The director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture acts as a liaison to businesses that operate after 5 p.m. and assist them in navigating city policies.

Mike Maguire / Flickr

On Thursday, just two days after a landslide victory in the mayoral race with more than 74% of the vote, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced new appointments to a handful of positions in her administration. One of the most eye-catching nominations: Salah Czapary, a former D.C. police officer and unsuccessful candidate for Ward 1’s D.C. Council seat, as acting director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture.

Czapary must still be confirmed by the D.C. Council. He announced on Twitter that he starts as acting director on Monday.

He’s most recognized as a challenger to Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau in the Democratic primary, losing by nearly 18 points. Czapary’s campaign was heavily supported by the “green team,” the nickname for Bowser’s close allies, according to Washington City Paper. He scored an endorsement from The Washington Post, but drew scrutiny for his ties to the son of Trump-appointee William Pack and his six years with the Metropolitan Police Department. While running for office, he fought off accusations that he wasn’t actually a Democrat. One of Czapary’s former police academy instructors openly criticized his decision to run for office. He spent a year as a patrol officer and transitioned to a civilian role at the MPD headquarters, most recently serving as the special assistant to the chief of police, according to the announcement.

The nightlife office’s director role has been affectionately called the “Night Mayor” — though, Bowser initially balked at the nickname because it implies she’s not the mayor during night hours.

But the position isn’t meant for someone who simply likes to party. Rather, the director acts as a liaison to businesses that operate after 5 p.m. and assists them in navigating city policies. This has been especially relevant during the pandemic, as bars and restaurants have had to constantly adapt to changing COVID-19 guidelines.

The office and director position have only existed for four years, as Bowser signed it into law in November 2018, and there have already been two night mayors: Shawn Townsend and Solana Vander Nat, that latter of whom only spent a year in the role.

Czapary, a D.C. native, describes himself as openly gay and the son of immigrants on his campaign page. He spent over a decade leading community outreach initiatives and engaging with the nightlife community, the mayor’s office said in a release.

After the non-profit D.C. Nightlife Council tweeted out its congratulations to Czapary and other shared the news, some Twitter users replied with skepticism about his qualifications as well as confusion — some wondered why a former police officer should oversee the city’s relationship to bars, clubs, and restaurants. Others, including DC Restaurant Group owner Eric Heidenberger, congratulated and welcomed the new night mayor.

The mayor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Czapary’s qualifications or goals for the position.

“[Czapary] also oversaw community working groups to garner residential feedback, develop community trust, and improve volunteer service programs,” the announcement reads. “Prior to joining MPD, Mr. Czapary founded and managed the operations of the Nagypapa Foundation to encourage experiential travel and education.”

Czapary directed DCist/WAMU to a spokesperson for the mayor’s office when asked for an interview.

Filed Under: bowser, night mayor, office of nightlife and culture, salah czapary,