Artificial intelligence has moved from experiment to imperative for Greater Washington’s business community. Employers across finance, law, nonprofits, and higher education are no longer asking whether to bring AI into their operations, but how to do it in a way that actually sets them apart. Unlike past technology shifts, there is no established playbook to follow. The book on AI is still being written as businesses read it, which means the organizations willing to learn and adapt in real time are the ones best positioned to lead. 

At the Board of Trade’s recent Executive Lunch, “Advancing Your Organization’s AI Advantage,” business leaders explored how their teams are building trust in emerging technologies and positioning themselves for long-term growth. The discussion covered practical strategies for using new tools to spark innovation, sharpen competitiveness, and create lasting impact across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. With so many industries racing toward the same technology at once, one question kept surfacing. If every business is facing the same unknowns, what changes when they face them together? Below are some key considerations that emerged from the conversation. 

The Opportunity Is Here, and the Question Is Whether We Take It 

Leaders agreed that the moment in front of Greater Washington’s business community is real, but far from evenly seized. When entire sectors adopt the same generative tools at once, standing out comes down to how well a company fits those tools to its own workflows and relationships, not simply whether it has them in place. 

Early excitement is now giving way to a harder question: how to turn that excitement into something durable. Across sectors, a similar pattern emerged. The businesses moving fastest aren’t the ones layering new technology on top of old processes. They’re the ones willing to rethink how their teams operate, how decisions get made, and where human judgment still belongs. The consensus in the room was clear. Getting ahead means going beyond generic chat tools and building intelligence directly into an organization’s own data and workflows. 

Chaos Creates Opportunity, If Governance Keeps Pace 

A recurring theme of the lunch was that governance is quickly becoming the next frontier of AI strategy, not an afterthought to it. Participants were candid that the pace of innovation has outstripped the pace of oversight across industries, and that building strong safeguards now is one of the clearest opportunities regional employers have to lead. 

That said, leaders framed this gap as an opening rather than a warning. When there is chaos, there is opportunity, and the organizations that build strong governance now, including clearly defining how employees use AI, keeping oversight internal, and monitoring adoption closely, will be better positioned in the long term.  

The Workforce Pyramid Is Becoming a Diamond 

Leaders also pointed to a broader shift underway in organizations’ internal structure. AI adoption tends to lag among mid-level managers, who are often too consumed with the day-to-day work of managing their teams to fully integrate new tools, while adoption moves faster at the executive and entry-level ends of the workforce. Leaders described this as the traditional employment pyramid turning into a diamond, with adoption concentrated at the top and bottom of organizations while the middle, wrapped up in day-to-day management, has been slower to catch up. 

This shift raises real questions for regional employers about how they train and support their employees. Participants even cautioned against the assumption that the human touch element of work is irreplaceable as AI capabilities expand. 

Greater Washington’s Next Advantage Is a Shared Approach to AI Governance 

Looking ahead, participants emphasized the importance of collective learning. Rather than each organization developing its own approach in isolation, the region has an opportunity to share experiences, governance approaches, and safeguards across sectors. Getting that foundation right also unlocks the upside. When businesses across sectors learn from one another, sharing what’s working on both adoption and governance, the whole region thrives. That kind of collaboration is what allows Greater Washington to lead on innovation while building a workforce equipped to grow alongside it.

To learn more about how your organization can be involved in our technology initiative, reach out to [email protected].  

Insights from the Table is a membership-driven series of takeaways from our Executive Lunches, where local and regional leaders help inform the Board of Trade’s thinking and shape the work we do in a rapidly evolving environment. These conversations help surface the practical challenges, emerging priorities, and regional opportunities that matter most to Greater Washington’s future. 

About This Testimony:

The Greater Washington Board of Trade is urging the District to take a transit-first approach to the RFK Campus redevelopment, emphasizing that the project’s long-term success will depend on safe, reliable, and convenient access. The testimony supports expanded capacity at Stadium-Armory, advancement of the proposed Gold Line bus rapid transit service, and close coordination among the District, Metro, the Commanders, and other partners. These investments would not only support major events, but also improve daily mobility, expand access to jobs, strengthen surrounding neighborhoods, and enhance the region’s economic competitiveness.

Submitted Testimony: 

DOWNLOAD HERE

July 15, 2026

Councilmember Allen, Councilmember Felder, and other members of the Council:

Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony regarding transit planning for the RFK Campus redevelopment. My name is Jack McDougle, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. We represent hundreds of businesses and employers across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia and work to advance the economic competitiveness of the Greater Washington region.

The Board of Trade has long viewed Metro as essential economic infrastructure and has consistently supported the regional investment and coordination necessary to maintain and strengthen the system. That same principle applies here: a project of this scale will only reach its full economic and community potential if the necessary transportation investments are planned and delivered alongside the redevelopment.

The redevelopment of the RFK Campus represents a significant opportunity for the District and the region. The planned stadium, housing, commercial development, public spaces, and related amenities have the potential to create a vibrant new destination, generate economic activity, and strengthen connections between neighborhoods and communities.

The success of that redevelopment will depend in large part on whether people can reach it safely, reliably, and conveniently.

The Board of Trade strongly supports a transit-first approach to the RFK Campus. A development of this scale cannot rely primarily on private vehicles and parking. With as many as 38,000 people potentially using Metro to travel to and from major events, the ability of the transit system to safely and reliably accommodate demand will be fundamental to the success of the redevelopment.

Metro and the District are moving in the right direction by planning for increased rail capacity at Stadium-Armory, advancing the proposed Gold Line bus rapid transit service, and improving access to the campus. These investments will be important not only for stadium operations, but also for the broader redevelopment and surrounding communities.

The Gold Line, in particular, has the potential to create a stronger east-west connection across the District, expanding access to jobs and economic activity for residents and businesses well beyond the RFK Campus. These improvements should be viewed not simply as event-day infrastructure, but as long-term investments in daily mobility, neighborhood growth, and regional competitiveness.

Reliable transit expands access to jobs, supports housing and commercial growth, strengthens the customer base for local businesses, and helps attract continued investment in the RFK Campus and surrounding neighborhoods. It also helps ensure that the economic benefits of the redevelopment are accessible to people throughout the city and across the region.

The RFK Campus presents an opportunity to demonstrate how major development and transportation planning should work together. Too often, transportation infrastructure is addressed after development decisions have been made. In this case, the District, Metro, and their partners have the opportunity to plan early, coordinate across agencies, and build transportation capacity alongside the redevelopment itself.

There is still substantial work ahead. The District, Metro, the Commanders, and other partners will need to maintain close coordination, establish clear responsibilities, and make timely decisions to ensure the transportation system is ready when the stadium and surrounding development open.

The anticipated August 2030 opening may appear distant, but major transportation projects require years of planning, design, construction, and testing. Continued momentum will be essential.

The Board of Trade encourages the Council to continue supporting the planning, funding, and coordination necessary to deliver the Stadium-Armory improvements, advance the Gold Line, and make the RFK Campus a truly transit-first development. Getting this right will strengthen the redevelopment, benefit surrounding communities, and contribute to the long-term mobility and competitiveness of the Greater Washington region.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony.

Electricity transmission is quickly becoming one of the defining economic growth issues for Greater Washington. As energy demand rises across data centers, hospitals, military installations, small businesses, transportation, and advanced manufacturing, the region’s ability to compete will increasingly depend on whether it can build the infrastructure needed to support that growth.

In a new Washington Business Journal viewpoint, Board of Trade President & CEO Jack McDougle argues that transmission capacity is the missing link in the region’s energy future. Without sufficient transmission, the region risks higher costs, reliability challenges, and slower economic growth at a time when Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. are all working to attract investment and support major industries.

The piece highlights why an all-of-the-above energy strategy must include new generation, storage, efficiency, and major transmission upgrades. McDougle also points to the proposed Valley Link Joshua Falls–Yeat 765 kV Transmission Project as an example of the kind of long-term infrastructure investment that deserves serious consideration.

While major transmission projects raise real questions for landowners, farmers, and local communities, McDougle emphasizes that the path forward must include transparency, engagement, mitigation, and accountability. The article makes the case that energy infrastructure is no longer just a utility issue — it is a regional competitiveness issue.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

ABOUT THE BOARD OF TRADE

The Greater Washington Board of Trade, founded in 1889, is the region’s premier non-partisan business organization representing industry, nonprofits, universities, and government agencies. The Board of Trade addresses complex and always-evolving business concerns that stretch across the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia, with a priority focus on inclusive economic growth, improving the business climate, and enhancing the region’s economic competitiveness.  

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• Waterway Economics: Funding increases for region’s Post of Baltimore and Port of Virginia
• Testimony: Downtown Arena Revitalization Act of 2024 (DC B25-1004)

At a recent Board of Trade executive lunch in Bethesda, members and regional policy leaders discussed what happened in Annapolis during Maryland’s legislative session and what it means for Greater Washington. The conversation quickly showed that the state’s session raised questions beyond Maryland, highlighting how policy decisions can impact our region. 

Metro funding, housing costs, energy rates, business taxes, infrastructure, and affordability are often debated separately. In practice, they are deeply connected. Housing, transit, energy, taxes, regulation, and workforce access all shape how important projects can move forward, and if businesses can grow. 

That is what often gets lost in session coverage. The bills matter. The votes matter. But the deeper question is whether the policy environment is making it easier or harder for the region to thrive in the future. 

The Budget Was Balanced, but the Pressure Remains 

Maryland avoided a major tax fight this session. The FY2027 budget closed the immediate gap through spending restraint, fund transfers, targeted reductions, and other budget actions, without relying on new broad-based tax or fee increases. 

That helped stabilize the near-term picture, but it did not erase the underlying challenge. Structural shortfalls are still projected, which means the same questions will return next year around funding, cuts, delays, and revenue. For members, that pressure eventually shows up in agencies, transportation programs, local governments, and the cost of doing business. 

Metro funding is one example. Maryland made progress this session on dedicated capital funding for WMATA, but the proposal did not reach final passage. The need remains. 

RELATED CONTENT: Support for Maryland’s Metro Funding Modification Act of 2026

RELATED CONTENT: Addressing Regional Transit Funding in Montgomery County

Metro has made real gains in performance, safety, ridership, and reliability. But it cannot plan around uncertainty every budget cycle. It needs dedicated, bondable, inflation-sensitive capital funding to maintain the system and reduce long-term costs. 

Metro is still too often treated as a local benefit for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. That misses the larger point about how Marylanders travel to and through Greater Washington in their professional and personal lives. Metro also supports the federal government, job centers, downtown recovery, housing near stations, and access to opportunities across the DMV. Just like people, ideas and investments must be able to travel and be shared.  

Affordability Is Where the Tradeoffs Show Up 

Everyone is talking about affordability. Residents feel it. Employers feel it. Local governments feel it. 

But affordability can become too broad to guide decisions unless policymakers ask a harder question: are our choices making the region more affordable, or are they adding costs faster than residents and businesses can absorb? 

Participants of our recent discussion pointed to the cumulative effect of well-intended policy goals. Housing affordability, climate goals, clean energy, transportation access, labor standards, stormwater rules, local fees, and public benefits all have their own rationale. But when layered onto a project without enough attention to cost, timing, or implementation, they can make the end goal harder to reach. 

That does not mean the goals are wrong. It means the math has to matter. 

Housing is where these contradictions often show up first. Maryland has taken steps to encourage more housing, including transit-oriented development. But statewide intent still runs into local processes, where projects face hearings, financing gaps, opposition, and delays. 

Energy is another test. Rising electric costs are now a household affordability issue, a housing issue, a data center issue, and a business location issue. The region is trying to meet cleaner-energy goals while demand increases and grid constraints become more evident. 

If policy raises costs faster than residents and businesses can manage, support for the goals themselves becomes harder to sustain. 

The Region Is Competing With Itself 

Maryland is weighing Metro, the Baltimore Red Line, the American Legion Memorial Bridge, the Key Bridge, the Purple Line, and other infrastructure needs. D.C. continues managing budget strain and downtown recovery. Virginia has its own transportation and tax debates. Counties are facing local revenue pressure while being asked to produce more housing and maintain services. 

Each jurisdiction has its own politics. The economy does not. 

Workers cross borders. Employers compare jurisdictions. Investors choose where a project can be penciled. Residents look for housing they can afford near jobs, schools, transit, and services. 

This is the central regional tension: we operate as one economy, but we fund, regulate, and permit as though we are separate markets. That fragmentation raises costs, slows decision-making, and makes large-scale solutions harder to achieve. 

The business climate question is getting sharper because Maryland is not making decisions in a vacuum. Virginia is next door. D.C. is working through its own economic reset. Other states are competing for employers, investment, and talent. 

Participants raised concerns about service taxes, local tax pressure, rent control, energy costs, regulatory complexity, and slow administrative processes. No single issue tells the whole story, but together they shape business decisions. 

This matters even more in a region affected by federal workforce reductions and contracting uncertainty. Some workers may start consulting firms or small businesses. Some companies may rethink their footprint. Some investors may look for lower-cost, lower-friction markets. 

If the region wants growth, it has to make choosing growth easier. 

Where the Board of Trade Will Stay Focused 

The Board of Trade’s role is to keep the region focused on the whole picture. That means advocating for dedicated capital funding for Metro, connecting housing and transportation policy, and elevating business competitiveness across tax, regulatory, energy, and permitting decisions. 

The takeaway from the lunch was not that Maryland failed. It was that the next phase must require more discipline. 

Greater Washington has the assets most regions would envy: talent, institutions, infrastructure, universities, federal presence, private-sector depth, and global reach. But assets alone are not a strategy. 

The region’s next test is whether it can make decisions that support growth instead of making growth harder to deliver. That is where the Board of Trade will stay focused. 

To learn more about how your organization can be involved in our mobility initiatives, reach out to [email protected].   

Insights from the Table is a membership-driven series of takeaways from our Executive Lunches, where local and regional leaders help inform the Board of Trade’s thinking and shape the work we do in a rapidly evolving environment. These conversations help surface the practical challenges, emerging priorities, and regional opportunities that matter most to Greater Washington’s future. 

Washington, D.C. is entering a defining moment.

In his latest Washington Business Journal Viewpoint column, Jack McDougle, President & CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, examines how federal job reductions, commercial real estate uncertainty, and a shifting innovation economy are reshaping the District’s fiscal and competitive outlook. The piece notes that more than 22,000 federal jobs, representing $3.7 billion in annualized pay, have been lost in the District over the past year, adding pressure to a tax base already challenged by downtown office vacancies and changing patterns of investment.

For McDougle, the question facing D.C. is not only how to close near-term fiscal gaps, but how to define the kind of economy the city wants to build for the future. He argues that sustained opportunity depends on a stronger long-term strategy focused on business formation, job creation, housing supply, workforce development, infrastructure, public safety, and a policy environment that encourages investment.

The column also highlights the importance of fiscal discipline and reducing barriers to growth. As the District moves through a consequential election cycle, McDougle calls on leaders and candidates to clearly explain how they would improve competitiveness, expand opportunity, support investment, and align fiscal choices with a coherent long-term vision.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

ABOUT THE BOARD OF TRADE

The Greater Washington Board of Trade, founded in 1889, is the region’s premier non-partisan business organization representing industry, nonprofits, universities, and government agencies. The Board of Trade addresses complex and always-evolving business concerns that stretch across the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia, with a priority focus on inclusive economic growth, improving the business climate, and enhancing the region’s economic competitiveness.  

READ MORE POLICY ISSUES AND TOPICS THE BOARD OF TRADE IS FOLLOWING

• Beyond the Data: 2024 NAEP math results are alarming
• Looking Ahead: The Road to 2025 and Beyond for GWBOT Policy Team
• Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger meets with Greater Washington’s business community
• Waterway Economics: Funding increases for region’s Post of Baltimore and Port of Virginia
• Testimony: Downtown Arena Revitalization Act of 2024 (DC B25-1004)