Staff 

Kristen Barden
Executive Director

Kristen Barden became the executive director of the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District (AMPBID) in November of 2008 after serving as Councilmember Muriel Bowser’s communications director. Prior to that she worked with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty in the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services and was the Associate Director of Development at the Alliance for Justice in Dupont Circle.

Ms. Barden brought to the Adams Morgan Partnership many years of excellent service delivery and 14 years of nonprofit management with a variety of international, domestic and local nonprofits. She also has a broad understanding of DC government and nonprofit fundraising. She received a BA from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, in 1992 and an MPIA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994. Ms. Barden is originally from Syracuse, NY and lives in the Brightwood neighborhood of Ward 4 in Washington, DC, with her husband Kevin. Ms. Barden is fluent in Spanish and is a member of the board of directors of the DC Arts Center in Adams Morgan, Friends of Petworth Library, and the UMS Business Alliance/Uptown Main Street. When not at a community meeting, she enjoys swimming at the YMCA.

Brian Barrie
Deputy Director

Brian Barrie is a veteran digital media and public relations specialist with decades of experience in politics, publishing, graphic design, event coordination, and all manner of social media management. Brian worked in the U.S. Senate for nine years where he served as the webmaster and art director for the Democratic Leadership Committees. Brian returned to his native South Carolina shortly after his son was born in 2005, working as the communications director for an environmental nonprofit. In 2009 he left the nonprofit to focus on his own consulting and design firm, working for commercial clients and political campaigns both in South Carolina and around the country. A former resident of Adams Morgan, Brian moved back to the area with his son in 2015 and has been with the BID since 2016.

Omar Castillo
Safety Ambassador

Originally from Guatemala, Omar comes to us after working for years at the Rosslyn BID in Arlington, Virginia.

Heather Baker
Marketing & Communications Consultant 

Heather Rosson is a cross-channel marketing ace when it comes to communications and placemaking. She has spent the majority of her career in the boutique agency world with a focus on retail, real estate, and place branding. The strategic approach to her work has served as a catalyst for multiple large-scale digital, traditional, and experiential marketing campaigns. She works with the Partnership’s nimble team on marketing materials, community outreach, social media, event activations, and public relations. When she’s not hard at work in the BID world, you can find her dining her way throughout the district, spending time with her cute pup, or traveling the globe fulfilling her wanderlust.

Kela Lester
Events Consultant 

Kela, a creative strategist, bridges the worlds of design, people, and business. Through an integrated, multi-channel strategy, she deploys a holistic approach to revenue-generating, human-centered ideas important for impact today. One of Kela’s favorite channels, events, is a testament to her love of bringing people together.

Among Kela’s commitment to helping organizations grow with purpose, she actively volunteers as the DC Design Week Executive Chair for AIGA DC, is featured in Harvard Business Review, and is a member of the Fall 2023 Creative Ladder Leadership Cohort.