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Embassy Row with the
Pastranas
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THE Opera’ S
Accessory to
POWER
Golden Gala
Donald Rumsfield and Mercedes Bass
Wa s h i n g to n ’ s P r e m i e r L u x u r y L i f e s t y l e M ag a z i n e S i n c e 1 9 9 1
The WL Zeitgeist Kevin Chaffee, Chuck Conconi & Roxanne Roberts come out firing
Exclusive! LAURA BUSH And APRIL 2006 • $3.50
Washington Life
Condoleezza Rice on women, education & Afghanistan Michael Douglas, The First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the Kuwaiti embassy residence 2006 “Bridges of Hope” Benefit Dinner
The A-List 2006
WHO’S ON & WHO’S Not
The Gatekeepers Your guide to ultimate access in Washington
PLUS! Exclusive
Parties, Parties, Parties!
Photograph by Fred J. Maroon. Mr. Maroon’s son, Marc, has recently launched an initiative to offer digital prints from his father’s Washington, D.C. collection, entitled “Poetic Washington,” to local charity events. For more information goto: fredmaroon.com, or email Marc directly at marcmaroon@aol.com.
2006
A-List
Heads Turn When They Enter the Room
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P
ower is as power does. It’s a flexible force in this town. No wonder we Washingtonians often take refuge in lists, a comfort zone of sorts in a world where reality is constantly shifting. Lists turn up everywhere. The form suits a place that thrives on hierarchy - on knowing just who posesses a predetermined political status. The government’s plum list of political jobs is the apotheosis of this. Keeping everyone happy: conferring a title, an objective who’s in and who’s out. And why not? It’s a small comfort in the face of daily life conditions that threaten to overwhelm one’s sense of identity. There is comfort in rank because it makes it easier to navigate the terrain. It gives a lift to the spirit to know the Calvinist ideal of predestination is not entirely dominant. What do we make of the fact that, often, the most powerful among us have the shortest titles, the least number of words in front of their names? Agreed, subdivisions are much less impressive. Assistant, associate, deputy: hardearned, to be sure, but how do they compare with President, Partner, Secretary? (The last title, by the way, might rightly come from a piece of furniture in which notations of rank were on file. This is just a wayward thought, but when you are next in the White House Lincoln bedroom spending the night, take a glance at a particular desk there, the so-called “cabinet.”) In other words (casting our net in a very broad direction), there is no easy way to explain what a list means, especially since having a title doesn’t really explain someone’s influence. Having a title is meaningless without access to the next on the list… And that is where the hierarchical element really kicks in. Power is saying “I’m in the swim; I’m a part of the club.” But it is a club that has no physical dimension, no officers. Why not, then, draw up an alphabetical mix of people connected in varied ways to the multidimensional life of a capital city in the 21st century— a group (some of whom wouldn’t recognize one another, whatever the occasion) that reflects the spirit of a town that is far less one-dimensional than any Washingtonian of a previous era could ever imagine.. Now in it’s 15th year, Washington Life and a confidential committee assembled the “2006 A List,” the people that make us turn our heads and take notice. ~ Ann Geracimos
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2006 A-List The President of the United States George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush The Vice President of the United States and Mrs. Richard B. Cheney (Lynne) The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal and Her Royal Highness Princess Nouf bint fahad Senator and Mrs. George Allen (Susan) His Excellency the Ambassador of Kuwait Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Sheika Al-Sabah (Rima) Mr. and Mrs. James H. Billington (Marjorie) Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin C. Bradlee (Sally Quinn) Mr. and Mrs. David Bradley (Katherine) Justice and Mrs. Stephen G. Breyer (Joanna) Mr. and Mrs. William N. Cafritz (Buffy) Mr. and Mrs. Andrew H. Card, Jr. (Kathleene) Mr. and Mrs. Steven B. Case (Jean) His Excellency the Ambassador of Italy and Mrs. Giovanni Castellaneta (Leila) Mrs. Robert H. Charles (Oatsie) The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Mr. and Mrs. Leo Daly (Grega) Representative and Mrs. John Dingell (Debbie) Mr. and Mrs. Placido Domingo (Marta) Mr. and Mrs. Robert Duvall (Luciana Pedraza) Mrs. Nancy McElroy Folger (Bitsey) Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Friedman (Ann) Senator and Mrs. William H. Frist (Karyn) Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gibbs (Melissa) The Honorable and Mrs. Daniel Glickman (Rhoda) Attorney General and Mrs. Alberto R. Gonzalez (Rebecca Turner) Mr. and Mrs. Donald Graham (Mary) The Speaker of the House and Mrs. J. Dennis Hastert (Jean) Mr. James Hoagland and Ms. Jane Stanton Hitchcock The Honorable and Mrs. Clay Johnson, III (Ann) Mr. Robert Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Jordan (Ann) Senator and Mrs. Edward M. Kennedy (Vicky) Senator John F. Kerry and Mrs. Teresa Heinz Mr. James V. Kimsey Mrs. Polly Kraft Mr. and Mrs. James Lehrer (Kate) His Excellency the Ambassador of France
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Fra nk and Ba rba ra An n Ro bin son
Sen. Ted Stevens
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and Mrs. Jean-David Levitte (Marie-Cecile) The Honorable and Mrs. Frederic V. Malek (Marlene) His Excellency the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Sir David G. Manning and Lady Manning (Catherine) Ms. Jacqueline Badger Mars Mr. John F. Mars Senator and Mrs. John McCain (Cindy) His Eminence Cardinal Theodore McCarrick The Director of National Intelligence and Mrs. John Negroponte (Diane) The honorable and Mrs. William T. Newman, Jr. (Shelia Johnson) Her Majesty Queen Noor al-Hussein of Jordan Senator and Mrs. Barack Obama (Michelle) Mr. and Mrs. Mandell J. Ourisman (Mary) General Peter Pace, Chairman of the joint Chiefs of Staff, and Mrs. Pace (Lynne) His Excellency the ambassador of colombia and Mrs. Andres Pastrana (Nohra)
Se n. Ba ra ck Ob am a
Representative Nancy Pelosi and Mr. Paul Pelosi Mr. and Mrs. John Podesta (Mary) The Honorable and Mrs. Colin L. Powell (Alma) Mr. and Mrs. Earl A. Powell, III (Nancy) Mr. and Mrs. Wayne B. Reynolds (Catherine) Chief Justice and Mrs. John Glover Roberts, Jr. (Jane) The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Mr. Joseph Robert, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Robinson (Barbara) Senator and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, IV (Sharon Percy) The Honorable Selwa S. “Lucky� Roosevelt Mr. and Mrs. Karl Rove (Darby) The Secretary of Defense and Mrs. Donald H. Rumsfeld (Joyce) Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Russert (Maureen Orth)
Be n Brad lee an d Sa lly
Qu inn
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Sant (Victoria) Justice and Mrs. Antonin Scalia (Maureen) Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Schwarzman (Christine) The Honorable and Mrs. R. Sargent Shriver, Jr. (Eunice Kennedy) The Honorable and Mrs. Lawrence Small (Sandra) Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Snyder (Tanya) The Honorable and Mrs. Robert S. Strauss (Helen) Senator and Mrs. Ted Stevens (Catherine) His Excellency the Ambassador of Russia and Mrs. Yuri Ushakov (Svetlana) The Honorable and mrs. Marc R. Warner (Lisa Collis) The Honorable Anthony A. Williams, Mayor of Washington, D.C., and Mrs. Williams (Diane) The Honorable Paul Wolfowitz Mr. Bob Woodward and Ms. Elsa Walsh
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Tim Russert
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The Gatekeepers Key contacts to help you open doors in Washington
I
t was a natural marriage that started from the birth of our “City on the Hill.” Washington and Power. Jefferson wanted to create a democracy, but the capital was always set up to have a ruling class, a small group that runs the economy and therefore just about everything else. Yes, power is in abundance in Washington: executive power, judicial power, and legislative power, and the bottom line is that everyone wants their share of it.
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But, who are the other gatekeepers, those who are entrusted with care, feeding and handling the long-term welfare of the decision makers? How much power do they really have? They are the maitre d’s, P.R. pros, and school admission officials and they have access, in a personal way, to the people everyone wants to know. We all recognize Franco Nuschese at Café Milano, but he is not standing at the door doling out tables and telling you if it
will be two hours or two minutes. Laurent Menoud is the man you need to make your pal. Want a direct line to Mrs. Bush? Talk with stylist extraordinaire Nur i Yurt at Toka who coifs her hair almost every day. Need an invite to the Bloomberg party after the White House Cor respondent’s Association Dinner? Have a dr ink with Judith Czelusniak, keeper of the list. If you want access to D.C.’s power, it’s all about knowing who to call on in the chain of
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Admissions Officers
Photograph by Fred J. Maroon. Mr. Maroon’s son, Marc, has recently launched an initiative to offer digital prints from his father’s Washington, D.C. collection, entitled “Poetic Washington,” to local charity events. For more information goto: fredmaroon.com, or email Marc directly at marcmaroon@aol.com.
If you have a child, these names should be as familiar to you as George Bush, because they hold the keys to their future—whether he or she will be a golden NCS alumna or a Maret Frog. At cocktail parties, people often act nonchalantly about the whole admissions game, but they are devastated when St. Alban’s doesn’t send the fat envelope. It’s a competitive world and being accepted into “the right school” is vitally important. Here are some of the admissions officers you might want to know. Lower, Middle and Secondary Schools Beauvoir Lower School (pre-k - Grade 3)• Margaret Hartigan
British School of Washington Lower (Nursery - Year 2, Ages 3-5), middle (years 3 -7, Ages 6-10) and Upper School (Years 7-13, ages 11-17) • Anne-Marie Masraff Episcopal High School Boarding School (Grades 9-12) • Douglas Price Foxcroft • All Girls Boarding School (Grades 9-12) • Becky Gilmore Georgetown Day School Lower, Middle and Upper School (Pre-k - Grades 12) • Vince Rowe Georgetown Preparatory School • All Boys Secondary School (Grades 9-12) • Michael Horsey Georgetown Visitation • All Girls Secondary School (Grades 9-12) • Janet Donnelly Keller
Georgetown University ranks amo ng the top 25 universities accord US News & World Reports ing to
Holton Arms • All Girls School Lower (grades 3-6), Upper School (Grades 7-8) and Upper School (Grades 9-12) • Sharron K. Rodgers Landon • All Boys Lower School (Grades 3-5) • Carole Kerns• Middle School (grades 6-8) • Russell L. Gagarin Upper School (grades 9-12) • George Mulligan Director of Admissions • Russell L. Gagarin The Madeira School • All Girls Boarding and Day School (Grades 9-12) • Ann Miller Maret lower school (grades K-4) • Elila Levinson Middle School(grades 5-8) • Morley Clearly upper school (Grades 9-12) • Zaw Lyn drector of Admissions • Annie Farquhar National Cathedral School • All Girls Lower School(Grades4-6) • Mary Hemphill Middle School (Grades 7-8) • Erica Hill Upper School (Grades 9-12) • Denise C. Buchanan, Director of Admissions The Potomac School Lower School (Grades k-3) • Anna Ellenbogen Middle School (Grades 4-8) • Ed Wokind Upper School (Grades 9-12) • Charlotte Nelsen Sidwell Friends Lower (Grades Pre-k-3), Middle (Grades 4-8) and Upper School (Grades9-12) • Joshua P. Wolman St. Albans • All Boys Lower School(grades 4-8)and Upper School (Grades 9-12) • Mason Lecky
command, and sometimes that’s not always at the top. You need to know the silent gatekeepers. Power is everywhere even in some unexpected places. Here’s WL’s take on where you might find it.
Maret
St. Patrick’s Episcopal school lower School (Grades Nursery-8) • Jennifer Danish Stone Ridge • All Girls lower School (Grades K-4) and Middle School (Grades 4-8) • Sr. Karen Olson Upper School (grades 9-12) • Michelle McPherson Thomas Jefferson High school for Technology and Science Upper School (Grades 9-12) • Christel Payne Washington International School Lower and Upper School (pre-K - Grade 12) • Dorrie Fuchs
Universities
American University • Sharon Alston Georgetown University • Charles Deacon George Washington University • Dr. Katherine Napper Howard University • Linda Sanders-Hawkins
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Restaurants In his bestselling book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the phrase “the connectors.” Washington’s connectors can definitely include managers and maitre d’s at high-end restaurants. You don’t just give them your name and wait for a response about your wait time. These are the people that are in charge of entertaining Washington’s elite and they are connected. Sen. Hillary Clinton boasts that Café Milano is a personal favorite and recently celebrated a birthday dinner there. When the manager of The Palm, Tommy Jacomo, celebrated 30 years at the restaurant, a who’s who of D.C. showed up, including Tim Russert and several senators. If you want that table by the window or any table on a Saturday night, these are some of the people you should know. Café Milano •Laurent Menoud Charlie Palmer Steak •Brian Voltaggio Citronelle •Jean Jacques Retourne Cityzen • Mark Politzer Clyde’s • Kyle Gaffney DC Coast • Jennifer Roe Indebleu • Jay Coldren
Gallery Place Clyde’s of Georgetown andadm inistration, is a favorite among the Che ney and nt side Pre e including Vic Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld
Kinkead’s • Mimi Schneider Le Paradou • Aykan Demiroglu Mate • Osmar Nunez Mie N Yu • Ashley Williams and Bezawait Mane Oya • Marcus Brady The Palm • Tommy Jacomo Rosa Mexicano • Nikki Lewis Seasons at the Four Seasons • Julie Saunders 1789 • William Watts Teatro goldoni • Ingrid Aielli Zola • Jennifer Burlew
Located on K street, DC Coast is a favorite among lobbyists.
Café Milano in Georgetown established itself as the spothas to see and be seen.
Private Clubs Every city has its clubs, a place to separate the ins from the outs. In Washington, these rank among the most exclusive and hardest to get into in the world. Not even the title of Supreme Court justice could get Sandra Day O’Connor a membership to the very elite Alibi club which limits its membership to 50. It’s rumored that Congressional Country Club snubbed former President Clinton after his presidency ended because they wanted to maintain a conservative membership base. And it wasn’t so far back that the Chevy Chase Club started accepting Jewish members. All the local clubs have their pecking orders, waiting lists and their “rules and regulations.” If you’re thinking about joining anytime soon, these are the folks to know.
Alibi Club The Honorable Roger Kirk, Proctor
Chevy chase Club J. Edmund Willington, III, President
Congressional Country Club John F. O’Neil, Jr., President
Army Navy Club Gen. William Maloney, President
Columbia Country Club Martin R. West, III, President
Cosmos Club Joseph R. Gunn, President
City Tavern Club Jeff Kimbell, President
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Georgetown Club John Guttenburg, President of Board of Directors
Metropolitan Club Robin Martin, President Sulgrave Club Catherine Eshelman, President University Club Richard J. McBride, Jr., President
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City Tavern Club President, Jeff Kimbell
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Lobbyists Lobbyists have access to the most powerful people in town. They can get a meeting with Sen. Ted Stevens just before appropriations time, or a dinner with an undecided vote. While we like to think this is a country “by and of the people,” the reality is that lobbyists have an insiders’ view on who and what wins or loses here. Gary Andres, Dutko Worldwide Thomas Boggs, Patton Boggs Gerald Cassidy, Cassidy & Associates Howard Cohen, HC Associates Inc. Linda Daschle, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz Dennis DeConcini, Parry, Romani, DeConcini & Symms Kenneth Duberstein, Duberstein Group Vic Fazio, Clark & Weinstock Harold Ford Sr., Harold Ford & Co. Ed Gillespie, Quinn Gillespie G.O. Lanny Griffith. Barbour, Griffith and Rogers Larry Harlow, Timmons & Co. Mark Isakowitz, Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock Joel Jankowsky, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld Joel Johnson, Glover Park Group
Bob Livingston, The Livingston Group Bob Michel, Hogan & Hartson George Mitchell, Piper Rudnick Former Bruce Mehlman, Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Mehlman Loren Monroe, Barbour Griffith & Rogers Jim Pitts, D.C. Navigators Anthony Podesta, PodestaMattoon Jack Quinn, Quinn Gillespie Thomas Quinn, Venable Steve Ricchetti, Ricchetti Inc. Aubrey Rothrock, Patton Boggs Tim Rupli, Rupli and Associates Vin Weber, Clark & Weinstock Juleanna Glover Weiss, Ashcroft Group Anne Wexler, Wexler and Walker Public Policy Associates
Linda Daschle
Thomas Boggs Ken Duberstein
Charities and organizations Washington’s many social institutions and charities provide access to the power players. Want to get to know Supreme Court justices? They like to attend events at the National Gallery. Though rarely seen outside the Pentagon and White House, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz are fans of the Washington National Opera and recently attended its Golden Gala. Though many current Administration big-wigs are less social than their predecessors, they’ll gladly lend support if the cause is right. These charities are some of the best at bringing out the power. Best Buddies Best Friends Foundation The Cathedral Choral Society Charity Works The Corcoran Gallery of Art Fight for Childen, Inc. folger Shakespeare Library Generation Engage The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Meridian International Center The National Gallery of art The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Symphony The Phillips Collection The Shakespeare Theatre The Smithsonian Institution Starlight Foundation USO The Washington Ballet The Washington Nationals Foundation The Washington National Opera Vital Voices 62
Sharon Stone at People for the American Way
the Eva Longoria at an National Hisp ice Foundation for th Ar ts Noche de Gala
Kim Klein, Jen Haber and Cathy Merrill Williams and Starlight Starbright, Taste of the Stars
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press and pr If you’re sipping your cocktail at a restaurant opening and wondering who half the people are, more likely than not they are the public relations representatives and social reporters who have this town in their Blackberries. Their job is to know who’s in and who’s out and to help make the difference. Here are just some of the folks you should know.
Press
PR
Mary Ann Akers, Roll Call Amy Argetsinger, The Washington Post Kevin Chaffee, The Washington Times Jeff Dufour, The Hill Karen Feld, The Examiner Harry Jaffe, The Washingtonian Linda Kramer, People magazine Bob Madigan, WTOP John McCaslin, The Washington Times Roxanne Roberts, The Washington Post
Thea Bowers, Thea Bowers & Assoc. Judith Czelusniak, Bloomberg Party PR Susan davis, Susan Davis International Janet Donovan, Creative Enterprises, Inc. Heather Freeman, Heather Freeman Media Leslie Hayes, Hayes and Associates Joan Hisaoka, Hisaoka Public Relations Mary Jo Klein Ann Walker Marchant, Walker Marchant Group Carolyn Peachey, Cambpell/Peachey Associates
Susan Watters, WWD Daily, W
Ellen Proxmire
Amy Argetsinger
Linda Roth, Linda Roth & Assoc. Jan Staihar
Concierges These concierges keep their rolodexes fat and know all the best maitre’ d’s and travel agents in town. They can help find those last minute Wizards tickets, or book you for a blow-dry appointment at Salon George. Four Seasons Javier Loureiro (202) 342-0444 The Jefferson Gabi Steiner (202) 347-2200 The Madison Tony Brown, BB Hallarez and Radmilla Jackovich (202) 862-3740
ThThe eRiRitztzCaCarltrlton on
Mandarin Oriental Samir Abdelgelil, Daniel Klibanoff, Clyde Eads, Lynn Hight and Ryad Kouidri (202) 554-8588 The Renaissance Mayflower The Four Seasons Ronny Monfort (202) 347-4430 Four Seasons Ritz Carlton, Downtown (Sports Club LA) Chiaki Adams, Michael High, Mardy Babineauand and Robert Bornschein (202) 835-0550 Ritz Carlton, Georgetown Charles Gilbert, Gary Chou, Emma Hutchinson, Mayumi Hu, Jeremy Bartel and Joshua Cummings (202) 638-2626 Ritz Carlton, Tysons Corner Nick Carbonara, Rudi Gocer and Dwayne Coleman (703) 506-4300 St. Regis James Roberts (202) 638-2626 The Willard Mandarin Oriental Robert Watson (202) 628-9100
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