SUBSTANCE AND STYLE AWARDS WINNERS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
JANE HARMAN TONY BLAIR HILLARY CLINTON AND BERNARD ARNAULT AT THE WOODROW WILSON AWARDS
THE POWER 100 HEAVY HITTERS MAKE IT HAPPEN CAPITAL CONNECTION BERNARD ARNAULT JACQUES ATTALI AND THE WOODROW WILSON CENTER WASHINGTON LIFE M AY
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VITAL VOICES YEARS OF EMPOWERING WOMEN
INSIDE EVERY ISSUE WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY WL SOCIAL CALENDAR EXCLUSIVE EVENTS CELEBRITY CONTRIBUTIONS FASHION AND DESIGN REAL ESTATE NEWS ACCESS POLLYWOOD
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few of the people on our list were born to power – chiefly through inherited wealth – but
the vast majority acquired it the hard way: they earned it. Those who made the final cut
conform to specific criteria established when we began compiling The Power 100 List five years ago. First of all, we eliminated anyone drawing a government salary, canceling the idea that titles conferred by
voters, Congress or the president automatically grant prestige. They do, but most of them expire rather quickly. Our second rule is that wealth doesn’t necessarily beget power. Many people have a lot of money. It’s how they use it that counts. Rule Three: Power means influence, the ability to make others help you achieve your goals – like winning a big government contract. Rule Four: Influence is relative; access is imperative. Getting through to someone at the top means things will happen bigger, better and sooner (i.e., with a minimum of red tape). Rule Five: Knowledge and ideas have power. That’s why talking heads, educators and scientists command attention and change thought patterns. Final rule: the perception of power is power, whether it’s a bluff or not. In other words, knowing when to show or hold can make all the difference.
ADVOCACY WAYNE BERMAN MANAGING DIRECTOR OGILVY GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Berman’s ties to the Bush family, John McCain and other Republican titans make him a key rainmaker for party candidates in need of advice and fundraising assistance. He merged Berman Enterprises, his successful lobbying/ management-consulting firm, with Ogilvy Government Relations in January 2004. Berman supports Mitt Romney for the 2012 GOP nomination.
JEREMY BEN-AMI PRESIDENT J STREET
In just a few years, Ben-Ami has grown J Street’s C3, C4 and PAC to become a strong, progressive political voice for mainstream American Jews who support a two-state solution to the Israeli conflict as essential to Israel’s survival. Ben-Ami served as policy director to president Bill Clinton and Howard Dean during his presidential run.
THOMAS HALE BOGGS JR CHAIRMAN PATTON BOGGS
If you are in trouble and need help, like in
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“Ghostbusters,” who are you going to call? Very likely the Patton Boggs lobbying/ law firm – if you can afford it. No one is better informed about the inner workings of Washington – and who has the most influence on Capitol Hill or in any administration – than Tom Boggs. That’s why his firm has so many major clients across the world.
NICHOLAS CALIO PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION
Formerly responsible for all of Citigroup’s government relations efforts in Washington, Calio’s new role has him focusing on easing the regulatory burden on the U.S. airline industry. A born negotiator, he formerly worked as legislative affairs assistant to both President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush.
DICK CHENEY
did his support for same sex marriage. Cheney’s saga will be told in a memoir slated for fall publication as well as in an HBO miniseries based on Barton Gellman’s 2008 book, “Angler,” and a 2006 PBS documentary titled, “The Dark Side.”
raising vast sums for the William J. Clinton Foundation and other international causes he supports.
JAMES W CICCONI
Collins is looking hard at the 2012 elections with this new conservative “action tank” founded by Republican power brokers Norm Coleman, Fred Malek and Haley Barbour. It is designed to raise funds (that do not have to be reported) to attack Democratic candidates.
SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS AT&T
A true cellular power player, Cicconi, a former deputy chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush, is responsible for AT&T’s public policy organization and is chairman of the AT&T Foundation. He confidently led the lobbying effort to receive Federal Communication Commission and Justice Department approval of his company’s $39 billion acquisition of T-mobile.
BILL CLINTON
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT
CHAIRMAN WILLIAM J CLINTON FOUNDATION
Bush II’s veep hasn’t settled gently into retirement despite heart problems that may lead to a transplant sometime soon. His harsh criticism of the Obama Administration’s policy on terrorism and national security made headlines, but so
The former president (and husband of the secretary of state) is without peer when it comes to worldwide personal influence. No other leader, present or former, is so widely respected or able to accomplish so much. He spends much of his time
ROB COLLINS PRESIDENT AMERICAN ACTION NETWORK
CHRIS DODD CHAIRMAN MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
The Motion Picture Association of America wanted star power when it started auditioning for a new chief Washington lobbyist and former Sen. Chris Dodd turned out to have all the right credits. The 30-year Congressional veteran has the charisma and clout of Jack Valenti, his legendary predecessor, but inherits a vastly different set of challenges that include declining DVD sales, falling theater attendance and major piracy issues. Dodd’s $1.5 million salary will sweeten the deal but he’ll need to earn his points.
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Chris Dodd
THOMAS DONOHUE PRESIDENT & CEO U S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Since Donohue took over in 1997, the Chamber has tripled its annual revenues to $160 million – which not only helps lower trade barriers and win new free trade agreements but helps the Chamber more effectively flex its political muscle. During 2010 elections, the Chamber spent more money than any outside group on political ads. They are poised to do the same for the upcoming 2012 elections but have recently come under considerable attack by the left as being anti-small business and only supporting legislation that benefits large corporations.
ANITA DUNN
Katherine Weymouth
The former Republican Party chairman has been overseeing changes in the U.S. casino industry for the past 15 years as president of the American Gaming Association and his role has never been more crucial now that the economic downturn has taken a major toll on gambling revenues. With Internet gambling still on the table, Fahrenkopf ’s chief concern is to make sure that federal government regulation doesn’t worsen a losing streak.
PATRICK GASPARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE
REINCE PRIEBUS
CHAIRMAN REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
A senior advisor to the Obama presidential campaign who later served as White House communications director Dunn now offers strategic advice, public relations, crisis communications, advertising, direct mail and other services to Fortune 500 companies, leading nonprofit organizations and elected officials at every level. Her husband, Bob Bauer, is Obama’s legal counsel.
Gaspard, who cut his teeth as a community organizer fighting for health care and education reform, will be at the center of the effort to secure President Obama’s second term. A former Obama campaign operative, he later served as White House political director from 2009-2011. Preibus was elected chairman of the RNC in January 2011, succeeding the embattled and controversial former Michael Steele. His chief task is to revitalize the party by resuscitating the committee’s oncelegendary fundraising apparatus.
JOHN ENGLER
JACK N GERARD
PRESIDENT THE BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE
PRESIDENT AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
The former three-term Michigan governor has been active both in politics and business since leaving his political post in January 2003. His experience privatizing state services, promoting education reform, and reorganizing executive branch departments prepared him for juggling multiple tasks as president of the esteemed Business Roundtable, which represents nearly $6 trillion in annual revenues.
A key player on energy legislation issues including taxation, subsidies, regulation and climate control, Gerard is the top lobbyist for 400 companies that supply much of the nation’s oil and natural gas. Since taking the helm at API three years ago, he has focused on making the public case for an industry that is frequently vilified on Capitol Hill.
SENIOR PARTNER SKD KNICKERBOCKER CONSULTING
FRANK FAHRENKOPF PRESIDENT & CEO AMERICAN GAMING ASSOCIATION
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Quinn, a former Clinton Administration White House counsel, and Gillespie,
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Christiane Amanpour
a leading Republican operative, have a government relations/strategic communications firm that sparked the trend toward an interdisciplinary and bipartisan “one-stop shopping” approach to lobbying. Their eclectic client list includes AARP, Hilton, Sony, State Farm, Visa, the Knights of Columbus and The Republic of Macedonia.
RON KAUFMAN CHAIRMAN DUTKO WORLDWIDE
An advisor to both the Bush I and Bush II administrations as well as GOP presidential candidate Mitch Romney, Kaufman now oversees Dutko Worldwide’s federal practice and launched its innovative state and local government affairs division.
MARK KAY HENRY PRESIDENT SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION SEIU
A devout Catholic and a veteran health care advocate and strategist, Henry was unanimously elected to serve as international executive president of the 2.2-million-member union in 2010. He leads his union’s campaigns for health care and immigration reform and gay and lesbian rights.
KAREN IGNAGNI PRESIDENT AND CEO AMERICA’S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS
As head of the nation’s largest health insurance lobby, Ignagni promotes the interests of over 1,300 companies. Widely considered among the best lobbyists in the nation, she made news last year for initially supporting President Obama’s health insurance reform efforts but ended up criticizing the legislation passed by Congress, claiming that it didn’t have the teeth to cope with the health care cost crisis in America.
JOEL JOHNSON JOE LOCKHART AND MIKE FELDMAN PARTNERS GLOVER PARK GROUP
Bill Clinton This powerhouse communications trio of Clinton Administration veterans advises a diverse array of clients including Pfizer,Verizon, the United Federation of Teachers and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association on media relations, political strategy, advertising and crisis management. Recently, they have brought on a number of Republican counterparts from the Bush II Administration and the savvy Dee Dee Myers.
HOWARD KOHR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
MATT BROOKS
PRESIDENT REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION
The pro-Israeli voices in the lobbying community have become more and more important as the U.S. continues to be involved in the Middle East. Kohr, though no longer serving as AIPAC’s president, continues to hold weight when it comes to Israeli issues. With a presidential election year looming, the Jewish vote is vital and these men know where it is and how to reach it.
FRANK KEATING PRESIDENT AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION
As the head of the American Bankers Association, the former Oklahoma governor is the face of the nation’s $13 trillion banking industry and its two million employees. A member of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force, expect him to be increasingly at the center of the debate on Capitol Hill as Congress tackles the national debt.
BILL KRISTOL CO-FOUNDER THE PROJECT FOR THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY Kristol has followed in the footsteps of his father, neo-con “father” and titan Irving Kristol, and pronounces on the issues of the day (most recently “neutralizing”Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and favoring U.S.
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Chris Matthews
Chris Wallace
military action to “liberate” Libya) from his various media perches as a Fox News commentator,Weekly Standard editor and op-ed columnist for the New York Times.
WAYNE LA PIERRE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION
Under La Pierre’s two-decade leadership, NRA membership has reached four million, the highest in its history. He is an indefatigable advocate for gun rights, especially the use of firearms in selfdefense, and recently refused an invitation to meet with Obama Administration officials, stating that the president, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder have “spent a lifetime trying to destroy the Second Amendment in the United States.”
GROVER NORQUIST PRESIDENT AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM
Norquist is considered by many to be the de facto reigning Republican in the country, no mean feat for a man who has never held public office. In addition to securing a no-tax pledge from every GOP member of the House and 41 senators, he was recently credited with making Speaker Boehner back off from a suggestion that oil subsidies should be terminated as a way to close the budget deficit. Combative and unrelenting, Norquist was once described by P.J. O’Rourke as “Tom Paine crossed with Lee Atwater plus a soupcon of Madame Defarge.”
Chuck Todd
CECILE RICHARDS
PRESIDENT THE PODESTA GROUP
PRESIDENT PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA
PRESIDENT HEATHER PODESTA AND PARTNERS
ROBERT RABEN
Former Texas Gov. Anne Richards’s daughter, a former deputy chief of staff to Nancy Pelosi and founder of America Votes, is no shrinking violet. As president of Planned Parenthood, she is the public face of the women’s reproductive rights movement. Her outspoken criticism of Congressional Republicans who recently risked a government shutdown over the de-funding of Planned Parenthood – and thereby access to health care for millions of women – sent a clear message: Don’t mess with this Texan.
OWNER AND FOUNDER THE RABEN GROUP
JOHN F W ROGERS
HEATHER PODESTA
The ultimate K Street power couple, Tony Podesta is head of one of the most successful bipartisan shops in town; she founded and runs a cuttingedge government relations firm. Major art collectors, they purchased Shepard Fairey’s iconic HOPE portrait of Barack Obama and donated it to the National Portrait Gallery.
A former aide to Rep. Barney Frank and an assistant attorney general for legislative affairs during the Clinton Administration, Raben now owns one of Washington’s most successful lobbying firms. Its client roster features corporations (General Electric, Prudential, Time Warner Cable) as well as liberal advocacy groups (People for the American Way, ACORN and the Center for Reproductive Rights).
A BARRY RAND CEO AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS
BILL PAXON SENIOR ADVISOR AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER AND FELD LLP
STEVE RICCHETTI
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David Gregory
TONY PODESTA
Rand started as a sales rep for Xerox and worked his way up to be the first African-American CEO of AARP. Always focused on opening corporate doors for women and minorities, he champions efforts for both achievement and social change in the work place.
The former five-term New York congressman and National Republican Congressional Committee chairman found a post-retirement political career as a lobbyist for Boeing and other corporations. He has also advised senior GOP congressional leaders in addition to serving as chairman of the Majority Fund at the RNC.
David Bradley
PRINCIPAL RICCHETTI INC
A former Clinton White House deputy chief of staff, Richetti is regarded as a true legislative strategist on both sides of the aisle. His firm’s clients include hospitals, pharmaceutical firms, utility companies, real estate developers and automotive interests.
PARTNER GOLDMAN SACHS
Rogers, an aide to James A. Baker III when he was Ronald Reagan’s chief of staff, and a close advisor to Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, has deep political connections in addition to financial world clout. A former commodities trader who became a major player at Goldman Sachs CEOs Henry Paulson and Jon Corzine, he is the driving force behind his firm’s legislative agenda in Washington.
KARL ROVE POLITICAL OPERATIVE AND COMMENTATOR
In between writing a political memoir and serving as an advisor to American Crossroads, a Republican fundraising group, George W. Bush’s former senior advisor (some say his “brain”) keeps busy as a Wall Street Journal columnist and Fox News commentator. Cutting attacks on Sarah (“lacks gravitas”) Palin and Donald (“thin skin/loser”) Trump keep him in the headlines and he seems to like it that way.
GARY SHAPIRO CEO CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION
Shapiro is paving the way for technology to advance, making the lives of consumers
easier and, let’s face it, more fun. The wave of digital and even 3-D TV wouldn’t have been possible without his influence. In addition to his lobbying work on behalf of technology innovation, his new book, “The Comeback: How Innovation Can Restore the American Dream,” argues that technology can be a driving force for economic recovery.
JOE SOLMONESE PRESIDENT HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
Running one of the widest-reaching organizations that assists LGBT communities, Solmonese, a former CEO of Emily’s List, deserves much of the credit for the repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” and persuading the Obama Administration to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.
RICHARD L TRUMKA PRESIDENT THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR-CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS
A third-generation Polish-American coal miner, Trumka served as president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1982 to 1995 then moved to the AFL-CIO, which elected him president in 2009. He has been tireless in his efforts to strengthen the splintered union movement and to reach out to women and minorities while attacking Wall Street and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s promotion of a corporate agenda that denies the threat of global warming pollution and sends U.S. jobs overseas.
RANDI WEINGARTEN PRESIDENT AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
The former Brooklyn schoolteacher and labor leader started her career with the United Federation of Teachers when she served as counsel to Sandra Feldman, then-president of UFT. At the union’s helm since 1998, she has pushed for higher salaries and been a staunch
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opponent of vouchers, standardized testing and increased funding for charter schools. Weingarten is a major voice in the budget/deficit debate, echoing President Obama’s call to reform tax code inequities.
nod from them opens doors for power players of the next generation.
Chase Bank into its fold for a purchase price of $520 million.
Alan Merton
Michael Harreld
President, George Mason University
Regional President, PNC Bank
EDUCATION
Director, Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University
John J. “Jack” DeGioia
Stephen Fuller
The first non-Jesuit to serve as president of Georgetown University, DeGioia has succeeded by attracting prominent faculty members to the school and aggressively fundraising over the past decade. He continues to forge ahead with plans to add students and expand the campus (despite steadfast neighborhood opposition) notwithstanding a salary freeze, budget cuts and restructuring university debt to weather recent economic volatility.
Under Murton’s tenure, GMU continues to be the fastest-growing public university in Virginia. Its success in the NCAA’s “March Madness” over the past five years has been no fluke either since he is careful to cultivate the popular sports program, and is no doubt already on the hunt for a new head coach now that Jim Larranaga has defected to the University of Miami. Fuller is the number one source for economic, housing and employment trends in the Washington area. Local power players consider his advice indispensable.
Stephen Knapp
BUSINESS
President, George Washington University
Lisa Barry
President, Georgetown University
The shoes of his predecessor, largerthan-life Stephen J. Trachtenberg, are hard to fill, but Knapp seems up to the task. He has forged close ties within the city’s cultural and civic communities by, among other things, serving on the board of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Vice President and General Manager, Chevron
Hart Roper
Chevron’s government affairs chief knows geology and the oil business like few others, a quality that makes her an influential voice in any energy debate. Despite being preoccupied with federal regulation and other industry issues from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to her company’s Russian crude oil pipelines, she can be spotted at major Washington social events to which Chevron is often a generous contributor.
Director of Admissions, St. Albans School
Richard Fairbank
Susan A Mantilla-Goin Director of Admissions, National Cathedral School
Josh Wolman
CEO, Capital One
Director of Admissions Sidwell Friends School
Gatekeepers of the most elite private schools in the Washington metropolitan area, these four professionals ensure that only the best students are admitted. A
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Fairbank had the vision to capitalize – big time – on his realization that credit cards provided highly useful information to monitor consumer behavior. His company became the largest bank in the region in recent years when it brought Chevy
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Harreld directs PNC’s operations in the Greater Washington Area, including retail, corporate and institutional banking and wealth management, and the bank’s extensive community-based activities. He and his wife, Susan, are involved in numerous local philanthropic endeavors. Harreld serves on the boards of the Federal City Council and Consortium of Catholic Academies. He previously chaired the Corcoran Gallery of Art and has served on the boards of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, National Portrait Gallery, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and DC Education Compact. He also is a former D.C. Chamber of Commerce business leader of the year.
Vernon Jordan Partner, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld and Senior Managing Director, Lazard Freres & Co.
The grandson of a sharecropper and the former head of the Urban League, the smoothly charismatic Jordan is “Mr. Influence in Washington.” A trusted friend and golfing buddy of Bill Clinton throughout the eight years of his presidency, Jordan took the heat when it was revealed that he had played a role in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He has a network of connections that reach beyond Washington and serves on numerous corporate boards including Dow Jones, American Express and Xerox. He and his wife, Ann, a former Kennedy Center trustee, are recognized social forces.
Bobbie Kilberg President, Northern Virginia Technology Council
A former operative for four Republican presidents, Kilberg is considered to be
George Will
one of the most powerful women in technology today, She presides over one of the nation’s largest technology councils, boasting 1,110 companies and 188,000 employees in Northern Virginia.
Debra Lee Chairman, Black Entertainment Television
This Harvard Law School grad holds the reins of one of the most powerful mediums for African Americans. She has weathered fire for what some consider to be negative portrayals of African American women on the network but in recent years has responded by producing positive original programming and inviting a panel of influential women to discuss alternatives. In 2011, she joined the president’s new management advisory board to help improve business management practices.
Ted Leonsis Entrepreneur
This Renaissance man has major interests in areas ranging from business and sports to film and media. After selling his marketing business to AOL, he went on to become Vice Chairman of the company before moving onto a number of other business ventures. He also produced award-winning films like “Nanking” and “Kicking It.” Leonsis continues to be a driving force behind the Washington Wizards, Capitals and Mystics and a major player in local philanthropic circles as well. He was also an early investor in upstart social marketing venture Groupon.
Fred Malek Founder, Thayer Capital Partners / Thayer Hidden Creek
An energetic inside player whose platinum pedigree in business management includes numerous corporate acquisitions and board positions (Marriott, Northwest Airlines), Malek started Thayer in 1991, a large private equity firm whose portfolio of companies is estimated to generate
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Grover Norquist
Howard Fineman
Joe Robert
Nixon Administration, and Malek has steadily been involved in conservative politics, running or financing presidential campaigns for the elder Bush and John McCain, and most recently advising Sarah Palin in addition to co-founding the American Action Network.
has become the world’s number one lecture agency and has revolutionized the industry by setting the standard for commitment, trust and care.
J W MARRIOTT CHAIRMAN MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL
The co-founder of the Carlyle Group started his $2 billion-plus fortune by enlisting blue chip politicos to help him buy defense-oriented businesses that subsequently got flipped for major profits. Now Rubenstein watches more than 1,000 corporate and real estate businesses in Carlyle’s global portfolio but seems more intent on making headlines with his philanthropy, including $20 million to the Kennedy Center since he took over as chairman in May 2010.
The 79-year-old hotel mogul visits 300 properties a year, from the 70 luxurytier Ritz-Carltons to value brands like Courtyard and Fairfield Inn. With 3,600 hotels in 71 countries and $12 billion in sales in 2010, the company’s biggest growth is now in booming economies like China and India. Marriott’s chairman and CEO is a passionate proponent of simplifying the visa process to get more international travelers to visit the United States as a way to boost the domestic economy, create new jobs and put more heads on beds. With a regular regimen of Pilates and the treadmill, he is not slowing down anytime soon.
W JAMES MCNERNEY PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN AND CEO BOEING INTERNATIONAL
After holding executive positions at both GE and 3M, McNerney took the pilot’s seat at Boeing in 2005 as chairman, president and CEO. As the largest manufacturer of military aircraft, Boeing’s role continues to be extremely important as the U.S. becomes increasingly involved in overseas conflicts. President Obama recently named him chairman of the President’s Export Council.
HARRY RHOADS AND BERNIE SWAIN FOUNDERS WASHINGTON SPEAKERS BUREAU
Rhoads and Swain promise that their carefully chosen speakers are, quite simply, the most intriguing people in the world. Founded in 1979, their company
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DAVID RUBENSTEIN MANAGING DIRECTOR THE CARLYLE GROUP
RAJENDRA SINGH CHAIRMAN TELECOM VENTURES
This Indian-American billionaire has become a major player in the telecom industry by founding and developing corporations that later merged into Electronic Data Systems and Teligent.
HOWARD WOOLLEY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT STRATEGIC ALLIANCES & WIRELESS POLICY VERIZON WIRELESS
Sitting on the boards of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the World Affairs Council and Everybody Wins! DC, Howard Woolley is at the intersection of public policy and community service. At Verizon, Howard leads the company’s strategic alliances and national organization outreach and their wireless public policy initiatives.
LAW SANDY AIN PARTNER AIN & BANK
Consistently ranked as one of the best divorce lawyers in America, Ain is a highly regarded legal advocate. Even
Joe Solmonese in spectacularly public or sensational cases, he is known for his dignified and respectful courtroom style.
BOB BARNETT PARTNER WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY
A true “signifier of Washington connectedness,” Barnett enjoys a virtual monopoly when it comes to helping heavy-duty politicos collect major cash for their power memoirs. An equal opportunity lawyer-cum-agent as far as his clients’ political affiliations are concerned, he has negotiated deals for Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as George and Laura Bush, Karl Rove, Lynne Cheney and Scott Brown.
ROBERT S “BOB” BENNETT PARTNER HOGAN LOVELLS
When Mayor Vincent Gray found himself embroiled in a pay-for-play scandal he quickly got Bennett on his side. After all, the Hogan Lovells’ über-lawyer is a major player when it comes to handling sticky problems, especially those of political bent. The biggest names in town have knocked on his door, including President Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Caspar Weinberger during the Iran-Contra investigation and Paul Wolfowitz in a World Bank ethics scandal.
GREGORY B “GREG” CRAIG, PARTNER SKADDEN ARPS
Craig is best known for directing the team defending President Bill Clinton against impeachment and being at the center of the Guantanamo Bay and torture debates as Obama’s first legal counsel. He was said to have been forced out by Rahm Emanuel but retains the President’s ear while continuing to advise major clients such as Goldman Sachs on litigation strategy.
JOHN T “TIL” HAZEL LAWYER AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER The Hazel family’s major commercial developments (Tysons Corner for
Tommy Boggs example) have been legendary and far-reaching, and the sheer number of companies under family control is staggering. Among them are Hazel Land Companies Inc., Hazel Peterson Development Company and William A. Hazel Inc.
BILLY MARTIN PARTNER HOWREY LLP Whether it involves scandal, crime, tragedy, or politics, Billy Martin is on the short list of defenders to call in a high-pressure situation. This litigator’s varied client list confirms the diversity of issues he confronts. He has represented the parents of Chandra Levy in her disappearance, the basketball players Jayson Williams and Allen Iverson,Vice President Cheney’s Chief of Staff Scooter Libby, the NFL’s Michael Vick, and Idaho Senator Larry Craig. Martin is married to well-known journalist Michele Martin, who hosts the daily NPR show “Tell Me More.”
THEODORE B “TED” OLSON PARTNER GIBSON DUNN & CRUTCHER
As former solicitor general and assistant attorney general, Olson has argued nearly 50 Supreme Court cases, including the infamous Bush v. Gore and Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board. He has served as private counsel under the Reagan and Bush II administrations and was recently in the news for his support, along with that of center left litigator David Boies, of “gay marriage as an American value.”
BRENDAN SULLIVAN JR SENIOR PARTNER WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY
Washington’s most powerful (and expensive) lawyer is one to hire for political and white-collar crime cases. His reputation as a dogged defense counsel began when he represented Col. Oliver North during the Iran Contra Affair in the late 1980s. Major
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John Hazel
Jack DeGioia
clients have since included former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros and Sen. Ted Stevens.
MEDIA JOE L ALLBRITTON FOUNDER
ROBERT ALLBRITTON CHAIRMAN AND CEO ALBRITTON COMMUNICATIONS
Now 86 and semi-retired, Joe Allbritton is a legend in the Washington business and social scene. After handing over effective control to his son, Robert, he can sit back and watch the family’s media empire grow into a force rivaled only by the Washington Post. Holdings now include WJLA/ABC News 7, News Channel 8, and Politico, the online journal of politics that has become a major player on the local as well as national scene.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR ANCHOR ABC’S “ABC NEWS THIS WEEK”
Before settling down as the host of ABC’s Sunday morning political affairs talk show, Amanpour was CNN’s chief international correspondent, traveling to world hotspots and interviewing world leaders. An Iranian-American with extensive knowledge of Islam, she often gets given insider access (most recently with Libya’s Moammar Gadaffi) denied to other reporters in the Middle East.
WOLF BLITZER HOST CNN’S “THE SITUATION ROOM”
Blitzer arrived in Washington in 1973 as Washington correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and began his ongoing career with CNN as the network’s Pentagon correspondent in early 1990. He continues to be one of the most successful and hardest-working journalists in the business, with his “Situation Room” airing two hours on weekdays and one hour on Saturdays.
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DAVID AND KATHERINE BRADLEY CHAIRMAN ATLANTIC MEDIA COMPANY & CHAIRWOMAN AND PRESIDENT CITYBRIDGE FOUNDATION
This is a genuine Washington power couple. Bradley has successfully been expanding the Atlantic Media Group and its various outlets including The Atlantic, National Journal, Government Executive and The Hotline. He also founded Potomac Research Group, a company built in a vein similar to his Advisory Board Company, to look into how federal activities affect the private sector. Katherine Bradley runs the family foundation, CityBridge, which directs practice areas in education and international health. She created ServiceCorps, a corporate civic engagement initiative for companies in the Washington area, and serves on local boards including America’s Promise, Teach For America and the SEED Public Charter School.
JOHN FAHEY CHAIRMAN AND CEO
TIM KELLY
PRESIDENT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Fahey and Kelly’s ascendancy into the top two spots of the National Geographic empire has helped the storied organization expand its holdings into digital media, cable and more. Today, the National Geographic Channel airs in 34 languages in 166 countries and the National Geographic magazine enjoys an international presence with 33 local language editions with plans to expand further into new media.
HOWARD FINEMAN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR THE HUFFINGTON POST
After 30 years at Newsweek where he served as chief political correspondent, Fineman made the jump from print to blogosphere as the top political editor of
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Savannah Guthrie
Lisa Barry
The Huffington Post. He is helping to shape the influential online news site’s political coverage while continuing to appear as a familiar face on the television pundit circuit.
up to.” With the 2012 presidential election looming, this trio’s influence will only strengthen.
DONALD GRAHAM
Keith Olbermann’s departure has amplified Matthews’ “telling it like it is” from a liberal point of view. His minor flirtation with a possible U.S. Senate run in 2008 likely won’t pan out any time soon, making this top media commentator’s political bully pulpit all the more permanent.
CHAIRMAN THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY
KATHARINE WEYMOUTH
PUBLISHER THE WASHINGTON POST AND CEO WASHINGTON POST MEDIA
MARCUS BRAUCHLI
EXECUTIVE EDITOR THE WASHINGTON POST
In a time of declining newspaper readership, this chairman/publisher/editor triumvirate is remaking the Washington Post Company and attempting to expand its influence into the Internet world. The Post will always be one of the world’s great newspapers and few doubt that their combined talents will ensure its journalistic power and success.
DAVID GREGORY HOST NBC’S “MEET THE PRESS”
Since taking over in the summer of 2008 as the host of NBC’s iconic program “Meet the Press,” Gregory has ably filled Tim Russert’s legendary shoes, maintaining his venerable Sunday morning political chat show’s high standards for attracting major guests.
JOHN F HARRIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
JIM VANDERHEI
EXECUTIVE EDITOR MIKE ALLEN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT POLITICO
Vanderhei, Harris and Allbritton Communications launched Politico in early 2007 and it quickly became manna for political junkies. Allen, who was working at Time magazine, joined his former Washington Post colleagues and created “Playbook,” the must-read Internet site “the White House wakes
CHRIS MATTHEWS HOST MSNBC’S “HARDBALL”
JAKE TAPPER SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT ABC NEWS Before Amanpour took over “This Week” Jake Tapper held down the post ad interim; now as senior White House correspondent, he is a star in his own right. Scoring the first TV interview with CIA director Leon Panetta, he most notably broke the story of the tax troubles of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.
CHUCK TODD POLITICAL DIRECTOR AND COHOST NBC’S “THE DAILY RUN DOWN”
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE
CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT AND CO-HOST NBC’S “THE DAILY RUN DOWN”
Though he ultimately lost to David Gregory in hosting “Meet the Press,” Todd has nonetheless kept his hands full at NBC and MSNBC with several programs, from “Morning Joe” to “Nightly News.” His lively co-hosting gig with Guthrie on “The Daily Rundown” keeps them both ahead of the pack. Guthrie makes her own waves, most recently with a probing interview of Donald Trump.
CHRIS WALLACE HOST FOX’S “FOX NEWS SUNDAY”
Fox News’ talented Sunday morning host is adamant about getting President
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Katherine Bradley
host is adamant about getting President Obama to appear on his decidedly rightleaning show, but to no avail as yet. Truth is, he’d probably settle for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Defense Secretary Bob Gates – who made him rather cross in March by appearing on all three major networks’ Sunday shows instead. An even-handed critic, Wallace recently accused Newt Gingrich of hypocrisy for trying to impeach Bill Clinton when he was having his own extramarital affair at the same time.
Zaslav earned $42.6 million last year, a nearly fourfold increase in his 2009 remuneration, so he must be doing something right. After all, Discovery shares have recently been trading at four times their 2008 value, mainly because the company’s early commitment to HDTV paid off handsomely. Both he and Discovery founder John Hendricks are betting that the recent launch of the new Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and round-the-clock 3D network (3net) will do the same.
George F. Will
PHILANTHROPY AND SOCIAL POWER
Syndicated Columnist
The dean of conservative opinion writers, Will’s often scathing columns on the political scene regularly earn him equal parts praise and ire. He is anything but predictable on many issues, especially those regarding international affairs. He proposed, for example, that the United States withdraw all troops from Afghanistan and recently stated that Libya won’t turn out to be Obama’s Iraq, which took a toll on former President George W. Bush’s poll numbers.
Bob Woodward Assistant Managing Editor, The Washington Post
More than 30 years have elapsed since his reporting helped topple a U.S. president, but Woodward continues to be the country’s top investigative reporter, with some of the best sources in town. He’s also a prolific and successful author with 16 books – most of which have been bestsellers. His latest, “Obama’s Wars,” exhibits the exhaustive research and approach that ensures his continuing fame.
David M. Zaslav CEO
John Hendricks Founder Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications CEO David
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Roger Kirk President, Alibi Club
Founded in 1884, the Alibi Club remains one of the most exclusive social networks in the country with Supreme Court justices, Cabinet members, CIA directors and other high-ranking officials on its tiny roster of members. Kirk wields considerable influence in the capital’s elite networking circles.
Robert Kogod and Robert Smith Philanthropists
These incredibly generous brothers-inlaw made their fortune through the family Charles E. Smith real estate company and are best known for their large gifts to educational institutions, including $45 million to the University of Maryland (Smith) and Kogod’s ever-expanding business school at American University. Recently, they donated $10 million for the renovation of the Charles E. Smith Center at the George Washington University.
Joseph E. “Joe” Robert Jr. CEO, J.E. Robert Companies
Robert has made millions in real estate and has also contributed million to local causes with his Fight For Children charity. His annual Fight Night benefit, the quintessential boys-only gathering,
Robert Kogod
Robert Raben
is where you’ll find Cabinet members, senators, CEOs and other tycoons gathering to drink, dine, smoke cigars and watch several bouts of boxing while raising millions for Washington schools.
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P. Wesley Foster Jr. Chairman and CEO
Marc Fleisher
Top Agent, Long & Foster Companies
RogeR and Vicki Sant Philanthropists
Apart from Vicki Sant’s recent divinginduced cardiac episode, the capital’s premier philanthropic couple keeps a relatively low profile – except when reports of their staggering generosity come to the fore. They include $25 million to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s ocean projects, $9 million to the Phillips Collection and $20 million to the National Symphony.
REAL ESTATE Tom Anderson, Dana Landry, William F.X. Moody, and Marc Schappell founders Washington Fine Properties
In a tough real estate market, this firm continues to set records in high-end sales. They sell 40 percent of their own listings (the national average is 17 percent) by getting all of their agents behind each client. From $25 million homes to $500,000 condos, WFP handles a startling percentage of the most valuable properties in the area.
A. James Clark Chairman, Clark Enterprises
As the head of one of the largest and oldest (founded in 1906) construction companies in the U.S. with just over $2 billion in annual revenue, Clark’s name carries plenty of clout. Clark Construction has personally touched almost every major building project in town, including Nationals stadium and the Verizon Center, and are now focusing on the new Walter Reed Military Medical Center and the Maryland Route
Founder Wesley Foster grew the company into the largest privately owned real estate company in America through his focus on building strong agent relationships, effective advertising and mortgage and title assistance to buyers. The company has managed to hold strong, with a reported $47.2 billion in sales in 2010 despite the nationwide housing crisis. As the company’s top agent representing power players such as pro athletes, politicians and CEOs, Fleisher has earned both local and national accolades, including top producer in the U.S. in 2005 and Greater Capital Association of Realtor’s “Realtor of the Year” for ethics, integrity and service.
Benjamin Jacobs, Donald Brown and Joseph Gildenhorn Partners, JBG Companies
With $10 billion in office, residential and retail properties under management and development, the company has long been a major player in the local real estate market and is known for its sterling reputation. JBG’s latest key development includes two modern, LEED Silvercertified hotels in Crystal City: the 300room Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel and the 325 all-suite Residence Inn Arlington Capital View. Together, they reportedly bring in some 250 new jobs to the area, helping to boost the local economy.
Ted Lerner, Mark Lerner and Marla Lerner Tanenbaum Real Estate Developers
One of the most famous real estate
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area, the Lerners have raised their assets to nearly $3 billion with massive shopping malls (Tyson’s Corner, Tysons II, Landover Mall, Wheaton Plaza, Dulles Town Center, White Flint), 7,000 apartments and the purchase of the Washington Nationals baseball franchise. Moving the team to a state of the art “green” stadium and corporate offices into a new green headquarters in Maryland have gained praise from environmentalists as has the family’s investment in wind power tax credits.
Milton and Jon Peterson Founders, The Peterson Companies
Since the 1970s the Petersons have acquired and developed land for commercial projects in downtown Silver Spring, Fairfax Corner, Tysons Corner and numerous residential developments. More recently, they managed to transform a large Potomac waterfront site in Prince George’s County into the glittering National Harbor, a Las Vegas-style complex boasting a convention center, hotels, restaurants, condos and stores.
Michael Rankin Founder, Managing Partner
Jonathan Taylor Founder, Managing Partner Mark Lowham Managing Partner David DeSantis, Partner, Executive Vice President Derrick Swaak Partner, Chief Operating Officer TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
Originally founded as Tutt, Taylor and Rankin (TTR), the firm joined forces with real estate powerhouse Sotheby’s International Realty in 2006 with less than 40 agents. The company has since grown threefold to140 Realtors while solidifying its position as one of the greater Washington area’s leading
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agencies, especially for luxury properties. Most recently, Mark Lowham has joined the firm after an illustrious career as executive vice president of West Group.
THINK TANK/NONPROFIT groups Ed Crane President, Cato Institute
Crane founded Cato in 1977 and soon turned it into the leading and most wellknown libertarian think-tank in the world. Under his leadership, it has become increasingly influential in affecting political debate, especially in coming up with novel yet practical ways of reducing the size of government and related taxburden. An advocate for neither political party, Crane and his Cato colleagues listen to both sides of the aisle.
G. Wayne Clough Secretary of the Smithsonian
The courtly former civil engineer and head of Georgia Tech assumed the august title of secretary of the Smithsonian after his predecessor departed amid criticism of his high-handed management style and excessive spending. Now Clough has his own problem: extricating himself from a censorship controversy over a National Portrait Gallery exhibit examining gay and lesbian themes that threatened to reignite the culture wars of the 1980s and ’90s. He’ll likely survive if he can mend fences while also dealing with severe budget cuts, declining contributions and the need to repair crumbling buildings and infrastructure.
Cathy Duvall Political Director, The Sierra Club
Environmental issues will at the forefront of legislative battles in the years ahead and Duvall will be leading the Sierra Club into the fray. She will continue to lead the powerful environmental group’s national and political campaigns.
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Vernon Jordan
Wayne Berman
Bob Greenstein
Gail McGovern
Founder and Executive Director, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
President and CEO, American Red Cross
Greenstein, once called “a powerhouse for the poor,” by the Washington Post, heads a liberal-leaning lobbying firm that has earned the respect of Republicans for its talented staff and dogged research. Insiders say Greenstein contributed significantly to President Obama’s 2009 budget proposals and he remains a leading voice on budget analysis – a voice that Nobel prizewinning economist Paul Krugman says he trusts implicitly.
Jane Harman President and CEO, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The recent death of her husband, hi-fi mogul Sidney Harman, soon after his purchase of Newsweek and its merger with the Daily Beast, would have been a seismic enough change if the eightterm California congresswoman hadn’t just resigned her seat to take the helm of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Expect this driven dynamo to forge ahead with the next phase of her brilliant career.
Walter Isaacson President and CEO, Aspen Institute
Isaacson has directed operations at the influential Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan educational and policy studies institute based in Washington, D.C. since 2003. In addition to writing well-received biographies of Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin and Henry Kissinger (and a forthcoming work on Steve Jobs titled “iSteve: The Book of Jobs”) Isaacson has been chairman and CEO of CNN and managing editor of Time magazine in his career.
The former AT&T and Fidelity Investments executive has a plenitude of recent major disasters to deal with, and she deserves much of the credit for the praise the Red Cross received for it’s timely and helpful responses to the earthquake in Haiti and recent tsunami in Japan.
John Podesta President, Center for American Progress
Podesta, who served as President Clinton’s chief-of-staff, founded the Center for American Progress (CAP) and turned it into the nation’s pre-eminent left-of-center think-tank. Its advisors have proved indispensable as President Obama navigates the current hostile political climate.
Bruce Riedel Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
The former high-ranking Pentagon and CIA official and advisor to three U.S. presidents co-chaired an interagency report on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy for the Obama White House. Apart from worsening conditions in Afghanistan, Riedel is on record stating that if Pakistan became a failed state it would be the “worst nightmare” of the century for the U.S.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
The former economics professor and center-left member of the French Socialist party now directs International Monetary Fund efforts to rescue economically vulnerable nations with massive aid packages of grants and loans. How long he’ll stay on as managing director is anybody’s guess since he is expected to seek the Socialist nomination for president of France in 2012.
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