Shawn Townsend

Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture, Washington, D.C.

Shawn Townsend was most recently appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture in Washington, D.C. Mr. Townsend most recently served as a Supervisory Investigator at the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), in Washington D.C., where he led a team of six investigators. He has extensive knowledge and work experience engaging with nightlife establishments to resolve challenges and leading business training and engagement opportunities.

Prior to becoming an investigator at ABRA in 2014, Mr. Townsend worked as an investigator at the DC Office of Police Complaints as well as at the District of Columbia Public Schools. Before joining DC Government, Mr. Townsend was instrumental in launching and managing a bar and lounge in Charleston, South Carolina; through this experience, he gained an inside knowledge of the nightlife industry.

Mr. Townsend received his bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications from New Mexico State University.