The Atlantic Council’s Capricia Marshall and Jon Huntsman on the rise
Power 100 The
>>Influential players running washington & the world
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the National Gallery of Art’s Rusty Powell & his legacy Power Real Estate:
Inside Bret & Amy Baier’s city oasis children’s hospital raises a record $10.7 million Williams-Addison house: $16 million record-breaker
In Every Issue: Washington Social Diary | real estate news Access Pollywood
pa rt paies! rt pa ie rt s! ie s!
Fashion: Powerful pairs & weekend winners
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EDITOR'S LETTER
FYIDC INSIDER'S GUIDE ..................................... WHO'S NEXT David Dochter ......................... SOCIAL CALENDAR May events ..................
SPECIAL FEATURES THE POWER Washington's most influential residents.............................................................. POWER PROFILE National Gallery of Art Director Rusty Powell ....................................................
LIFE OF THE PARTY
LIFESTYLES
CNMC's The Children's Ball .................................
FASHION EDITORIALLady in Waiting .......... TREND REPORT Memorial Day Weekend
Catholic Charities Gala ......................................... Africare's Bishop John T.Walker Memorial Dinner .........
Get-a-Way ........................................................
TREND REPORT Power Pairs .........................
POLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC Talking with Pulitzer-winning reporter and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas .................................. "A ThousandYears of the Persian Book" Exhibition Opening ............................................................
Saks Fifth Avenue's Great Ladies Luncheon ................
THE DISH Washington's top steakhouses ................. THE DISH French focus.......................................
Youth Orchestra of the America's Spring Gala ..............
Black Tie & Sneaker Gala ...................................... Emily Lodge Book Party ........................................ Chance for Life Poker Tournament............................. Military Charities' Benefit ......................................
WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY
FOCUS Gala ....................................................
AROUND TOWN Rocking and Racing ................
Georgetown University's Diplomatic Ball ....................
EMBASSY ROW
"Holy Terror" Book Party .......................................
Parties! Parties! Parties!........................................
Return Engagement ..............................................
UNCF Masked Ball ...........................................
Arena Stage's "Camp David" Opening Night .............
Artini ...............................................................
HOME LIFE
Alliance Francaise Dinner .......................................
Men of Substance & Style Party ............................
TAPS Honor Guard Gala .....................................
OVER THE MOON Steeplechase Season ..............
INSIDE HOMES Bret and Amy Baier's Upper-Northwest Residence ...............................
National Museum of Catholic Art & Library's 'A Roman Gala' ......................................
PEN/Faulkner Dinner..........................................
N Street Village Gala ............................................
Elle's Women in Washington 2014 Power List Dinner ...
A Night of Arctic Cool ...........................................
CharityWorks Adeler Jewelers Benefit ........................ Shinkai Karokhai Fundraiser ................................... D.C.- Capital Stars ..............................................
OPEN HOUSE May Market .............................. REAL ESTATE NEWS Classic Charm ..................................................... MY WASHINGTON CNN's Jake Tapper...............................................
ON THE COVER Capricia Marshall and Jon Huntsman (photo by Tony Powell). TOP FROM LEFT Jon Huntsman and Capricia Marshall (Photo by Tony Powell). Leah, Patrice, Scott and Anna Brickman at the 2014 Catholic Charities Gala (Photo by Tony Powell). "Lady in Waiting" fashion editorial (photo by Nick Ghobashi. See inside for full crew and shopping credits). ABOVE CLARE V "Grand Duffle" textured-leather bag ($700); saksfifthavenue.com.
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WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| M AY | washingtonlife.com
T H E I N S I D E R’S G U I D E TO P OW E R , P H I L A N T H R O PY, A N D SO C I E T Y S I N C E 1 9 9 1
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Nancy Reynolds Bagley EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Anne Kim-Dannibale MANAGING EDITOR
Alison McLaughlin SENIOR EDITOR
Kevin Chaffee ASSISTANT EDITOR
Laura Wainman CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Nikki Schwab COLUMNISTS
Janet Donovan, Roland Flamini,Vicky Moon, Stacey Grazier Pfarr, Georgia Shallcross and Donna Shor ART DIRECTOR
Matt Rippetoe CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Joseph Allen,Tony Brown, Ben Droz, Alfredo Flores, Nick Ghobashi,Tony Powell and Kyle Samperton
PUBLISHER & CEO
Soroush Richard Shehabi ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
John H. Arundel ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Kaitlin Froelick and Sheila Menn BOOKKEEPER
Trina Hodges WEB TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT
Eddie Saleh,Triposs Mihail Iliev LEGAL
Mason Hammond Drake, Greenberg Traurig LLP INTERN
Ashley Jaye Williams
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Vicki Bagley CREATIVE DIRECTOR EMERITUS (*)
J.C. Suarès CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE BOARD
Gerry Byrne Washington Life magazine publishes ten times a year. Issues are distributed in February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, November, and December and are hand-delivered on a rotating basis to over 150,000 homes throughout D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Additional copies are available at various upscale retailers, hotels, select newstands, and Whole Foods stores in the area. For a complete listing, please consult our website at www.washingtonlife.com. You can also subscribe online at www.washingtonlife.com or send a check for $79.95 (one year) to: Washington Life Magazine, 2301 Tracy Place NW, Washington D.C., 20008. BPA audited. Email us at info@washingtonlife.com with press releases, tips, and editorial comments. Copyright ©2011 by Washington Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content or photos in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed in the United States. We will not be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. *deceased
EDITOR’S LETTER
Keepers of the Keys Power is a way of life in Washington. Like tectonic plates it shifts from year to year, but remains a major force that can shape the landscape in politics, media, business, defense and foreign policy. We’re confident that our ninth annual Power 100 list, an effort spearheaded by journalist Nikki Schwab, reveals the men and women who wield this most essential asset best, whether it be behind the scenes or in plain sight. Many faces are new, including a number of women running major national businesses — Marillyn Hewson, for example. Just a year into her position as CEO of Lockheed Martin, Hewson is making major waves in the male-dominated world of defense contracting. But she’s not alone. Our list also includes women running General Dynamics, Kaiser Foundation of the MidAtlantic and the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. There are no damsels in distress in this month’s “Lady in Waiting” fashion editorial. Our team, led by photographer Nick Ghobashi, explored an age-old power dynamic and flipped it on its head, with a leading lady who is too busy to be waiting on her man, but rather waiting for her driver, her assistant or her clients so that she may get on with her own powerful life. Take a peek inside the sophisticated Northwest Washington residence of Fox News host Bret Baier, which he shares with his wife Amy and their two young sons. After a busy 2013, which included Paul’s third open heart surgery followed shortly thereafter by a move into their new house, the Baiers are looking forward to relaxing, but show no sign of slowing down. In April, the couple co-chaired the Children’s Ball (which raised more than $10 million for Children’s National Medical Center) and now they are gearing up to go on tour for Bret’s first book, which is due out next month. Party season in in full swing this month and with it comes our signature coverage of the best and most exclusive events, including
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the Children’s Ball (which raised a record $10.7 million) and the annual Africare, Catholic Charities, N Street Village and Signature Theatre benefits. Mark your calendars for more in May: the Kennedy Center’s Spring Gala, the March of Dimes Gourmet Gala, Catholic Charities’ Musica y Suenos, the WPAS Auction, Zoofari, Embassy Chef Challenge, Washington Ballet’s Jazz Ball and Charityworks’ 100 Point Vintage Wine Tasting Dinner. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the biggest weekend of the year: the White House Correspondents Dinner. Washington Life will be covering many affiliated events all over town, kicking off on Thursday with “Welcome to Washington: A Salute to Women in Journalism” and a WL-sponsored party, “The Global Beat: Celebrating International Affairs Journalism.” On Friday, we wouldn’t miss Katherine and David Bradley’s annual dinner and Saturday, the main event will find us hopping from the pre-dinner parties to BuzzFeed’s anti-dinner party and MSNBC and Vanity Fair’s exclusive after parties. Say hello if you see us!
Nancy R. Bagley Editor in Chief Readers wishing to contact Nancy Bagley can email her at nbagley@washingtonlife.com
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FYIDC The Insider’s Guide to Washington
THEY SEE ME ROLLING …
On May 16, downsize from four wheels to two on your daily commute and join more than 10,000 locals who are expected to participate in the annual Bike to Work Day hosted by Commuter Connections (celebrating its 40th anniversary this year) and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. Seventy-nine pit stops will be set up around the DMV with refreshments, Tshirts (free to the first 14,000 registered participants) and a raffle to win free bikes. Experienced cyclists will be on hand to lead organized commuter trips and discuss the benefits of two-wheeled transportation. Free registration. See the website for pit stop locations and full details, www.biketoworkmetrodc.org.
Bethesda Fine Arts Festival
BEAUTY IN BETHESDA Browse works created by more than 130 artists from around the country, enjoy live entertainment and sample dishes from Bethesda’s best dining locales at the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival. The event, voted one of the 200 Best Shows by Sunshine Artists Magazine, includes a children’s activities area set up on Ashburn Avenue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Seven local bands are scheduled to play on a stage set up along Del Ray Avenue throughout the weekend. Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; free, rain or shine; located in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle along Norfolk, Auburn and Del Ray avenues; www.bethesda. org/bethesda/bethesda-fine-arts-festival.
Passport DC
CULTURAL EXCHANGES One of the highlights of the spring season, Cultural Tourism’s annual month-long international celebration invites the public to get to know Embassy Row. More than 70 embassies open their doors offering a glimpse into different countries through food, music and film. As in past years, this year’s festivities are punctuated by the popular fundraiser, the Embassy Chef Challenge. Most events free, except Embassy Chef Challenge. Check the website for full details, culturaltourismdc.org. 12
Arlington National Cemetery at 150
HISTORY REMEMBERED More than a memorial for the many men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country, Arlington National Cemetery is also a timeline of American history. Events from wreath-laying ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the grave of the first soldier to be buried at the cemetery to guided tours of the grounds mark the milestone 150th anniversary. May 13 through June 16, Tours $9 per person/tour, arlingtoncemetery.mil.
Blue Man Group
HIGH-OCTANE ENTERTAINMENT Dubbed “an impossible-to-describe theatrical experience,” the Blue Man Group returns to Washington for one week of performances, debuting a new sound, set and video design.The Blue Man Group, who have performed on five continents for more than 25 million people worldwide, are three bald and unmistakably blue characters accompanied by a live band best known for multimedia performances that take audiences on a humorous, intelligent and visually stunning journey without ever uttering a word. May 6 to 11, $48 to $98, show times vary, 90 minute run time, www.thenationaldc.org.
National Harbor Ferris Wheel
BY THE NUMBERS
1.6 million programmable LED lights
175
total height in feet
600,000 to 800,000 projected annual visitors
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336 total passengers
total gondolas
8 total passengers per gondola WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
1.5
rotations per minute ride speed
1
VIP gondola
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B I K E TO WO R K P H OTO BY J U L I E M AG N E S S ; B E T H E S DA F I N E A RT S F E ST I VA L P H OTO C O U RT E SY B E T H E S DA URBAN PARTNERSHIP; PASSPORTDC PHOTO BY JA SON MORENZ; ARLINGTON CEMETERY COURTE SY PHOTO; B LU E M A N G R O U P P H OTO BY PAU L KO L N I K ; N AT I O N A L H A R B O R F E R R I S W H E E L CO U RT E SY P H OTO
Bike to Work Day
FYIDC | WHO’S NEXT
WHO’S NEXT
Cushman & Wakefield’s David Dochter, 34, manages a $500 million portfolio and is helping to make Washington a bustling retail center with projects like the massive mixed-use CityCenter. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE RETAIL BROKERAGE ARENA? I knew I wanted to be in an entrepreneurial business where I was going to be responsible for my own future. I had no idea what that was going to be until I met a commercial broker from Los Angeles while skiing in Deer Valley. I flew to L.A. for three weeks to see if I liked the business. I was hooked but wanted to be on the East Coast. After six months I received an opportunity with a small firm in Maryland. I wrote a business plan and went to New York to pitch the idea of starting a retail division in Washington, D.C. to C&W’s CEO. Just after my 26th birthday, I moved here and started the retail division and finished my graduate degree in the evenings.
retail at 555 12th Street NW. We’ve also represented Ferragamo, Longchamps and Caudalie and we are working on a few other deals at CityCenterDC. There are concerns that CityCenterDC and the East End could hurt Georgetown, but the city is large enough and diverse enough to have two major retail destination markets that complement each other. Georgetown is a very important retail market and we do a lot of business there. We’ve represented flagships for Frye Boots, Goorin Bros, Fluevog, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, H&M, Karen Millen and Athleta and all are WHAT IS YOUR MOST EXCITING performing very well. Major cities have more PROJECT NOW? We have just been hired than one major urban retail trade area and to lease and reposition 100,000 square feet of Washington, D.C. now has that.
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WHAT WAS YOUR LEAST SUCCESSFUL PROJECT AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT? A project in Old Town Alexandria. I learned the importance of having everyone on the same page and setting expectations. Creating a plan for each client and getting buy-in on the plan is critical. You can set yourself up for failure without having a complete understanding of what everyone’s goals are and making sure they are achievable. Managing expectations is vital. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? HATE ABOUT IT? I love the interaction with my team, my clients, the other brokers both from a cooperative standpoint and a competitive one. I hate the amount of time it takes to get some of these deals done, but that’s the nature of the business. WHAT DRIVES YOU? I’m passionate about the business and I’m competitive — I want to win.
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P H OTO BY B E N D R OZ
WHAT AREA IS THE NEXT HOT SPOT FOR RETAIL IN D C ? Everything is pushing east. The major retail corridors before the riots of 1968 are coming back fast. Shaw, H Street NE and the East End will continue to evolve into a dynamic retail market. In the markets east of 15th Street NW, the population has increased by more than 41 percent over the past 10 years with incomes over $110,000. The majority of these new residents are between the ages of 24 and 34 and are looking for high-end dining, shopping and nightlife. Retail that follows this growth will see major opportunities in these resurgent submarkets.
WHAT IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT YOU HELPED CREATE? Bringing a number of the retailers mentioned before to Georgetown and CityCenterDC has been very fulfilling. I believe in CityCenterDC so much that I bought a condo there. We’ve helped create other neighborhoods around retail projects like DCUSA and Chevy Chase Pavilion. That’s more than one, but they’ve all been successful in their own right.
FYIDC | SOCIAL CALENDAR
MAY
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TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL LUNCHEON This annual feast brings together more than 1,000 philanthropists, business leaders and elected officials dedicated to preserving the two-mile stretch of land between the U.S. Capitol and Lincoln Memorial that more than half of all Americans will visit in their lifetimes. With an abundance of weeds, poorly maintained memorials, crumbling steps and polluted waters, there is much work to be done as part of the official 2010 National Mall Plan marking the first major restoration of the National Mall in nearly 40 years. Madison Drive at 13th St., NW; 11:30 a.m.; $500; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact Christine Boston, 202-407-9411.
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KE NNEDY CENTER SPRING GALA The 22nd annual Spring Gala, featuring “Camelot in Concert,” pays tribute to Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser with a cocktail reception on the River Terrace, dinner on the Roof Terrace, a performance in the Concert Hall and a ’til-midnight party following the show. Kennedy Center; 5 p.m.; black-tie; $1,000; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact 202-416-8338, springgala@ kennedy-center.org.
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MARCH OF DIMES GOURMET GALA FIFty Washington notables, including 44 members of Congress, serve guests at this uniquely Washington dinner, which raises funds and awareness for the March of Dimes. Local chefs judge participants in the cook-off with awards handed out in six categories under this year’s theme, “State Fair.” National Building Museum; 6 p.m; business attire; $1,500; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Tina Cavucci, 571-257-2308, ccavucci@marchofdimes.com.
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WASHINGTON TENNIS & EDUCATION FOUNDATION TENNIS BALL WTEF raised more than $1 million at last year’s ball benefitting its new location in Southeast Washington and the children whom the organization serves. This year, tennis great James
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Blake receives the Champion of Tennis Award, while Rep. Ed Whitfield receives the William H.G. FitzGerald Distinguished Service Award. NBC4 anchor Jim Vance lends his signature wit to the event as emcee. Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.; 6 p.m.; business attire; $150 to $500; sponsorships start at $3,000; contact 202291-9888, wtef@wtef.org.
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Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Julianne Chambliss with Helen Green and Rep. Gene Green at the 2013 March of Dimes Gourmet Gala (Photo by Tony Powell)
MÚSICA Y SUEÑOS Enjoy a Friday night with Latin flair at Catholic Charities’ signature fiesta benefiting the Spanish Catholic Center, which empowers immigrants and refugees.With an Argentinean tango performance, salsa lessons with Colombian native Ricardo Loaiza, cocktails and tapas, the evening is sure to be an elucidating and entertaining journey through Latin American culture. National Museum of Women in the Arts; 7 p.m.; $65; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact Carmen Joya, 202-772-4334, Carmen.Joya@CatholicCharitiesDC.org.
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WPAS GALA AND AUCTION A highlight of the spring gala season, the WPAS annual gala and auction raises funds to support the organization’s main stage and education programs with live auctions, dinner, dancing and special musical performances by Vusi Mahlasela, the WPAS’s Children of the Gospel Choir and Step Afrika! Marriott Wardman Park Hotel; 6:30 p.m.; $800; sponsorships start at $1,600; contact Helen Aberger, 202-533-1877, haberger@wpas.org.
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CITYDANCE DREAMSCAPE GALA Once a year the students at CityDance showcase the skills they have learned throughout the year at this annual performance. Students from six local schools participate, as well as guest artists including-
DREAMscape dance superstars from around the world. Lincoln Theater; 7 p.m. performance, 8:30 p.m. VIP dance party with the cast at Alero Restaurant (1301 U Street NW); creative cocktail attire; $150; sponsorships start at $500; contact 202-347-3909.
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PENFED FOUNDATION NIGHT OF HEROES GALA The 10th annual gala honors four individuals who have demonstrated leadership in providing support and services to returning military veterans and their families with a theme of “Welcome Home: Supporting Warriors in Transition.” Deborah Lee James, Norbert R. Ryan Jr., Mary Scott and Joyce Wessel Raezer are this year’s honorees, with special recognition to VISA. National Building Museum; 6 p.m.; black-tie or military dress; $500; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact Ashleigh, 202-741-1273, Ashleigh@webstergroupinc.com.
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WOODROW WILSON HOUSE GARDEN PARTY Celebrate spring at this colorful annual party supporting the historic preservation of President Wilson’s Washington, D.C. residence. The evening features live music, festive spring hats (with prizes awarded in four categories) and specialty cocktails in the two-tiered back garden. Woodrow Wilson House; 6:30 p.m; garden party attire; $100; sponsorships start at $250; contact Sarah Andrews, 202-387-4062 ext. 41222, sandrews@woodrowwilsonhouse.org.
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JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPIONS GALA The annual GEICO Champions Celebration supports the Junior Tennis Champions Center’s mission of community outreach, which has provided instruction and mentoring to more than 1,000 local youth. This year’s honorees are tennis legends Donald Dell and Sheridan “Sherry” Snyder. Residence of Swedish Amb. 3900 Nebraska Ave.; 6:30 p.m.; $400; sponsorships start at $2,000; contact David McIsaac, 301-779-8000.
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PUBLIC CITIZEN GALA For the 43rd annual gala, Public Citizen is switching things up a bit with the introduction of a new award: the Golden Boot. The inaugural trophy will be presented to Sen. Elizabeth Warren for “protecting consumers, inspiring the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, holding Wall Street banks accountable and serving as a leader that demands the economy work for everyone, not just the privileged few.” National Press Club; 5:30 p.m.; $250; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Amanda Fleming, 202-588-7734, afleming@citizen.org.
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ZOOFARI You might want to loosen your belts a few notches before you belly up at ZooFari, featuring tastes from more than 100 top local restaurants including Central, Proof and the new Joe’s Stone Crab. Celebrity chefs battle for the title of Zoofari Grill Master, using a mystery ingredient from the Zoo’s Animal Kitchen. National Zoo; 6:30 p.m.; $175 to $200; sponsorships start at $1,400; contact LaShawn Harris, 202-633-3034.
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EMBASSY CHEF CHALLENGE Dine around the world at the sixth annual Embassy Chef Challenge presented by Cultural Tourism DC as part of Passport DC. Twelve embassy chefs present their signature epicurean delights and compete for the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice awards. Former Protocol Chief Capricia Marshall serves as this year’s honorary gala chairwoman.
Ronald Reagan Building; 6 p.m.; $250; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact 202-661-7581.
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PHILLIPS COLLECTION GALA This year’s “Made in the USA” gala celebrates two pioneers of American art and design, Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan and Reed Krakoff. Guests can look forward to a reception and seated dinner prepared by chef Todd Gray, followed by an after party at the Anderson House celebrating the glitz and glam of the 1970s. The Phillips Collection; 6:30 p.m.; 9 p.m. after party; black-tie; $1,250; sponsorships start at $15,000; after party tickets $150-$200; contact Dale Mott, dmott@phillipscollection.org.
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WASHINGTON BALLET JAZZ BALL This annual spring benefit celebrates the company’s outreach programs, such as TWB@THEARC, DanceDC and Excel, and the donors who make them possible. Wynton Marsalis serves as honorary chairman with Reginald Van Lee serving as gala chairman. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts; 7 p.m.; $1,000; sponsorships start at $3,000; contact Liz Sizer, 202274-4518,esizer@washingtonballet.org.
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PREAKNESS RACES Jaunt to Baltimore for a day of mint juleps, tailgating and thoroughbred racing at the 139th running of the Preakness Stakes, the second race in the Triple Crown. Peruvian Amb. Harold Forsyth hosts the invitation-only International Pavilion featuring Paso horses and other items of Peruvian culture. Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore, Md.; gates open at 8 a.m., first race at 10:30 a.m.; tickets start at $25; visit preakness.com for more information.
oring longtime Georgetown resident and Tudor Place trustee Niente Ingersoll Smith. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden; 6 p.m.; $175; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Mary-Michael Wachur, 202-965-0400 ext. 104, mwachur@tudorplace.org.
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STEP AFRIKA! VIP GALA AND PERFORMANCE The third annual VIP gala includes a pre-show seated dinner, performance of “Green Is the New Black” and an after party with the performers. Adding a new twist, this year’s show includes a theme: conservation and sustainability explored through ways to capture energy created by dance and technology such as the Stepping Power Pad, Energy Generating Drums and Heel Strike Boots. Catholic University, Caldwell Hall 620 Michigan Ave. NE; 5:30 p.m.; cocktail attire; $350; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact Joanna Coutts, 202-399-7993 ext. 112, jcoutts@stepafrika.org.
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CHARITYWORKS’ POINT VINTAGE WINE TASTING DINNER It isn’t every day that you can sample 10 of the world’s rarest wines paired with culinary treats from Washington’s most celebrated chefs. Once a year at Charityworks’ annual wine tasting dinner that dream becomes a reality. Lively conversation, elegant décor and power philanthropy at its finest await. Norma and Russ Ramsey residence, Great Falls,Va.; 6 p.m.; $5,000; sponsorships start at $10,000; contact 703-286-0758 or charityworks@ aol.com for more information.
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TUDOR PLACE GARDEN PARTY Gather under a tent on the south lawn for an evening in the gardens at Tudor Place. Chairmwomen Page Evans, Colman Riddell and Liz Dougherty host this evening honThomas Krahenbul and Dorothy Kosinski with Trish and George Vrandenburg at the 2011 Phillips Collection Gala (Photo by Kyle Samperton)
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LIFE OF THE PARTY WL-sponsored and Exclusive Events | The Children’s Ball, Catholic Charities Gala and more!
UAE Amb. Yousef Al Otaiba and Abeer Al Otaiba, Amy and Bret Baier at the Children’s Ball. (photo by Tony Powell)
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LIFE
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PARTY Dionne Warwick
Amy and Bret Baier
Alison and Kurt Newman
WL SPONSORED
Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy
CHILDREN’S NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER’ CHILDREN’S BALL Ritz-Carlton | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, Abeer Al Otaiba,
A RECORD SETTER: All the stops got pulled out this year when United Arab Emirates Amb. Yousef Al-Otaiba, his wife Abeer and Amy and Bret Baier raised a record-se!ing $10.7 million for Children’s National Medical Center, largely from their vast network of friends from around the globe. Friends who could not be there, including Michelle Obama, George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Rob Lowe, Kim Kardashian and Pharrell Williams, sent videotaped messages of support. This year was especially personal for both couples because Children’s had performed miracles in saving the lives of their young children. DREAM THEME: More than 900 ballgoers enjoyed a special dinner prepared by celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck and Nobu Matsuhisa and a live auction that included the auctioneer (Mr. Baier hammering down earrings and a bracelet designed by a Children’s patient and once worn by Beyonce Knowles for $75,000. Oscar- and Grammy-winning artist Jennifer Hudson kept spirits high with a 30-minute concert at no charge. FINAL TALLY: “This has been a labor of love for all of us. We are simply blown away by your generosity,” Amb. Al-Otaiba told the crowd before announcing another $2 million gi#s from his country’s crown prince.
Elizabeth Santangelo and Joseph E. Robert III
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Jack and Susanna Quinn
Jean-Marie and Raul Fernandez
Jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz with Jozlyn Miller (photo by Nick Khazal)
Chefs Wolfgang Puck and Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa (photo by Margot Schulman)
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Marcy Cohen holding the black Labrador she donated for the live auction
The Etihad Airways “Flying Nannies” (photo by Margot Schulman) WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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Chris and Kathleen Matthews with Debbie Jarvis
Gala Chairmen Scott and Patrice Brickman with Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Msgr. John Enzler Rep. John Delaney, April Delaney and Doug Duncan
WL SPONSORED
Michael Steele
CATHOLIC CHARITIES GALA Marriott Wardman Park | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL DOING GOOD ON A GRAND SCALE: The annual Catholic Charities Gala sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington is not only one of the metropoitan area’s largest charity events (with over 1,000 guests in a!endance) but it also has one of the farthest reaches in terms of community service. Its more than 65 programs provided aid in many forms to over 116,000 local residents last year, including providing important mental health services to the area’s most impoverished citizens. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Tony and Diane Williams
Connie Morella
Raul and Jean-Marie Fernandez with Susanna and Jack Quinn Greg Foscato with Susan and Michael Harreld
Ben and Lori Soto, Muriel Bowser and Chris Donatelli 22
John and Kristin Cecchi
Carolina DeSouza, Kerry Troup and Mae Haney Grennan
Carrie and David Marriott
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Daphne Maxwell Reid and Andrew Young South African Amb. Ebrahim Rasool, Stephen Cashin and Darius Mans
Debbie Mans, Dera Tompkins and Sheila Walker WL SPONSORED
AFRICARE’S BISHOP JOHN T. WALKER MEMORIAL DINNER Washington Hilton | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL HONORING PIONEERS: More than 500 business, government and philanthropic leaders gathered to honor Africare’s pioneering co-founders, C. Payne Lucas and Dr. Joseph Kennedy, with Lifetime Achievement Awards. The duo have seen Africare grow from a small organization working in one region of Niger with a budget of $39,000 to a major nonprofit group that engages in hundreds of projects spanning 36 African countries. “As Africare continues to grow and serve larger numbers of Africans in need, we always remember our inspirational and dedicated founders, their humble beginnings and their vision that takes us to communities that exist where the road ends,” Africare President Darius Mans said. The late Nelson Mandela, Africare’s honorary chairman, was also honored through a special video and musical tribute by trumpeter Thaddeus Wilson of DC Fusion.
Elizabeth Meyer, Maurie Carr and Kristen Ward Dr. Joseph Kennedy and Joseph Kennedy II Alicia Rodrigues and Kelvin Franklin
C. Payne Lucas Caroline Eboumbou and Hannah Burris
Burkina Faso Amb. Seydou Bouda
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Dominica Amb. Hubert Charles
Thaddeus Wilson
Sandi Jordan and James Billy
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POLLYWOOD The Nexus of Politics﹐ Hollywood﹐ Media and Diplomacy | N Street Village 40th Anniversary Gala, Embassy Row and more!
Linda Daschle and Jill Daschle at the N Street Village Gala (Photo by Tony Powell)
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HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC
HOME LAND Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter-turned filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas talks about being one of America’s many “undocumented” residents B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N
F
irst of all, this is my country,” writer and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas said emphatically when asked what he would do if he were deported back to his country. “This is where I grew up. This is what I call my home.” Hollywood on the Potomac sat down with Vargas at the Newseum prior to the private screening of “Documented,” a film by an “undocumented American” as he prefers to call his situation — as opposed to “illegal” or “alien” or both for that matter. “I’m here illegally, but as a person, I’m not illegal because human beings can’t be illegal,” he maintains. “‘Alien,’ that’s such an odd term,” he continues. “It’s fascinating how we’ve always wanted to make other people feel like ‘other people’ — the Irish, the Italians, Eastern Europeans, Jews and now Latinos and Asians today. I actually think that’s one of the most tragic things that has happened in our country. You have young people who grow up in America kind of internalizing that word.” Vargas was born in the Philippines and learned at age 16 that he was in the country illegally when he went to get his driver’s license. Upon presenting his green card to the woman behind the booth, she promptly informed him that it was fake. He thought she was lying. “This was in the 1990s and I’m Filipino so I was like, well, clearly I’m not. She’s lying to me,” he thought. But when he went home, his family confirmed the terrible news.The papers that his grandfather had paid $4,500 to get Vargas to the United States where he could have a better life were indeed fake. Vargas was scared throughout the ensuing years, even though he eventually went on to work for The Washington Post which included going to the White House to cover
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Jose Antonio Vargas, Janet Yang and Joe Green (Photo by Janet Donovan)
a state dinner on occasion and receiving a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news. In time, he let go of his fears and outed himself in 2011. He was prepared for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (I.N.S) to pick him up, and even saved some money and packed his things. “I expected everything. What I did not expect was silence,” he says. The I.N.S. never came. Vargas went on to tell his tale on TV and then called Time Magazine’s Rick Stengel to pitch a story about why he hadn’t been deported. “I actually had to call the government myself. I was like, ‘Hi, I’m Jose Vargas. I’m writing a cover story. I haven’t heard from you’ and the woman on the line was very confused. I said I needed a comment, I was on deadline and she said, ‘No comment. We can’t comment on your case.’” Thinking back now, Vargas views that response as a metaphor for how Americans view the undocumented. “You all know we’re
here,” he says. “You know we’re driving on the same freeway. You know we go to the same Starbucks, the same Walmart. We go to the same school, the same church. So, what do you want to do with us? “I actually think in some odd way my government seems to be more scared of me than I am of it,” he continues. “If they want to deport me, it’s not like I’m hiding.” After the screening, Vargas joined FWD. us founder Joe Green, the film’s Executive Producer Janet Yang (“The Joy Luck Club”) and Grover Norquist on a panel where they urged Congress to have an honest conversation about immigration. Vargas noted one major hurdle may be that the issue is confusing for those here without papers. “You know how people say ‘get in the back of the line’? Most people don’t know that there is no line,”Vargas concludes. “There is no process. Can you give us the line and tell us what rules to follow?” Watching “Documented” may be a start.
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Asghar and Shoaleh Nosrati Faraj and Minoo Saghri with Francis and Dionne Najafi
Saghi Modjtabai, Nasser Gramian ,Akbar Lari, Minoo Lari, Meriel Lari and Maryam Mesbahzadeh Mujica
“A THOUSAND YEARS OF THE PERSIAN BOOK” EXHIBITION OPENING
Ali Mojdehi and Dr. Mussa Banisadre
Forough Hosseini and Parvin Biglari
Library of Congress | PHOTOS COURTESY PUBLIC AFFAIRS ALLIANCE OF IRANIAN AMERICANS LOVE OF LANGUAGE: Members of Congress joined prominent Iranian-American philanthropists and business leaders at the Library of Congress to celebrate the storied history of Persian language and literature at a reception marking the opening of “A Thousand Years of the Persian Book.” Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington and the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) co-hosted the event highlighting the never-before-seen collection and the role that Persian language has played in world history. The treasures on display include rare Qurans with Persian designs and decorative motifs, Omar Khayyam’s “Rubaiyat,” and poetical works by Rumi, Sa’adi and Hafez. The exhibit is on display through September 20, next to Thomas Jefferson’s permanent collection.
Haida Mojdehi
Gita Khadiri and Reza Khadiri (siblings)
Rep. John Mica
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Raz McGlynn and Nazie Eftekhari
Dr. James H Billington
Amir Eftekhari, Tirdad Fattahi and Saghi Eftekhari
Fred Fardshisheh and Mona Khademi WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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Mahnaz Afkhami with Hamid Biglari and Kambiz Atabey
Dr. and Mrs. Fereydoun Ala
Rep. Eric Swalwell
Dr. Forough Akrami & Dr. Atarod Modjtabai
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Bill Alsup and Sen. Kay Hagan Sen. Roy Blunt, Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Arne Sorenson Schroeder Stribling and Michele Norris
WL SPONSORED
N STREET VILLAGE GALA Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Diana Enzi and Sen. Mike Enzi
DINNER WITH A MOTIVE: Nearly 600 supporters of N Street Village celebrated the organization’s 40th anniversary while raising a recordbreaking $760,000 to continue its mission to help homeless and lowincome women. Three N Street Village clients were honored with Steinbruck Awards for having demonstrated remarkable leadership, persistence and determination: Evelyn Brensen, Marshalle Gaither and Ann Hill. “We made a promise to [these women], which we have kept for 40 years and which we won’t forsake. We will be here,” N Street Village Executive Director Schroeder Stribling told the crowd.Sens. Kelly Ayo e and Kay Hagan were also honored with Founder’s Awards. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Heidi Junk and Allison Putala
Susan Brophy and Art Cameron
Mayor Vincent Gray
Meredith McEver, Daren Thomas and Peter Shields
Jo Cooper
Doug Wheeler and Reginald Van Lee
Will Ris and Richard Bebout
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Melissa Maxfield and Decker Anstrom
Elaine Zakarison and Deneen Brown
Hillary and Tom Baltimore
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POLLYWOOD | EMBASSY ROW
Return Engagement Wasn’t that …?, No ties or scarves from Greece, Brazil shows off the Soccer World Cup BY ROLAND FLAMINI
Francois Bujon de l’Estang, who served as French ambassador to the U.S. from 1995 to 2002. (Courtesy Embassy of France)
OLD HOME WEEK: If you did a few double takes around town in the closing days of April, you were probably right. A larger than usual group of former envoys to Washington converged on their old stomping grounds, and the occasion was the annual meeting of the Tri-Lateral Commission. The long list included Ferdinando Salleo of Italy and his wife Anne Marie; France’s Francois Bujon de l’Estang and his wife Ann; Germany’s Juergen Chrobog and wife Magda as well as his successor here, Wolfgang Ischinger. The first three had been contemporaries in Washington. Also, Sir John Kerr of the United Kingdom (now Lord Kerr of Kinlochard); Jerzy Kozminski from Poland; the European Union’s John Bruton; and Japan’s Yoshio Okawara. By day, the group participated in weighty discussions with the inevitable agenda: Russia, China, the Middle East. By night they dispersed to dinners and receptions all over town. It was déjà vu all over again. A HOUSE, BUT NO LONGER A HOME: Shortly after World War II, a Greek immigrant businessman, William Heles, donated a 35-
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Brazilian Amb. Mauro Vieira and the Brazilian Deputy Minister of Sports Luis Fermandes show off the Soccer World Cup. (Courtesy Embassy of Brazil)
room mansion on the edge of Sheridan Circle on Massachusetts Avenue NW to the Greek government for use as the combined embassy, chancery and ambassador’s residence. Today, Ambassador Christos Panagopoulos is hoping that another wealthy Greek-American, or group of Greek-Americans, will step up to meet the cost of much needed renovations to the 1917 building. Unoccupied since 2006, the house represents the long arm of collateral damage by the disastrous Greek debt crisis. Earmarking between $8 million-$12 million to renovate the old structure — incidentally designed by George Oakley Totten Jr., one of Washington’s most prolific architects — is not very high on the Athens government’s list of priorities, but Panagopoulos says he may be close to finding the money from within the Greek-American community in the United States. Meanwhile, the temporary Greek embassy residence is a more modest house in Georgetown which the ambassador says allows for limited entertaining. In other respects, though, the news from Greece is better than it has been for months.
International buyers returned to the Greek bond market and snapped up a $3 billion offering; the cost of government borrowing dropped from 36 percent to 8 percent. Talk of the country having to quit the Euro zone is forgotten even as Greece ends a six-month presidency of the European Union! But to symbolize its new frugality the Greek EU presidency will not follow the tradition of handing out specially designed commemorative neck ties and ladies’ scarves: just pens and note pads. RECENT HAPPENINGS: Variety is the spice of diplomatic events in Washington. In April, Brazilian Ambassador Mauro Vieira hosted a crowded reception to show off the Soccer World Cup. The World Cup series will be held in Brazil this summer, but Viera would not be drawn into a discussion about his country team’s chances. “Obviously, we hope to win,” was all he would say. Also present was Peru’s ambassador, Harold Forsyth , whose son is the goalie of the Peruvian national team, but who said Peru sadly failed to qualify for the final rounds in Brazil.
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Jehan Sedat and Egyptian Amb. Mohamed Tawfik
Ron Rifkin, Jimmy Carter and Khaled Nabawy
WL EXCLUSIVE
Lawrence Wright, Molly Smith, Edgar Dobie and Gerald Rafshoon
‘CAMP DAVID’ OPENING NIGHT Lawrence Wright, Richard Thomas, Rosalynn Carter and Jimmy Carter
Arena Stage | PHOTOS COURTESY ARENA STAGE
Jim Lehrer
Chris Matthews
POWER PLAYERS: The presence of Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn enhanced Arena Stage’s world premiere of “Camp David,” which closes May 4. The emotional evening a!racted familiar faces who were around when the former president brought Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the wooded retreat to find a route to peace in the Middle East. HISTORY WATCHERS: Among the opening night guests were House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sally Quinn and Andrea Mitchell, but it was Sadat’s widow, Jehan Sadat, who brought down the house. — Chuck Conconi
Al Hunt and Judy Woodruff
Evelyn DiBona, Bart Gordon and Martha Ann Alito
Nina Pillsbury, French Amb. François Delattre and Joan Carl
Constance Harriman Whitfield and Michael Miller
WL EXCLUSIVE
ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DINNER
Susan Rappaport, Vibeke Lofft and Willee Lewis
Anderson House | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Amb. of Monaco Maguy Maccario Doyle and Gabrielle Doyle
VIVE L’ALLIANCE!: Local Francophiles gathered at the Society of the Cincinnati’s impressive Washington headquarters for a cocktail buffet in support of the Alliance Francaise’s Educational Initiatives — language programs, scholarships, teacher training and arts events for local children and educators. “The Alliance has been a key player in Washington cultural life for more than 60 years ... and has never been be!er than it is today,” French Amb. François Dela re told the black-tie crowd before affectionately complimenting the evening’s “Trois Mousquetaires,” Joan Carl, Evelyn DiBona and Nina Pillsbury, for organizing the event.
Michael Pillsbury and Calvin Cafritz VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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POLLYWOOD Derrick Dockery with Ted and Lynn Leonsis
Afghan Amb. Eklil Admad Hakimi, Deanie Dempsey, Gen. Martin Dempsey and Sultana Hakimi
Cameron Santos-Silva and Mark A. Welsh III
TAPS HONOR GUARD GALA National Building Museum | PHOTOS COURTESY TAPS HONORING FALLEN HEROES: The 20th anniversary of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) Honor Guard Gala honored several prominent Washingtonians, including Ted Leonsis, Nicki Bunting, Rep. Adam Smith and Gen. Mark A. Welsh III for their steadfast commitments to the military. In an emotional finale, more than 120 people who have lost a loved one in military service to America and were assisted by TAPS took the stage and received a standing ovation.
Connor and Nicki Bunting
Prince Lorenzo de’ Medici Christina Cox and Johan Schotte
Italian Amb. Claudio Bisogniero and Military Services Archbishop Timothy Broglio WL EXCLUSIVE
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CATHOLIC ART AND LIBRARY’S ‘ROMAN GALA’ Embassy of Italy | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES
Frank Kendall, Beth Halpern, Christine Warnke and Imre Eszenyi Anthony Pogorelc with Kathy and Raymond Flynn
ROMAN HOLIDAY: A select group of diplomats, politicians and museum supporters — including Medici descendant Prince Lorenzo de Medici — gathered to toast the Library’s many lifetime achievement honorees including Military Services Archbishop Timothy Broglio, former Boston Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Raymond Flynn, and Raytheon Chairman William Swanson. Other honorees included Department of Defense’ Assistant Secretary for Procurement Frank Kendal III, Earth Day Dallas Founder Trammell S. Crow and artists Claudia Hecht and Luis Peralta. Funds help support the creation of a Catholic art museum in Washington, which plans to display a life-size reproduction of Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Pietà by artist Arte Devine. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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Joe Travez, David Newren and Claudia Hecht WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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Maria Teresa Kumar and Melodie Barnes
L to R (bottom) Cheryl Mills, Dana Bash, Robbie Myers, Neera Tanden, Ilyse Hogue and Laura Denise Bisogniero; (top): Kevin O’Malley, Capricia Marshall, Sen. Susan Collins, Penny Pritzker, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Kim Kingsley
Sally and Mark Ein
WL EXCLUSIVE
ELLE’S WOMEN IN WASHINGTON 2014 POWER LIST DINNER Villa Firenze | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Marissa Mitrovich, Luke Russert, Jennifer Hing and Anna Palmer
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rebecca Cooper
WONDERWOMEN: Elle Magazine’s annual “Women in Washington” dinner isn’t your typical ladies’ night out. Far from an evening of idle chit-chat, guests at this über-chic soirée sponsored by Gucci discussed “the good old girl network” (so dubbed by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz) and local entrepreneur Susanna Quinn‘s new luxury lifestyle app, Veluxe, among other topics. All but one of the 10 honorees were present with only Washington, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier absent. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Astri Kimball, Olav Heian-Engdal and Clara Brillembourg Chopivsky
Maya Vik
Emily Jansen, Mark Vlasic, Krishanti Vignarajah and Arthur Orkisz
Norwegian Amb. Kåre Aas and Deepti Choubey
WL EXCLUSIVE
A NIGHT OF ARCTIC COOL
Keith Costas, Janice Moskowitz, Marguerite Thompson, Septime Webre and Marc Cipullo
Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL ARCTIC BLAST: Norwegian Amb. Kåre R. Aas hosted a fi!ingly themed evening given the “polar vortex” the U.S. experienced this past winter. The highlight was a live performance by award-winning Norwegian musician Maya Vik although the themed “Polar Bar” was a big hit as well. Hosted in cooperation with the Meridian International Center’s Rising Leaders Council, speakers focused on the chilling weather of late and its environmental causes. Hip and informative, it was a very “cool” night indeed. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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Halie Soifer, Marte Heian Engdal, Kine Hartz and Sarah Murphy
Gabi Gorder and John Hudson
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9TH ANNUAL
Hillary Clinton
Susan Molinari
David Axelrod
Karl Rove
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Jim DeMint
Cheryl Mills
T F I L E P H OTOS
here’s an old adage often quoted to doe-eyed college grads seeking employment: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Well, in Washington it’s both. Those with superior knowledge and the access to properly utilize that knowledge hold the reins of power in this town — the most sought after prize in our nation’s capital. The faces of the participating players may change from year to year, but in this, our ninth annual Power 100 List, the rules of the game remain the same: (1) knowledge is power; (2) influence is power; (3) access is power; and (4) the perception of power is often the most powerful force of all. A few individuals on our list were born into power, mainly through inherited wealth, but most earned it the hard way. And while we’re not disputing the power of the purse, net worth alone does not automatically translate into power. How those dollars get used does. Washington is and will always be a politics-dominated city, but
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Grover Norquist
Christine Lagarde
for our purposes, we continue the tradition of eliminating anyone drawing a government paycheck, as this list is not intended to serve as a government directory — use Google for that. We continue to focus on the key players, in the public eye or behind the scenes, who are helping to shape government policy, the economy, business, media, real estate and culture for years to come. In an effort to shine light on as many new faces as possible, we added nearly 50 people this year, and in so doing we noticed an uptick in the number of women on the list. From the buzz surrounding Hillary Rodham Clinton’s potential 2016 presidential bid to female CEOs in traditionally male-dominated industries, such as Marillyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin, Kim Horn of Kaiser Foundation of the MidAtlantic and Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, we predict a powerful next few years for Washington ladies. Read on for the full list. >>
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100 ROBERT ALLBRITTON KIM KINGSLEY
Robert Allbritton
Dana Bash
Jeremy Ben-Ami
Wayne Berman
Wes Bush
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Chairman and CEO, Allbritton Communications; COO, Politico While his father, the late Joe Allbritton, was a television guy, at one point holding on to the capital’s ABC affiliate WJLA while selling off the now defunct Washington Star newspaper, son Robert is betting on the written word. Allbritton made waves last year when he decided to sell WJLA, its cable counterpart NewsChannel 8 and several other Albritton-owned stations to Sinclair Broadcast Group for $973 million, pending FCC approval. He’s using the funds to grow Politico bigger and wider. Bigger in that Politico Magazine launched in October, is trying to steal some ground from other publications in the long-form journalism space. Wider in that there’s now a Politico for New York after Allbritton acquired Capital New York in September. Through all of this, Kingsley has put herself on the map. One of Politico’s first hires in 2006, the former reporter vaulted to the top of the company in 2010 before she turned 30. More recently, she’s spearheaded Politico’s Women Rule campaign, which brought women leaders like Nancy Pelosi, Anne-Marie Slaughter and Jane Harman together for a series of empowering conferences.
TOM ANDERSON DANA LANDRY WILLIAM F X MOODY MARC SCHAPPELL Founders,Washington Fine Properties Under the leadership of Anderson, Landry, Moody and Schappell, Washington Fine Properties is a dominating force in the local real estate market. In 2013, the firm’s sales volume hit $2 billion with a total of 1,553 transactions. On top of that, WFP represented seven of the top 10 most expensive homes in the area, including the $9.3 million McLean estate of the late Joe Robert, creator of D.C. Fight Night; the $8.6 million Georgetown mansion formerly belonging to Janet Lee Auchincloss, the mother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; and the $7.6 million Georgetown home once owned by Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln. For the fourth year in a row, Washington Fine Properties was presented with the Highest Average Agent Production Award by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. Though the firm sold 33 percent more properties over $1 million in Washington in 2013 than its closest competition, it also
increased sales under $1 million by 35 percent. Several WFP agents were ranked nationally as top agents by the Wall Street Journal, with Nancy Taylor Bubes, Matthew McCormick, Mark McFadden and Ellen Morrell receiving recognition. The idea for WFP was hatched by the four men 15 years ago, with Schappell coming on board in 2007. The firm has since grown “organically,” as the founders like to say. In recent years they’ve spread to Maryland’s Eastern shore and, in December, opened up an office in Bethesda.
JOSÉ ANDRÉS Chef and ThinkFoodGroup founder Bringing small plates to the United States is small potatoes for José Andrés these days. The James Beard Awardwinning chef and restaurateur took the Spanish tapas concept and turned it into a restaurant empire from his classic Jaleo and innovative Minibar to Mexican favorite Oyamel. He’s credited for turning around Washington’s Chinatown neighborhood and his restaurants have acted as launchpads for other chefs taking over the capital’s foodie scene. In an effort to give back, Andrés has partnered with the state department, the National Archives and the White House for various foodthemed projects. He’s now a professor teaching a “World on a Plate” class at George Washington University, where he’ll also give the school’s commencement speech in May. Last November he hit another milestone as the Spanish-born chef officially became an American citizen.
CATHAL AND MESHELLE ARMSTRONG Owners, Restaurant Eve With a handful of innovative dining concepts across the Potomac, Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong have done to old town Alexandria what José Andrés did to Washington’s Chinatown district. The couple, who met while working together at the original Cities in Adams Morgan, now have six concepts down pat, including The Majestic,T.N.T., Society Fair, Eamonn’s and PX, and their original darling, Restaurant Eve, which turns 10 this year. Along the way, Cathal, an Irish-born chef who opened his first restaurant at 16, has partnered with the White House to bring healthy cooking to Alexandria’s public schools and once received President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at Restaurant Eve. He’s been nominated seven times for James Beard awards and his debut cookbook “My Irish Table” came out in March.
DAVID AXELROD Director, Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago Since leaving Obama’s side in 2011, the former Chicago Tribune reporter has hardly gone quietly into the sunset, appearing often on television as an analyst for NBC News and in print to weigh in on the political news of the day. As the head of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, he most recently went toe to toe with Tea Party favorite Rand Paul at an education forum, tackling all manner of subjects from abortion to climate change and the Department of Education. Last month, he was asked to reprise his role as political mastermind across the pond as a senior strategic advisor to British Labour Party leader Ed Milliband, whose bottom-of-the-barrel status is sure to test Axelrod’s mettle. Most intriguingly for political watchers, the race pits him against former Obama campaign colleague Jim Messina, who is helping equally unpopular incumbent Prime Minister David Cameron keep No. 10 Downing Street.
BRET BAIER “Special Report” Host, Fox News Channel “Special Report with Bret Baier” dominates the ratings, establishing Baier as the most important media presence for Fox News in Washington. On average, according to Nielsen, Baier pulls in 2.1 million viewers each night and has been in the number one spot for 63 straight months. That’s because he delivers a crisp, smart newscast that gets praise from both the political right and the left — and the latter aren’t often fans of anything Fox. Unlike other Fox hosts he covers substantive issues rather than just providing entertainment. The hard-hitting journalist also has a big heart, helping to raise $10.7 million at Children’s National Medical Center’s Children’s Ball in April. Baier’s son Paul has had five major heart problems and undergone three open heart surgeries. Turning his family’s struggle into something positive, Baier has written a book about it, “Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage & Love.” Due out in June, all the proceeds are set to go to pediatric heart research.
ASHOK BAJAJ Founder, Knightsbridge Management LLC When American author and poet Maya Angelou turned 86 this April in
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Washington, she chose the Bombay Club, Ashok Bajaj’s first Washington, D.C. eatery — and Angelou’s favorite — to celebrate her birthday. It’s hard to believe that when he started out landlords wouldn’t rent to him because, “Indian restaurants smell,” Bajaj once recalled to the New York Times. Since the Bombay Club’s opening in 1988, back when the local dining scene mainly smelled of steak, Bajaj has been credited with making Indian food more elegant and remaking Washington’s foodie scene. Sticking close to his roots, he owns Rasika and Rasika West End, high-end Indian restaurants popular with politicos. He also owns the Oval Room, 701, Bibiana, Ardeo + Bardeo and his newest, Nopa Kitchen+Bar.
JEFF BALLOU News Editor, Al Jazeera English Since 2006, Ballou’s been a fixture in Al Jazeera’s Washington bureau while the company is trying to figure out its exact place in the cable news landscape. A veteran of Washington’s WTTG Fox 5, he has covered the White House, Congress and the state department in a career that spans more than two decades. In 2013, he was elected to serve as vice chairman of the Board of Governors at the National Press Club and was re-elected to serve a second term through this year. Ballou and his team at Al Jazeera English provided especially important coverage to an American audience during the 2011 Arab Spring.
ANDY BARKETT Chief Technology Officer, Republican National Committee The status quo election of 2012 was a loser for Republicans who had both the U.S. Senate and White House in sight. To remedy the problem, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus vowed to do better in the digital space, hiring Barkett, a Facebook engineer, away from the Silicon Valley giant in June. His team has grown to include Chuck DeFeo from Edelman, Azarias Reda from LinkedIn and up-and-comer Justin LoFranco (poached from Rep. Darrell Issa’s House Oversight Committee) as well. Under Barkett, who is running the RNC’s big data operations and has been touted as the “genius golden boy” of the party, the RNC has opened a West Coast office to attract more talent. Additionally, the Republicans’ Washington office is getting updated to give digital types more space just in time for the 2014 midterm elections.
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Gov. Jon Huntsman, Chairman of The Atlantic Council and Capricia Marshall, Ambassador-in-Residence at the Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin American Center Bono and former President Clinton (Photo by TonyBill Powell) (Photo by Tony Powell)
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100 DANA BASH
Paul Clement
Bill Clinton
David Cohen
Anita Dunn
Chief Congressional Correspondent, CNN Last October’s government shutdown was Dana Bash’s time to shine. “I’ve slept a little bit, eaten a little bit, not enough,” she told CNN colleague Brooke Baldwin as cameras followed her through the Ohio Clock Corridor as she tracked down more members of Congress to find out why the government was still shut down. She even stirred up Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, causing the soft-spoken Democrat to call her “irresponsible and reckless” when she asked him about the shutdown’s effect on kids’ cancer trials. As a 20-year veteran of the network, working her way up from freelancer to on-air talent, Bash knows how to handle it. “I’m prepared for the unpredictable nature of these guys,” she coolly told Elle Magazine.
JEREMY BEN-AMI Founder and President, J Street In just six years under the leadership of Ben-Ami, J Street has become the alternative to AIPAC, the country’s biggest pro-Israel lobbying group. Ben-Ami’s J Street is advocating a “pro-Israel, pro-peace message” and closely aligning itself with President Obama, who is trying to hash out an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan while negotiating with Iran to find a peaceful solution to the nuclear dispute. AIPAC isn’t necessarily on board with these moves, but many American Jews are, making J Street all the more popular. “To promote the end of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, secure Israel’s future and to achieve the goal of preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon — these are the acts of a friend, this is what pro-Israel should be defined to be,” Ben-Ami said in a recent interview with Politico. The group has also become increasingly popular among college-age Jews, with more than 50 J Street U chapters in existence around the nation.
WAYNE BERMAN
Chad Griffin
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Senior Advisor for Global Government Affairs,The Blackstone Group Berman is a veteran of Republican politics, having worked for the campaigns, transition teams and administrations of Presidents George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. He has been trying to get more Republicans elected since. Berman was a bundler for both John McCain and Mitt Romney, while also working at Ogilvy Government
Relations. More recently, he moved to the Blackstone Group and bet on the right horse in the run-up to 2014 when he helped finance Republican David Jolly’s successful run against Democrat Alex Sink in a race for an open Florida congressional seat. The Hill Newspaper named Berman one of its top lobbyists in 2013, calling him “one of the most sought-after fundraisers on K Street.”
DAVID BRADLEY Chairman, Atlantic Media Company Sure, David Bradley started his two companies — The Advisory Board Company and The Corporate Executive Board Company — from Capitol Hill, but his bigger insidethe-Beltway byline came from his acquisition of the National Journal Group in 1997 and The Atlantic in 1999. Today Bradley’s media brand has expanded far beyond print magazines, though he still does that, too. His journalists are covering the business world with Quartz, they’re bringing smarts to the Web with The Wire and the company is exploring new ground as it grows Atlantic Media Strategies, an in-house creative agency experimenting with branded content. Atlantic Media produces big events, too, like the annual Washington Ideas Forum. Bradley and his wife Katherine have used their success to give back to the community including founding CityBridge Foundation, where Katherine serves as president, in 1994 and spearheading Teach for America’s growth in the capital region.
JOHN B BREAUX TRENT LOTT Senior Counsel, Patton Boggs BreauxLott Leadership Group Patton Boggs proper may be going through a tumultuous time, but the brand-name team of John Breaux and Trent Lott has been insulated from the recent dispute with Chevron. (Chevron is suing the D.C.-based law firm for alleged fraud stemming from a long-running legal battle with Ecuador over Texaco polluting land owned by Indians there.) Instead, the all-star former senators-turnedlobbyists continue to add SpaceX and other high-profile clients to an already impressive roster (Diageo, American Airlines, Tyson Foods and Fedex, to name a few). The lobbying side of Patton Boggs overall has signed on more than 40 new clients since the beginning of 2013, according to the Hill newspaper. On the downside, the
firm is losing partners and revenues and may merge with Squire Sanders.
MATTHEW BROOKS Executive Director, Republican Jewish Coalition Political finance experts estimate that about a third to one half of the Republican party’s most important “bundlers” are active in the Republican Jewish Coalition, which Brooks has directed since 1990. Previously he worked on the Jack Kemp and George H.W. Bush presidential campaigns before moving up the Republican Jewish Coalition’s ranks. The group’s clout is palpable; its spring meeting attracted four GOP 2016 hopefuls — Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Scott Walker and John Kasich. Looking forward, Brooks believes he’s making demographic gains, pointing out that McCain received 22 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008, while Mitt Romney got 32 percent in 2012 — a 10-point gain. Adding to Brooks’ clout, he’s considered a protégé of billionaire Republican donor Sheldon Adelson.
MARIANN EDGAR BUDDE Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Washington “Bishop Mariann,” as she’s called, is the face behind the Washington National Cathedral, and the first female one at that. The Episcopal Diocese of Washington elected the Rev. Dr. Mariann Edgar Budde to serve as its ninth bishop in 2011. Since then she has not been shy about playing a part in Washington’s political debates. She’s led a prayer service where she asked House Speaker John Boehner to bring immigration reform to a vote and has come out for universal background checks for purchasers of firearms while asking for prayers to prevent gun violence. She has also backed marriage equality in Maryland, penning an OnFaith column asking Christians to reconsider their beliefs on same-sex marriage. “I’d like to suggest to them, with deep respect for the depth of their convictions,” Budde wrote, “that the Bible we share may not say what they think it says in regards to samesex marriage.”
CHET BURRELL CEO, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield A 40-year veteran of the healthcare industry, Burrell has become an intelligent and influential voice throughout the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He was selected to head Maryland’s largest health insurer in 2007 thanks, in part,
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to his tech savvy as the former head of an electronic claims processing firm. His decade of work for the New York State government has been immensely helpful, too, as he’s had to lead his company through the politically tinged ACA changes. (CareFirst sells ACA plans in Maryland,Virginia and the District of Columbia.) Annapolis takes his calls, as evidenced by Burrell’s recent request to Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley not to abandon Maryland’s beleaguered health exchanges for the federal ones, a move that’s not expected to happen.
WES BUSH President, CEO and Chairman, Northrop Grumman On Bush’s first day of work as CEO, he decided to move the defense contractor from Los Angeles to Falls Church,Va., one week before the D.C.-area earthquake struck in 2011. “The earthquake in our first week of operation made us feel right at home,” Bush joked to Reuters. The quake may not have seemed like good fortune, but Bush’s ascension to the top of the company has been described as “nothing short of meteoric,” the Los Angeles Times reported. Bush, an MIT grad, joined TRW Inc. as a systems engineer in 1987 and once Northrop bought TRW in 2002, he became the company’s youngest senior executive. He succeeded to the presidency in 2006 and added the title of chairman in 2011. Now he’s working to make Northrop Grumman the Number One defense contractor in the country in the face of severe government cuts.
STEVE AND JEAN CASE Founders, Case Foundation It should be no surprise that former AOL CEO Steve Case and his wife, Jean, a former executive at AOL, are good at the Internet. The Case Foundation, which they started in 1997, has become a great hub of knowledge for nonprofits and charities interested in harnessing the World Wide Web for the power of good. The foundation enables nonprofit groups to acquire social media techniques and strategies, using technology, for greater giving. It has has also gotten behind a number of “big ideas” projects over the years. The couple has done good work for their government as well. Steve Case was selected by President Obama to serve on the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and was named chairman of the Startup America Partnership. Jean Case worked on a number of projects
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Marillyn Hewson, chairman, CEO & president, Lockheed Martin (Photo by Tony Brown)
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100 during President George W. Bush’s administration.
GUY CECIL
Jason Grumet
Mary Kay Henry
Executive Director, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee The U.S. Senate is the major political battleground of 2014 and Guy Cecil is on the front lines. He and a handful of Republican candidates can take credit for keeping the Senate in Democratic control in 2012. He and DSCC Chair Sen. Michael Bennett, for whom he formerly worked as chief of staff, are hoping for a repeat performance in 2014. Cecil recently came out kicking when polling guru Nate Silver said the Democrats were on track to lose their majority. “We don’t minimize the challenges ahead,” Cecil told the Washington Post. “Rather, we view the latest projection as a reminder that we have a challenging map and important work to do in order to preserve our majority.” During his time in politics, Cecil has encountered victories and defeats. He became DSCC’s political director in 2006 and helped push Democrats into the majority before working for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.
A JAMES CLARK
Ilyse Hogue
Stuart Holliday
CEO, Clark Construction Group LLC It’s hard to walk anywhere in downtown Washington without seeing the signs of the city’s construction boom — and a lot of it comes from Clark. The Bethesda-based construction company is responsible for the new CityCenter DC, with its high-end shops and luxury condos set to open any day. Along with Smoot Construction and H.J. Russell & Company, Clark is bringing the National Museum of African American History and Culture to the National Mall in 2015. In October, Clark won another big contract to build phase two of Metro’s Silver Line, which will eventually extend rail transit to the Dulles International Airport. A graduate of the University of Maryland in 1950, Clark has given back to his alma mater generously; its school of engineering bears his name.
PAUL CLEMENT
Harold Ickes
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Partner, Bancroft PLLC Paul Clement has become the right’s legal antidote to the Obama years — even if he hasn’t always won the fight. The Harvard-educated “superlawyer” served as George W. Bush’s solicitor general before taking on a handful of high-profile and controversial cases. When the Obama
Administration stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act in 2011, Clement picked up the case for House Republicans, leaving his law firm to do so. But last June, the Supreme Court ruled DOMA unconstitutional, a big blow for gay rights foes and Clement’s fans. Clement was the lawyer arguing against the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, which the Supreme Court called a tax not a violation of liberty when it upheld most of President Obama’s signature legislative achievement. Clement’s luck defending Arizona’s controversial immigration law was no better but he has another chance to dent the Affordable Care Act in tackling whether for-profit companies have to provide contraception, as Obamacare prescribes, if it violates their owners’ religious beliefs. Clement took this so-called “Hobby Lobby Case” before the Supreme Court in March, with the ruling expected to be handed down in June.
BILL CLINTON Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation While he spends a majority of his time in New York City, former President Bill Clinton is still one of Washington’s biggest newsmakers. He watches basketball with George W. Bush, pranks Twitter on April Fool’s Day and does the late night talk show rounds, often throwing the national media into a fit. He might also be in the running for the country’s first “first gentleman.” He remains active in politics and philanthropy and stumps for Democratic candidates while running the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative and the Clinton Foundation Climate Change Initiative.
HILLARY CLINTON Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation The “will-she-or-won’t-she” chatter is already at fever pitch and there’s another major election to take into account before 2016. But it’s not as if Hillary Clinton — who may well be the next to live (again) at Washington’s most powerful address — isn’t slightly fanning those flames. Her carefully crafted public appearances in Washington, including the Vital Voices Global Awards and the Center for American Progress’ 10th Birthday celebration, serve to keep her focused on things she cares about and in the public eye as well. Her memoir detailing her time as secretary of state
is set to drop in June. And while she can’t coordinate with them, a network of Washington-based pro-Clinton groups are coalescing around her potential 2016 presidential run. In January, D.C.-based Priorities USA Action — the Democratic Super PAC that helped President Obama win the White House again — announced its intentions to align with Clintonland. Meanwhile, across the river in Rosslyn, the group Ready for Hillary is focusing on boosting grassroots support.
DAVID COHEN Executive Vice President, Comcast Expect to see David Cohen in the news, a lot. This year, Comcast’s chief lobbyist has the herculean task of getting the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department’s antitrust division on board with the cable company’s proposed merger with Time Warner. Most Republicans are in favor but Democrats need to be convinced and that’s where Cohen’s political ties may be found. He was the chief of staff to Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell in the 1990s and went on to become a major Democratic donor and fundraiser for President Obama, though he’s also contributed to Republicans. While the Time Warner deal may be just too big to win, Cohen has a proven track record having pushed the NBC/ Comcast deal through the FCC in 2011.
ROB COLLINS Executive Director, National Republican Senatorial Committee The Republicans are trying to rebound from two disappointing cycles in which flawed U.S. Senate candidates may have stopped them from taking back the upper chamber. For this year’s set of midterms, NRSC Chairman Sen. Jerry Moran sought an experienced hand — found in Rob Collins. A Capitol Hill aide who worked his way up to chief of staff for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Collins started the American Action Network, a GOP super PAC in 2010. He then went to work at Purple Strategies before being tapped for the NRSC’s top job. Collins has vetted this year’s candidates to ensure he has a slate of solid candidates who will be hard to accuse of being “witches and warlocks.” On the offensive, he is helping his Republican candidates exploit perceived Democratic Obamacare vulnerabilities, as political prognosticators think it’s more and
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more likely that the GOP will take the Senate in 2014. Such a victory — which Collins might be able to take credit for — would be a big one, as it would make President Obama’s last two years in office especially daunting.
BILL CONWAY Co-founder, Carlyle Group In 2013, the three founders of the Carlyle Group collectively earned $750 million. While Conway’s partner David Rubenstein may be Washington’s better-known philanthropist-in-chief, Conway has done his part to serve the community. In 2012, after researching a number of proposals on how he might exactly give away $1 billion of his fortune, he decided to issue grants to help low-income people get education and job training. If successful, Conway vows to give even more money away. In January, another investment paid off. He had purchased the Golden Door spa in Escondido, Calif., as a present to his wife. Now it’s open for business, with Joanne Conway happily at the helm.
DAVID CORN Washington Bureau Chief, Mother Jones In the lead-up to the 2014 midterm elections, Republicans should fear David Corn. The Mother Jones writer and MSNBC contributor, who wields the power of the pen as well as any investigative journalist, was the one who revealed how GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney really felt about the “47 percent” (earning him the 2012 George Polk Award). More recently he got a big congressional scoop as well when he leaked a tape that caught Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell trash-talking potential Democratic candidate Ashley Judd in the U.S. Senate race in Kentucky. If there’s an “October surprise” in politics this election cycle, don’t be surprised if it comes from this best-selling author, who’s already taking the crop of 2016 GOP hopefuls to task.
COLIN CROWELL Head of Global Public Policy,Twitter Twitter’s Washington shop is growing, but it was Crowell who became the tech company’s first local hire. A Capitol Hill veteran, Crowell was a longtime staffer to Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) before he went to work for the FCC under Chairman Julius Genachowski. Twitter recruited him in 2011 and since then he has used the company’s popularity among the
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David Corn, Washington bureau chief, Mother Jones (Photo by Tony Powell)
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100 chattering class to heighten its profile in Washington. Crowell was named among Washington’s top lobbyists in 2013. “[He] blazed a trail as the first public policy hire for Twitter,” the Hill Newspaper wrote. In January, Twitter relocated to a more permanent Washington office, just north of K Street, with Crowell now leading a team of more than a dozen staffers.
Walter Isaacson
Ezra Klein
JOHN “JACK” DEGIOIA President, Georgetown University Since 2001, John “Jack” DeGioia has been the top dog at Georgetown (well, besides the mascot, with the same name) and he’s done so by not ruffling feathers — except in 2012. That’s the year that he publicly defended Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke from an attack by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh over the issue of contraception. While DeGioia defended his student, many Catholics wondered just how Catholic the university was. DeGioia, after all, is the first non-priest to run the school in more than 200 years. In the end, due to his steadfast leadership, the controversy turned out to be nothing more than a small bump in the road for a down-to-earth university president who still teaches classes in the Department of Philosophy.
JIM DEMINT
Howard Kohr
Ted Leonsis
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President, Heritage Foundation At Heritage since December 2012, former Sen. Jim DeMint brought Tea Party street cred to the now firmly right wing think tank. During his tenure, he’s made Heritage more political, but any fruits of that labor won’t be seen until the November midterm elections. He still wields tremendous “negative” power and influence as he targets Republicans for defeat whom he considers not to be far enough on the right. DeMint has also enhanced Heritage’s reputation among the right’s young supporters by hosting popular “Bloggers Briefings” gatherings. Word on the street is that Heritage plans to expand its Foundry blog to the point where it begins to compete with other right-ofcenter news organizations. In the past, DeMint has helped the likes of Sens. Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz get elected through his Senate Conservatives Fund political action committee. Since all of them seem to be flirting with presidential bids, it’s a given that DeMint’s moves in the run-up to 2016 will be all the more interesting. He has huge clout today, but if he loses a lot of races this fall
cycle the money he funnels into races will likely dry up.
convince lawmakers to oppose the merger.
THOMAS DONOHUE SCOTT REED
MO ELLEITHEE
President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Senior Political Strategist If immigration reform finally becomes a reality, Donohue and Reed are two of the people to thank. That’s because their big-business group favors a package and they are pressuring Republicans, who they normally support, to get on board. (The Chamber was none too pleased about the Tea Party-led government shutdown last year.) The GOP has a lot to gain as well since the Chamber has huge coffers — it has already spent $2.7 million in this election cycle and has the capability to distribute much more as it is expected to raise more than $100 million for political operations leading up to 2016. In 2012 it spent more than $32 million on independent expenditures, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Donohue has been at the helm of the Chamber since 1997 and has turned the struggling business group into a “free-enterprise research outfit, Supreme Court advocacy group and lobbying powerhouse,” according to the New York Times. He’s not going anywhere, either. “If you see me in a box with flowers around it, I’m only thinking about retiring,” he told the paper.
ANITA DUNN Managing Director, SKDKnickerbocker While some on the left were none-too-pleased that Dunn’s SKDKnickerbocker was shilling for the Keystone XL pipeline, the former White House communications director is still a sought-after surrogate for the Obama Administration. Most recently she was tapped to promote the White House’s plans for equal pay for women. (Dunn, if you recall, was quoted saying Obama’s White House was a “hostile workplace for women,”to author Ron Suskind, but later recanted.) And she’s still an insider with top Obama aides Valerie Jarrett and Dan Pfeiffer, although she may have less influence with Denis McDonough. Under Dunn’s leadership, SKDKnickerbocker is growing after the launch of a division focused on startups and technology last year. Additionally, it’s playing a role in the current ComcastTime Warner deal, as the group Public Knowledge, financed by Google and other Comcast competitors, has brought SKDKnickerbocker on to
Communications Director, Democratic National Committee A veteran of four presidential campaigns, including Hillary Clinton’s, Elleithee took leave from his public affairs and political consulting firm Hilltop Public Solutions in August to work for DNC Chairman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Since then, he has vehemently defended Obamacare as Republicans continue to run against it and fight to take the U.S. Senate in 2014. Elleithee’s various media appearances have quickly turned him into a Democratic dynamo and he’s never afraid of a fight. He even recently tsk-tsked MSNBC for allowing “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough to appear at a Republican fundraiser, while prohibiting liberals at the channel from doing the same thing across the aisle.
STEVE ELMENDORF Principal, Elmendorf-Ryan Communications On the D’s side, Elmendorf, who spent 12 years as a senior advisor to House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt, is one of Washington’s top lobbyists and strategists. His firm Elmendorf-Ryan Communications, launched in 2006, handles high-risk issues that are close to his heart — including the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Human Rights Campaign — although he also has corporate clients like Verizon, General Electric and Goldman Sachs. Through the years, Elmendorf has hosted many Democratic fundraisers and has had a hand in picking the next generation of political players, including the chairman of the board of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which finances LGBT candidates. He could very well be the Bob Strauss of his generation.
RICHARD FAIRBANK Co- Founder and Chairman, Capital One He’s always been known as one of the good guys, but this year Fairbank can boast that he’s the best boss in the region as well. The employee review site Glassdoor.com ranked him higher than any other businessperson in Washington, coming in at No. 28 nationally among large companies, with an 89 percent approval rating from his employees. That’s in part because Fairbank has given himself a zero salary for years (though he
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received about $18.3 million in bonuses, stock, stock options and perks in 2013, along with $23 million in vested shares and stock options, according to recent figures from USA Today.) Capital One also ranked No. 2 on this year’s prestigious InformationWeek Elite 100, a listing of the top tech innovators in business in the United States.
SAM FEIST Washington Bureau Chief, CNN CNN’s Washington Bureau Chief since 2011, Sam Feist has overseen an upgraded CNN newsroom, complete with new technology and a cadre of new faces. Feist started as an intern and a freelance producer in CNN’s London bureau and worked his way up. With Jeff Zucker now at the cable channel’s helm, CNN saw steady ratings through 2013 and is back to being No. 2 — albeit due to MSNBC’s woes. While the newest incarnation of “Crossfire” hasn’t been a hit, the show has been a launchpad for young political talent like Republican commentator S.E. Cupp and the liberal Sally Kohn. Other enterprising talents working under Feist include Chris Frates, formerly of the National Journal; Brianna Keilar, winner of the Aldo Beckman Memorial Award; and Jake Tapper, who may be tapped to fill in for Piers Morgan after the British host’s exit. CNN’s Washington bureau may soon be getting more airtime in primetime.
P WESLEY FOSTER JR MARC FLEISHER HANS WYDLER STEVE WYDLER Chairman and CEO (Foster),Top Agents, Long & Foster Companies Last fall P. Wesley Foster Jr. marked two major milestones. In October his real estate company, which started in a 600-square-foot office in Fairfax, Va. and has grown to include 11,500 agents, turned 45. The next month, the businessman turned 80. He’s manned the company as the real estate market has come soaring back. In 2012, his companies — which include mortgage, insurance and title services as well — were valued in excess of $48 billion, about half of which came from the real estate business. The company’s top agents include Fleisher, whose Fleisher Group was ranked 20th out of 250 real estate teams nationwide by the Wall Street Journal and Real Trends in 2013. On the same list Hans and Steve Wydler were recognized, coming in at No. 59. The brothers marked their 10th year in real estate
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Jack DeGioia, President, Georgetown University (Photo by Tony Powell)
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100 by accumulating over $750 million in sales volume, making them the highest producing team from the Bethesda and McLean offices.
DAVID FRUM
Janet Murguía
Theodore Olson
Senior Editor,The Atlantic Republican writer David Frum added another elite news organization to his already very established resume when the Atlantic named him senior editor last month. Frum, the George W. Bush speechwriter credited for the inflammatory phrase “Axis of Evil,” has written for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the National Review and Newsweek/Daily Beast, just to name a few. He’s annoyed some Republicans and delighted others as he eviscerates the party with his pen every couple of years. Two days after Mitt Romney’s stinging 2012 defeat, Frum’s ebook, “Why Romney Lost,” was out, blaming the former Massachusetts governor’s failings on an out-of-touch economic message and the wider GOP for spending too much time on conspiracies and social issues.
STEVE FULLER
David Boies
Director, Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University The region’s “go-to economist,” as he was recently called by the Washington Business Journal, has been threatening to retire for some time and he’s finally going to do just that midway through 2015. In the interim, Fuller, 73, is making the most of his well-known brand, speaking frequently about the local and the national economy to business groups and to the press. He’s been at it for 40-plus years and at the helm of his George Mason department since 2002. Being the sole economic voice for a region, however, does have its drawbacks. He’s been criticized for being too cozy with business and not publishing his articles the academic way through scholarly journals.
JACK GERARD Jon Peterson
Tony Podesta
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CEO, American Petroleum Institute Jack Gerard still has an eye on his Keystone XL pipeline prize. In January, when he laid out the oil lobby’s plans for 2014, he talked mostly about that project, which is currently in purgatory. But he also lobbied to get the Renewable Fuel Standard changed and advocated for a review of the crude oil exports ban. In the last two years, Gerard has become more influential than any other trade association executive because of the growing influence of oil and gas on the economy and in geopolitics.
Gerard will use API’s political arm, America’s Energy, America’s Choice and its seemingly unlimited budget to move votes this November and, according to the Huffington Post, plans to “use the upcoming midterm elections as a means to frame and positively influence the long-term energy policy discussion.”
CHAD GRIFFIN President, Human Rights Campaign Chad Griffin has a lot to be happy about these days. He’s the brainchild behind the brilliant legal partnership of Theodore Olson and David Boies — the bipartisan duo who argued Hollingsworth v. Perry before the Supreme Court — which resulted in the killing of Proposition 8, allowing gay couples to again marry in California. While Olson and Boies continue the same-sex marriage fight, Griffin is working on marriage and more at the helm of the HRC, the country’s largest gay rights group. From trying to end LGBT workplace discrimination to providing gay couples with more handy knowledge, such as how to file their taxes in the aftermath of the Defense of Marriage Act’s destruction, Griffin’s group is paving the way. The numbers prove it, too. The American public’s support for equal rights for gay people is at an alltime high.
RYAN GRIM Washington Bureau Chief,The Huffington Post Ryan Grim’s path to his current gig as the Huffington Post’s Washington bureau chief was a wayward one. At one point he worked on Wall Street, at another, the Marijuana Policy Project. Eventually he landed at the Washington City Paper, then Politico and finally the Huffington Post, winning a handful of journalism awards along the way and publishing his book “This is Your Country on Drugs.” His down-to-earth demeanor and bigger-picture mentality have helped him recruit and grow one of the most impressive political reporting teams in town along with Sam Stein, Amanda Terkel and Jennifer Bendery. He can also take credit for discovering Eliot Nelson, the lead writer of the popular HuffPost Hill afternoon newsletter.
JASON GRUMET President, Bipartisan Policy Center Jason Grumet’s center occupies the space where everyone in Washington says they want to be. In rhetoric,
politicians talk constantly about wanting to find bipartisan solutions. In retirement, Grumet’s BPC is the place where retiring political figures want to roost. Most recently, former Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, joined the nonprofit. Grumet says he’s not short on political talent trying to come through the door but in reality the group’s name’s a little off. The think tank works best when his group of prominent pols keeps their partisan hats on — think James Carville and Mary Matalin — and hash out plans that make “everyone equally uncomfortable,” Grumet told U.S. News & World Report. “Politics is a contact sport, this isn’t about everyone agreeing … we want constructive collision.”
MARY KAY HENRY President, SEIU In close alliance with the Obama White House, Henry is waging a state-by-state campaign to raise the minimum wage, something that Democrats hope will draw out voters on Election Day 2014. Again named one of Out magazine’s most powerful people in the LGBT community, Henry has seen great success in her Lavender Project, which promotes healthy dialogue between the LGBT and labor communities. She’s also used her three decades of experience representing healthcare workers to champion the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and got 2.4 million Americans signed up under the Affordable Care Act since enrollment began. Henry was the first woman to head the SEIU, being unanimously elected as International President in 2010.
MARILLYN HEWSON Chairman, President and CEO, Lockheed Martin The country’s austerity agenda could spell bad news for Lockheed Martin, with its 115,000 employees and 61 percent of business coming from the Department of Defense. But Marillyn Hewson, just over a year into her job as CEO, has plans for the company. She’s thinking big and diversifying looking at cybersecurity, alternative energy —whatever it takes, Lockheed’s first woman CEO said in a recent interview with Politico. “We’re engaging in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials like 3-D printing or digital-manufacturing-type thing,. ... a range of things that I think will
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help transform our business as we move forward as those areas grow.” Hewson took over last January when her predecessor abruptly resigned. Under her leadership, the company’s stock jumped 61 percent and the company paid her back handsomely, as she took home $25.2 million in pay in 2013, according to the Washington Post.
ILYSE HOGUE President, NARAL Pro-Choice America Forty-one years after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wad decision legalizing abortion in the United States, the debate is just as hot as ever and Hogue is on the frontlines. A veteran of such progressive groups as Media Matters for America and MoveOn.org, she took over the reins of NARAL ProChoice America in January of last year and remains optimistic that prochoice politics are the politics of the future. “We really do live in a prochoice country,” she told Elle magazine recently. “Even though states adopted 53 anti-choice measures last year, I’m witnessing a resurgence of … it’s not even outrage — it’s just reaffirming basic values.” Hogue has pledged that in 2014, pro-choice women will indeed fight back at the ballot box.
STUART HOLLIDAY President and CEO, Meridian International Center A real foreign policy whiz, Holliday went from Navy guy and campaign volunteer for President George H.W. Bush to working for President George W. Bush in the White House —Holliday staffed the first Office of Homeland Security after 9/11 -and United States ambassador — for special political affairs at the United Nations. Between the White House and the U.N., Holliday worked at the state department. Nowadays his resume is topped with his work at the Meridian International Center, a key ally to State, which acts as glue between various NGOs, international governments and the private sector. On top of that, Holliday’s organization hosts one of Washington’s favorite brand name fetes of the fall — the Meridian Ball.
KIM HORN President and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Mid-Atlantic States Horn was snapped up by Kaiser in 2012, having previously served as the CEO of Priority Health Managed Benefits Inc. in Michigan. She
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relocated to the Washington area just as the Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente made grand plans to expand its presence here. Already under Horn’s leadership, Kaiser opened a 131,000-square-foot facility in Halethorpe, Md. and a “state-of-theart multi-specialty facility” in Largo, Md. Overall, Horn’s in charge of serving 500,000 members in the area and more than 30 medical centers. “We have an outstanding team of people, and there is tremendous positive momentum with the opening of our new medical facilities,” she told the Baltimore Business Journal. “The outcomes we have been achieving are impressive.”
JON HUNTSMAN CAPRICIA MARSHALL Chairman, the Atlantic Council; Ambassador-in-Residence, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council Jon Huntsman, the former GOP presidential candidate, U.S. ambassador to China and Singapore and Utah governor, is done with being a “former” for awhile. In January, it was announced that he would be taking over the reins of the Atlantic Council, replacing Chuck Hagel, who became President Obama’s secretary of defense. In March, as Huntsman made his public Atlantic Council debut, he vowed to stay away from the campaign trail through 2016 — despite some pleas from the audience — meaning the organization could count on an experienced name at its helm through the next presidential election cycle. Another big Atlantic Council “get” came in October when the international think tank tapped Capricia Marshall, the former chief of protocol of the United States, to head its new Arsht Latin American Center. Marshall, as the “ambassador in residence,” has close ties to Hillary Clinton and the Hispanic American community as the focus is on U.S. policy in Central and South America.
Robin Sproul, Washington bureau chief, ABC News (Photo by Tony Brown)
HAROLD ICKES Founding Partner, Ickes & Enright Group There’s no question that Harold Ickes is ready for Hillary. President Bill Clinton’s former deputy chief of staff is advising Ready for Hillary, the Rosslyn-based political action committee that’s taking a cue from team Obama by gathering email addresses and small donations to ensure Hillary Clinton, if she runs in 2016, will have grassroots support. So far, the
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David Frum, Senior Editor, The Atlantic (Photo by Tony Powell)
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super PAC has raised nearly $6 million, with many people simply donating the clever asking price of $20.16 to the group. Ickes, a veteran Democratic lawyer, lobbyist and consultant, is a second-generation political animal whose father, Harold L. Ickes, served as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s secretary of the interior. Another fun fact, Ickes is the basis for the character Howard Fergerson in Joe Klein’s fictional retelling of the Clinton campaign, “Primary Colors.”
KAREN IGNAGNI
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President and CEO, America’s Health Insurance Plans Called the “face of the insurance industry in Washington” by the Boston Globe in 2009, Ignagni is one of the most knowledgeable voices on Obamacare, frequently talking with the White House and media outlets. While Ignagni’s organization didn’t always wholeheartedly support the ACA, now that it’s here, the former HHS staffer is trying to make it better. (Her industry stands to gain, of course, because the law requires Americans to sign up for health insurance.) “Now the debate needs to focus on how to keep coverage affordable,” she opined in March in the New York Times. “Any provision in the law that is at odds with that goal should be changed.” She’s also trying to kill one of the taxes associated with Obamacare and ensure that lawmakers don’t limit payment options. Ignagni, a “lifelong Democrat,” according to the Globe, was against President Clinton’s health care reforms in the ’90s, before eventually backing the ACA. She’s donated to a number of Democratic candidates throughout the years, while her organization tends to support Republicans.
the stage every year, no doubt due to Isaacson’s top-notch brand.
in which Supreme Court justices always participate.
MARK ISAKOWITZ
FRANK KEATING
President, Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock For over a decade, Isakowitz has been a Republican lobbying leader. The 40-something up-and-comer was called a “punk consultant” in a 2003 Forbes profile by Henry Birnbaum, who pointed out that “power belongs not to the guy at the top but to the ‘acupuncturist’ who knows exactly where the crucial pressure points are, how to massage them, and, when necessary, where to stick the needles.” Isakowitz was the Republican who got hired when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wanted to pressure lawmakers on immigration. He’s tight with House Speaker John Boehner and has hosted fundraisers for a number of prominent Republicans. He’s also on the board of directors for the powerful Republican Jewish Coalition.
President and CEO, American Bankers Association In charge of the organization that represents the $13 trillion banking industry, Keating is also steeped in Republican politics. He served as a two-term governor of Oklahoma and was on George W. Bush’s shortlist for vice president. Before that, he worked in both the Bush 41 and Reagan administrations. After that, he took over the reins of the American Bankers Association in 2011, while also doing work for the Bipartisan Policy Center. Keating made news earlier this year when he very briefly flirted with running for Sen. Tom Coburn’s soonto-be vacant Oklahoma Senate seat. After several days of deliberations, he said he was staying put. “I have concluded that the most important way I can contribute to policy debates in Washington is by continuing my service to ABA and fighting for banks of all sizes,” he told Politico.
SHEILA JOHNSON CEO, Salamander Hotels and Resorts With the 2013 opening of the $100 million, ultra-luxe Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Johnson a 10year quest for completion. When it comes to relaxation and fun, Johnson has dabbled in a little bit of everything. In sports, she’s a managing partner of the WNBA team, the Washington Mystics, and has a stake in the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals. In hospitality, she launched her Salamander Hotels and Resorts in 2005, which continues to expand. As a Black Entertainment Television co-founder, she continues to exert influence in the entertainment industry as well, most recently financing Lee Daniels’ “The Butler.”
WALTER ISAACSON
MICHAEL KAHN
President and CEO, Aspen Institute The biographer of Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs is turning his attention to an entire group of thinkers for his next book “The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution,” which was recently announced with a fall release date. Among think tanks, Isaacson’s Aspen Institute is an innovator that creates strong partnerships with brands, like the Atlantic, to bring smart programming to the country’s thought leaders and the masses. The institute’s Aspen Ideas Festival and the smaller Washington Ideas Forum attract world leaders, politicians and journalists to
Artistic Director, Shakespeare Theatre Company If there’s a celebrity sighting in Chinatown, there’s a good chance that he or she is working at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, which Michael Kahn has led as artistic director for 28 years. He’s brought in Patrick Stewart, Christopher Plummer, Audra McDonald, James Earl Jones, Helen Mirren, “The West Wing’s” Richard Schiff and “Homeland’s” F. Murray Abraham for onstage roles or just to talk shop. The company taps into the Washington political scene with its annual Will on the Hill fundraiser, coaxing members of Congress to recite lines and don funny hats, and a Mock Trial evening
JIM YONG KIM President,World Bank Twenty years ago, Jim Yong Kim was among the throngs of people protesting the World Bank as part of the “50 Years is Enough” movement. These days, he’s in charge of the institution. It’s “a very different bank,” he recently told CNN. Benefiting from Kim’s leadership, the bank has broadened its focus to include health and education as well as the economy. Kim is known to be a humble leader. “One of the most important things about leadership is that you have to have the kind of humility that will allow you to be coached,” he recently told the Washington Post. Before becoming President Obama’s surprise pick to lead the institution, Kim was the first Asian-American to head a major university — Dartmouth — and brought antiretroviral drugs to the masses as the head of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS department.
EZRA KLEIN JIM BANKOFF Editor in Chief,Vox.com; Chairman and CEO,Vox Media In May Ezra Klein turns 30 but that’s not the biggest milestone he’ll be celebrating this year. The Wonk Blog “wunderkind” — a nickname used for Klein on the Internet 17,500 times, according to Google — walked away from the Washington Post when the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper
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reportedly wouldn’t give him seven figures for an internal journalism startup. Klein penned his last Wonk Blog post in late January and headed to “Project X” at AOL alum Bankoff ’s D.C.-based Vox Media. Bankoff is experienced in launching successful websites with TMZ, Engadget and Vox brands such as Curbed, Racked and Eater, under his belt. Klein’s brand fully converged with Bankoff ’s when it was announced in March that Vox.com would be the name of “Project X.” Vox.com officially launched in April with wide-ranging explainers of the news displayed online in a stimulating fashion.
STEVEN KNAPP President, George Washington University After weathering a handful of miniscandals, including having George Washington University lose its U.S. News & World Report ranking for one year, president Steven Knapp seems to have really hit a stride — and that’s coming from the school’s own very skeptical student newspaper. “In the past month, [Knapp] has accepted $80 million worth of gifts for GW’s public health school, planned the acquisition of Washington’s largest private arts institution [the Corcoran Gallery of Art] and celebrated the men’s basketball team’s best season since 2007,” the GW Hatchet reported in March. Knapp became president of the university in 2007, coming to Foggy Bottom from John Hopkins University, and has had many highs and lows since. Next up for Knapp, a potential big high, as GW plans to launch a fundraising campaign that will likely bring in $1 billion.
HOWARD KOHR Executive Director, American Israel Public Affairs Committee Howard Kohr has been at it for a long time, but that doesn’t make his job any easier. Kohr, who heads one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington, has seen that star slightly fade in recent years, as President Obama has forged his own plan on what to do with Israel. Obama has put Secretary of State John Kerry in charge of trying to hash out an Israeli-Palestinian twostate solution. Additionally, much of AIPAC’s political capital has been spent this year, as the organization tried unsuccessfully to lobby for more sanctions on Iran, a move that would have derailed the current U.S.-Iranian talks, but became so polarizing that it threatened to turn AIPAC into a
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partisan Republican lobby. AIPAC also lost on its opposition to Chuck Hagel’s nomination as secretary of defense and its advocacy for military strikes on Syria. On the lobbying front, while AIPAC is still the largest, J Street, a group that promotes a “pro-Israel, proPeace message” that resonates with the overwhelming majority of American Jews, is gaining political ground.
CHRISTINE LAGARDE Managing Director, International Monetary Fund Throughout her career, Christine Lagarde has been the first woman to accomplish a number of important milestones: first chairman of her law firm, first French finance minister and first IMF managing director. In recent months she’s been putting her impressive resume into action, speaking publicly about the lack of gender diversity at the IMF and saying — perhaps controversially — that the 2008 financial crisis wouldn’t have happened if women had been in charge of all those New York firms. After her predecessor Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s shenanigans briefly sullied the job, Lagarde came to Washington as a breath of fresh air in July 2011. Since then, she’s gone after the too-big-to-fail banks while shepherding the slow economic recovery and becoming one of the world’s most respected bankers.
Sam Feist, Washington Bureau Chief, CNN (Photo by Tony Brown)
GARA LAMARCHE President, Democracy Alliance Considered the left’s answer to the Koch Brothers, the progressive Democracy Alliance chose longtime progressive activist Gara LaMarche as its new leader last October. The move signaled a shift away from simply supporting Democratic candidates and instead focusing on the progressive movement as a whole, according to the Huffington Post. LaMarche comes to the group — which counts billionaire financier George Soros and the New Republic’s Chris Hughes among its members — from Atlantic Philanthropies. Since 2005, Democracy Alliance has directed around $500 million to left-leaning organizations, according to Mother Jones.
WAYNE LAPIERRE Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association The chatter on Capitol Hill about gun control has quieted down, which means Wayne LaPierre has been successful — yet again — at doing his job. LaPierre was considered ineffective
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Chet Burrell, CEO, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (Photo by Joseph Allen)
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and tone-deaf in the aftermath of Sandy Hook, arguing that more guns, not less, would prevent these kinds of gruesome school shootings. In addition to the gun control momentum inspired by that tragedy, the NRA had to go up against husband-andwife advocacy team Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords after the latter continued to recover from gunshot wounds she received during the 2011 Tucson shooting. Even so, gun control got killed in Congress in 2013. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in March, LaPierre gave a speech that the Huffington Post declared “a victory lap.” In it, he had his metaphorical guns blazing — not aimed at the shooters of the world who give gun owners a bad name — but at the media, who a year before had called his influence dead. “One of America’s greatest threats,” LaPierre said, “is a national news media that fails to provide a level playing field for the truth.”
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Owner,Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards,Washington Mystics Whether it’s sports or tech, Leonsis is never shy about giving “Ted’s take,” the name of his popular blog. The former AOL executive now owns the majority of three of Washington’s sports franchises — the Washington Capitals, the Washington Wizards (who at press time were competing in their first playoffs appearance in six years) and the Washington Mystics — along with the Verizon Center, where the teams play. Leonsis has kept one foot in the tech industry, giving a boost to GroupOn whenever the company’s creator was on his way out. Leonsis is also a founding member of Revolution Growth Fund II, which gives capital to smart tech start-ups. Additionally, Leonsis founded SnagFilms, a site that allows users to watch documentaries online.
J W “BILL” MARRIOTT ARNE SORENSON Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Marriott International; Director, President and CEO If you need a sign to see how well Marriott is doing, just check out the new one just put up on the Marriott Marquis, Washington’s newest Convention Center hotel boasting 1,175 rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space — the company’s 4,000th hotel due to open in May. Bill Marriott, whose father J. Willard
Marriott founded the company, stepped out of the CEO role in 2012, handing it to his chief operating officer, Arne Sorenson, an almost 20year veteran of the company. Since then, the Bethesda-based company has continued to grow. In 2013, Marriott’s net income totaled $626 million, compared to $571 million for the year before. While baby boomers love the brand, Sorenson is trying to make the name appealing to millennials by offering features like mobile check-in. Marriott is pretty tech-savvy himself, as the 82-year-old hotel pioneer is an ardent blogger.
CHRIS MATTHEWS “Hardball” host, MSNBC When Chris Matthews’ newest book “Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked” came out the same day as October’s government shutdown (when politics certainly didn’t work) it was a lucky break for one of Washington’s hardest-working talking heads. Last year, Matthews signed a long-term contract with MSNBC ensuring that his insightful and influential political commentary would be a Washington mainstay fivenights-a-week for many years to come. Meanwhile, he forfeited his Sunday talk fest “The Chris Matthews Show,” not to have more free time, but to free up his time for even more writing and producing long-form TV docs.
JIM MESSINA President/CEO,The Messina Group After pulling off the political feat of re-electing President Obama during an economic slump, Messina has been busy as ever. In addition to heading Organizing for Action, the Obama campaign-turned-grassroots-activism arm, he is actively getting Democratic big-money donors behind superpac Priorities USA in anticipation of Hillary Clinton’s potential 2016 presidential campaign. He’s also got a laundry list of clients under his own consultancy, The Messina Group, as well as making the rounds on the speakers circuit. Messina also has his hands full overseas as U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s advisor, pitting him against another former Obama alum, David Axelrod, who recently signed on to Labour opponent Ed Milliband’s campaign in the run-up to that country’ 2015 election.
CHERYL MILLS International entrepreneur A longtime Clinton ally, Mills defended President Clinton during
his 1999 impeachment trial as deputy White House counsel. She’s stayed close to the Clintons, working on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and then serving as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff. She left Foggy Bottom alongside Clinton in 2013 and is now planning to launch an economic development enterprise in sub-Saharan Africa. Expect her to play a major role if Hillary makes a run in 2016.
ANDREA MITCHELL Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News/Host of “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” MSNBC NBC News’ golden girl has spent 36 years at the network, serving as both its White House and chief congressional reporter before turning her attention to the world as the network’s chief foreign affairs correspondent. Early on in her 45-plus year career, her coverage of the Three Mile Island disaster put her on the map. Since then, she’s reported on numerous presidential elections without regard to a bout with breast cancer, which she ended up turning into a cause by playing an active role in the DC News Babes and other cancer charities. In 2013, she won the National Press Club’s prestigious Fourth Estate Award, given only to the top tier in the profession, such as Walter Cronkite and Tom Brokaw. Mitchell’s also half of one of the capital’s most prominent power couples, with her husband, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, often at her side.
SUSAN MOLINARI MICHELE WESLANDER QUAID Vice President of Public Policy and Government Relations, Google; Public Sector CTO With just one hire, Google proved to Washington that it was paving a new path. Molinari, a former Republican House member for New York, was tapped in 2012 just as the tech giant was seeking new strategic relationships on both sides of the political aisle. She has been instrumental in growing Google’s influence in Washington. On the money side, Google came in Number 2, after General Electric, in corporate lobbying expenditure in 2012, and Number 5 in 2013, according to the Washington Post. The D.C. office has staffed up, too, with more than 100 lobbyists now working for the company. A new Google outpost is slated to open this summer on Capitol Hill, one
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that will reportedly rival the White House in size. Westlander, hired in 2011, is a different kind of Google go-between. She acts as a conduit, meeting with agency heads to offer useful Google-based tech solutions. “A big part of my job is to translate Silicon Valley speak and government dialect,” she said in an interview with Entrepreneur. “I act as a bridge between two cultures.”
JANET MURGUÍA President, National Council of La Raza As the head of the country’s largest Hispanic civil rights organization, Murguía puts her constituents first. Once considered to be a friend of the Obama Administration (White House Domestic Policy Council director Cecilia Muñoz was formerly NCLR’s director of research and advocacy) Murguía has gotten tougher on the president in recent months. She made news by calling Obama the “deporter in chief ” in March, but hasn’t cozied up to the GOP either, saying the House Republican stance is “an unmitigated disaster on immigration.” A veteran of the Clinton Administration, expect to see Murguía continue to hold both sides’ feet to the fire on immigration, even though neither is likely to focus on the issue again until after the 2014 midterms.
CHRISTOPHER J NASSETTA President and CEO, Hilton Worldwide Nassetta, a Washington native who brought the hospitality company’s headquarters to the area from Beverly Hills in 2009, had a very big 2013. In December, under his leadership, Hilton went public. The initial public offering, at $20 a share, was considered a big success. With Hilton’s new riches the company hopes to launch a lifestyle brand aimed at millennials that competes with W Hotels. In addition to going public, Hilton opened 207 hotels in 2013 with plans for further growth. One project that’s getting people excited is a $200 million Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills. Hilton is also planning to open its first hotel in Haiti, with the Hilton Garden Inn Port-au-Prince Louverture Airport scheduled to open in 2016.
GROVER NORQUIST Founder and President, Americans for Tax Reform Not many in Washington can say that they have 258 Members of Congress wrapped around their finger, but Norquist has just that inasmuch as
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219 representatives and 39 senators in the 113th Congress have signed “the pledge.” The Taxpayer Protection Pledge, as Norquist dubbed it, is an agreement not to raise taxes. It’s basically a must for Republican candidates and when they don’t sign it — like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — it makes news. Meanwhile, Norquist plays nice socially all over town with folks from both sides of the aisle. He was the winner of the 2013 D.C.’s Funniest Celebrity Contest, a charity event featuring both Democrats and Republicans. His image as a pillar of the right has permeated into pop culture with references on “Gilmore Girls,” “Saturday Night Live,” and most recently, a cameo on the Amazon.com series “Alpha House.”
PHEBE NOVAKOVIC CEO, General Dynamics It is said that 2013 marked the year of the woman in defense contracting. On January 1, Novakovic, a veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency and the defense department, took over as CEO of General Dynamics, the nation’s oldest military contractor. (On the same day, coincidentally, Marillyn Hewson became head of Lockheed Martin.) The Washington Business Journal said that Novakovic’s first year was a “pretty terrible fiscal 2013,” especially for the company’s combat systems group. There was a $1.4 billion shortfall in sales compared to what was forecast. But Novakovic also made some bold changes that paid off, especially for her. The CEO’s salary tripled in 2013 to more than $19 million and in March she received a $4 million bonus.
Jeff Ballou, News Editor, Al Jazeera English (Photo by Joseph Allen)
JOHN O’NEILL Partner, Capitol Counsel LLC Before sliding through the revolving door, O’Neill worked as policy director and counsel for former Sen.Trent Lott and for Sen. Chuck Grassley on the Committee on Finance, specializing mainly on tax issues. Those connections and know-how landed him at Capitol Counsel in 2012, after a stint at Ogilvy, where he has quickly established himself as the number one tax lobbyist on the Republican side, a major fundraiser and a policy guru. The Washington Post announced in November 2013 that Capitol Counsel had shot to the upper echelons of the K Street crowd. Due to his expertise, the youngest and fastest-growing of all the K Street firms also landed on the top 10 list of most profitable lobbying groups in 2013.
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Kim Horn, president and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Mid-Atlantic States (Photo by Tony Brown)
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100 THEODORE OLSON AND DAVID BOIES Attorneys, Bostic v. Schaefer After successfully challenging California’s Proposition 8,Washington’s most unlikely legal dream team is not giving up the gay marriage fight. At odds in 2000 when they found themselves on different sides of the Bush v. Gore court battle, the conservative Olson crossed traditional Republican party lines in 2009 to work with Boies, a celebrated liberal trial lawyer, on Hollingsworth v. Perry. Considered only a win for gay couples in California, the legal duo is now working on cases that have national consequences. Boies and Olson have already signed on to Bostic v. Schaefer, which challenges Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban.They’ve also expressed interest in taking cases in Utah and Oklahoma, the two cases legal experts think are most likely to head back to the Supreme Court.
BILL PAXON Senior Adviser, Akin Gump Washington still talks about the 1994 Republican Revolution when the National Republican Campaign Committee head was none other than Bill Paxon. Twenty years later, he’s still carrying the influence card. As a lobbyist for Akin Gump, Philip Morris most recently hired him for a little trade agreement help. He continues to work as an unpaid campaign strategist on House races, endorsing investment banker Matt Doheny in February for New York’s 21st District. Paxon represented a nearby district when he served in Congress from 1989 to 1999. On the Senate side of things, Paxon has sponsored fundraisers over the years for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jerry Moran (RKan.), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio). To top it off, Paxon is one-half of a power couple, having married fellow former lawmaker Susan Molinari in 1994. She now heads lobbying efforts for Google.
MILT PETERSON JON PETERSON Principal and Chairman,The Peterson Company Milt Peterson had his eye on the land where Maryland’s National Harbor now sits 50 years ago. He could see it from his $67-a-month apartment, he recently noted, and he wanted it. Peterson got his hands on the land and its success will be his legacy. Since starting a real estate development business in 1970 and bringing son Jon on board in 1986,
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Peterson has spent 16 years dreaming up the $3 billion National Harbor, which opened six years ago. He’s been behind the expansion of the Maryland waterfront town as well with the opening of the $100 million National Harbor’s Tanger Outlet in December. Next up? The Peterson-led MGM Casino, expected to break ground any day now and slated to open in July 2016.
ERICH PICA President, Friends of the Earth As one of Washington’s strongest voices on the environment, Pica has an assortment of legislation and projects to monitor. He and his allies celebrated in June, when the San Onofre nuclear power plant closed, with Friends of the Earth leading the charge. He is now focusing on turning that victory into a harbinger of what lies ahead. “This industry is on its final trajectory downard,” he told the Associated Press. “We should rename the Nuclear Regulatory Commission the Nuclear Retirement Commission.” Switching issues, Pica has come out strongly against environmentally destructive fast track trade deals.Then there’s the continued specter of our climate crisis and the Keystone XL pipeline project which he has been leading the charge against.
DAVID PLOUFFE Political Consultant He’s no longer at the White House, but when the former campaign manager and senior advisor to President Barack Obama talks, people (and the White House) still listen. As the man credited with ushering in a new age of electoral campaigning, it’s no wonder that he commands six figures as a sought-after speaker and has been described as “one of the great strategic political and business minds in this country,” according to Bloomberg Television President Andrew Morse in a New York Times article. Recently, the former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has taken advantage of his perch as a commentator for ABC News as well as on- and off-air advisor for Bloomberg TV to make his opinions known, most recently slapping down Affordable Care Act haters when enrollment exceeded expectations at 8 million.
TONY PODESTA Founder, Podesta Group Tony Podesta might not get to keep his entire art collection thanks to the messy divorce from his estranged wife Heather, but when it comes to
Washington influence, he’ll likely win. In 2013, the Podesta Group brought in more than $27 million, according to lobbying disclosure filings. Tony Podesta’s client list reads like a who’s who of big business in the United States: Lockheed Martin, Wells Fargo, Wal-Mart, et al. He’s still a go-to guy and a major fundraising force on the Democratic side, with personal relationships on the Hill that go back decades. Adding to his influence is the inescapable fact that his brother, John Podesta, the former president of the Center for American Progress, recently headed back to the White House to be one of President Obama’s top aides. Podesta’s star is rising once again.
advocate for the little things, too, like safe crosswalks for seniors. After a long career at both Xerox and Avis, Rand is the first African-American to head AARP.
MICHAEL RANKIN AND JONATHAN TAYLOR MARK LOWHAM DAVID DESANTIS DERRICK SWAAK
Chairman, Republican National Committee; National Finance Chairman, Republican National Committee Reince Priebus has tried to shake up the GOP from the moment he started in his current job. In March, he celebrated the one-year anniversary of the RNC’s Growth and Opportunity Project, a Priebus-led initiative to expand the party beyond older white men demographic. Priebus sees women and young people as especially critical future GOP voters, adding that he expects a “tsunami” of Republican victories come fall. It helps that in early 2013 he tapped Washburne, a Dallas restaurateur, investor and top George W. Bush bundler. So far, the RNC raised $25.2 million during the first three months of 2014 and about $106 million since the 2012 elections. Incidentally, Washburne brought his restaurant business with him to Washington, opening a Mi Cocina in Chevy Chase.
Founders,TTR Sotheby’s International Realty; Managing Partner, Partner and Managing Broker, COO and Partner It pays to have insider market intelligence these days. 2013 was another incredible year for TTR Sotheby’s, with 2013 sales rising by 34 percent over 2012 to $1.7 billion. It was TTR Sotheby’s that represented the buyer and seller of the area’s most expensive single family house, a $12 million McLean home with 36 rooms modeled to look like a Renaissance palace. Additionally, it was TTR Sotheby’s that sold a $7.4 million Cotswolds-inspired estate located in Great Falls, the most expensive sale on record in Great Falls, and the eighth most expensive home sold in 2013. And then, TTR Sotheby’s sold the most expensive home in Maryland, a $6.75 million waterfront Annapolis estate. The firm also represented the seller of the most expensive condominium ever sold in the region, as well as the most expensive co-op and condominium ever sold in the District of Columbia. TTR Sotheby’s has been part of the Sotheby’s international family since 2006 and has grown to include over 250 agents in five area offices: Georgetown, downtown, Chevy Chase, McLean and Alexandria. The firm celebrated the very successful year with a private reception in December at the Phillips Collection where the firm was one of the two lead sponsors of the recent Van Gogh Repetitions exhibit.
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CEO, AARP What was one of the first things first lady Michelle Obama did upon turning 50 this January? She posed for a picture with her AARP card, of course. That alone shows the power of the organization that Rand has been heading since 2009. AARP’s membership is more than 37 million, its magazine has the largest circulation of any in the United States and the group will continue to grow as the baby boomers hit the magic retirement age of 65 at a rate of 8,000 a day. In this position, Rand talks about big issues like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but is an
Chief of Staff, Goldman Sachs Even Lloyd C. Blankfein, chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, finds John F.W. Rogers to be a curiosity. “Why does he have that extra initial that everybody else doesn’t have?” Blankfein mused in a 2011 Bloomberg BusinessWeek profile. Rogers came to Goldman in 1994 knowing nothing about Wall Street and everything about Washington and for 20 years he’s been the behind-the-scenes power player who breaches the two at his firm. He’s been called one of the “scariest, most important people at Goldman Sachs” and his power “reveals itself in subtle ways,” Dealbreaker once
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wrote. During his Washington days, Rogers worked for the Reagan and Ford administrations before taking a job at the treasury department. He continues to give back to this town as a trustee of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, does work for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and serves as vice chairman of the White House Historical Association.
KARL ROVE Founder, Conservative Victory Project Love or hate him, Karl Rove’s name is synonymous with political power. An oft-quoted talking head, he is the “great whisperer” of Republican politics, giving a tremendous boost to whoever he picks in a primary. Endorsements and money are sure to follow the Rove stamp of approval. He’s the player behind a trio of political groups. There’s the super PAC American Crossroads and its related nonprofit Crossroads GPS, which together raised $325 million during the 2012 election cycle; he is expected to spend upwards of $250 to $300 million in the two-year political cycle. In 2013 Rove added a third, the super PAC Conservative Victory Project, which aims to keep unelectable Tea Party-type candidates off the general election ballot. Rove is hoping for better results than the last time around. In 2012, the former George W. Bush aide backed a pack of losers, including GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and was incredulous — on live television — when President Obama was re-elected. Now, he’s using both his money and his mouth to help Republicans win the U.S. Senate and eventually decide who carries the party’s standard in 2016.
DAVID RUBENSTEIN Managing Director,The Carlyle Group When Ross Perot tried to sell the Magna Carta and the Washington Monument was shaken into disrepair, it was David Rubenstein — the cofounder and co-CEO of global private equity firm, the Carlyle Group — who saved the day. He gave the government $7.5 million, about half the funds needed to repair the Washington Monument, and dropped a cool $19 million to keep the Magna Carta stateside. He’s served on the boards and made donations to a number of prominent Washington institutions, including the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center and the National Zoo, specifically for its panda
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reproduction program. His donations have paid off. In December, the David M. Rubenstein Gallery opened at the National Archives, giving his Magna Carta a permanent home. The National Zoo is now boasting a baby girl panda named Bao Bao and the Washington Monument reopens this month.
BOB SCHIEFFER Host, CBS’ “Face the Nation” Is it really a surprise that Bob Schieffer would have a sideline gig as a Country & Western singer? The folksy Sunday Show host has shown that longtime news experience and a little charm can win audiences over week after week. In his decadeslong ratings war with rival “Meet the Press,” Schieffer is besting David Gregory by wide margins. In fact, in March, Schieffer had a million more viewers than his NBC peer. His long career history came in especially handy as Washington and the country remembered the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination last November. As a cub reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Schieffer revealed that he gave the late Marguerite Oswald, Lee Harvey Oswald’s mother, a ride to Dallas — the first story to put Schieffer on the map.
Ashok Bajaj, Restaurant Owner (Photo by Tony Powell)
STEPHANIE SCHRIOCK President, EMILY’s List The New York Times recently called Schriock one of the top contenders to manage Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016, if the former secretary of state indeed decides to run. Before that happens, she has to focus on getting more pro-choice Democratic women elected to office in 2014. In the last cycle, EMILY’s List, an acronym for “Early Money is Like Yeast,” raised a record-breaking $52 million to support women candidates — a number they’d like to repeat. For 2014, the group is focusing on political leadership training as well. In February the organization marked a milestone its 1,000th female candidate running for office this November. Under Schriock, the EMILY’s List community has grown to three million members strong. Schriock previously worked for Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign and the U.S. Senate campaigns of Sens. Jon Tester (DMont.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) before lending her expertise to the ladies.
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Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong, Owners, Restaurant Eve (Photo by Tony Powell)
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100 Widely considered a stepping-stone to the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is considered the second most-powerful in the land. And for good reason as its geographical location o#en gives it jurisdiction to decide cases of national importance. Current U.S. Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chief Justice John Roberts were all elevated from the appeals bench. Recently, President Obama succeeded in naming four new judges to ďŹ ll the remaining open seats on the 11-member court. All were conďŹ rmed despite Republican protests that the new members tip the balance in the Democrats’ favor. Here, a snapshot of the court’s newest judges: SRI SRINIVASAN - appointed May 2013 Srinivasan earned bachelor’s, law and business degrees from Stanford before going on to clerk for former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. After joining the law firm O’Melveny & Meyers in 1998, he served as an assistant to the U.S. solicitor general from 2002 to 2007 and returned to the law firm as a partner in 2007 to head its appellate and Supreme Court practice. Most recently, he was principal deputy solicitor general for the United States and taught at Harvard Law. PATRICIA MILLETT - appointed December 2013 Millett graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1985 and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1988. Since then she has become a sought-after legal voice as the head of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s Supreme Court practice in Washington, D.C. where she argued 32 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, the secondhighest by a woman lawyer. She is married to Robert King, a Navy veteran who served for 22 years. CORNELIA PILLARD - appointed December 2013 Pillard graduated magna cum laude from Yale and Harvard Law School before embarking on an illustrious legal career that includes holding the Marvin M. Karpatkin fellowship at the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the United States Solicitor General’s office and the U.S. Department of Justice where she served as deputy assistant attorney general. Before her appointment, she taught civil procedure and constitutional law at Georgetown University Law School. ROBERT L WILKINS - appointed January 2014 Wilkins earned his bachelor’s in chemical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1986 and his juris doctor from Harvard in 1989. Judge Wilkins’ legal career includes many highlights, most notably as the lead plaintiff under the public defender’s office in the landmark Wilkins, et. al. v. State of Maryland that led to nationwide reform in stop-and-search practices and as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was instrumental in establishing the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, slated to open in 2015.
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President and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association As one of the original tech-talking groups in Washington, Shapiro’s Consumer Electronics Association has a respected brand allowing him to continue to push for immigration reform, even as the possibility narrows that anything will be done on that issue before the 2014 midterms. He is also using his clout to talk patent trolls — a big concern within the tech community — as overzealous lawsuits stymie innovation. Shapiro has strong allies on both sides of the aisle as evidenced by the partnership of Rep. Darrell Issa (RCalif.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the two lawmakers who helped him and others kill SOPA and PIPA legislation in 2012. And of course, all eyeballs are focused on the CEA every January when the organization dazzles the world with all the coolest new gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
MARC SHORT STEVE LOMBARDO
to Mitt Romney when the former Massachusetts governor ran for president in 2012.
KNOX SINGLETON CEO, Inova Health System As the story goes, when Singleton found out that Inova Fairfax Hospital was ranked Number One in the Washington, D.C., area by U.S. News & World Report, he picked up the phone and ordered 14,100 floral bouquets for his staff. He came to lead the organization in 1984, when it was called the Fairfax Hospital Association, and has grown it mightily since. Inova’s model is not-for-profit and thus the health system provides top care to those in Northern Virginia and beyond, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Singleton has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Governor’s Award in 2004, presented by then-Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, and was inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame in 2009.
ROBIN SPROUL
President, Freedom Partners; Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Koch Companies Public Sector LLC As the Koch Brothers top operative in D.C., Short is possibly the most important person in Koch world driving tactical decisions on what races the billionaire brothers’ money will flow into. Short’s in charge of Freedom Partners, a group that wasn’t well known publicly until September 2013. He pulled his organization, which raised and spent $250 million in 2012, out of the shadows. The group has about 200 donors, who pay at least $100,000 in annual dues, which will have huge impacts on elections going forward. Additionally, should Mike Pence run for president, the Indiana governor would probably hire Short, who served as his chief of staff for the House Republican conference. Short worked with former Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, too, and was formerly the executive director of the Reagan Ranch. Lombardo was the Koch’s first-ever PR hire and came on board in February of this year to manage incoming fire for Koch political activities. A former tobacco industry talker with experience in Republican politics, the young up-and-comer worked on the 1992 presidential campaign of former President George H.W. Bush and served as a senior research and communications advisor
Washington Bureau Chief, ABC News When former ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson was asked about Robin Sproul’s leadership style, he classified her as a negotiator. “She doesn’t yell, she doesn’t scream, she doesn’t demand, she uses the velvet hammer,� Gibson said in a recent tribute video made for Sproul when she took home this year’s First Amendment Service Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Sproul has been at the helm of ABC’s Washington bureau for 21 years, holding the job longer than any network rival. In that time, she’s covered five presidential cycles and won an Emmy for ABC’s coverage of President Obama’s inauguration in 2009. In 2013, she was promoted to the executive in charge of ABC’s “This Week.� When she started in journalism, Sproul took an unpaid job at her local ABC News radio affiliate. Now, she’s among the handful of professionals meeting regularly with Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss the Justice Department’s policies for seeking records related to newsgathering.
NEERA TANDEN President, Center for American Progress How tight are Neera Tanden and Hillary Clinton? When Tanden’s Center for American Progress turned 10 in October, Clinton gladly showed up at the gala, joking that she “was
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S I D E BA R P H OTOS : S R I S R I N I VA SA N CO U RT E SY P H OTO ; PATRI CI A M IL LE T COU RTE SY A KIN GU MP STRAU SS HAU E R & F EL D L L P; COR NE LI A P IL LA RD BY R HODA BA E R ; ROBE RT W I L K I N S BY D O U G K A P U ST I N / R O S E - H U L M A N I N ST I T U T E O F T E C H N O LO GY.
LEGAL EAGLES
GARY SHAPIRO
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going to jump out of the cake,” Jokes aside, Tanden is majorly connected to the current White House — she worked on the Obama campaign and for the administration (and CAP’s former president John Podesta is at the White House now). Having worked for both Hillary and Bill, Tanden is clearly connected to Clintonworld. Since taking over the top job at CAP in 2011, she has hosted President Obama,Vice President Joe Biden and Capitol Hill’s top lawmakers for policy-related events. She’s joined forces with Maria Shriver in the creation of the “Shriver Report,” which examined the economic inequality of women and has been instrumental in putting together the White House Summit on Working Families, which kicks off this June.
RICHARD L TRUMKA President, AFL-CIO A booming voice of the labor movement since 1982, Richard Trumka doesn’t mind being a thorn in President Obama’s side occasionally, as he was in March when he said the president was backsliding on his promises to labor on the issue of international trade. That’s because the AFL-CIO has done plenty to get Democrats elected in the past and plans to keep it up in 2014. As the midterms approach, America’s biggest union is aiming to raise more than the $53 million it did in 2010, with plans to go after Republican governors, including Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, Ohio’s John Kasich and Michigan’s Rick Snyder. The colorful Trumka is also championing a minimum wage hike, which Democrats support on Capitol Hill, and has recently challenged the Heritage Foundation’s Jim DeMint to a debate on the issue.
HELGI WALKER Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher As Verizon’s attorney in the first big “net neutrality” case, Walker won in the U.S. Court of Appeals in January on behalf of her client, making it possible for the carrier to start charging Netflix and other streaming sites higher fees for using extra bandwidth. In the midst of the case, she was scooped up by the top-drawer law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in September 2013. Walker served as associate counsel to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003 and also clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, whom she holds in the highest esteem. “He is generous and kind in his treatment
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of all people, regardless of their particular background or identity, and so supportive,” she told Law360 during an interview in March. “He once joked that, if he was going into battle and had limited ammunition, he would give it to his male clerks — because his female clerks don’t need it.”
ALEX WALLACE Senior Vice President, NBC News She’s NBC News’ brand new Number Two. In January, Alex Wallace was named the executive in charge of NBC’s Washington bureau, a job that leapfrogged her to being the righthand woman to netwook president Deborah Turness. Wallace is in charge of reinvigorating “Meet the Press,” which has seen its ratings take a tumble while Bob Schieffer’s “Face the Nation” on CBS is on the rise. Since Wallace’s move, “Meet the Press” did have a good February (before having a not-so-good March). Despite that, she’s said publicly that she stands firmly behind host David Gregory, who took over the Sunday show after long-time host Tim Russert died in 2008. Since her start, Wallace has made moves to expand “Meet the Press” into the digital space with the goal, according to Turness, of turning “Meet” into a “seven days-a-week source for politics and Beltway buzz.”
CARDINAL DONALD W WUERL Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Wuerl is trying to harness some of the renewed energy of the Catholic Church right now thanks to Pope Francis. The new pontiff is “a focal point of faith renewal in the lives of many people,” Wuerl said during a mass celebrating Francis’ one-year anniversary at the Vatican. Wuerl, who came to Washington from Pittsburgh in 2006, is cut from more conservative cloth than than the pope and has had to strike a balance in this most political of cities. In 2009, when the District was on the verge of legalizing gay marriage, Wuerl insisted on protections that would exempt churches from complying with rules and laws permitting abortion, samesex marriage and other matters that go against their religious consciences. When the law’s language wasn’t strong enough, he kept his word, and the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington closed its 80-yearold foster care and public adoption program in 2010 so they wouldn’t have to serve gay couples. Catching ire from
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Michele Weslander Quaid, Public Sector CTO, Google (Photo by Tony Powell) the other side, Wuerl also announced early on that he refused to deny communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
DAVID ZASLAV AND JOHN HENDRICKS President/CEO, Discovery Communications; Founder and Chairman, Discovery Communications In January, Zaslav cemented himself at the helm of the Silver Spring, Md.based Discovery Networks, as his contract was extended for six years. Since his hiring in 2007, the company — which owns Discovery, TLC, the
Animal Planet and nearly 200 other networks, up from 100 when Zaslav joined — is enjoying a period of sustained growth. Even OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, has seen increased ratings after its bumpy start. All of this makes it a good time for Hendricks to change direction. After starting Discovery 32 years earlier, the company’s founder said he would be stepping down as chairman in May. But the move won’t mark the end of Hendricks’ storied career. Instead, he’s launched the Curiosity Project and curated week-long retreats at his luxury Gateway Canyons Resort in Colorado.
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SPECIAL FEATURE | RUSTY POWELL
THE ART OF BEING RUSTY POWELL
Creating big shows draws in the crowds at the National Gallery of Art BY ROLAND FLAMINI
S
ome time ago, in the course of a conversation with staff and students at a Midwestern art museum, Earl A. (“Rusty”) Powell III, the director of the National Gallery of Art, was asked from the audience, “Are you in charge of all the museums in Washington?” Powell threw up his hands in mock horror and replied: “Thank goodness, no!” and went on to explain that the Smithsonian Institution ran all the museums in Washington – except the National Gallery. His National Gallery. After 22 distinguished years in the job, Powell is as much a national treasure as the masterworks he is charged with nurturing. He is an expert in 19th- and 20th- century European and American art and a seasoned administrator, yet his well defined background has been overshadowed by his showman’s instinct for drawing in the crowds with big blockbuster exhibitions. Van Goghs from the Amsterdam Van Gogh museum;“Goya: Images of Women;” Rusty Powell (Photo by Tony Powell) the Rothko Retrospective; Jasper Johns; Canaletto; and more recently, “Diaghilev and Powell says his acquisition policy has the Ballets Russes”: such shows are what many focused on “filling up a lot of gaps,” notably of the gallery’s five million annual visitors come by adding Baroque and Spanish paintings. But to see — and hopefully they stay (or return) there is still a wish list. “We’d like a Caravaggio to view the splendor of the National Gallery’s and one does surface [on the market] from permanent collection. At least that’s the theory. time to time,” he says somewhat wistfully. “The big shows,” Powell argues, “create an The NGA does not have a work by this interest in the permanent collection. revolutionary Italian Renaissance painter, so Under Powell that collection has grown the quest continues. from 95,000 works to 134,000, to become The gaps were the result of how the gallery what Maxwell Anderson, director of the came into being in the first place, as the gift of its Indianapolis Museum of Art calls “the [art] founder and patron saint, Andrew Mellon. The flagship for the whole country.” financier, philanthropist and art collector – as if
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you didn’t know — funded construction of the original neoclassical building, donated his large art collection as the core permanent collection, left an endowment which made the addition of I.M. Pei’s angular East Wing possible in 1978, and stipulated that his bequest should be known as the National Gallery of Art, and not by his name or anyone else’s. As a collector, Mellon favored Italian masterpieces and French Impressionists, hence the gaps. Other major donors have followed, but Mellon’s gift was one that kept on giving. When Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, widow of Andrew’s son Paul, died in March, the NGA began receiving 75 already-bequeathed works to the gallery from Paul’s collection, including one of Van Gogh’s golden wheat fields that was immediately put on display. Such mini-exhibitions are not new at the NGA, but Powell hinted that they may become more frequent in the future. Does that mean we’ve seen the end of the blockbuster era? “Curatorial ways of thinking change,” Powell says, “and besides the ‘forbidden fruits’ – works from places like Russia that hadn’t been seen for years — have been shown.” At the Midwestern museum he went further: “The big shows are no longer the magisterial exhibitions that take on the entire world culture,” he told the audience. “Those happened, and I don’t think that’s much what the landscape looks like now.” But Powell’s eye gleams with the old enthusiasm when he mentions, without going into specifics, the gallery’s plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the opening of the West Building in 2016, and later that year the re-
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opening of the East Wing, where the galleries (but not the atrium) are now closed for a major conversion into a larger usable space. If Powell cut a wide swath in the art world before, it will be a wider soon when the NGA “will take custody of the collection” of the financially crippled Corcoran Gallery of Art. Under an arrangement that still requires court approval, George Washington University will use the building as its art school; and Powell says some “chestnuts from the Corcoran’s history” will also remain there on permanent exhibition; “but we will accession all the works,” including the Corcoran’s important collection of 6,500 photographs, a process which he predicts will begin in the fall. “There are some fine European things,” he says, and when the Corcoran’s American works are combined with what the NGA already has, “it will form the greatest presentation of American painting in the country.” The room in the Pei building where Powell receives visitors has the U.S. Capitol in full view in the middle distance as a constant reminder of the Congress’ oversight of the National Gallery of Art, at least with respect of the $120 million the gallery receives from the federal purse. The money is earmarked for maintenance and to pay the NGA’s 875 staffers, leaving Powell to raise a further $38 million a year for the gallery’s various programs in a tight money environment – “but so far we can still do it,” he adds. As for the Congress, which two years ago gave him the additional funds to “re-glue” 17,600 tiles to the East Wing façade because some were coming loose, Powell could give lessons to other officials on how to handle budget hearings.“They love him on the Hill,” a congressional staffer says admiringly, but Powell says digitalizing the NGA’s entire collection has helped deflect occasional questions from congressmen about what the gallery does for their distant constituencies.“The great thing has been the advent of the Internet,” he says, “because now the collection can be accessed nation-wide.” Powell, who was born two years after the NGA was founded (he turned 70 last year), is the gallery’s fourth director, and if he has his way it will be some time before there is a fifth. “I’m not going anywhere, I love my
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Vincent Van Gogh” “Green Wheat Fields, Auvers” is one of the last of Paul Mellon bequests to the National Gallery of Art.
George Washington University President Stephen Knapp, Corcoran Gallery of Art Intermim Director Peggy Loar and Rusty Powell (Courtesy National Gallery of Art)
job,” he says. The urbane Carter Brown, his predecessor, recruited him for the job, but over the years Powell has shaped his own culture. For example, Brown and the Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Tom Hoving once stood toe-to-toe, competing to outgun each other. The Powell NGA is mellower. “Right now, we’re not so much in competition with
the Met as colleagues,” Powell has said. “we do much more together than we used to before.” Besides, he observed, when it comes to buying works on the open market, neither institution can compete with the super-rich pension funds — to which he might have added the National Museum of Qatar and any number of art-loving Russian billionaires.
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LIFESTYLES
0%(= -2 ;%-8-2+ With places to go and people to see, this powerhouse woman has no tolerance for being made to wait.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Nick Ghobashi, www.nickghobashi.com WARDROBE: Will and Shani Lawry for Capital Image HAIR/MAKEUP: Paige Campbell, www.paigecampbellmua.com MANICURE: Shae Jackson assisted by Makeda Janifer, www.havenbeautylounge.com MODEL: Rachel Mackay for T H E Artist Agency EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Anne Kim-Dannibale ASSISTANT EDITOR: Laura Wainman Photographed at Maison Biltmore, www.maisonbiltmore.com; location by verdeHOUSE
JASON WU silk chiffon embroidered blouse ($1,950), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-6579000; TIBI leather perforated skirt ($398), REISS belt ($130) and FURLA yellow candy purse ($298), Bloomingdale’s, 5300 Western Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 240-744-3700; ALEXANDER WANG “Mila” booties ($650), Hu’s Shoes, 3005 M St. NW, 202-342-0202
PARKER eliza beaded print tank ($298) and AKRIS PUNTO pleated skirt ($1,490), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; REED KRAKOFF mesh “Atlas” pump in hi lite python and nude mesh ($995), www.reedkrakoff. com; RAY GRIFFITHS 18k gold and oxidized sterling silver cocktail ring set with a cabochon-cut moonstone ($6,150), Tiny Jewel Box, 1147 Connecticut Ave., NW, 202-393-2747
STELLA MCCARTNEY jacquard cut-out-back dress ($1,930), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; FENDI “Gea” pump ($890), Hu’s Shoes, 3005 M St. NW, 202-342-0202; TINY JEWEL BOX platinum and 18k peridot and diamond ring ($13,000) and TINY JEWEL BOX 18k yellow gold with peridot and diamond necklace ($16,500), Tiny Jewel Box, 1147 Connecticut Ave., NW, 202-393-2747
REISS jacket ($465) and SEVEN FOR ALL MANKIND lace print leggings ($225), Bloomingdale’s, 5300 Western Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 240-744-3700; CELINE silk tie-neck blouse ($1,250), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000.
LIFESTYLES | TREND REPORT KATE SPADE NEW YORK Geometric lemon infinity scarf ($98); katespade.com
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What to pack to stay fashionably cool for the first real long weekend of the summer
RAG & BONE/ JEAN Cotton-chambray dress ($198); saksfifthavenue.com
BY ALISON MCLAUGHLIN
RAG & BONE Folsom cracked-leather sandals ($450); saksfifthavenue.com KENZO Cropped crepe de chine camisole ($310); kenzo.com C. WONDER Cotton broadcloth seagrass printed tunic ($98); cwonder.com
ALICE + OLIVIA Floral print maxi dress ($612); aliceandolivia.com
VICTORIA BECKHAM DENIM Boyfriend stretchdenim shorts ($205); neimanmarcus.com
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TORY BURCH Madura printed underwired bikini ($260); neimanmarcus.com J BRAND Bleached jean jacket ($325); neimanmarcus.com
KENZO Fish-print stretchcotton mini skirt ($425); kenzo.com
LONGCHAMP Fleurs printed nylon travel bag ($365); saksfifthavenue.com
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GUCCI Printed cotton beach towel ($295); net-a-porter.com
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GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI Leather gladiator sandals ($845); saksfifthavenue.com
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REED KRAKOFF Linen espadrille wedge sandals ($395); saksfifthavenue.com
REBECCA TAYLOR Short-sleeve eyeletfront top ($250); cusp.com
LEMLEM Zema striped cottonblend shorts ($170); lemlem.com THEODORA & CALLUM Barbados scarf ($175); saksfifthavenue.com
DIOR Ladies Piccadily light gold aviator sunglasses ($382); Dior in Chevy Chase & Tysons Galleria, dior.com
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RAG & BONE/ JEAN Mila distressed denim shorts ($165); saksfifthavenue.com
KATE SPADE NEW YORK Madison Ave. Collection island wicker earrings ($98); katespade.com
MARA HOFFMAN Ananda printed underwired bikini ($235); bloomingdales.com
LOEFFLER RANDALL Citrus print woven lock clutch ($295); saksfifthavenue.com
KATE SPADE NEW YORK Rio de Janeiro panama hat ($98); katespade.com
EMILIO PUCCI Printed maxi dress ($1095); emiliopucci.com
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KATE SPADE NEW YORK Rio de Janeiro toucan tee ($78); katespade.com
MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS Billy sandal ($150); Michael Kors in Georgetown, 202-342-3103
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LIFESTYLES | TREND REPORT
JOIE “Rosita” top ($188) and “Marti” skirt ($214); joie.com
THAKOON ADDITION Striped stretchknit top ($390) and skirt ($325); saksfifthavenue.com CLOVER CANYON Bra Top ($125), Floral Maze Perforated Skirt ($335); clovercanyon.com
SUNO Cropped metallic cotton-blend top ($695), Metallic cotton-blend pencil skirt ($995); saksfifthavenue.com
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TIBI Fiore di cactus crop top ($280) and full skirt ($425); tibi.com
Matching sets aren’t just for the tennis court or board room anymore, this streamlined look is very much in vogue this spring BY ALISON MCLAUGHLIN
MARY KATRANTZOU Cropped printed satingabardine top ($995) and Structured printed satin-gabardine skirt ($6,200); neimanmarcus.com LOVER Star crocheted floral cottonlace top ($450) and pencil skirt ($495); loverthelabel.com
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MILLY Cropped printed neoprene top ($195) and skirt ($468); neimanmarcus.com
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CLOVER CANYON Neoprene Floral Crop Top ($195) and Knee Length Neoprene Floral Skirt ($230); bloomingdales.com
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SAKS FIFTH AVENUE’S GREAT LADIES LUNCH Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Doro Bush Koch and Kelli Magnarelli Andrea Mitchell, Dr. Howard Fillit, Nancy Sanford and Elise Le owitz
FASHION FOR A CAUSE: Saks Fi#h Avenue’s fourth annual luncheon benefiting the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation began with an elucidating morning session led by Dr. Howard Fillit about the disease that affects millions — women more so than men — followed by a glamorous lunch and fashion show of British designer Erdem Moralioglu’s Fall 2014 collection. The presentation of the foundation’s Great Ladies Award to coach emeritus of the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer basketball team Pat Summitt, who only recently retired due to her own Alzheimer’s diagnosis, brought the crowd to its feet. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Diane Rehm
Saks SVP John Antonini, designer Erdem, Sarah Tam and Kerri Larkin Robert Higdon, Dr. Tina Alster and David Decklebaum
Pat Summitt, Leonard Lauder and Michelle Marciniak George Vradenburg and Kathleen Matthews Erwin Gomez and Lynn Blitzer
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LIFESTYLES | THE DISH
WANTED: MORE THAN BEEF Diners at the ultimate Washington power restaurant, the steakhouse, now demand their meat be served with a side of atmosphere. B Y L A U R A WA I N M A N
STK offers smaller cuts of beef to healthconscious diners (Photo courtesy The ONE Group)
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New-wave steakhouses offer a vibe-driven dining experience (Photo courtesy The ONE Group)
ashington is one of those towns that you could have visited in both the 1970s and today and things would feel generally the same. The monuments are still the focal points of the landscape and the skyline still lacks the tall, multi-storied buildings one expects to see in a big city. Power suits and ties are still ubiquitous and a smattering of women continue to schlep to work in the dreaded skirt suit and sneakers combo. And, of course, more deals get done over Washington power breakfasts than ever before. The one pivotal difference in Washington would have to be the dramatic changes to the culinary world, particularly when it comes to steakhouses. Sure, Prime Rib and The Palm still serve delicious dry-aged New York strips and businessmen are still talking shop over surf and turf at Morton’s. These classic institutions continue to embody Washington power for a reason. But with newcomers such as Del Campo, Toro Toro and STK making big names for themselves, it is becoming clear that Washington power diners not only want to eat a tasty steak, but have a memorable experience, too. “Years ago we were the only ones in the market trying to change how steakhouses were seen,” STK’s co-owner Celeste Fierro says. “But now there are several places who are gearing their restaurants towards more than just a good meal or a good steak. Diners want the whole experience in an energetic atmosphere where they can connect with people.” STK, which opened it’s seventh national location in Washington last month, has made quite a stir recently with its “Not Your Daddy’s Steakhouse” tagline as locals who passed by the large window display in DuPont this winter discussed what a “female-friendly steakhouse” would embody. “Our target audience isn’t just women, but we’ve found that
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Toro Toro seeks to attract both the business lunch crowd as well as late-night partiers (Photo by Ben Droz)
corporate women don’t necessarily want to be forced to order huge cuts of meat and our menu offers lighter dishes for any healthconscious diner,” Fierro says. “Younger businessmen are also making it clear that they don’t want stuffy meeting spaces, which is why we place a focus on being vibe-driven. STK seeks to make the traditional concept of a steakhouse more accessible to everyone.” In a city where it might be more common to befriend someone with a foreign country hometown than a lifelong Washingtonian, accessibility to all also means appealing to an array of backgrounds and providing comfort food from many nationalities. Thus, it was inevitable that even the most American of dining options, the steakhouse, would take on an international spin. International restaurateur Richard Sandoval and local chef Victor Albisu both chose to enter the steakhouse world with restaurants near and dear to their hearts. Albisu opened his South American grill, Del Campo, (“It’s the food of my youth and my most revered memories,” he says) in April, 2013. Sandoval brought his third outpost of the panLatin steakhouse, Toro Toro, to Washington last month. “Toro Toro has grown to be one of my favorite concepts … [and it] embodies the idea that in Latin America, food is an event and not just a time to feed your appetite,” Sandoval says. Toro Toro also seeks to attract the nightlife crowd with a downstairs late-night lounge featuring live DJ’s playing, a full bar and bottle service.” What’s on the horizon? With an as-yet unnamed Argentinean steakhouse from Chef Jose Garces scheduled to open in the Loews Madison Hotel in June, steak of the international variety seems to be here to stay. “The steakhouse industry is only going to continue evolving as diners expectations change,” Albisu says. “It will be fun to see how many different ways people can bring steak to Washington.”
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LIFESTYLES | THE DISH
FRENCH FLAIR Omar Popal and his father Zubair bring romantic dining by the Seine to Malmaison on Georgetown’s waterfront BY GEORGIA SHALLCROSS
H
oused in a refurbished industrial a wonderful job with InterContinental warehouse reminiscent of Hotels there,” he recalls. “Kabul was New York City’s Meatpacking very chic; the ladies wore the latest District, Malmaison is perched astride the fashions from Paris and we hosted Georgetown waterfront at 3401 K Street Champagne buffets.” NW, and is the creation of Omar Popal, In 1987, he migrated to the United its handsome and creative director, and States to raise a family and applied his his father Zubair Popal, a veteran of top knowledge to his first restaurant here, hotels and restaurants in Europe and the Cafe Bonaparte, in 2003. While he Middle East. confesses that the idea of opening a The sleek, modern restaurant, restaurant was daunting, Bonaparte was pastry shop and event lounge features an instant success.The charming crêperie the culinary talents of legendary twopaved the way to opening Napoleon star Michelin chef Gerard Pangaud Bistro, in Adams Morgan, in 2007. and its equally impressive pastry chef The chef ’s story is equally Serge Torres, who hails from New impressive. As the youngest chef to York’s Le Cirque. Both bring a flair for receive a Michelin award (in 1982), romantic Parisian dining by the Seine Pangaud created and operated to Georgetown’s populous Potomac superbly reviewed restaurants in New River waterfront. York City and Paris. He made his mark Omar Popal and his father Zubair Popal (Photo by Ben Droz) On the eve of its one-year anniversary in Washington with Gerard’s Place and next month, Malmaison has become a social focal point in Georgetown. at The Ritz Carlton Pentagon City. “Gerard grew up outside of Paris, On one day the Popals may be hosting Daimler executives from Stuttgart just minutes from [Napoleon and Josephine’s original] Malmaison, so it as they unveil a new Mercedes model to journalists, and on the next, was meant to be,” Omar Popal says. charming throngs of preppy professionals from Ivy Connect and Media The restaurant’s name is a nod to history. Napoleon was on a campaign Bistro. It has become a bustling hive of social bonding and community- in Egypt when Josephine purchased the Château de Malmaison. After centric events in Georgetown, from morning yoga sessions and French the initial shock, Napoleon grew to love a place where guests were music festivals to art shows and specialty tastings in collaboration with “allowed to jest, laugh and be happy.” While the latest addition to the the Alliance Française. Popal portfolio of eateries was acquired in a less surreptitious manner, When not taken over by buy-outs, Malmaison is enthralling its mission is similar: “To be the smartest, most vibrant and sophisticated sophisticated palates with elegant French fare. While the decor is à la restaurant/event space in Washington,” Omar Popal vows. mode, Omar describes the modern French cuisine as “a nod back to In keeping with that goal, Malmaison takes on a Soho House vibe the classics.” on weekend nights with sought-after DJs and a world-class sound The cafe opens early, serving a rotation of pressed juices, French system hand-crafted by the late audio whiz Gary Stewart. “We wanted pastries and boutique coffees, as well as sandwiches and wraps to go. to bring the very best to Washington and compete successfully with At lunch, a few must-order dishes include the mussel soup with spring other cosmopolitan cities,” Omar says. vegetables or the homemade Shephard’s Pie with duck confit. At dinner Regardless of the time of day, Malmaison buzzes like its stylish Chef Pangaud has a weekly-changing three- or four-course prix-fixe bumblebee logo, adopted by Napoleon and which symbolizes menu ($45 or $55), based on what’s available fresh from the markets. He’s immortality. From juice bar and yoga studio, to restaurant, lounge and known for his super fresh seafood dishes, such as palate-pleasing favorites event space, the multiuse venue is unique for Georgetown. like lobster with sauterne sauce, halibut with mushroom crust and sautéed “This is a homecoming for us,” Zubair Popal notes. “We began in shrimp in ginger and lime sauce. Georgetown and the sophisticated historic neighborhood has a special Born in Kabul, Zubair Popal reminisced about the cosmopolitan flair place in our hearts. Returning to Georgetown to launch a new restaurant, of Afghanistan’s capital before the Soviets invaded. “After college I got with a somewhat daring concept, is a dream come true.”
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WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y Artini﹐ UNCF’s Masked Ball﹐ Alliance Francaise Gala﹐ Around Town and more!
Chinyere and Ed Hubbard at the 2014 United Negro College Fund’s Masked Ball (Photo by Tony Powell)
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AROUND TOWN
Rocking and Racing A far-seeing gala and a heart-warming tribute to a beloved doctor BY DONNA SHOR
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS At a
rockin’ celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel, guests were photographed next to life-sized cardboard film stars and got to bid on celebrity items during an action-filled evening. The 28th Prevention of Blindness Foundation (POB) Gala featured award presentations, the toe-tapping music of Retrospect and a silent auction whose 100 items included hosting private Brooke Stroud Carnot, Kandy Stroud and “Lindsay” Stroud at the Frank Doreen Gentzler (with her husband Bill Miller) served as Stroud M.D. Foundation’s fourth annual 5K Run, Walk and Roll race. emcee at this year’s Prevention of Blindness Foundation dinners at the residences of (Photo by Willy Hoffman Jr.) Gala (Photo by Neshan Nalchayan) the Egyptian and Philippines supporters “exemplify the organization’s dogs, dogs as their running mates. ambassadors. spirit of mission” which focuses on lowSeveral 4- and 5-year-olds, excited by At the Celebrity Sightings auction, vision problems. POB’s local affiliate, the the thrill of a last-minute rush of a few yards guests bid on eyewear once owned by largest in the U.S., screens 8,000 children through the finish line, victor’s arms above Arnold Palmer, Barbara Walters, Chevy each year for early detection plus 1,000 adults their heads, doubled-back and ran through Chase, Betty Ford, Colin Farrell, Jerry for glaucoma. Many specialized programs, again, to hear the cheers once more. Lewis and Rachel McAdams. such as Eyeglasses for the Needy, help POB A fun run, with a serious purpose. The Board President Jan David Brown stated that the group’s awards have been ease life for the vision-impaired. foundation honors the late Dr. Frank Stroud, bestowed upon 26 outstanding individuals an admirable man and beloved Washington ON YOUR MARKS Three-hundred over the years with opthalmologist Dr. pediatrician whose special passion was Richard A. Garfinkel of The Retina Group participants and spectators arrived at assessing learning disabled and ADD/ of Washington taking home the 2014 Fletcher’s Cove for the Frank Stroud M.D. ADHD symptom children and working with Professional Service Award. Philanthropist Foundation’s Fourth Annual 5K Run, Walk psychologists and psychiatrists to help them. Valerie Tripp received POB’s 2014 and Roll race. The event, proclaiming It was a bittersweet day; many spoke Community Service Award. She originated “Strollers, Wheelchairs and Dogs Welcome,” openly of their affection for him. Several the wildly successful American Girl dolls was clearly a grimly serious contest. young parents had been his patients. “Frank and book series. It began with everyone heading away saved our son’s life,” one woman said. Sally Ann Pilkerton, a board of trustees from the finish line, toward Georgetown. Before the race, Kandy Stroud member and longtime POB ally, chaired introduced renowned psychiatrist Dr. The actual runners walked to a point five the black-tie event; NBC News4 anchor kilometers distance; others stopped at various Carlotta “Buffy” Miles, as a close colleague Doreen Gentzler served as emcee. Gentzler, of her late husband’s. Dr. Miles spoke of spots along the pathway then followed the in a poignant moment, extolled those who his tireless devotion to their shared young returning runners back to the finish line, work to preserve vision, saying that the where the time-keepers/cheerleaders awaited. patients, and said the foundation was treatment she received from her eye doctor carrying on his goals by grants to groups (Yes, that was NBC News4’s Barbara Harrison, who runs every year.) saved her television career when it was and individuals. The same cries of “Come on, you’re threatened by her extreme sensitivity to Joined by her daughter, Brooke Stroud Carnot, and son “Lindsay” Stroud, Kandy almost there, you can make it” that exhorted TV’s glaring studio lights. Michele Hartlove, POB’s executive announced the event had raised $20,000 to the speeding, sweating runners also greeted director, said awardees and devoted continue the foundation’s mission latecomers, afoot or in strollers, with dogs,
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Conrad and Ludmilla Cafritz
Barbie Allbritton and Robert Allbritton
David Decklebaum, Bob Colacello, Buffy Cafritz and Robert Higdon WL EXCLUSIVE
‘HOLY TERROR’ BOOK PARTY Lynda Carter and Ann Stock Central Michel Richard restaurant | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL SPRING FLING: A suitably eclectic crowd gathered to celebrate a brand new edition of “Holy Terror: Andy Warhol Close Up,” Bob Colacello’s 1990 insider memoir of the “Pope of Pop Art,” whose eclectic work radicalized modern art and culture. A former editor of Warhol’s Interview magazine, Colacello now writes about international society for Vanity Fair and is hard at work on the second volume of his biography of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. SPOTTED: Event hosts Lea and Wayne Berman, Buffy Cafritz, David Deckelbaum and Robert Higdon on hand to greet Fred Ryan, Lucky Roosevelt, Ann and Lloyd Hand, Ann Jordan, Landon Parvin, Jessica Yellin, Politico’s Mike Allen and Vanity Fair’s Maureen Orth plus Kevin Sullivan, Mary Jordan and Roxanne Roberts from the Washington Post.
Laura Denise Bisogniero and Italian Amb. Claudio Bisogniero
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Melissa Moss and Jeremy Bernard Steve Smith and Sally Bedell Smith with Wayne Berman
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Eden Rafshoon and Polly Kraft
Ina Ginsburg and Mark Ginsburg
Alan Paul, Genny Ryan and Christian Zapatka
Carolyn Peachey and Ruthie Leffall
Kim Sajet, Dr. Tina Alster and Fabiola Martens
Paul Zevnik and Ginny Grenham with Laurie and Bob Monahan
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Pamela and Donnie Simpson
Angela Avant and Maurice Jenkins
Pandit Wright and Adrienne Todman
Steve and Suzie Canton with Debbi and Ernie Jarvis WL EXCLUSIVE
Mya
UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND’S MASKED BALL Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL MUSICAL MASQUERADE: The United Negro College Fund celebrated 70 years of providing critically needed scholarships for minority students with a glamorous masked ball honoring legendary Washington radio personality Donnie (“Dr. Green Eyes”) Simpson. Local R&B artist Mya entertained nonprofit, civic and sports worlds leaders with Steve and Suzie Canton and Debbi and Ernie Jarvis sharing ball chairmen duties.
Dominique Taylor and Redskins wide receiver Josh Morgan
Scholarship recipients James Wrenn and Janice Bonsu
Sharon Pratt
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Courtney Howell, Laura Iverson, Jennifer Greenband, Erin Nichols, Joel Cas and Ashley Hampton
2014 Artini host committee
J.R. Barnes, Jessica Itzel, Ashleigh Payne and Alex Middel
ARTINI 2014 Corcoran Gallery of Art | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Joshua Durr Dave Dochter and Sheena Cole
LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Once a year to celebrate the arrival of spring, local imbibers gather for a festive night at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, where mixologists create alcohol-fueled works of art based on paintings in the collection. Jack Rose’s Nick Lowe and Trevor Frye took home the coveted critic’s choice award for their “Golden Age” absinthe concoction. Typically the “creative cocktail” a!ire at this fête is just as awe-inducing as the libations, and this year’s highlights included a piano keyboard sheath dress and a bright red ballgown that cascaded onto the red carpet lining the stairs up to the VIP/Celebrity Cruises lounge.
Autumn English with John and Alex Allen
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Sery Kim, Sher Mathew, Meredith Hope and Maggie Johnson
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Beth Webster, Sim Khan and Katie Rudis
Brian Jarosinski and Katelyn Gimbel Vincent de Paul and Matt Chatell WL HOSTED
MEN OF SUBSTANCE AND STYLE
Michelle and Skip Pruitt
Shahid Malik
Saks Fifth Avenue | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ
Jason Smith and Lawrence Behar
LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE DUDES: Washington plays host to an abundance of stylish and substantive women, and our ladies have been ge!ing more of the recognition they deserve lately. To make sure local lads shared in the love, Washington Life partnered with Saks Fi#h Avenue to celebrate the fashionable gents featured in the March “Spring Fashion” issue who are making waves in the DMV. The intimate crowd gathering at the Tyson’s Corner Saks store for music from The Skip Prui! Band, wine tastings and hors d’oeuvres even got to hear a few sartorial secrets from the dapper dudes.
Heather Shaw Menis and Sophie Blake VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Zulma Montano The Skip Pruitt Band
Dennis and Jenni Holland
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Kevin Gray and Jordan Barkley
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OVER THE MOON
Steeplechase Season The horsey set focuses on racing, tailgate parties and plans for upcoming stable and garden tours. BY VICKY MOON
Cricket Bedford, Garrick Steele and Angela Guarriello at the races in Middleburg. (Photo by Vicky Moon)
S
pring finally emerged just as the steeplechase season was off and running at Glenwood Park in Middleburg on Easter weekend. A sea of ladies donned their newest hats, the men were decked out in pastel pants and ties and tailgates were teeming with ham biscuits, fried chicken and deviled eggs. Jacqueline Ohrstrom hosted a bevy of friends from her tailgate along the rail: David Blake, Jane Noland, Jackie Eldredge and Sharon Maloney along with Karen and Hector Alcalde. The drinks were served up in personalized plastic glasses with her yellow and blue racing colors. At the adjacent tailgate, Garrick Steele also hosted race-goers. Among them, Stephanie Bates, a dynamo who owns the monogram company Stella and Bean. Launched in 2008 after a career in marketing, her line of personalized products has gone from individual orders to the stratosphere of corporate branding. There’s something to the adage that if you want to get something done, ask a busy person. So … in her few spare moments, Bates also is putting together finishing touches for the 55th annual Hunt Country Stable Tour on Memorial Day weekend, May 24-25, which benefits charities and non-profit programs at Trinity Church in Upperville. (Inspired by French
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“The Cove” features eight bedrooms and ten fireplaces in the main house plus a carriage house, tenant house and equipment shed on 2,000 acres for $23,950,000. (Courtesy of Washington Fine Properties)
country style churches of the 12th and 13th century, the edifice was given to the community by the late Paul and Bunny Mellon.) Bates is coordinating logistics that include six exquisite new properties on the self-guided 12stop tour this year, with everything from famous breeding farms, competition stables, newborn foals, jumpers, polo ponies and even horses swimming for exercise. “Caliburn Farm,” a breeding and training facility focused on developing young horses for jumping and dressage competition, is new this year. Purchased in 2010 by Gail Dady, a partner at D.C. Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm in Alexandria, the property includes a renovated dairy barn that now houses her horses as well as a new state-of-the art show barn. After making her gardens available for Historic Garden Week in Virginia, Mimi Abel-Smith will open her stables at “Hickory House Farm” for riding demonstrations of hunters and jumpers. Heather Briggs will show various forms of driving with ponies and horses at “Belle Grey Farm.” And be sure to see the three miniature donkeys at the country fair at the church. And finally, here’s a big one for sale … “The Cove” in Hume embraces extraordinary vistas and a stately 30-room residence built in 2002 with eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, 10
The tailgate accessories at Jacqueline Ohrstrom’s picnic are personalized. (Photo by Vicky Moon)
fireplaces, a 3,500-bottle wine cellar, reception hall, conservatory, two-story maple-paneled library, English pub room/billiard room, home theater and exercise room. Add to this: a mudroom with boot wash, pet room, game prep room with fully tiled walls and floor and a floor drain, laundry facilities, a powder room (of course), lady’s office and family room with wood-burning stone fireplace and vaulted ceiling. There are staff offices and a heated swimming pool with a flagstone surround and adjacent spa. One of the three ponds is 13 acres and part of the estate is fenced. There are trails but no barns or stables for those aspiring to be on the stable tour. It does offer a clean slate on which to create an equestrian dream come true on 2,000 acres. Listed at $23,950,000 (with options to buy in parcels) by Kathryn Harrell and Lynn Wiley of Washington Fine Properties in Middleburg. >> Hunt Country Stable Tour tickets are $25/ person ($30 a#er May 16). A group rate for 10 or more is $20. Purchase tickets at h!p://trinityupperville.org/Hunt-Country-Stable-Tour/ or by calling 540-592-3711. Tickets will also be available the weekend-of at Trinity Episcopal Church or any of the featured stops. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets are not required for the Country Fair.
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Annie Totah and Katherine Wood with Arnaud and Alexandra de Borchgrave Amy Tan and Deborah Tannen Michael Pillsbury, Amy Tan, Willee Lewis, Susan Pillsbury and Jane Cafritz WL EXCLUSIVE
PEN/FAULKNER DINNER John Lewis, Bobbie Brewster and Finlay Lewis
Michael and Susan Pillsbury Residence, Georgetown PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
LITERARY LADIES: Oscars Night didn’t deter a highbrow crowd from turning out to meet two of the nation’s most distinguished authors, Amy Tan (“Joy Luck Club,” “The Valley of Amazement”) and Deborah Tannen (“You Don’t Understand,” “You’re Wearing That?”) on a cold and rainy night. Hosts Mike and Susan Pillsbury’s impressive Chinese art collection also proved a major draw along with Champagne, Peking duck, lobster pot pie and yes, a big screen in the library discreetly tuned to the Academy Awards.
Susan Rappaport and Caroline Croct
Monica Greenberg and Vibeke Lofft
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Bill DuBose, Barbara Hawthorn, Marcia MacArthur, Sally Turner and Robin Walker
Leah Gansler and Mark Lowham
Valentina Adeler, Jorge Adeler and Wendy Adeler Hall
Father Steve Shafran and Patrice Brickman WL SPONSORED
CHARITYWORKS’ ADELER JEWELERS BENEFIT
Jenn Crovato and Lana Orloff
Adeler Jewelers | PHOTOS BY NICK GHOBASHI PERFECT PARTNERS: CharityWorks hosted a reception to benefit its 2014 partners, TAPS, Don Bosco High School and Teach for America at the beautiful Adeler Jewlers boutique in Great Falls. A percentage of the sale of each piece of jewelry sold that night went directly towards the partner organizations, making each sparkler sold that much more special. The evening’s hosts included: Wendy Adeler, Katherine Bradley, Patrice Brickman, Barry Dixon, Raul Fernandez, Leah Gansler, Mark Lowham and Norma Ramsey.
Martha Tesfaye and Stacey Pavesi Debre
Fabrizia Hawes, Devlin Berlo and Francisca Alonso
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Sandy Thurman, Dr. Debbie Birx and British Robinson
Melanne Verveer, Nancy Brinker and Anita McBride Jen Corey and Debra Schiff WL EXCLUSIVE
BREAST CANCER BENEFIT FOR SHINKAI KAROKHAIL
Lindsey de la Torre and Eric Motley
Nancy Brinker Residence | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Sultana Hakimi
SELFLESS GIVING: At an intimate gathering of 40 guests, supporters gathered to raise funds in honor of Shinkai Karokhail, who was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer in a local hospital a#er being misdiagnosed in Afghanistan. The guest of honor selflessly remarked that she hoped not to have to use the money raised for her own healthcare, but instead to start a program to educate women about breast cancer in her native country “where they see cancer as a death sentence.”
Shinkai Karokhail
Kat Conlon and Shamim Jawad VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Rebecca Marchant, Ann Marchant, Kaya Henderson and Robert Shedrick Jr. Astrid Matthews and Carol Jeliazkov
Todd Caborit, Argelia Rodriguez and Ken Harvey
Kweko Sumbry and Savion Glover
D.C.-CAPITAL STARS Kennedy Center | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES SO YOU WANNA BE A STAR: Whether it was singing or playing an instrument, Washington public high school students showed off their talents hoping to earn the audience’s vote for up to $10,000 in college scholarships at D.C. College Access Program’s annual fund-raiser. Celebrity judges, including tap wünderkind Savion Glover, weighed in, recruiting drummer and finalist, Kweko Sumbry on the spot for an upcoming show — which turned out to be no surprise when the Duke Ellington School junior went on to win the top prize at evening’s end.
Jennifer Li, Pinkie Mayfield and Nikita Crowell
Ivan Carlo and Alyxz Long VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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Mark Gillespie, Emily Turner and Diego Levinas Rosa Maria Barreiro, Lizette Corro, Janet Rogozinski and Annie Totah
Paul Sherrill with Bill and Pilar O’Leary and Richard Frank Haitian Amb. Bocchit Edmond
Elizabeth Rojo and Irma Frank
Saint Veronica’s Youth Steel Orchestra
YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE AMERICAS’ SPRING GALA Four Seasons Hotel, Washington, D.C. | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Hilda and Arturo Brillembourg
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Jose Solis Betancourt and John Mason
CARIBBEAN NIGHTS: Guests celebrating the launch of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas’ 2014 Caribbean Tour were treated to a festive evening that included a Dominican cigar bar, wine tastings, tropical cocktails and a Caribbean-themed dinner. Music was provided by the Saint Veronica’s Youth Steel Orchestra, the salsa band Los Hacheros and violinist Sarah Chang (winner of the 2014 YOA Artist Leadership Award) accompanied by the Quartet of the Americas as they performed Vivaldi’s “Le Qua!ro Stagioni.” The evening concluded with bumping tunes from DJ Life. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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Katie Ledecky
Arthur Ellis, Kim Horn and Rocky Twyman
Chanelle Hardy and Michael Akin
George and Bernadette Lambert
BLACK-TIE AND SNEAKERS GALA
Daniel Flores, Taylor Strange and Tom Tucker
Grand Hyatt | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL JUST FOR KICKS: Guests at the event (formerly known as the Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Gala) donned their most colorful sneaks in honor of the Greater Washington Urban League’s new leadership team headed by CEO George Lambert and to celebrate “GWUL On the Move,” its health and fitness theme. Fi!ingly, the organization honored big-hi!ers from the sports world: Olympic gold medalist swimmer Katie Ledecky, first female NCAA men’s golf team coach Catana Starks and Washington Capital Joel Ward while awarding 10 college scholarships to local high school students.
Mayor Vincent Gray and Rynthia Rost
Victoria Lambert and Rahila Danjuma
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Dr. Carlotta Miles, Sally Bedell Smith and Ann Crittenden
Francesca Craig and Inigo Oyarzabal
Emily Sears Lodge and Lucinda Martin
WL EXCLUSIVE
EMILY LODGE BOOK PARTY
Bruce Ross-Larson and John Henry
Watergate East Apartments | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES AMERICAN DYNASTY: An eclectic crowd gathered at the residence of Cindy Martin and Ma Watrous to celebrate the publication of “The Lodge Women: Their Men and Their Times,” a chronicle tracing the remarkable story of one of the nation’s most distinguished families from the Colonial Era through the 20th century. Author Emily Sears Lodge, a granddaughter of former senator, ambassador and 1960 vice presidential candidate Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., captivated guests with excerpts from her unique descendant’s view of a long line of women who influenced history with notable passion, style and grace. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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Bobby Pingeon and Lucy Schloss
Kitty de Zwart, Matt Watrous and Susan Rappaport WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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Chris Bukowski and Kennedy Snyder
Daniela Vilela, Brandon Golatt, Dianne Beltran and Tim Yowpa
Ben Britton and Brad Nierenberg WL EXCLUSIVE
Scott Pacheco, Rob Nelson and Mike Ponticelli Jeff Thoben, Mark Carter and Al Espinoza
CHANCE FOR LIFE POKER TOURNAMENT City Tavern Club | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ ALL ACES: Poker champs had a guilt-free reason to don sunglasses and take to the tables at Chance for Life’s annual benefit for the Spinal Cord Tumor Association — organized by Red Peg’s Brad Nierenberg, whose niece, Kennedy Snyder, suffers from the deadly disease. Local business, sports, marketing and media personalities joined 200 amateur poker players (at a buy-in of $500) to compete all day for Poker’s Holy Grail: a $10,000 seat at the 2014 World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas. Card-shy guests sampled wine and bites by Rogue 24’s RJ Cooper while eyeing silent auction items that included a virtual guitar lesson by The Killers’ Ted Sablay before dancing till dawn to the Doug Segree Band and sounds by DJ Dirty Hands.
Amanda Mitchell and Katelyn Gimbel
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Cpl. Donny Daughenbaugh, David Walker, Sgt. Jorge DeLeon and Sgt. Mary Herrera Amy Newton, Linda Davis and Sandra McGushin
Joseph and Mary Arnold with Dorothy Deem and William Henry
Ken Falke, Anthony Kearns and Sean Clancy
MILITARY CHARITIES’ BENEFIT
Christina Cox and Bill Moyer
Salamander Resort | REFLECTIONS PHOTOGRAPHY
Cpl. Geoffrey Earle, Sgt. Joshua McClendon, Sgt. David Hayes and Cpl. Jose Parra
MUSICAL MILITARY SALUTE: To kick off “Irish Season” and pay tribute to military families, world-renowned Irish tenor Anthony Kearns gave a memorable performance at Salamander Resort in Middleburg, Va. The evening of fine music and cocktails benefited two organizations: Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness and The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes. Kearns has become quite popular among military families and service organizations, particularly a#er he performed last year as the guest of Gen. Martin Dempsey at the World War II Memorial in tribute to Medal of Honor recipients. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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District Councilmember David Catania and Alexandra Pardo
Julie Meyer, Jesus Aguirre and Ahnna Smith
Robert Cane and Mike Sigal
FOCUS GALA Meridian International Center | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ
Arthur Dade and Jim Moore
SCHOOLS FIRST: Leaders in the public charter school movement gathered at Friends of Choice in Urban Schools’ annual gala to discuss — what else — the state of public education in Washington. Executive Director Robert Cane spoke along with District Council Chairman Kwame Brown and Mayor Vincent Gray, but the undoubted highlight was former New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein, who spoke passionately about the importance of offering parents choices in public education.
Sarah Lick and Alex McArtney
Zach Mowers and Stine Suenningsen
Yue Yin and Xi Ming
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Fiji Amb. Winston Thompson and Queenie Thompson
Lauren MacGuidwin, Mirza Germovi and Elena Malik
Olivia DeMay and Matt Kroenig
Ball Co-Chairmen Bella Blakeway-Phillips and Victoire Carrasco WL EXCLUSIVE
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY DIPLOMATIC BALL The Corcoran Gallery of Art | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Irish Amb. Anne Anderson and Frank Lowe
Michaela Locke and Jonathan Faure
Olympia Filippeli and George Spyropoulos
DIPLOMATIC DANCE: Envoys from more than 40 embassies joined other special guests from the Department of State, White House and the private sector at Georgetown University’s 89th annual Diplomatic Ball, held this year at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Among the ambassadors spo!ed on the dance floor with 800 future foreign service officers and policymakers from G.U.’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service were Anne John Beale (Barbados), Eugene Newry (Bahamas), Olexander Motsyk (Ukraine), Elena Poptodorova (Bulgaria) and Jaliya Wickramasuriya (Sri Lanka). VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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PARTIES PARTIES PARTIES
Films, Games, Business and Innovation VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL LEADERSHIP DINNER
NANTUCKET FILM FESTIVAL RECEPTION TED AND LYNN LEONSIS RESIDENCE
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EMBASSY OF BAHRAIN
(Photos by Tony Powell
(Photos by Ben Droz)
An intimate crowd gathered at the Potomac home of Ted and Lynn Leonsis for a “Nantucket in Washington Spring Reunion.” The evening of cocktails and conversation celebrated the upcoming Nantucket Film Festival (being held in late June) with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sean Fine in a!endance.
The Harvard Business School Club of Washington, D.C. hosted an evening of networking, featuring Bahraini Amb. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed AlKhaifa speaking about the history, culture and business practices of his country before a seated three-course dinner was served in a private room at the embassy.
1. Ted Leonsis, Andrea and Sean Fine, and Lynn Leonsis
8. Bahrain Amb. Shaikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al-Khaifa, Antonio Alves and Ricardo Bastos Salgado
2. Bill Curran and Basil Tsiokos 3. Jack Evans, Laurie Monahan, Michele Seiver and Bob Monahan
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9. Col. Mohammed Ahmed and Umbereen Ahmed
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10. Marvcus Pa on and Jeffrey Balash
4.Wayne Rogers and Jill Burkhart
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NORTHERN VIRGINIA TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL’S DESTINATION INNOVATION WASHINGTON POST HEADQUARTERS TH ST NW (Photos by Ben Droz) Sixteen companies got a chance to shine at NVTC’s Destination Innovation event. Each firm gave two-minute pitches about how their technology is disruptive and solves a real-world problem. Guests voted for their favorite, then the top two in each category competed head-to-head in the final round and answered questions from a panel of industry judges. 11. Carly Fiorina and Bobbie Kilberg
12. Doug Dreyer and Tom Mazzone
5 PLAYSTATION 4 LAUNCH PARTY
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RESIDENCE OF MARNIE AND HOWARD OWENS (Photos by Priscilla De Lima Ledesma)
CARNEGIE LIBRARY (Photos by Ben Droz)
5. Amos Snead, Gloria Story Dittus and Ali Amirhooshmand
7. Tom Daschle WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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For the second in a series of five Collector’s View exhibitions, Marnie and Howard Owens invited guests to their Georgetown house to view selections from their contemporary photography collection. The display included photographs from Alex Prager, Malick Sadibe, Tierney Gearon, Sam Falls and Massimo Vital.
The ESA and Sony co-hosted a light-hearted celebration highlighting the November 2013 release of the Playstation 4. Notable Washingtonians, including former Senator Tom Daschle and Rep. Jim McGovern, were spo!ed testing out the interactive gaming system.
6. Ava Deylami and Mark Drapeau
COLLECTOR’S VIEW
13. Howard and Marnie Owens
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14. Guests viewing photographs from the Owens’ private collection
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HOME LIFE Real Estate News and Open House | To come Real Estate News and Open House I Inside Homes and My Washington
3EWMW MR XLI 'MX] A clean and neutral palette creates the peaceful home base that Amy and Bret Baier’s on-the-go family desires. BY LAURA WAINMAN PHOTOS BY TONY BROWN
HOME LIFE | INSIDE HOMES
ret Baier has spent a lifetime learning on his feet. His first day in Washington was September 11, 2001 when he drove from Fox New’s Atlanta bureau to cover the attack on the Pentagon; he never returned to Atlanta and spent the next five years covering the Pentagon. When he married his wife Amy in 2004, their eightday honeymoon was the longest amount of consecutive time they had ever spent together and Bret says “he truly learned a lot in those early days.” “I learned I needed to be a lot neater and that my Buffalo Bills sweatshirt was not cool enough to make the wardrobe cut,” he says. When the couple’s first son, Paul, was born in 2008 the Baiers were told that their 2-day-old son needed surgery or he wouldn’t make it past a fortnight. They’ve been learning everything about congenital heart disease and Children’s National Medical Center ever since. After a busy fall and winter, which included Paul’s third open heart surgery, celebrating Bret’s fifth year as anchor of “Special Report with Bret Baier,” and the completion of his first book “Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage & Love,” plus recently moving into a new house in upper Northwest Washington — which they had been building for the last three years — the Baiers are ready to relax. “There are a few walls that still need art, but I think we are ready to just put it in cruise control and chill for awhile,” Amy says of the couple’s ultimate “dream house.” The focal points of that dream include a vibrant art collection comprising pieces by Lana Gomez, Jamali, Eva
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PREVIOUS PAGE, FROM TOP LEFT: The Baiers prefer to decorate with a neutral palette, and add pops of color through the ir artwork. Amy spent months tracking down the European windfall light fixture that is a focal point of the house from the entryway to the upstairs foyer. The family is looking forward to finally putting their private backyard and pool to good use this summer. Amy says her boys are very close and almost always can be found in the same room, usually the downstairs basketball court. The heart shaped sculpture in the corner of the dining room is one of the couple’s favorite pieces of art as it reminds them of their “son’s special heart.” THIS PAGE, TOP: Bret Baier spent many nights this winter in his “man cave” office putting the finishing touches on his first book, to be published in June. There is no gadget or appliance in sight in the kitchen because Amy uses the many built-ins to conveniently hide anything that isn’t in keeping with her minimal taste. Her love of fashion is seen in the Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Bulgari design books on display in the master bedroom.
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Hild and Marcos Marin, extravagant light fixtures, a private backyard with a pool and entertainment space where they can host charity functions, intimate dinner parties and play dates for the kids. Amy, who studied interior design and has a deep love of fashion (evidenced by her enviable closet), knew exactly what she wanted but hired a designer and architect to help execute that vision. “We have traditional tastes with a few modern twists and knew we wanted to keep the color palette very neutral,” she says. “Clean, creamy and sophisticated with pops of color on the walls is how we decorate. Art and light fixtures are like the jewelry of the home — they are how you accessorize.” Part of keeping a clean palette is having a place for everything, from the James Bond-like artwork that scrolls up to reveal a flat-screen TV in the master bedroom to numerous built-ins keeping kitchen clutter out of sight and the downstairs “play floor” that houses a basketball court and home movie theater. The family’s favorite memories from their short time there have centered on this floor, Bret says, including watching the Superbowl as a family and many hours spent on the court wearing out their energetic boys. “Our boys definitely have Bret’s energy level,” Amy notes. “I am the only one tired at the end of our days.” “There is a ton of motion and energy in our house, but it’s always a release the moment I step inside,” Bret adds. “Even if it’s been a horrible day, inside is a tranquil calming home with room for everyone. It’s our oasis in the middle of this busy city.”
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home life | open house
May Market Spectacular new offerings herald the onset of spring
Foxhall
4815 Dexter Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 Located just off prestigious Foxhall Road in close-in Northwest Washington, D.C., this Victorian-style estate boasts over 10,000 square feet of living space with striking details and finishes throughout. Designed by renowned architect Donald Lococo, this large residence features an open floor plan and the feeling of a private retreat, though its close-in location is just minutes from downtown.
Asking Price $4,500,000 Listing Agent: Nancy Itteilag, 202-905-7762; Long & Foster Real Estate
Edgemoor
7210 Glenbrook Road, Bethesda, MD 20814 Approached by a tree-lined driveway, this unique European-styled house and its renowned gardens are perfectly sited on a half-acre lot in Edgemoor. Built in 1918, the stucco-style house has both modern amenities and old-world charm. Interior arched doorways, wood-beamed ceilings and French doors connecting to exterior patios and gardens make this a truly distinctive residence. It is located on Glenbrook Road, which has been described as one of the most beautiful, tree-lined lanes in Montgomery County..
Asking Price $3,300,000 Listing Agent Sherry Davis, 301-996-3220; Washington Fine Properties
Robert Trent Jones International 7946 Valderrama Court, Gainsville, VA 20155
Asking Price $3,250,000
This extraordinary estate encompasses over 12,000 square feet and exudes the beauty and warmth of a Mediterranean villa. A glorious pool and formal gardens echo the relaxed lifestyle of the region. The house has been expertly crafted to incorporate highest quality construction with timeless design. Abutting Robert Trent Jones Golf Course, this gated community is complemented by the 770-acre Lake Manassas.
Listing Agent: Kathleen Kennedy, 703-2833321; Beasley Real Estate
GEORGETOWN
3425 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007 Built in 1797 by John Thomson Mason (a nephew of George Mason) with brick he imported from England and named “Quality Hill” by subsequent owner, this historic Federal property has passed through the hands of many influential Georgetown residents including the late Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island. It has been meticulously renovated and features over 10,000 square feet of living space with eight bedrooms and eleven baths. Each room has a preserved sense of history with modern updates including grand entertaining spaces with 14-foot ceilings throughout the main floor. Mahogany built-ins in the elegant and inviting library were inspired by George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
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Asking Price $11,000,000 Listing Agent Russell A. Firestone III, 202-271-1701; TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
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HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS
Classic Charm Georgetown’s Williams-Addison House breaks District sales record; senior Carlyle Group executive buys in Cleveland Park BY STAC E Y G R A Z I E R P FA R R
was the listing agent while Beth Roth and Matt McCormick of Washington Fine Properties represented the buyer. Norma Kline Tiefel sold BANCROFT PLACE NW in Kalorama for $3.5 million to Mary L. Malcolm. Mrs. Tiefel, daughter of the late Washington real estate developer Morris Gewirz and his wife, Frances, is married to Bill Tiefel, the former president of Marriott Hotels and Resorts at the Marriott Corporation and is currently chairman of CarMax Inc. The five-level Federal brick townhouse, built in 1980, exudes both elegance and panache. Features include a grand entry with floating staircase, exercise room, Carlyle Group Managing Director Thaddeus Paul purchased a five-bedroom residence at 3517 Springland Lane NW for $2,550,000. gourmet kitchen, wine cellar, LANE NW for $2,550,000 from Keith Cole elevator to all levels and four-car parking in THE DISTRICT The Williams-Addison House at and Deborah Lowham. Lowham is an attorney the driveway and garage. Ellen Morrell and ST STREET NW sold for $16.1 million, only for The Meridian Group while Cole is an Matthew McCormick of Washington Fine $700,000 less than its $16.8 million asking executive at W.R. Grace & Co., a specialty Properties were the listing agents. price. The sale makes it the highest price chemical and materials conglomerate. The Political jack-of-all-trades Fred fetched in the District since 2010. Capital 1941 Cleveland Park Colonial boasts five Thompson and his wife Jeri Kehn sold City Real Estate development group sold bedrooms and four fireplaces.The property has BALLANTRAE FARM DRIVE to Jon Huntsman the former Georgetown residence of the late been renovated with a new gourmet kitchen Jr. and his wife Mary Kaye. Thompson is Alfred and Jean Friendly after renovating the with butler’s pantry and wet bar, and two patios former Tennessee senator, “Law & Order� cast property from top to bottom. Mr. Friendly with terraced gardens.TTR Sotheby’s Jonathan member, columnist and radio host. Kehn is a was a Pulitzer Prize-winning managing editor Taylor was the listing agent while Anne-Marie radio talk show host and columnist for The American Spectator. Huntsman, a former of the Washington Post. Mrs. Friendly was a Finnell of Sotheby’s was the buyer’s agent. Afreen Lakhani sold PENTHOUSE A at Utah governor and briefly a 2012 Republican noted philanthropist and longtime Washington hostess. The property sits on a three-quarter- RD STREET NW for $3,450,000. The presidential primary contender, purchased acre lot and features a grand master bedroom 3,500-sq.-ft. unit also includes almost 1,500 the opulent seven-bedroom Georgian estate suite, octagonal foyer, carriage house and three- square feet of luxe outdoor patio space. The for $3.1 million. The house was built in 1985 car garage. STAGES Premier’s Gabriel Clippard four-bedroom, five-bath apartment has a and includes a heated pool surrounded with gourmet kitchen, herringbone wood floors, brick terraces and an open-air pool house with was the listing agent for the transaction. Thaddeus Paul, managing director of The sprawling city views, and parking for two cars. grill station. Long & Foster’s Lilian Jorgenson Carlyle Group, purchased SPRINGLAND Washington Fine Properties Patrick Chauvin represented both sides in the transaction.
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HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS
built in 1974 but has been recently renovated with modern upgrades that include a gourmet kitchen with charming breakfast nook and hisand-hers private bathrooms connected to the plush master suite. The private estate sits on four acres with 1,450 feet fronting the Severn River, Luce Creek and Howard’s Cove. Other amenities include an infinity pool that lends the illusion of water flowing into the Severn, a 200-plus fish koi pond, two-sided fireplace connecting the dining and living rooms, striking glass-walled solarium and two two-car garages. The listing agent was Annapolis Realty’s Bonnie Parks while the buyer’s agent was Brad Kappel of Long & Foster’s Mr. Waterfront Team.
VIRGINIA Oracle executive Werner Watschke is the first owner of the brand new custom-built house at MACARTHUR DRIVE in McLean. He purchased the home, built in 2013, from Raf Enterprises LLC for $2,510,000. The sevenbedroom property in Chesterbrook features 8,300 square feet of LEED-certified living space, including a gourmet kitchen, mammoth master bedroom, wine cellar and walk-out patio. MCM Realty Company’s Babak Madani was the listing agent while Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Mark Goedde was the buyer’s agent.
A recently renovated Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired four-bedroom house at 1800 Dreams Landing Way in Annapolis sold for $3.6 million.
N STREET NW in Georgetown sold to Carol Melton for $4,920,000. Melton is an executive vice president at Time Warner Inc. The four-bedroom Federal in the East Village was recently renovated and features four bedrooms and six baths. Exquisite architectural details, an open gourmet kitchen and a large rear garden with pool are several of the property’s many upscale amenities.
Washington Fine Properties’ Nancy Taylor Bubes represented both sides of the sale.
MARYLAND Tom and Susan Williams sold their Annapolis waterfront dream home appropriately situated at DREAMS LANDING WAY for $3.6 million to Bill Seale. The Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired four-bedroom residence was
PROPERTY LINES TEMPLE LIVING: Definitely not a cookiecutter “McMansion,� the stone residence at FERN HILL RUN in McLean designed by architect Angelos Demetriou to resemble an ancient Greek temple is now listed at $9,995,000. The four-bedroom former home of the late Elaine and Stanley H. Rosensweig sits on five Gold Coast riverfront acres and features barrel-vaulted, domed ceilings with Pelion stone floors imported from Greece and cast-in-place concrete walls. The house includes an indoor lap pool that opens to an elegant terrace. The property is listed by TTR Sotheby’s Penny Yerks. GO CLIMB A TREE: Anyone who has ever wanted to live in a tree house may be interested in this midcentury modernist gem on Gibson
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Island in the Chesapeake Bay. SKYWATER ROAD is currently owned by Dr. Rudolf HoehnSaric and his wife, Evanne, who listed the property with the appropriate moniker, “The Glass Tree House,� for $1.29 million. The threebedroom house, which was built in 1962 for a Bethlehem Steel executive, occupies the highest point on the island. Ulrich Franzen, a Germanborn architect who began his career with I.M. Pei, designed the house. Coldwell Banker’s Ellie Shorb is the listing agent.
circular staircase, seven bedrooms and baths, a pool and parking for five cars. Washington Fine Properties’ Cynthia Howar is the listing agent.
GOLF COURSE ESTATE: Noureddine and Linda Elabassi listed VALDERRAMA COURT in Gainesville, Va., for $3,250,000. Located on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course and Lake Manassas, the property encompasses over 12,000 square feet of living space and exudes the beauty and warmth of a Mediterranean villa. A glamorous pool and KALORAMA CLASSIC: One of the District’s formal gardens echo the region’s relaxed most expensive listings, TRACY PLACE lifestyle. Beasley’s Kathleen Kennedy is the NW is listed at $8.5 million. Syrian businessman listing agent. Raja Sidawi, chairman and chief executive officer of Energy Intelligence Group Inc., is Send real estate news to Stacey Grazier Pfarr selling the property that boasts a three story- at editorial@washingtonlife.com.
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MY WASHINGTON Jake Tapper, chief Washington correspondent and anchor of “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” CNN
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WHAT IS THE STORY YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR CAREER? “The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor,” a book I wrote about the men and women who served at Combat Outpost Keating, a remote camp in eastern Afghanistan. On October 3, 2009, COP Keating was attacked by overwhelming insurgent forces and eight U.S. troops were killed; it’s the story of heroism, and sacrifice, and some bad military decision-making. SOMEONE YOU WOULD LIKE TO INTERVIEW BUT HAVEN’T? Edward Snowden and Pope Francis.
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HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHERS WHO WAFFLE, OBFUSCATE AND PREVARICATE IN RESPONSE TO A POINTED QUESTION? The best way is to try to point out what they’re doing as they’re doing it. But it annoys me. Sometimes there’s a diplomatic or national security reason behind the dissembling but often it’s just weasel tracks. YOU FAMOUSLY WENT OUT ON A DATE WITH MONICA LEWINSKI AND USED THE EXPERIENCE TO ANALYZE WASHINGTON’S SCANDAL CULTURE. HAVE THINGS CHANGED MUCH SINCE THEN? It’s
worse. People are chew-toys in this political and media culture, and the Internet has only made that easier to do. WHY DOES A JOURNALIST SO CLOSE TO THE CORRIDORS OF POWER TWEET SO MUCH ABOUT BASEBALL? I tweet about Philly sports — the Eagles and the Phillies — probably because it makes me feel closer to that great city. I really got into it when Chuck Todd, a Dodger fan, and I made the “goatee gamble” wager about which team would win the pennant. (Phillies did, but Chuck took the charity opt-out and so he didn’t have to shave his whiskers.)
MY TOP SPOTS 1. Café Deluxe (3228 Wisconsin Ave. NW) for dinner with the kids. 2. Buck’s Fishing and Camping (5031 Connecticut Ave. NW) for dinner without the kids. 3. Barston’s Child’s Play (5536 Connecticut Ave. NW) A wide selection of books, arts and crafts, games and toys with very helpful and knowledgeable employees. 4. Fitness Together Capitol Hill (408 H ST. NE) is the gym that enables me to walk like a 39-year-old at age 45. 5. Rock Creek Park Horse Center (5100 Glover Rd. NW) — fun activities for kids. 6. Violet Hair and Skin Care (1513 Wisconsin Ave. NW) where my wife gets her hair done. (Me, too). 7. American City Diner (5532 Connecticut Ave. NW). A favorite breakfast spot for the kids, we call it the “Choo Choo Diner” because of the electric train that travels around the main room. 8. Temple Micah (2829 Wisconsin Ave. NW). We just joined for some spiritual and cultural nurturing. 9. Forest Hills Playground (32nd and Chesapeake streets NW) where we play on gorgeous days. My wife is on the committee.
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J A K E TA P P E R P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F C N N ; A L L OT H E R S C O U R T E S Y O F E AC H C O M PA N Y.
YOU’VE WORKED IN POLITICS AND IN P.R. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BE A NEWSMAN? After college and film school at U.S.C., I thought I wanted to be a screenwriter, but I found myself sitting in film production class surreptitiously listening to the NPR broadcast of the Clarence Thomas hearings on my SONY Walkman. I left after a semester. There was a recession at the time, so jobs were tough to come by and it was a relief when I discovered that a family friend was running for Congress. That’s how I stumbled into work as a press secretary. A few years later, on a ski trip, I met a young man who had written a freelance piece for The New Republic, and the light bulb went off in my head.