined DPR in 2017. Quickly into his tenure with the agency, Jason restructured and modernized DPR’s communications platforms while implementing new protocols and standards to elevate the quality of live events and constituency engagement. In addition to his traditional duties at DPR, Jason was assigned to rebrand and relaunch Mayor Muriel Bowser’s FITDC campaign, a citywide health and wellness initiative designed to help residents live healthy, more active lifestyles. FITDC had long been an injection of agency funding that allowed for enhancement programming that was fitness adjacent to take place at DPR recreation centers. But, when Jason and his team took over, they overhauled that concept and used the same budget to drastically raise the level of quality in those fitness programs and take them out of the recs and into communities and scenic venues across the District. After generating word-of-mouth buzz, harnessing the power of social media, and collaborating with other District agencies and renowned wellness experts, the FITDC initiative experienced tremendous growth in both awareness and participation. FITDC now hosts over 100 events a year, engaging with 40K+ residents with activities like 5Ks, community bike rides, yoga pop-ups, HIIT classes, and group meditation sessions both in-person and online. The initiative is now known for its year-long calendar of cause-driven fitness events that evoke civic pride and unites residents of all fitness levels from all 8 wards. FITDC is a pioneering health and wellness project that establishes DC as a thought leader on local health and a role model for government collaboration, public-private partnership, social media marketing, and event planning expertise.