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Power Couple:
Chris and Kathleen Matthews
THE 10TH ANNUAL
POWER
WASHINGTON’S MOST INFLUENTIAL
MY WASHINGTON: THIEVERY CORPORATION’S ERIC HILTON | SPORTS: D.C. UNITED’S CHRIS PONTIUS AND STEVE BIRNBAUM FASHION: PLAYFUL GINGHAM AND GROOVY ’70s PRINTS | HOME LIFE: QUARRY SPRINGS AND SOTHEBY’S REAL ESTATE
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M AY 2 0 1 5
EDITOR'S LETTER
31
SPECIAL FEATURES THE POWER Washington's most influential ................................ Alzheimer's Association Dinner ................................
FYIDC INSIDER'S GUIDE .................................... WHO'S NEXT
LIFESTYLES
FASHION EDITORIAL Power of the Purse .......... TREND REPORT Tie-Dye................................ THE DISH Power Dining .................................... TREND REPORT Gingham Grown-Up ............... SOCIAL CALENDAR ............................... DINE AND DISH Post Game Dishing with BBC producer/reporter Suzanne Kianpour ................
D.C. United's Chris Pontius and Steve Birnbaum .......
POLLYWOOD
HOME LIFE INSIDE HOMES Kristin Kuehl ...............................................
REAL ESTATE NEWS Matters of State ................ REAL ESTATE INSIGHTS Alfredo Gangotena Joins Sotheby’s .............................
HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC
WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY
A Conversation with RT America host Larry King........
AROUND TOWN High Kicks at the Washington Home
N Street Village Gala ............................................
and Community Hospices Gala ...............................
BOOK TALK With Mary King ....................... EMBASSY ROW Dean's List with Amb.
National Museum of Women in the Arts Spring Gala .......................................................
CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Robie Olhaye, Hersey Kyota and Vera Kyota ............... Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington with David Velazquez...............
OPEN HOUSE Living Large .............................. QUARRY SPRINGS Hassle-Free Luxury ............. OVER THE MOON Stable Environment at the Foosaner Farm ................... MY WASHINGTON Eric Hilton, co-founder of Thievery Corporation.............
Alliance Francaise Dinner ....................................... Robin Givhan Book Party....................................
MS Women on the Move Luncheon .......................
USO-Metro Awards Dinner ...................................
Great Ladies Luncheon and Fashion Show ..............
"Partisan Divide" Book Party ...............................
"Divine Comedy" Opening Reception ....................
Alexis Bittar Grand Opening Reception .....................
Textile Museum Opening .....................................
Norooz on Capitol Hill .........................................
Welcome party for Deborah Rutter..........................
Nowruz Commission Gala .....................................
Parties, Parties, Parties ............................................
J Street Gala .......................................................
Boys and Girls Club Casino Night ........................
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ON THE COVER Chris and Kathleen Matthews at their home, photographed for the "Power 100" list (Photo by Tony Powell); TOP FROM LEFT: "Power of the Purse" fashion editorial (Photo by Anthony Poff. See inside for full crew and shopping credits); Hillary Rodham Clinton who is on the "Power 100" list and has announced her 2016 presidential bid (Photo courtesy Hillary Clinton Campaign); Robin Givhan and French Amb. Gerard Araud at a reception for Givhan's book, "The Battle of Versailles." (Photo by Tony Powell); ABOVE: TOD'S "Heaven" gingham driver ($425), tods.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 SENIOR EDITORS
Kevin Chaffee Virginia Coyne MANAGING EDITOR
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Laura Wainman ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Erica Moody COLUMNISTS AND CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Janet Donovan, Roland Flamini, Patrick McCoy,Vicky Moon, Stacey Grazier Pfarr and Donna Shor ART DIRECTOR
Matt Rippetoe PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER
Tony Powell CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Joseph Allen, Ben Droz, Alfredo Flores,Vithaya Phongsavan, Anthony Poff, Kyle Samperton and Jay Snap
PUBLISHER & CEO
Soroush Richard Shehabi ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
John H. Arundel ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
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Trina Hodges WEB TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT
Eddie Saleh,Triposs Mihail Iliev LEGAL
Mason Hammond Drake, Greenberg Traurig LLP INTERNS
Nicole Floyd and Caroline Sandholm FOUNDER
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
I
POWER: THE ULTIMATE WASHINGTON APHRODISIAC
n the 10 years since we produced “Dine and Dish” is kicking it this our first “Power 100” list, the month with D.C. United’s Chris Pontius landscape of our nation’s capital has and Steve Birnbaum discussing the ins and changed dramatically. The foundation outs of soccer in Washington over a hearty on which this city was built has not. lunch at BLT Steak. Power. It’s the elusive prize that most Empty nesters, rejoice! Well, really of the doe-eyed are seeking when they anyone looking for quality, space and first arrive in Washington and it’s the convenience will enjoy our feature on energy drink propelling the graying Bethesda’s new 13-acre gated community, Quarry Springs. Readers will also learn to the finish line. Who has it, how how Sotheby’s new chief marketing it’s achieved and for what purpose officer, Alfrédo Gangotena, is transforming it is used dominates conversation, the brand, including this month’s including our own. launch of Art and Home, a new lifestyle The names on our list rotate on publication. and off as power changes hands, but We weren’t so overwhelmed with the rules we follow when determining thoughts of power that we missed the who makes the cut remain the same. town’s biggest bashes last month. We were They are: 1) knowledge is power, 2) Jeweler Alexis Bittar and Nancy Reynolds Bagley at the WL-hosted reception for Bittar’s Washington grand opening at CityCenterDC. awestruck by renovations to the French influence is power, 3) access is power, (Photo by Tony Powell) ambassador’s residence at the Alliance 4) the perception of power is power Française dinner, moved by how the women honored at N Street and 5) money can translate into power if used effectively. As always, Village’s gala have positively transformed their lives, and impressed by those who draw a government salary are excluded as there are already the work being done to cure debilitating diseases at the Alzheimer’s enough personnel directories. Association Dinner and the MS Women on the Move luncheon. Next Since a female candidate is likely to be a prime contender in the month, we’ll be reporting on WL-sponsored events such as the Catholic 2016 presidential race, it’s no surprise that more and more women Charities Gala, CharityWorks’ Wine Dinner, the Virginia Gold Cup, the are popping up on our radar screen. Donna Brazile, Gwen Ifill, Anita Children’s Ball, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington’s Tim Dunn, Karen Ignagni, Christine Lagarde, Janet Murguia, Deborah Rutter, Susan Molinari, Donna Harris, Teresa Carlson, Lisa Donner and Russert Dinner, Zoofari, the JTCC Gala and many more. It seems fitting to be penning a note about power the day after Cathy Englebert are well known both inside and outside the Beltway the White House Correspondents Association dinner. We covered and we’re willing to bet they’ll be dominating headlines in the months many affiliated events, kicking off on Thursday with a WL-sponsored ahead. And then there is Kathleen Matthews, Marriott’s executive vice party, “The Global Beat: Celebrating International Affairs Journalism.” president of communications, who graces our cover along with her Catch our round-up from Washington’s “Nerd Prom” in the next issue, husband, MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews. We fully expect where we will focus on the power of the purse as we highlight 50 of Kathleen will soon announce that she will run for the 8th district Maryland congressional seat currently held by Rep. Chris Van Hollen. Washington’s most generous givers. We caught up with another highly-impressive woman for this month’s “Book Talk,” with author Mary King explaining how the U.S. civil rights movement was influenced by the principles of Gandhian nonviolent action. On a lighter note, we were pleased by the overflowing turnout for the Washington Life-hosted reception at jeweler Alexis Bittar’s new store Nancy R. Bagley at CityCenterDC (see page 33). After the reception, an intimate group Editor in Chief joined Bittar at DBGB Kitchen and Bar to dine while discussing his sources of inspiration and plans for his new Washington outpost. Our Readers wishing to contact Nancy Bagley can email her at nbagley@washingtonlife.com fashion pages also include advice on perking up your summer wardrobes with a pair of playful Diane von Furstenberg gingham shorts, or reliving the 1970s in psychadelic Charlotte Olympia pumps.
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WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| M AY | washingtonlife.com
FYIDC The Insider’s Guide to Washington BY ERICA MOODY
EPIC INFLUENCE
Abandon all hope and enter a new exhibition inspired by the famous words of Dante Alighieri’s 14th-century epic poem. Simon Njami curated “The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell Revisited by Contemporary African Artists� at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art and more than 40 contemporary artists from 18 African nations contributed works which are displayed on all four levels of the museum. The museum’s multi-story structure is perfect for walking from heaven to hell and back again. 950 Independence Avenue SW,Washington, D.C. Runs through Aug. 2. Africa.si.edu.
THE PREAKNESS
RAISING THE STAKES Get ready to don your wide-brimmed hat and pick your favorite thoroughbreds now that horse race season is here. Luckily, one of the most popular races of the season is in our own backyard — Baltimore’s Preakness Stakes — where you can sip the “Black-eyed Susan� official cocktail while watching to see who will beat California Chrome this year. The Preakness is the second leg of the Triple Crown, held after the Kentucky Derby and before the Belmont Stakes. Saturday, May 16, Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. Baltimore, Md. (410) 5429400 or (877) 206-8042, preakness.com.
SPRING AT MOUNT VERNON
WINE & SUNSETS Take in the gorgeous views of George Washington’s Mount Vernon with a glass of fine Virginia wine in your hand. The spring festival and sunset tour is the estate’s most popular annual event, offering samples from more than 15 Virginia wineries and vineyards, exclusive evening tours of the mansion and cellar and live jazz on the east lawn overlooking the Potomac River. Tickets begin at $36. The option of private reserved tables with a fruit, cheese and dessert platter plus three bottles of house wine and VIP table service are available for $1,200. May 15-17, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., 3200 Mount Vernon Hwy., Mt.Vernon,Va. (703) 780-2000,Visit www.mountvernon.org or email tickets@mountvernon.org.. 14
PASSPORT DC
OPEN EMBASSIES Travel the world without leaving town this month with Cultural Tourism DC’s “Passport DC� program. With 31 days of programming and 70 embassies and 40 cultural institutions participating, you’re bound to broaden your horizons. Participate in embassy open houses, street festivals, performances, exhibitions and workshops, all to celebrate International Cultural Awareness Month. May 1-31. Visit culturaltourismdc.org for a complete list of events.
A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION
RADIO ON THE ROAD
Grammy Award-winning radio host Garrison Keillor brings his hit variety show, “A Prairie Home Companion� (heard by 4 million listeners each week) to Wolf Trap this month for two evenings of entertainment in association with Minnesota Public Radio and WAMU 88.5FM. Expect comedy sketches, musical guests and Keillor’s signature monologue, “The News from Lake Wobegon.� Special guests will include Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosv and Aoife O’Donovan. May 22 at 8 p.m. and May 23 at 5:45 p.m. (live broadcast),Tickets are $25-65, Filene Center at Wolf Trap, www.wolftrap.org.
FINE ARTS FESTIVALS
ART IN THE STREETS Wherever you live in the Washington metro area, there is an arts festival for you this month. The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival is a local favorite, bringing more than 130 artists from across the country to Bethesda. The annual twoday event includes live entertainment, children’s activities and deals from downtown Bethesda restaurants. Free; May 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Held in downtown Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle along Norfolk and Auburn avenues. The following weekend, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival will take over the streets of Reston Town Center.View hand-crafted pieces from 200 skilled artisans to suit a range of tastes and budgets. In addition to viewing and buying, visitors will have access to artist demonstrations and art-focused activities for families. $5 suggested donation to support the Greater Reston Arts Center’s mission, May 16 from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.and May 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Northernvirginiafineartsfestival.org. WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| M AY | washingtonlife.com
I M AG E BY A RT I ST A I DA M U LU N E H CO U RT E SY N AT I O N A L M U S E U M O F A F R I C A N A RT; M O U N T V E R N O N P H OTO CO U RT E SY M O U N T V E R N O N ; PA S S P O RT D.C . P H OTO BY JA S O N M O R E N Z ; K E I L LO R P H OTO C O U RT E SY WO L F T R A P, N O RT H E R N V I R G I N I A F I N E A RT S F E ST I VA L P H OTO COURTE SY GREATER RE STON ARTS CENTER;
AFRICAN ART EXHIBITION
FYIDC | Who’s next
Who’s Next BBC producer and reporter Suzanne Kianpour broadcasts from danger zones around the world BY erica moody
You were recently in Saudi Arabia for work. What was your experience like there? I’ll be honest — I didn’t expect to be in Saudi Arabia for two full weeks in March when we unexpectedly got extended visas to do some original reporting there, a rare opportunity, off the back of Secretary Kerry’s visit at the beginning of the month. What I definitely didn’t expect was to return less than a month later to cover a war. My experience in March working in Saudi was completely different than in April — and not just because this time I had a flak jacket over my abaya. There are rare moments in one’s journalism career Photo by Tony Powell where you get to see several different sides to the same story — political, social, day. Our assignment was to cut out a newspamilitary muscle — and in the past month, I’ve per article, summarize it and then present it seen many sides of the kingdom. to the class — not too far off from what I do now. I always loved news and especially TV What IS the most fascinating place you’ve news. I anchored our high school program visited, and whERE DO YOU want to visit? I’m and helped launch and anchored Emory excited to say I reached my goal to visit 30 News Now in college. countries before I turned 30 a bit earlier than expected, but I’d have to say Cuba. How it How has covering the Middle East, Latin has stayed locked in time is completely mind- America and Washington shaped your worldboggling. The fact that 1950s cars are people’s view? Why were these areas a point of focus primary mode of transportation is surreal. I for you? I come from a mixed background, also really want to go to North Korea. Persian and Italian, and grew up around people from all over the world — especially Latin Did you always want to work in news? When I America. So, naturally I was drawn to these was in the fourth grade, Friday was my favor- issues in these particular regions and followed ite day, not just because it was almost the and studied them from a young age. I’m lucky, weekend, but because it was current events in my job covering Capitol Hill and the state
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department, to be able to continue to do that. Last year I was based in Lebanon, something I asked to do because I wanted to be on the receiving end of U.S. policy. Covering Washington is great, but staying in the bubble as journalists, we risk getting tunnel vision and, quite frankly, getting spun. How can you really understand the story and accurately report it if you’ve never lived it? I wish all of our politicians and staffers who make decisions about these countries could go and spend a legitimate amount of time there, not just quick in-and-out official trips where you barely step outside the “bubble.” WHAT’S IT LIKE REPORTING ON WASHINGTON POLITICS FOR A NATIONAL AUDIENCE AS OPPOSED TO AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE? I started my career at NBC News, so I’ve covered Washington for both a national network and now an international network with BBC. Having to explain things like cloture in 30 seconds or less is a serious exercise in keeping it concise. if you could pinpoint a highlight or defining moment of your career so far, what would it be? Landing an exclusive interview with the Iranian foreign minister and then two weeks later covering the historic diplomatic breakthrough that was the Iran interim nuclear agreement. It was also my 27th birthday. I had to postpone my party from Geneva. John Kerry was my ride home and wasn’t leaving in time. who would you MOST like to meet or interview? The Iranian supreme leader, especially as we’re on the verge of a final nuclear deal. What is your ultimate career ambition? To have my own show: @kianpourworld
W A SH I N G TON L I F E
| m ay
2015
| washingtonlife.com
p h oto o f s uz an ne k i an p o u r i n sau d i a ra bi a co u rt e sy s uz a nn e ki an p o u r
S
he speaks fluent Farsi and keeps a gobag by her bed if she’s suddenly called to cover a war zone. Only 28, Suzanne Kianpour, a Washington-based producer and reporter for the British Broadcasting Corporation, is proving she is a journalistic force to be reckoned with.
POWER DINING Four top restaurants are serving the most powerful people in town. BY ERICA MOODY
Time is money, and Washington’s power players don’t even lunch without an agenda. If you want to break bread with the best of them, or maybe just impress your colleagues at the office, make an appointment at one of these top hot spots: WOLFGANG PUCK’S THE SOURCE Catch former and future presidents and movie stars munching on “Chinois Style” Chicken Salad and “Penang Style” Duck Curry at one of Washington’s top Asian restaurants. President and Mrs. Obama, Hillary Clinton, Diane Feinstein, Russell Crowe, Wolf Blitzer, Harrison Ford, Pierce Brosnan, Nancy Pelosi and Elena Kagan have dined at this high-end treasure located inside the Newseum. The aforementioned duck curry with coconut reduction, roasted peanuts and keffir lime is a hit with the power lunch set, as is the American Wagyu burger, which has been on the menu since it opened. Politicos love the convenient location (centrally located between the White House and Capitol Hill), “approachable” menu and sophisticated, yet comfortable atmosphere of The Source. 575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,Washington, DC 20565. RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE When you want a good steak, you should know where to go. Ruth’s Chris, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, nationally, has been attracting power diners since it first opened on Connecticut Avenue NW in 1983. It was so popular that a second location opened near the convention center in 2002. Presidential candidates, governors and CEOs order the New York Strip served medium rare, sautéed spinach with a little olive oil and garlic and crème brulee accompanied by a bold cabernet or an old fashioned cocktail. Sizzling filets, ahi tuna, lobster, asparagus, sweet potato casserole and chocolate sin cake round out the most requested items on the menu. If you want to dine like the best, but on a budget, stop by Ruth’s for the “Sizzle, Swizzle, Swirl” daily $8 happy hour. 1801 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20009 and 724 9th St. NW,Washington, DC 20001.
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JOE’S SEAFOOD PRIME STEAK & STONE CRAB Negotiate a contract over a plate of Florida stone crab while seated in a beautiful old bank. That’s what local sports agents love to do. Lunch is popular, but so is dinner and cocktail hour. The restaurant, with locations in Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas, is also known for its Alaskan king crab and key lime pie. In fact, pie is all that is served for dessert, with eight or nine to choose from daily. Fried chicken and cheeseburgers are also a favorite, according to managing partner Michael Rotolo, who also speaks of the drinks. “Washington is a bourbon town so we sell a lot of old fashioneds, manhattans and mojitos.” Recently, the band Hall and Oates was spotted, as well as talk show host Kelly Ripa, actress Angela Lansbury, Madeleine Albright, Haley Barbour, Michelle Obama, the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez, Wizards coach Randy Wittman and basketball legend Kareem AbdulJabbar. Did we mention it’s a favorite of sports stars? 750 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20005. CHARLIE PALMER STEAK It’s a restaurant known for discretion, and that’s just one reason why politicians and movie stars love it. We won’t drop too many names, but let’s just say you might spot Nancy Pelosi, Jimmy Carter, John McCain or Harry Reid next time you stop in for a $25 three-course lunch (try the filet salad). “Anytime Congress is in session, the dining room is packed to the gills,” general manager Todd Salvatore told us. With its close proximity to the Capitol and a reputation as an even playing ground (a recent Sunlight Foundation study showed a 50/50 Republican/ Democrat divide in the restaurant’s fundraising figures), it’s a safe choice for bipartisan dining. With names like “The Dirty Politics” and “The Bipartisan,” even the drinks are geared to the political set. Unlike most restaurants in the area, nearly half its business comes from private events, Salvatore notes, adding that Hollywood types like the place, too. Recently, spotted: Bono, Will Smith, Charlie Sheen, Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt. 101 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| M AY | washingtonlife.com
T H E SO U RC E R E STAURAN T I N T E RI O R P H OTO CO U RT E SY T H E SO U R C E , T H E SO U R C E D U M P L I N G P L AT T E R PH OTO BY A L I CI A G R I F F I N , R U TH ’S CH R I S I N T ER I OR PH OTO COU RTE SY R U T H ’S C H R I S , R OYA L ST R E E T G I N A N D TO N I C P H OTO CO U RT E SY R U T H ’S C H R I S , D C J E S S E R O O M P H OTO COU RTE SY JOE’S S EA F OOD, PR I M E STEA K A N D STON E CRA B , S EA F OOD C H O P P E D SAL AD CO U RT E SY J O E ’S S E A FO O D, P RI M E ST E A K AN D STO N E C RA B , NI N T H F LO O R T E R RAC E PH OTO COU RTE SY CH A R L I E PA L M ER STEA K . B U TT ER POACH ED M A I N E LOB ST E R AN D P E T I T E FI L E T M I G N O N CO U RT E SY C H AR L I E PA L M E R ST E A K ,
FYIDC | THE DISH
FYIDC | SOCIAL CALENDAR
MAY
1
WAS HINGTON BALLET SWAN BALL
Join the Washington Ballet for an evening of food, drink, friends and dancing at its annual spring gala. The Swan Ball helps ensure that ballet and the art of dance are available to all regardless of their means. Residence of the German Ambassador; 7:30 p.m.; black-tie; $1,200; sponsorships start at $3,500; contact Elizabeth Sizer, 202-274-4518, esizer@washingtonballet.org.
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VIRGINIA GOLD CUP Join more than 50,000 spectators for the 90th annual running of the Gold Cup steeplechase race, featuring Jack Russell terrier races, six hurdle and timber races, tent and tailgating parties, hat contests and pari-mutuel betting. Great Meadow in The Plains, Va.; gates open at 10 a.m., first race at 12:30 p.m.; dandy attire; $85; www. vagoldcup.com.
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WaS HINGTON PERFORMING ARTS GALA AND AUCTION The WPAS celebrates the 40th
anniversary of its Embassy Adoption program with a fun-filled evening of 1920sthemed dancing, along with a special performance by “Hot Sardines” to celebrate this arts-integrated academic program. Don’t forget your best foot-stomping jazz shoes.
Marriot Marquis, Washington D.C.; 6 p.m.; black-tie optional or traditional cultural attire; $700; sponsorships start at $10,000; contact Helen Aberger, 202-533-1877, haberger@ washingtonperformingarts.org
supporting WTEF programs and the student athletes they serve. Ritz-Carlton,Washington, D.C.; 6 p.m.; business attire; $500; sponsorships start at $3,000; contact 202-291-9888, wtef@wtef.org.
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BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER WASHINGTON’S TIM RUSSERT CONGRESSIONAL DINNER The 30th annual event is a great opportunity to recognize national and local leaders for their support of children served by local Boys and Girls Clubs and to raise funds to continue to prepare them for life through lessons on leadership, community service and teamwork. This year’s honorees include Rep. Paul Ryan, John Castellani of PhRMA and Auanna Holmes, the BGCGW Youth of the Year. Luke Russert continues to fill his late father’s role as master of cermonies. J.W. Marriott; 6 p.m.; business attire; $500; sponsorships start at $6,000; contact Daphne Benbow, 202-5402320, dbenbow@bgcgw.org.
KEN NEDY CENTER SPRING GALA
Pay tribute to the swing era of the 1930s and ’40s with an elegant dinner on the roof terrace followed by a show featuring Audra McDonald, Terence Blanchard, Paquito D’Rivera, Megan Hilty, the Puppini Sisters and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Kennedy Center; 5 p.m.; black-tie; $1,000; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact 202-4168338, springgala@kennedy-center.org.
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CHILDREN’S BALL In the last eight years, this gala has raised more than $19 million to support children and families being treated at the Children’s National Health Systems. National Building Museum; 7 p.m.; black-tie; $1,000; sponsorships start at $15,000; contact Diana Kurnit, 301-565-8500, dkurnit@ childrensnational.org.
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PHILLIPS COLLECTION GALA Join Japanese Amb. Kenichiro Sasae, his wife Nobuko and Mariella and Michael Trager, chairmen of this year’s Japanthemed gala featuring 10 photographs and three sculptures from the work of Hiroshi Sugimoto. The Phillips Collection; 6 p.m., 9 p.m. after party; black-tie; $1,250; sponsorships start at $15,000; contact Dale Mott, 202-387-2151, dmott@ phillipscollection.org.
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Kevin Plank and Michael Phelps at the 139th Running of the Preakness. (Photo by Alfredo Flores)
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TENNIS BALL The Washington Tennis and Education Foundation’s annual gala, preceded by a round robin tennis tournament, will honor Alonzo Mourning Jr., Katrina Adams and Peter Work with awards while raising funds to continue
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WOODROW WILSON HOUSE
GARDEN PARTY The Woodrow Wilson House property council and benefit host committee celebrate the coming of spring in support of the preservation of the historic residence. Join friends for an afternoon of live music, specialty cocktails and a hat contest in the two-tiered back garden. Woodrow Wilson House; 6:30 p.m.; garden attire; $125; sponsorships start at $250; contact Sarah Andrews, 202-7925807, sandrews@woodrowwilsonhouse.org.
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TENNIS CHAMPIONS GALA GEICO’s annual Junior Tennis Champions Center celebration supports the center’s community outreach mission, which has provided tennis instruction and mentoring to more than 1,000 local children.This year’s honorees are CEO of the Tennis Hall of Fame Todd Martin and former Senator Bennett Johnston. Residence of Swedish Amb. Bjorn Lyrvall; 6:30 p.m.; $400; sponsorships start at $2,000; contact Jennifer Haber, jhaber@qorvis.com.
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ZOOFARI Partake in a mouth-watering evening filled with gourmet food from over 100 of Washington’s
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FYIDC | social calendar
top restaurants and chefs. Enjoy signature cocktails and wine while biding on exclusive zoo tours and top dining experiences, all while strolling through the National Zoo. Smithsonian National Zoological Park; 6:30 p.m.; $200; sponsorship starts at $10,000; contact Pam Bucklinger, bucklingerp@si.edu.
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PenFed Night of Heroes Gala Supporters of the PenFed Foundation will help build the future by honoring the past during a special tribute and celebration of those who served during the Vietnam War. Gen. Gordon Sullivan, Elizabeth Dole and Betty Easley will be honored for their commitment to the armed forces. RitzCarlton, Washington D.C.; 6 p.m.; black-tie or military dress; $500; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact Alison Beckwith, 301-699-0148, media@ penfedfoundation.org, bit.ly/NightofHeroes2015
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Preakness Stakes Jaunt over to Baltimore for a day of mint juleps, mingling and thoroughbred racing at the 140th running of the Preakness Stakes, the second race in the Triple Crown. Canadian Amb. Gary Doer hosts the invitation-only International Pavilion showcasing items of Canadian heritage and culture. Pimlico Race Course; gates open at 8 a.m.and the first race begins at 10:30 a.m.; tickets start at $70 or $1,500 for the Pavilion; visit preakness.com for more information; contact Jacqui Nigh, jnigh@marylandracing.com.
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Hirshhorn “Facing History” BENEFIT The Hirshorn Gallery of Art will host a viewing of its latest exhibition,“Facing History, while artist Shirin Neshat and Pat Mitchell, senior advisor at the Paley Center for Media and editorial director for TEDWomen, engage in scholarly conversation. Hirshorn Museum, Washington D.C.; 6 p.m.; black-tie;$500; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact Kelly Carnes, 212-916-1338, carnesk@si.edu.
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Embassy Chef Challenge Enjoy world-class din-
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Sultana Hakimi, Afghan Amb. Eklil Hakimi, Nobuko Sasae and Japanese Amb. Kenichiro Sasae at the 2014 Opera Ball. (Photo by Tony Powell)
ing with epicurean treats prepared by “underthe-rada” chefs who cook for ambassadors in Washington. Look forward to signature international cuisines and dishes from more than a dozen embassy chefs competing for the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice Awards. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center; 6 p.m.; business attire; $250; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact Cheryl Crowell, 202-661-7581, CCrowell@culturaltourismdc.org.
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Tudor Place Garden Party Join 500 friends and supporters of the Tudor Place Foundation at its largest annual fundraiser, chaired by Elizabeth Powell and honoring Ellen MacNeille Charles to celebrate the elegance and civic optimism embodied by Georgetown and the ground where Tudor Place has stood for nearly 200 years. Tudor Place garden; 6 p.m.; garden attire; $200; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact Mandy Katz, 202-580-7329, mkatz@tudorplace.org.
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MÚsica y SueÑos Catholic Charities presents Música y Sueños to benefit the Spanish Catholic Center. Young professionals and Catholic Charities supporters partake in an evening of music, dancing, cocktails and fine Latin tapas. National Museum of Women in the Arts; 7 p.m.; cocktail attire;$85; sponsorships start at $ 1,000; contact Carmen Joya, 202-772-4334, Carmen.Joya@CatholicCharitiesDC.org.
june
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Step Afrika VIP Gala Join Step Afrika friends, family and supporters for the opening
of the Home Performance Series to celebrate the dance company’s 20th anniversary. Chairman Reginald Van Lee will host the evening of dinner, dancing and, of course, top-notch performances. Blackburn Center at Howard University; 5:30 p.m.; cocktail attire;$350; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact 202-3997993, development@stepafrika.org.
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Ch i ldren’s Hearing and Speech Country Barbeque
Join Italian Amb. Claudio Bisogniero and his wife Laura Denise for the 50th anniversary of the Country Barbeque benefiting the Children’s Hearing and Speech Center. Cocktail hour on the lawn at Villa Firenze, the ambassador’s residence, will be followed by a poolside seated barbeque dinner provided by Rocklands Barbeque. Villa Firenze, 2800 Albermarle St. NW; 6:30 p.m.; garden attire; $225; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact Puffin Travers, 202-297-6251, marystuart@ cricketscatering.com.
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Opera Ball The Ger man Amb. Peter Wittig and his wife Huberta von Voss-Wittig will host this year’s Washington National Opera Ball at their residence with chairwoman Capricia Marshall. Guests attend intimate dinners hosted by ambassadors at their embassies or residences throughout the city prior to the ball, where they will gather for dancing, dessert and music, including performances of popular arias from the German repertory by members of WNO’s Domingo-Cafr itz Young Artist Program. Residence of German Amb.assador; 9 p.m.; blacktie; $1,000; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact 202-416-8496, operaball@kennedy-center.org.
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Bring Your Imagination
ROOM TO IMAGINE If you can think of it, we have the venues, the people and the experience to do it. Start with our virtual event planning tool. And let your imagination run free. Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square: 9 ornate rooms, 1 grand plaza, 75,000 sq. feet of elegance.
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POLLYWOOD The Nexus of Politicsďš? Hollywoodďš? Media and Diplomacy | Hollywood on the Potomac, USO-Metro Dinner, Embassy Row and more!
N Street Village Board Chairman Peter Shields, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and N Street Village Executive Director Schroeder Stribling at the N Street Village gala. (Photo by Tony Powell)
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POLLYWOOD
HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC
A CONVERSATION WITH LARRY KING The legendary broadcaster and RT America host looks back at his career
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B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N
conic television interviewer The USA Today gig:“I did Larry King wants to be this column called ‘It’s My frozen when he dies; at Two Cents,’ which was just least that’s what he told the throwing thoughts off the audience at the Newseum’s top of my head. Now, every “A Life in Broadcasting: A Sunday night I send out about Conversation with Larry 30 tweets. It’s just anything King.” The 81-year-old King I can think of like ‘I hate shared a few jokes, too, as he broccoli.’” The Jokes:“There’s a train answered questions from the that goes every night from Newseum’s members-only New York to Chicago. It’s an crowd. all-sleeper train. Guy checks “Born Larry Zeiger, his ABC 7/WJLA-TV news anchor Leon Harris interviews Larry King at the Newseum. in, the door opens and a father owned a saloon and his (Photo courtesy Maria Bryk/Newseum) woman comes in. Single mother was a garment worker in Brooklyn,” said Newseum CEO Peter said two words no Jewish person ever wants woman, single man and single compartment. Pritchett in his introduction of King. “His first to hear: ‘We’re lost.’ I said: ‘Ted these buffalo After a little while, the man leans over and radio job was as a go-fer at WAHR in Miami, are looking in, could they turn this Land says, “Ma’am, I’m a little chilled, could I but when an announcer quit, he got his first Rover over?’ And he says, ‘Ah, it would take borrow a blanket?” And she looks up and break. The general manager liked his voice two of them.’ When he saw I was paralytic he says, “You know, we’ve only just met, we’re and his delivery, but he told Larry he needed followed the stars back to the main house.That never going to see each other again, why not, a name that people would remember. Larry was Ted. I love him. After 58 years, you get a just for tonight play man and wife?” Guy says, “Sure.” She says, “Good, get your own damn had seen an ad in the Miami Herald for Kings lot of stories.” Take his first heart attack:“That’s a funny blanket.” Wholesale Liquor Store and on the spot, he On life after CNN:“I’m not doing anything story,” King said. “I was interviewing Surgeon became Larry King.” Years later, he was offered a job by General C. Everett Coop. At the end of differently than what I did 58 years ago, I’m CNN’s Ted Turner. King’s agent, Bob Woolff, the show he said ‘you don’t look so good.’ just transmitting differently.” Larry King Now negotiated the deal: “Listen, it’s not a bad deal. The next night I was interviewing David airs on ORA TV & RT America. On aging:“Aging is a bitch. I fear the end, It’s worth a year of your time.” King signed a Halberstam and he said ‘you don’t look good.’ contract for $800,000. When the contract was When I went home that night, the doorman because I don’t think I’m going anywhere else up, despite heady offers from other networks, said ‘you don’t look so good.’ The next thing after this. When they freeze you they come he decided to stay with CNN upon the advice you know I’m in the emergency room and to the hospital right away. And if you die of of then-girlfriend Angie Dickenson.“She said, this guy said ‘you don’t look so good,’ which cancer or something and they cure it, they ‘You know, if you leave a place just for money, was getting redundant.The blue lights went off revive you.” “Yeah. But if they thaw you out, you’re still the first day you’re unhappy, you’re going to in the examining room and the doctor came hate everyone around you’ and I said, ‘maybe up and said ‘Mr. King, you’re having a heart an old guy,” quipped moderator Leon Harris. “If there’s really another side, is there anybody attack.’” you’re right.’” The suspenders: “I was having dinner you want to talk to?” Turner and King have been friends since “I’d want to talk to Hitler,” said King. then and King fondly shares stories of his with Sharon, my ex-wife, and she said ‘Ever “What would you say to Hitler?” Harris former boss, like the night he visited Turner’s thought of wearing suspenders?’ So, I tried it ranch in Montana. “We get in the car and it’s one night and a lot of people called in and asked. “You know, we looked up the records.Your late at night,” King said. “There’s buffalo all said they looked good and I’ve been wearing grandfather was Jewish.” over. Ted’s just surveying his land and then he them ever since.”
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Patrice and Scott Brickman
Valerie Jarrett and Mignon Clyburn
Nicole Boxer and Sen.Barbara Boxer WL SPONSORED
N STREET VILLAGE GALA Ritz Carlton, Washington, D.C. | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL LUCK BE A LADY: The women of Washington were the stars of the show in every way, as the city’s largest women’s homeless shelter raised more than $800,000 at its annual gala, chaired by Nathan and Jill Daschle, to continue improving the lives of low-income women. White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarre celebrated three aid recipients, who, with the help of N Street Village, turned their lives around and were this year’s Steinbruck Award winners: Rachel Panay, Pertrina Thomas and Dorothy Young. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was on hand to present the Founder’s Award to Sen. Barbara Boxer and her daughter Nicole Boxer, who premiered her documentary “How I Got Over” featuring 15 N Street Village women last summer at the AFI Docs festival. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Arne and Ruth Sorenson
Nathan and Jill Daschle
Debbi Jarvis and Johnetta Cole
Abigail Blunt and Sen. Roy Blunt
Catheryn Rand and Jayne Sandman
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Rep. Barbara Lee
Laurie Knight and John Blandford
Marvin Weissberg
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POLLYWOOD
BOOKS
BOOK TALK
GANDHI REACHES CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS Mary King’s new book tells how the U.S. civil rights movement was influenced by the principles of Gandhian nonviolent action BY ERICA MOODY
N
onviolent protest is something that the U.S. civil rights movement is known for using to effect change (think of student sit-ins and bus boycotts). As the 50th anniversary of the game-changing Voting Rights Act of 1965 approaches, we look at a new book that explores a historical influence on the movement that is often left out of the discussion. In “Gandhian Nonviolent Struggle and Untouchability in South India: The 1924–25 Vykom Satyagraha and the Mechanisms of Change” (Oxford University Press), lauded nonviolent studies scholar Mary King explains the extent that civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. were influenced by Gandhian principles of nonviolence.
“That the U.S. civil rights movement unequivocally borrowed from the Indian struggles is evident in the way it analyzed power and consent, organized campaigns, stressed strategy, sequenced methods from persuasion to noncooperation to more disruptive measures, and emphasized communications and getting out the news.” WL: You write about the influence of Gandhian nonviolent struggle on the civil rights movement. How did this originate? MK: The background story is that there were four decades of black leaders traveling from the U.S. to India in order to learn how the Gandhian struggles took place
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and trying to learn lessons they thought would be applicable to their situation. When they arrived in India, the thing that was most compelling to them was that they considered the untouchability of the Hindu caste system to be very like the circumstances in which they were living. Long before Martin Luther King, particularly in the 1930s, there were African American college presidents, university professors, editors and newsmen traveling by steamer ship to learn about Gandhi, trying to figure out what was applicable to their circumstances. There was an interchange between India and the black community from 1919 to 1955. That’s where the stunning connection comes from.
WL: What is your opinion of nonviolence, if you can sum it up? MK: A nonviolent movement always has to be a sustained action and has to be collective or it will not work. Gandhi had figured out something crucial: that no system can function or stand if the ruled refuse to obey, and he had figured this out by 1905. This insight — that if people stop obeying, the system can’t cooperate, also known as consent theory — was very influential on civil rights leaders. “In retrospect it is possible to see that a diffuse black leadership was preparing for the emergence of Martin Luther King Jr, as expressed in the phrase ‘raising up a profit.’ As the leaders traveled to India, they forged personal bonds with individuals working alongside Gandhi, and prominent Indians visited the United States to lecture and create connections with the nascent civil rights movement. Benjamin Mays, some ten years after meeting with Gandhi at Wardha, in India in 1936, would in his regular chapel lectures as president of Atlanta’s Morehouse College open the eyes of a seventeen-year-old student named Martin Luther King Jr.”
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AUTHOR PHOTO COURTE SY MARY KING.BOOK IMAGE COURTE SY OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRE SS
WL: How did this book project come about? Mary King: It was suggested to me by Gene Sharp, the world’s foremost scholar on nonviolent civil resistance. He told me 15 years ago that somebody needed to revisit the struggle at Vykom, so I embarked on a 15-year process to work out exactly what happened.
“Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, hunger for knowledge about the Indian struggles were growing in African American communities, which had themselves for generations felt fear and dread. By the 1920s, they were seeing in their own experiences of collective exclusion a form of casteism and were coming to believe that Gandhian strategies of resistance to oppression might be applicable in their situation.”
POLLYWOOD | EMBASSY ROW
Dean’s List Senior Spokesmen, Hurried Departures and a Menu for Milan BY ROLAND FLAMINI
Chief of Protocol Peter Selfridge with chefs Vikram Sunderam, Art Smith, Naomi Pomeroy, Marc Murphy, Mary Sue Milliken, Sam Kass, Duff Goldman, Maziar Farivar, and Cris Comerford (Courtesy Photo)
WHO SPEAKS FOR THE CORPS?: This summer Ambassador Roble Olhaye of Dji-
bouti will mark ten years as dean of the Washington diplomatic corps. The post is held by the longest-serving chief of mission and “is mainly ceremonial, with the dean standing in for the corps on certain occasions, or speaking for the corps,” says Lawrence Dunham, a former long-time deputy chief of protocol at the Department of State and now a consultant with Protocol Partners. Olhaye has been ambassador since 1988, but he doubles as his country’s permanent representative to the United Nations, dividing his time between Washington and New York. So, the work is shared with the deputy dean who is Hersey Kyota, the envoy from Palau, who has been in Washington since 1997. Neither the dean nor his deputy was in the country to discuss their respective roles, but Vera Kyota, the ambassador’s wife, who was manning the phones at the Palau embassy, said that the fact that the dean resides mainly out of town meant that her husband has “quite a bit to do” as deputy. “These days the state department tends to handle most issues with individual embassies on a bi-lateral basis, but deans have been
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known to deliver demarches [notes expressing the corps’ collective opinion on a particular situation, often a protest],” Dunham said. When both dean and deputy are not available, the state department simply contacts the chief of mission with the next longest tenure. That would be Amb. Claudia Fritsche of Liechtenstein (who presented credentials in 2000). The list of ambassadors who have held the post reflect the reality that smaller countries tend to leave their envoys in place longer than most of the larger ones. There hasn’t been a dean of the diplomatic corps from France, the U.K., Spain or Italy since the 1930s, and the last German was in 1903. The most recent French ambassador to be dean was the distinguished playwright Paul Claudel in 1933. However, in most Catholic countries (for example, Spain, Portugal, most of Latin America) none of the above applies. The papal nuncio — the ambassador from the Vatican — becomes dean of the corps the moment he starts his diplomatic assignment. NOW YOU SEE THEM It’s not unusual for a
Washington ambassadorial posting to lead to bigger (and possibly better) things, but it’s rare to have this demonstrated three times in quick
succession, and in the same part of the world. First, Brazil’s ambassador, Mauro Vieira, left in a hurry when newly re-elected President Dilma Rousseff appointed him foreign minister. In March, Ecuador’s energetic envoy, Natalie Cely Suarez, left Washington after serving for three years to become a cabinet minister with multiple responsibilities, including tourism and infrastructure. Also in March, Mexican Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora cut short his tenure to become a member of the Mexican supreme court. He was back home by early April — thereby missing an amazing performance of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” by the pianist Jeremy Denk at the annual Young Concert Artists benefit at the magnificent Mexican Cultural Center. It’s going to rank as one of the most memorable musical performances of the year. WHAT’S COOKING AT STATE Members of
the American Chef Corps were on hand at the state department with details of the American plan of attack at the Milan Expo “Feeding the Planet” opening this month. A nod to an evergrowing urban American trend (but virtually unknown in Europe) will be the food trucks parked around the U.S.A. pavilion serving a continuously changing menu of what the state department calls “iconic and innovative regional American food and beverages.” The 35,000-square-foot pavilion, designed by New York architect James Biber, will feature a vertical working farm, with daily harvests. As a key element in the state department’s engagement in culinary diplomacy, members of the Chef Corps will be in Milan during the expo, including some of the more than 20 chefs from the Washington area, such as José Andrés, Jeffrey Buben, Todd Gray, Anthony Lombardo and Vikram Sunderam. Said Secretary of State John Kerry as he outlined U.S. plans for Milan: “There is absolutely nothing better than good food to bring people together — that’s what diplomacy is all about.”
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French Amb. Gerard Araud and event co-chairwoman Joan Carl
Antonia Gore and event co-chairwoman Nina Pillsbury Kristen Lund, George Lund and event co-chairwoman Evelyn DiBona
WL EXCLUSIVE
ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DINNER French Ambassador’s Residence | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ VIVE LA FRANCE!: French Amb. Gerard Araud couldn’t resist injecting a humorous note into his welcoming remarks at the Alliance Francaise’s annual dinner, warming up the crowd with a few de rigueur jokes and bons mots plus a funny tale of getting into trouble for being “too macho” when he once dared to say that U.N. Ambassador Samantha Powers was “beautiful.” Beauty was also on the minds of those admiring the recently renovated residence, which Araud hoped would inspire visitors to appreciate his country as well as its people. His sentiments were returned in kind when one guest piped up to declare that Americans “owe France everything. There would be no America if it weren’t for the French.”
Jane Cafritz and Count Renaud de Viel Castel
Justice Samuel Alito and Martha-Ann Alito
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Nick Schmit, Christopher Reiter, Jonathan Capehart, Pascal Blondeau and Septime Webre
Lynda Erkiletian, Anton Papich and Michelle Delino WL EXCLUSIVE
ROBIN GIVHAN BOOK PARTY
Milo Afas and Amad Wariaghli Robin Givhan and Andre Leon Talley
French Ambassador’s Residence | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL FASHION FORWARD: A trendy crowd turned out to celebrate Washington Post fashion editor Robin Givhan’s recent book, “The Battle of Versailles,” describing a “shock moment” in 1973 that went down in history as a veritable battle between the brashness of the American designers (Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass) and the ornate theatricality of the more established French couturiers such as Yves Saint-Laurent and Ungaro. The Americans’ use of black models and popular music accented by unbridled runway prancing made a major difference, Givhan said, noting that the event ended up “proving that fashion could free a woman.” THE LAST WORD: “It was an extravaganza of international razzle-dazzle that just doesn’t exist anymore,” Vogue editorial icon Andre Leon Talley told the crowd after sweeping past in his trademark flowing caftan.
John and JoAnn Mason, Jaclyn Mason and Sean Randall
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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Seema Reza, Stevie Nicks, Sebastian Junger and Peyton Manning
Mick Fleetwood
Greg Gadson, Gail Kim-Irvine and Robert Irvine Elaine Rogers, Lisa-Marie Riggins and John Riggins Kira Kazantsev and Patrick Green WL EXCLUSIVE
USO-METRO ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER Bonnie Carroll, Michael Regner, Lynda Davis and Mary Regner
Crystal Gateway Marriott | PHOTOS BY VITHAYA PHOTOGRAPHY SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE: The USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore (USO-Metro) and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation partnered for the nonprofit’s 33rd annual awards dinner to recogniz nearly 30 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan, as well as private citizens honored for their work on and of the battlefield. Honorees included Stevie Nicks, Sebastian Junger, Peyton Manning and Seema Reza. Nicks, recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award, holds the record for the most hours spent over a five-year period visiting combat-wounded service members as part of USO-Metro’s celebrity handshake tours. “As proud as I am of my work with Fleetwood Mac and my singing,” sha said, “I am most proud of being a part of you and my work with most proud to work with the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines and the Coast Guard.” The night raised $725,000.
Medal of Honor recipients Harold Fritz and Thomas Kelley
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Alexandria, Va. Mayor Bill Euille
Authors Tom Davis, Martin Frost and Richard Cohen
WL EXCLUSIVE
‘THE PARTISAN DIVIDE’ BOOK PARTY
Virginia State Sen.Patsy Ticer and Rep. Barbara Comstock Rep. Pete Aguilar
Residence of Rep. and Mrs. Don Beyer | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL POLITICS AND PROSE: Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle gathered at Rep. Don Beyer and wife Megan’s Old Town Alexandria home to celebrate the release of “The Partisan Divide” — detailing how political conflicts in Congress have produced stalemate — wri&en by former Republican congressman Tom Davis, former Democratic congressman Martin Frost and columnist Richard Cohen. There were no filibusters on this March evening, however, as guests, including Reps. Barbara Comstock and Pete Aguilar and Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, toasted the authors, who signed books side by side with nary an elbow nudge. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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Carlson Teboh and Juleanna Glover
Lloyd and Ann Hand WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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Shari Yost Gold and Jason Gold
Charmaine Chan, Sarah Lee, Lauren Dunn and Lauren Swoboda
Timothy Lowery, Alexis Bittar and Joseph Ireland WL HOSTED
Taryn Laeben, Jane Verdosa and Anne Fahey
ALEXIS BITTAR GRAND OPENING PARTY Alexis Bittar, CityCenter D.C. PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Amanda Hoey, Anastasia Dellaccio and Cori Sue Morris
FASHIONABLY PHILANTHROPIC: A crowd that was equally fashionable and generous turned out to celebrate Brooklynbased jewelry designer Alexis Bi ar’s grand opening at CityCenterDC. Twenty percent of sales ($3,550) were donated to Share Our Strength’s “No Kid Hungry” program. Considering that this year marked the first time over half the public school students in the country are from low-income families, Share Our Strength is more important than ever. Afterwards, an intimate crowd dined with Bittar at DBGB Kitchen and Bar.
Susanna and Jocelyn Quinn
Jean-Marie Fernandez
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Briana Tanzer, Diana Kim and Katarina Alharmoosh Christina Sevilla and Karen Finney
Ann Walker Marchant and Carl Ray
Molly Levinson, Josh Wachs and Emily Lenzner
Roberto Pietrobono and Violetta Markelou
Sondra Ortagus, Mary Amons and Jeff O’Neil Dave and Jamie Dorros
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POLLYWOOD Rep. Mike Honda and Rep. Carolyn Maloney
Hon. Peter Harrell, Rep. Donna Edwards and Morad Ghorban
Dr. Azar Nafisi
Alidad Mafinezam and Rep. Andre Carson
Yousef Javadi and Saghi MoJabal
NOROOZ ON CAPITOL HILL Rayburn House Office Building | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR: The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans hosted a reception on the Hill to mark not only Norooz, the traditional Persian New Year, but to also celebrate the resolution put before Congress by Rep. Mike Honda to recognize the “cultural and historical significance of Norooz. Also on hand to celebrate this historial resolution was professor and best-selling author Azar Nafisi. Norooz occurs each year on the vernal equinox, celebrating the arrival of spring. With the arrival of warmer weather, a new year and the hope of official recognition by Congress, there was much to celebrate indeed. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Ladan Ahmadi and Stephanie Anim-Yankah
Mona Okhavat, Monra Yazdani, Robert Babayi and Setareh Ebrahimian
Her Imperial Majesty Farah Pahlavi
Michael Werbowetzki, Capt. Penny Walter and Vice Adm. Phillip Cullom Faisal Al Enezi, Dasko Shirwani and Ezzaddin Haji
NOWRUZ COMMISSION GALA Andrew Mellon Auditorium | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ SPRING FORWARD: Guests from near and far celebrated the Persian new year and the arrival of spring at the Commission’s sixth annual gala and dinner. The 500 guests at the grand affair included diplomats, dignitaries and senior military brass from the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia, including Her Imperial Majesty Farah Pahlavi, the widow of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Turkish Amb. Serdar Kilic and Azerbaijani Amb. Elin Suleymanov. Commission Vice Chairman Bijan Kian read a message of greeting from President Barack Obama while guests enjoyed cultural music and dance presentations.
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David Goodfriend and Rick Chessen
Sen. Maria Cantwell and Knesset member Stav Shaffir
Jeremy Ben-Ami, Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Harlan Ullman
J STREET GALA DINNER
Rep. Lois Capps
Walter E. Washington Convention Center | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL SUPPORTING ISRAEL: Former Secretary of State James Baker and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Teachers Federation, were among the special guests at J Street’s annual gala dinner, which took place during the group’s fi/h national conference in March. The event showcased the strength of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement, according to organizers. “This year, we are for the first time, an $8 million-a-year organization with 180,000 supporters, 50 chapters and advocacy networks, and the largest pro-Israel PAC in the country,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami told dinner-goers.
Sandy Perlstein and Jennifer Schwarz
Sens. Patrick Leahy and Sheldon Whitehouse
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Bob Thomas, Kimberly Reed and Mike Simmons
Dr. Richard Hodes, Verna Jones Rodwell, B. Smith, Dan Gasby
Wolf Blitzer
Harry Johns and Sen. Debbie Stabenow
NATIONAL ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION DINNER
Lisa Genova, Alena O’Connor and Mary Genova MacGregor
Marriott Wardman Park | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ EVERY STEP COUNTS: Alzheimer’s advocates from all 50 states gathered in Washington for a celebratory dinner emceed by Wolf Blitzer to highlight the major victories of the past year, most notably the passage of the Alzheimer’s Accountability Act. The legislation will allow scientists at NIH to communicate directly with Congress about resources needed to achieve the goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer’s by 2025. Sen. Mike Crapo, the lead Republican sponsor of the legislation was honored with the Alzheimer’s Association Humanitarian Award while Cathy Perkowitz, whose husband was diagnosed with younger-onset at age 52, was awarded the Alzheimer’s Association Outstanding Advocate of the Year Award. “In the crowded media marketplace, and even more crowded arena on Capitol Hill, it’s hard to break through and be heard,” said Blitzer. “But you have and I hope you will continue and even expand upon those remarkable efforts.”
Rep. Paul Tonko, Beth Smith-Boivin and Sen. Ed Markey VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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10th annual
Hillary Clinton
Matthew Brooks
Bret Baier
power100
Gwen Ifill
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” - Abraham Lincoln
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Howard Fineman
s our nation passes the 150th anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and ponders what could have been had the leader who saw our country through the Civil War not been shot at Ford’s Theater in 1865, it seemed fitting to begin our 10th annual compilation of Washington’s most powerful citizens with a quote from a president who showed us his character through his influence and who used his power to unite our country. As Frank Keating, president of the American Banking Association said to us of Lincoln, “Only he had the fierce focus and kind heart to save the Union and to free the slaves.” Although “heart” and character were not among our criteria, as their definitions are subjective, we would argue that no matter where you stand on the political spectrum, you’ll agree the individuals listed here, in their positions of power, have remained true to themselves and the value of the roles they play. The rules we follow when determining who appears in the Power 100 remain: 1) knowledge is power, 2) influence is power, 3) access is power, 4) the perception of power is power and 5) money can translate into power if used effectively. The list does not include anyone who draws a government salary as there are plenty of directories that hold that information, and the hierarchy for members of Congress is based on rank and seniority. Still, the individuals you’ll see on the following pages exert an enormous amount of power in the nation’s capital. Many have served Presidents and could one day be back at the White House. They are innovators
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Christine Lagarde
Karl Rove
who’ve helped make our city a technology hub, lobbyists for banks and corporations that control much of America’s wealth, advocates for the arts, education and the environment and journalists whose stories sway votes and impact elections. Because the tectonic plates of power are continuously shifting in Washington, we’ve added 45 new names for 2015 – some making their debut on the list, such as Instagram Chief Operating Officer Marne Levine, who is representing the company as it continues to grow and attract millions of users worldwide. Others are returning, like John Podesta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton who is now chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Just over half are lobbyists, political consultants and think tank associates. Five are involved in Israel-related groups and four are labor leaders. Approximately 20 are business leaders, with roughly half in tech and the rest in finance, defense, real estate and health care. About 14 are in media. Approximately 30 of the 100 lean right, 34 lean left and 36 are either in the center or equal-opportunity operators.This year’s list also highlights 23 remarkable women who have cracked the glass ceiling. Our Power 100 reflects the intersection of money and power and some of those in the Fourth Estate who check it. But they and others have much work to do. As President Obama said to the Washington press corps during his remarks at the White House Correspondents’ Association’s annual dinner last month,“investigative journalism, explanatory journalism, journalism that exposes corruption and injustice and gives voice to the ... marginalized and the voiceless — that’s power.” >>
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h ea dshots : f i le p hotos, cou rte sy p hotos a nd w iki m ed ia com mo ns
Jose Andres
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Robert Allbritton & Kim Kingsley Chairman and CEO, Allbritton Communications; COO, Politico His family spent four decades in the broadcasting business, but last August Robert Allbritton sold his television properties, including WJLA, to Sinclair Broadcast Group for $985 million. He remains publisher of POLITICO and Capital New York and is now focused on expanding the influence of his new media empire. In April, Allbritton went international with POLITICO Europe after acquiring the Brussels-based European Voice, and announced plans to triple the size of POLITICO in the next four years. The company is also launching several state-based publications just in time for the 2016 election. Cofounder Jim VandeHei says they’ll go live “in a cascading series of states, starting this year with New Jersey and Florida.” Allbritton is also executive chairman of Perpetual Capital Partners, a private middlemarket investment firm based in Washington, D.C. Kim Kingsley — one of POLITICO’s first hires — will continue to play a significant role in the newer, larger POLITICO. She is tasked with helping scale the company and recruit the talent needed to maintain quality as it grows.
Jose Andres Chef and Founder,ThinkFoodGroup He’s frequently dubbed the most important Spanish chef in America, and was recently tapped by Donald Trump to open a flagship restaurant in the Trump International Hotel, Washington D.C. The hotel and Andres’ eatery will open in 2016 in the Old Post Office building after a $200 million renovation. In a town now filled with celebrity chefs, Andres is always in the top tier, and the influx of other wellknown names opening spots in town isn’t slowing him down. He opened China Chilcano in January and vegetable-centric Beefsteak in March, adding to the growing restaurant empire under his ThinkFoodGroup, which grossed $100 million last year. Andres is also the founder of the World Central Kitchen, a humanitarian organization he founded after the Haiti earthquake in 2010 that focuses on creating global solutions for hunger and poverty, including training on clean cook stoves. It’s work that earned him the White House’s “Outstanding American by Choice” award in 2014.
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Haley Barbour Founding Partner, BGR Group Usually a politician becomes a lobbyist as an afterthought, but not Haley Barbour, who founded what is now the BGR Group long before he became the 62nd governor of Mississippi. “I’m a lobbyist,” he proudly proclaimed in 2011 when he was mulling a presidential run. Now, with feet in both worlds, the former Republican National Committee chairman’s firm represents big name clients like Chevron, Toyota and Caterpillar. Barbour continues to be active in politics appearing on “Meet the Press” and other Sunday shows. As one of the respected wise men of the G.O.P., Barbour’s endorsement will be highly sought out by those competing in the crowded 2016 Republican field.
Jeremy Ben-Ami Founder and President, J Street Ben-Ami is the founder and executive director of J Street, a Washingtonbased, pro-Israel, pro-peace advocacy organization that seeks to provide a political home for Americans who believe that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to Israel’s survival as both a democracy and a Jewish state. His group has been a powerful voice in support of President Obama’s attempts to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the nuclear impasse with Iran, arguing affectively that the deal is in the best interests of both Israeli and American security. Ben-Ami’s grandparents were among the founders of Tel Aviv and the Jerusalem Post has included him in its list of the “50 Most Influential Jews” in the world. The former policy advisor to President Bill Clinton now oversees an $8 million-a-year organization with 180,000 supporters, 50 chapters and advocacy networks and the largest pro-Israel PAC in the country – which raised nearly $2.5 million in the last election last cycle for 95 endorsed candidates for House and Senate races. “In seven years, we’ve grown in size and influence precisely because the core positions of our advocacy are in line with the views of large numbers of Americans who didn’t have a voice in the political debate before,” Ben-Ami said at J Street’s national conference in March.
Wayne Berman Senior Advisor for Global Government Affairs,The Blackstone Group He’s no stranger to political campaigns and suffers no lack of proximity to those in power. The Blackstone Group calls Berman “a highly regarded
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advisor on the management of political and legislative risk” whose ideas have made an imprint on Republican politics for the last 35 years. Berman has worked for the campaigns, transition teams and administrations of Presidents George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. As a member of the Republican Jewish Coalition, he continues to use his influence to get Republicans elected and is already planning to hold a fundraiser in his home for Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been surging in recent polls.
Robert Allbritton
wolf blitzer & jake tapper Host, CNN’s “Situation Room”; CNN Chief Washington Correspondent and Host, “The Lead with Jake Tapper” Wolf Blitzer is a 25-year veteran of CNN and arguably the network’s most recognized journalist. The Emmy-award winner has been a war reporter, White House correspondent and political anchor for the oncedominant cable channel, which has regained some momentum after falling way behind Fox. Chief Washington Correspondent Tapper came to the network from ABC, where as White House correspondent he made a name for himself covering such stories as presidential nominees not fully complying with tax disclosure laws and breaking the news that Standard and Poor’s was expected to downgrade the United States’AAA rating. At CNN, the chief Washington correspondent’s daily show, “ The Lead with Jake Tapper,” has been hailed for not being overly ideological and has won awards for breaking news coverage, including for the Boston Marathon bombing.
Haley Barbour
Jeremy Ben-Ami
David Bradley Chairman, Atlantic Media Company In a town of revolving media owners and publishers, David Bradley continues to flourish. As the longtime chairman and owner of the Atlantic Media Company, he publishes several influential magazines, including The National Journal and The Atlantic, and operates other news services that reach over 30 million people worldwide. Bradley has a shown an eye for identifying talent such as Bob Cohn, who has revolutionized Atlantic Media’s digital operations and Steve Clemons, who provides astute analysis on foreign policy. Previously he was the founder of the Advisory Board and the Corporate Executive Board research companies, which he reportedly sold for over $300 million. The life-long Washingtonian and Sidwell Friends graduate holds an M.B.A. from Harvard, a law degree
Wayne Berman
Wolf Blitzer
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power100 from Georgetown. He was also a Fulbright scholar in the Philippines.
Donna Brazile
Frank Keating What is your advice to people who would like to follow in your footsteps and one day hold a position of power? A first principle for a new employee is to enjoy what you do. If you don’t, leave. Talent and time-in-grade will promote you, but if you dislike your job, you will become glum, grim and just going through the motions. No fun. You are not a service to yourself or your employer. Move on. Do something else. When you find the right fit, you will rise with responsibility and authority and you will be happy. Your leadership will stimulate and empower. Your resulting success will be your employer’s success and your subordinates’ success. Everyone will live happily ever after! p h o t o b y t o ny p o w e l l
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David Bradley
Arthur Brooks
Evan Burfield
Wes Bush
Vice Chairwoman, Democratic National Committee Political strategist, Democratic National Committee vice chairwoman, author, academic and syndicated newspaper columnist Donna Brazile’s reach is wide and continues to expand. In her role at the DNC she is tasked with helping Democrats recoup the losses they suffered during last year’s mid-term elections. “This too shall pass,” she tweeted at the time. “Let’s learn from our mistakes, let the dust settle and get ready to kick their asses out of office in two years!” The long-time Democratic operative has worked on the presidential runs of Jesse Jackson, Walter Mondale, Richard Gephardt, Michael Dukakis and most notably, served as campaign chairman for Al Gore in 2000. Brazile is the first African American to lead a major presidential campaign. In between frequent guest slots on CNN and ABC, she has made cameo appearances on CBS’s “The Good Wife” and Netflix’s “House of Cards.”
Matthew Brooks Executive Director, Republican Jewish Coalition Political finance experts estimate that nearly a third of the Republican party’s most important “bundlers” are active in the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), which Matthew Brooks has directed since 1990. The group’s Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund is sure to be influential in the 2016 elections. Republican mega-donor and “nuke Iran” Coalition supporter Sheldon Adelson reportedly gave $2 million to the RJC during the 2012 presidential race, on top of the $100+ million he spent on super PACs in the 2012 election, and the estimated $50 million in additional undisclosed dark money contributions. As most of the Republican presidential aspirants prepare to genuflect to Adelson, they are likely aware that the casino magnate reportedly gave another $100 million in contributions to dark money nonprofits in 2014. With Adelson’s financial backing, the RJC is actively trying to undermine any negotiated peaceful resolution of the nuclear dispute with Iran, siding with the prime minister of Israel over the president of the United States.
Arthur Brooks President, American Enterprise Institute Under Brooks’ leadership, AEI is in the top tier of Republican-oriented think tanks in town, and he and his team provide neo-conservative analysis and firepower for GOP lawmakers as they work on their legislative agenda. Brooks and AEI have influenced presidential aspirant Sen. Marco Rubio’s hard-line foreign policy positions and Brooks’ name has been mentioned as an advisor to Rubio.
Evan Burfield & Donna Harris Co-Founders, 1776 President Obama kicked off his Fourth of July holiday last year by popping into 1776, the beautifully designed startup incubator just north of the White House on 15th Street N.W. The duo behind it, entrepreneurs Burfield and Harris, worked with former Washington Mayor Vincent Gray to secure real estate and funding and the campus opened in the spring of 2013. In just two years, 1776 has hosted the president and become the heart and soul of the tech community in Washington. It has received national attention for its mission — incubating ideas that can help the world. In April, 1776 expanded its reach by acquiring Crystal City’s Disruption Corp and it now has homes on both sides of the Potomac. According to Business Insider, Burfield and Harris now have 2,000 lobbyists, public affairs gurus and specialists at their disposal to guide their entrepreneurs through bureaucratic red tape.
Wes Bush Chairman, CEO and President, Northrop Grumman Corporation Wes Bush’s rise to the top of Northrop Grumman has been described as “nothing short of meteoric.” The company’s once-youngest senior executive started his career at TRW Inc. as a systems engineer in 1987 and got his executive gig after Northrop bought TRW in 2002. He became president of Northrop Grumman in 2006 and added the title of chairman in 2011. His first order of business? Moving the headquarters from Los Angeles to Falls Church,Va. “The earthquake in our first week of operation made us feel right at home,” he joked to Reuters at the time. Four years in, Northrop Grumman is now performing at the top of its industry although Bush, setting an example, still won’t take home a paycheck as big as many of his peers.
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Jay Carney & Teresa Carlson Senior Vice President, Worldwide Public Affairs, Amazon; Vice President,Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services Jay Carney knows all about reporting to powerful leaders. After serving as communications director to Vice President Biden and then White House press secretary, he was recently tapped by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos to be his senior vice president for worldwide corporate affairs. Carney’s new position has him overseeing both the public relations and the public policy of the e-commerce giant. Carlson serves as Amazon Web Services’ vice president of Worldwide Public Sector and oversees the company’s operations, strategy and development. She has won Amazon computing contracts at NASA, the defense department and the CIA.
Steve & Jean Case Founders, Case Foundation The mission is “investing in people and ideas that can change the world” and since founding their foundation in 1997, Steve and Jean Case have been doing just that. Taking the experience, capital and connections they acquired — Steve as co-founder of AOL and Jean as a pioneer in interactive technologies — the couple invests in those approaching entrepreneurship, civic engagement and philanthropy through innovative approaches. Those locally benefiting from their generosity — an act that has landed them on numerous lists of top philanthropists — include the Georgetown Global Social Enterprise Initiatives. Steve Case is also chairman and CEO of Revolution LLC, a Washingtonbased investment firm he co-founded in 2005 to build significant “built to last” businesses. He launched the Startup America Partnership with the White House in 2013 to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the U.S. and serves as a presidential ambassador on global entrepreneurship and a member of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Rather than just cashing in and cashing out as others who made it big in the tech boom have done, the Cases have proven staying power, having reinvented themselves with Revolution and their work in health care and bringing political insiders, such as Ron Klain, on board to make sure they maximize their impact.
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Cheryl Mills How would you define power? The ability to risk your privilege for good purpose or potentially transformational outcomes for others, and to do that with less fear than you otherwise might
Anita Dunn You are in a position of power. Are there unique responsibilities that come with that? I would put it this way: I am fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the discussion and resolution of issues I care about, sometimes ones I choose that are important to me personally and sometimes on behalf of clients, and to act or advise with a view toward getting something done that is useful. In that sense, like other professionals, I have responsibility. And that responsibility entails getting to know an issue well, listening all sides, thinking of ways to get to a resolution—being constructive and a constructive part of the process here in Washington.
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power100 Bill Clinton
Steve and Jean Csee
Bill Clinton
Chairman,The Clinton Foundation The 42nd president of the United States could return to the White House as the first “first gentleman” in 2017 if his wife Hillary is successful in her presidential bid. In March, an NBC-Wall Street Journal poll named him as the most popular person in American politics, with 56 percent of respondents expressing a positive view. The former president established the Clinton Foundation after leaving office to help improve global health and wellness, increase opportunities for girls and women and help create economic opportunity worldwide. In 2005, he founded the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), which brings world leaders together to find solutions for some of the most pressing issues of our time. While the Clinton Foundation says CGI has helped improve the lives of more than 430 million people in more than 180 countries, its work has come under some partisan scrutiny because of the vast sums the foundation has raised from various donors, including foreign governments, while Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state. The Clinton camp dismisses the allegations as mere innuendo from Republican operatives.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
David Cohen
William Cohen
Democratic Presidential Candidate Odds are Hillary Clinton could well become the first female president of the United States. The former first lady, senator from New York, secretary of state and contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, officially entered the 2016 race in April, announcing her candidacy via video and then immediately heading to Iowa to begin campaigning. She now has advisors in place to rework her establishment image. Recently, she came out in strong support of a constitutional amendment to get money out of politics. With a dedicated Super PAC, Ready for Hillary, raising money for her presidential run for two years prior to the announcement – $9 million in 2014 alone – and top-notch strategy and communications teams in place, the nomination and perhaps the presidency seem to be hers to lose. It is expected that she will have to raise $1 billion to win.
David Cohen
David Corn
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Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation The Philadelphia political veteran — he was a close advisor to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell —is now Comcast’s man in Washington and a known
Democratic Party bundler who raised over $1 million for President Obama. But fundraising is nothing compared to the lobbying efforts needed to complete a $30 billion merger, as he successfully did when Comcast acquired NBC Universal. Cohen was aggressive enough to pull off the NBC merger yet smart enough to pull the plug on his recent attempt to merge with Time Warner in the face of overwhelming government opposition.
William Cohen Chairman and CEO,The Cohen Group He’s had a career that any aspiring politician would envy. William Cohen was elected as a Republican to both the House and Senate and then served in the Clinton administration as secretary of defense. Topping off those years of public service, Cohen now runs the Cohen Group, a successful international consulting firm, where he continues to use his impressive global connections, knowledge, skills and experience to work on projects throughout the world, especially in China. Recently, the Cohen Group was charged with independently investigating the Environmental Protection Agency’s conduct over an Alaskan mining deal. Cohen is also the author of 11 books of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, and together with his wife, Janet Langhart Cohen, promotes open and civil dialogue regarding racial issues of the day.
Art Collins Founder and Managing Partner, The Group As a former lobbyist and Obama adviser, Collins has been on both sides of the political world. Though he flies very much under the radar, he uses his access and expertise to aid his clients, including FedEx, Lockheed Martin, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, Diageo, Dell and sectors of Wall Street and the banking industry, as they navigate today’s complex administrative, legislative and regulatory environments. He also keeps a hand in the public policy and global advocacy cookie jars as a trustee of the Brookings Institution and Meridian International Center.
David Corn Washington Bureau Chief, Mother Jones Fresh off revelations of NBC anchorman Brian Williams embellishing facts, there was David Corn ready with his own wartime reporting questions — this time revealing that Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly fabricated his coverage of the Falklands
War. Mother Jones’ Washington bureau chief is still waiting for clarification from the right-wing news host who denied the charges, but given his strong track record of investigative stories — including many around the Valerie Plame scandal — it’s hard not to pay attention. In 2012, Corn won the George Polk Award for political reporting, which some say cost Mitt Romney the election, for his coverage (after obtaining a video) of the private $50,000-a-plate Florida fundraiser where Romney infamously quipped that most Obama voters were among the 47 percent of Americans who were “dependent on government” and “paid no income tax.” His colleagues say this puts him in the “hall of fame of political campaign reporting.”
John “Jack” DeGioia President, Georgetown University Washington is, in certain ways, a Catholic town on a grassroots level, and Georgetown University remains a power center and serves as a networking nexus for that community. Last year, DeGioia, became the school’s longest-serving president, having held the job since 2001. He’s also the first non-cleric to run the university since it was founded in 1789. He is a prodigious fundraiser, endowment builder and networker, and still makes time to grapple with the great philosophical issues as a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy.
Jim DeMint President, Heritage Foundation A prominent figure in the Tea Party movement and a mentor to GOP presidential contender Sen. Ted Cruz, DeMint left Congress in 2012 to head the right-wing Heritage Foundation. During his tenure there, the former senator from South Carolina has increased the think tank’s political profile, wielding considerable influence during the 2014 mid-term election as he targeted Republican candidates whom he considered insufficiently hard-line. In January, DeMint scuffled with House Republicans who didn’t like the scorecards Heritage was keeping on GOP lawmakers’ voting records because the scoring methods were hurting their electoral prospects.
Thomas Donohue & Scott Reed President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Senior Political Strategist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Donohue, who has been president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce since 1997, has, in
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the view of his critics, aggressively advanced the interest of large, multinational corporations over those of small businesses, which are the key to job growth in America. During his tenure, he has reshaped the Chamber into a lobbying and political powerhouse. Having spent more than $100 million on political ads in the last three years, the Chamber is one of the perennial leaders in lobbying and spent more than $200 million on lobbying, including its advertising campaigns during the last Congress. Under Donohue’s direction the Chamber has been a huge player in the trade battles currently being waged in Washington. Helping accomplish this is Scott Reed, its senior political strategist, who oversees the “federal voter education program” and helps elect “probusiness” candidates. Reed implements the strategic blueprint to recruit amenable candidates and support them with money and advertising while identifying third party messengers who advocate for increased oil and gas production and trade agreements, which critics say supercede domestic regulations and protections.
Lisa Donner Executive Director, Americans for Financial Reform Donner leads a non-partisan coalition of more than 200 business, labor, consumer, investor, civil rights, faith-based, civic and community groups that formed just after the 2008 financial crisis. She is coming off of two big wins. Her Americans for Financial Reform helped push Congress to pass Dodd Frank, a serious piece of Wall Street regulation. Additionally, her group can be credited for helping to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Donner, a longtime community activist and organizer, has been highly effective in building public support for substantial reform and transparency on Wall Street.
Anita Dunn Managing Director, SKDKnickerbocker Dunn was a senior advisor to thenSen. Barack Obama during his 2008 campaign and later served as White House communications director. Now, as managing director of the communication strategy firm SKDKnickerbocker, she works for large corporations, advocacy and nonprofit groups, and on behalf of Canada’s Keystone XL pipeline – work that has left some critics questioning whether she is capitalizing too much on her longtime ties to the White House. Knowledgeable and sharp-witted, she remains a soughtafter, influential strategist. The firm’s
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Chris Matthews Which powerful person, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with and what would you ask them? John F. Kennedy. Tell us about the night your PT boat was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer and how you kept your crew together after swimming through four miles of enemy-held waters. Kathleen Matthews What is your advice to people who would like to follow in your footsteps and one day hold a position of power? Define your purpose. Do your homework. Be courageous. Practice humility.
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power100 work helped lead to the recent failure of the Comcast-Time Warner merger. SKDKnickerbocker was retained by the group Public Knowledge, financed by Google and other Comcast competitors, to convince lawmakers to oppose the merger.
Steve Elmendorf
Jack DeGioia
Jim DeMint
Principal, Elmendorf-Ryan Communications An adviser to Hillary Clinton during her 2008 campaign, Elmendorf spent the previous 12 years as a senior advisor to House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt. He’s recognized as one of Washington’s top lobbyists and strategists and his firm, Elmendorf-Ryan Communications, launched in 2006 with partner Jimmy Ryan, boasts bigname clients like Time Warner,Verizon, Citigroup, Union Pacific and the NFL. Elmendorf is also a former chairman of the board of the Gay and Lesbian Victory fund and is said to have handpicked his successors. According to Politico, Elmendorf-Ryan’s lobbying revenues in the first quarter of this year tallied up to more than $2.5 million.
Cathy Englebert
Steve Elmendorf
Cathy Englebert
CEO, Deloitte Cathy Engelbert made history in March when she became Deloitte’s CEO and the first female CEO of any of the country’s major professional services firms. When she began her career at Deloitte 30 years ago, only 7 percent of the firm’s partners and top executives were women. Now women make up approximately 25 percent of partners, and within the last year 66 percent of hires were women and minorities. Deloitte employs 70,000 professionals in nearly 90 U.S. cities, including the Washington, D.C. area. She’s become a role model for women inside and outside the business with a can-do attitude about breaking the glass ceiling, often noting how she was pregnant with her first child the same year she was up for partner. “I didn’t aspire to be the CEO of Deloitte,” she once told the Washington Post. “But I aspired to be a leader.”
John Engler
John Engler
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President, Business Roundtable The Republican takeover of the Senate in January was an especially joyous occasion for the former threeterm Michigan governor John Engler, whose Business Roundtable — which represents 200 of the world’s largest corporations — has been lobbying against corporate taxes and corporate subsidies for years. With the GOP in the driver’s seat, he expects his tax
agenda to be embraced, if not enacted. The group is also pushing for the opaque and secretive fast-track trade bill, where they’ve seemingly found an ally in President Obama. Both the president and his wife Michelle have acknowledged the power of this constituency by speaking before the Business Roundtable in recent years.
Richard Fairbank Founder and CEO, Capital One If there’s one person you would want to work for in Washington, it would be Fairbank. Capital One’s number one has been included on just as many top CEO and leadership lists for his personality as he has for his business acumen. Part of that can be due to the fact he hasn’t received a salary since 1998, an arrangement that he recently announced will continue in 2015. The leader of the McLean-based company does receive millions in benefits from the company’s increasing stock value, due in part to his vision of staying revolutionary. However, Fairbank has averaged $15.49 million per year in stock compensation over the past six years, according to Forbes, due to gains in Capital One shares. Earlier this year Capital One acquired the money management app Level Money Inc. to create innovative mobile banking technology that is sure to see this financial titan’s reach grow.
Howard Fineman & Ryan Grim Global Editorial Director, Huffington Post;Washington Bureau Chief, Huffington Post Huffington Post has 13 international editions and Fineman is helping to keep them all together. Earlier this year, he was promoted to global editorial director, where he influences the news content for each of the sites to ensure integration. The former Newsweek political correspondent and current MSNBC analyst joined Arianna Huffington’s outlet in 2010 with over two decades experience as a journalist. Fineman now writes about American politics for a worldwide audience, translated into local languages. Working closely beside him is Grim, 36, the online publication’s Washington bureau chief, who has broken countless stories and written his fair share of in-depth investigative pieces, including one cowritten with Paul Blumenthal and published this year, about government corruption and how corporate money has impacted the law - “The Inside Story of how Citizens United Has Changed Washington Lawmaking.”
Jeff Forbes & Dan Tate Founders, Forbes Tate This Democratic duo began their careers in politics and now run one of Washington’s top lobbying firms. Forbes worked for Bill Clinton’s 1992 and 1996 presidential campaigns and was an aide to former Sen. Max Baucus, currently serving as U.S. ambassador to China. Tate, the son of a lobbyist, moved to Washington at age three and started working on campaigns in high school. These deep roots have allowed them to be successful on K Street and keep going from there. In April, they recruited Jeff Sadosky, the former communications director to Sen. Rob Portman, to run their expanding PR shop. He’s one of several Republican hires the firm has snapped up in the last few years.
Jack Gerard President, American Petroleum Institute Last year America became the world’s largest producer of oil, and Gerard is not going to be slowing down anytime soon. Since the start of the year, API’s president is focused on overturning the country’s decades-old ban on exporting oil. He’s hoping to dramatically scale back even relatively modest environmental protections and ram through fossil fuel projects like the Keystone pipeline.Year in and year out, he has managed to block every attempt to eliminate billions in corporate subsidies handed out to oil and gas interests. No doubt he will use all of his power to ensure that reforms such as HR 1930, the End Polluter Welfare Act of 2015 (which is estimated to potentially generate $135 billion in revenue over 10 years), do not see the light of day.
chad griffin President, Human Rights campaign Chad Griffin has much to celebrate. Last year some 15 states issued marriage license to same-sex couples. Today, it’s 37 — a nearly 150 percent increase. As a proponent of one of the fastest moving civil rights issues in U.S. history, Griffin not only focuses on marriage equality but fights to end workplace discrimination as well. In March, he was part of an historic panel in Washington that recognized the six openly gay U.S. ambassadors.
Nicole Gustafson Vice President for Public Policy and Government Affairs, NFL After a tumultuous year, the NFL has again turned to Washington for help through the hiring of Gustafson to head its public policy and government
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affairs shop. Formerly a senior aide to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Gustafson is now focusing on such in-the-news issues as domestic violence, head injuries and the use of performance enhancing drugs. With the release of the Hollywood film “Concussion” starring Will Smith at the end of 2015, there will be tremendous focus on head injuries, such as the one leading to the death of Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster, and Gustafson will be gearing up to lead up one of the largest PR lobbying operations the NFL has ever assembled.
Nate Gatten Managing Director, Global Government Relations, JP Morgan Chase Nate Gatten, a former Fannie Mae lobbyist who joined JPMorgan in 2009, was called back from JPMorgan’s London office to Washington in 2012 to “help with Republicans,” as Bloomberg news put it. Gatten and his cohorts had to figure out a damage control strategy after the firm’s $2 billion trading loss in May 2012, something that irritated even Wall Street-happy Republicans. Gatten’s moves were successful and by the beginning of 2013, he had been promoted to the head of the bank’s federal government relations team. Since then, he has also been named a top lobbyist in Washington by The Hill newspaper.
Mary Kay Henry International President, Service Employees International UNION (SEIU) The 2014 elections marked a victory for Henry. After working tirelessly to increase the minimum wage, much of the public showed it was in agreement, with many states passing legislation to raise wages for those who exist at or near the poverty level. But there’s still work to be done and Henry is continuing to promote the Fight for $15 movement, a grassroots campaign against poverty-level wages and passing the Employee Free Choice Act.
Marillyn Hewson Chairman, CEO and President, Lockheed Martin The head of the world’s largest defense contracting firm landed herself at number four on Fortune Magazine’s “Most Power Women in Business” list in 2014, and no wonder. She’s now reaching for the stars — literally. In March, the Bethesda-based company announced plans to bid on over $1 billion worth of NASA contracts to deliver supplies and experiments to the
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International Space Station. She’s also overseeing the company as it builds more energy-efficient jet fighters and create products to fight cyber-attacks.
Edwin D. Hill President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers It’s no wonder the Electrical Workers have had Ed Hill as their leader since 2001. He worked his way up from the bottom. From humble roots in Western Pennsylvania, Hill began his career as an electrical worker and soon became more and more involved in his union. So involved that he eventually made his way to Washington and now represents 750,000 Americans working in utilities, construction, railroads, manufacturing, broadcasting, telecommunications and government. Hill speaks out strongly against income inequality, which will likely become a major issue in the 2016 campaign.
Eric Hilton Co-Founder,Thievery Corporation Hilton’s name is known far beyond Thievery Corporation, the Grammynominated recording artist and DJ collective he started with business partner, Rob Garza and a group of supporting artists. Along with his brother Ian, Hilton has also been at the forefront of a local, trend-setting lounge and restaurant empire. He owns more than a half a dozen bars and restaurants, including Chez Billy which is lauded to have put the Petworth neighborhood on the map, and was the locale for this year’s pre-White House Correspondents “Funny or Die” latenight party where guests included the likes of Valerie Jarrett, Karen Finney, Tony Romo and “Selma” director Ava DuVernay. The latest addition to the restaurant list: Chez Billy Sud, a hot new French dining spot in Georgetown.
Donna Brazile How would you define power? The ability to get things done. And the responsibility to inspire others to do the same Real power increases the goodness and kindness in the world. it enables people to be productive and provides safety nets. Let’s empower everyday citizens to know they can make a difference in the world. (Photo courtesy Donna Brazile)
Josh Holmes President and Founding Partner, Cavalry LLC Issue management firm Cavalry describes itself as “combing the experience of serving at the highest levels of the U.S. federal government with proven, presidential-level campaign capabilities.” How fitting that Holmes serves as president and founding partner, given that he has been touted as the “mastermind of team Mitch” for his management of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s re-election campaign, hailed by pundits as one of the most effective congressional campaigns of 2014. He also served the NRSC in an
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power100 advisory role during their successful 2014 efforts to take the Senate. Given that McConnell is one of the most powerful leaders of the Republican party, Holmes’ connection to him will provide the power of enduring access. .
Jon Huntsman & Capricia marshall
Marillyn Hewson
Edwin Hill
Chairman,The Atlantic Council; Ambassador-in Residence, The Atlantic Council To the extent that there is any gracious middle ground in Washington, the Atlantic Council embodies it and has managed to tap major names with international clout to join its mission to shape debate on issues of global importance. Huntsman, who became chairman a little over a year ago, brought years of Asian policy experience as the former U.S. ambassador to China and Singapore. A few months later, Marshall, a former chief of protocol and White House social secretary, joined as the head of its new Arsht Latin American Center. South Asia Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Barbara Slavin, who has stayed busy providing astute analysis on Iran and Israel, helps complete a team that has expertise in every part of the globe.
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Eric Hilton
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Moderator/Managing Editor, “Washington Week”; Co-Anchor/CoManaging Editor, “PBS NewsHour” In the dog-eat-dog world of political talk shows, a newscaster’s worth ebbs and flows with ratings, and for Gwen Ifill, things are looking up. After a notable slump in 2013, PBS’ “NewsHour,” co-anchored by Ifill and Judy Woodruff, increased its broadcast audience by 12 percent in total viewers in December 2014. January 2015 marked the station’s highest online monthly audience in history with 9.5 million page views and 4.1 million users. Ifill, who was awarded the Urbino Press Award from the Italian Embassy last month, reports on a wide range of issues, most recently the debacle over Rolling Stone’s reporting of a bogus sexual assault at the University of Virginia, a tweak in the human trafficking bill that was holding up confirmation proceedings for attorney general-nominee Loretta Lynch and the European Union’s crisis over migrant deaths at sea.
“Ignanicare” because it shovels trillions of tax dollars to health insurance companies to subsidize private health insurance. During her 22 years at the company, she has agreed and disagreed with presidents, fought for affordable health care and has remained a strong supporter of Democratic candidates despite being head of a largely Republican-supported organization.
Walter Isaacson President and CEO,The Aspen Institute He’s lived a life that could have its own book written, one that other baby boomer journalists would certainly describe as “ambitious excellence.” The former chairman of CNN and managing editor of Time Magazine now serves as president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, which he has modernized for the new marketplace of ideas while making it central to the debate. What he’s most well-known for are his authorized biographies on some of the world’s most powerful men, including his 2011 book on Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, whom Isaacson was criticized for being too tough on (to his credit.) The book broke all records for sales of a biography and is reportedly the fastest-selling biography ever written. His most recent work, “The Innovators,” continues on the concepts that Jobs developed by covering the history of the digital revolution.
Jo Ann Jenkins CEO, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Last May, it was announced that Jo Ann Jenkins would be replacing Barry Rand as CEO of AARP, the 37 million-member group representing Americans who are 50 and older. Jenkins, its first woman CEO, had long been associated with the organization, having served as chief operating officer and president of its foundation before ascending to her current leadership role. She likes to point out that she was born in 1958, the year Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus founded the AARP, and talks passionately about modern aging including making its members more digitally savvy. “I like to think that 50 is the new 30 — and I like what it looks like,” she wrote in the Huffington Post. “We’re redefining what it means to be our age.”
Karen Ignagni
Joe Jordan
President and CEO, America’s Health Insurance Plans Ignani is the leader who in significant measure helped engineer Obamacare, which some say could indeed be called
CEO, FedBid FedBid, the smart online marketplace where the government can buy products, often at a savings, has had a rocky time recently. In January, the
U.S. Air Force suspended its contracts with the company after an inspector general report found fraud and discovered that intimidation tactics had been used. Enter Joe Jordan, who joined the Vienna-based company in December 2013 and became its CEO in January. He was able to swiftly fix the mess and the suspension was lifted a month later. It’s no surprise that he’s so effective, having last served as the White House administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy. Jordan loves his line of work. “Helping governments be more fiscally responsible to taxpayers while helping small, minority, veteran and disadvantaged businesses grow,” he said, “is something that I am passionate about.”
Frank Keating CEO, American Bankers Association This former Republican governor of Oklahoma who handled the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing has plenty of experience with largescale management and he has used it well with regard to his current job representing the $15 trillion banking industry. As the president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, his job is to avoid another mortgage meltdown and secure Wall Street’s power and protect small banks. With his folksy, Okie twang, he has tried to put a friendly Main Street voice on the global financial institutions our government and tax payer dollars have had to save from their own greed.
Jim Yong Kim President,The World Bank In 2012 he was President Obama’s surprise pick to run the World Bank. A former president of Dartmouth College, this physician and anthropologist was the first bank president with no political or financial background. But that may just be why he has been able to bring something different and unique to the institution. For example, he recently formed the World Banks’ Open Learning Campus, an e-institute where people can access real-time relevant learning in a variety of public policy areas. He landed at number 45 on Forbes’ Most Powerful People list, citing that he gives $35 billion a year to run developmental programs in more than 188 countries. With the Washington consensus being challenged by China’s new development bank, it will be interesting to see how he responds, not only to another global slowdown but to a major financial leadership challenge.
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Steven Knapp
William Kristol
President, George Washington University Under Knapp’s leadership last summer, George Washington University added the Corcoran College of Art and Design to its ever-expanding real estate portfolio and plans to spend $80 million renovating the school’s building (also housing the former Corcoran Gallery of Art) on 17th Street NW. Knapp, who is GW’s 16th president and has held the job since 2007, has “prioritized enhancing the university’s partnerships with neighboring institutions.” He also serves on several high-profile boards, including the Economic Club of Washington, the Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Greater Washington Urban League. In 2012, an entrepreneurial service and learning fellowship, which grants awards ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, was established by the university in the names of Knapp and his wife. The Steven and Diane Robinson Knapp Fellowship recognizes, rewards and facilitates “creative public service and academic engagement.”
Founder and Editor, The Weekly Standard One would think that some of the people on the “Power 100” would have been run out of town long ago for bad advice, chief among them Bill Kristol, according to critics who say he has no concept of the possibility that he might be wrong about anything. But it’s been 25 years since he was dubbed “Dan Quayle’s Brain” by The New Republic, and his ideas are still influential with a significant portion of the Republican Party. Whether Kristol is playing the role of talking head on Sunday morning shows or penning his column for The Weekly Standard, much of what he says ends up becoming headline-worthy fodder. His neo-conservative positions have riled the realist foreign policy establishment and Democrats over the years, especially when he supported the second Iraq War and helped kill Bill Clinton’s chance of tackling health care in 1993. Most recently, under his Emergency Committee for Israel letterhead, he funneled more than $1 million into Arkansas senator Tom Cotton’s campaign, which was rumored to have come from Sheldon Adelson’s coffers. Kristol’s Weekly Standard also has the backing of right wing billionaire Phil Anschutz and will surely be turning Hillary Clinton into a punching bag on its pages throughout the 2016 election.
Howard Kohr Executive Director, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Although AIPAC still exerts considerable influence, it used to be more careful about maintaining a sense of non-partisanship, smart enough to not pick fights it couldn’t win and reluctant to let any other socalled “pro-Israel” organizations gain traction in Washington, D.C., as it has with J Street. Led by Howard Kohr since 1997, critics are saying AIPAC has let things get out of hand and a number of its supporters are worried about how it has adopted a hard-line neo-conservative agenda, which risks eroding the bipartisan nature of its prior efforts. They cite the following three mistakes: 1) AIPAC’s opposition to Obama’s nomination of Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense, which they had to pull back; 2) AIPAC’s attempt to blow up Obama’s interim deal with Iran by pushing for greater sanctions, on which again they had to pull back; and 3) Their recent support of the Republican invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress, which came off as unprecedented partisanship in support of a foreign leader over the president of the United States. Now, AIPAC is getting worried that the organization is increasingly viewed as a partisan appendage of neo-conservative Republicans in Congress. It still aspires to be nonpartisan but will have a hard time putting the “toothpaste back in the tube.”
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Christine Lagarde Managing Director, International Monetary Fund When Lagarde became the first female managing director of the International Monetary Fund, it was another of her own “firsts.” She was the first female chairman of her global law firm and the first female French finance minister. She told CNN earlier this year that the primary reason she wanted to do a good job was “because I don’t want to let my female colleagues around the globe down.” Though it’s laudable that she has cracked the glass ceiling and since 2011 has been guiding the slow but steady economic recovery that has seen low oil prices and interest rates, it remains to be seen whether she will be able to keep the post World War II global financial structure stable and in place.
Neera Tanden Is power seen or defined differently in Washington than in other parts of the country? If yes, how so? It seems that in too many parts of the country, power is defined by possessions. And some in Washington believe power is the ability to influence. But I think we admire power when it is used to help make things better for people. Sometimes many of us in Washington lose sight of that for the game or process of politics, but I know many more still are shaped by a more hopeful view of power. p h o t o b y t o ny p o w e l l
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Gara Lamarche President, Democracy Alliance For more than two decades, Lamarche has managed the donations of George Soros and other billionaires to
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power100 progressive organizations. A former ACLU, Human Rights Watch and ““Open Society Institute employee, he was the perfect fit to lead the Democracy Alliance when he took over in October 2013. According to Inside Philanthropy, Lamarche “has the gravitas to really manage and lead a large collection of wealthy donors.”
DeDe Lea
Mark Leibovich
Wayne LaPierre & Chris Cox CEO and Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association (NRA); Chris Cox, Executive Director, NRA-ILA As CEO of the nation’s most powerful gun lobbying group, LaPierre has been wildly successful in opposing even the most limited gun safety restrictions. A testament to the power of the NRA is that GOP candidates are stumbling over themselves to see who can shoot the most guns and even take on U.S. Army generals by advocating for concealed weapons on military bases. Chris Cox, the executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, joined the group as its federal liaison in 1995 and oversees political campaigns and legislative initiatives with the help of a $20 million budget. He also serves as chairman of the NRA’s political action committee, the “Political Victory Fund.”
DeDe Lea Ted Leonsis
Steve Lombardo
Executive Vice President for Government Affairs,Viacom As Viacom’s top lobbyist for the past 10 years, Lea has been a big voice in the behind-the-scenes intellectual property debate while representing A-list media brands that include MTV, BET and VH1. Following the 2012 defeat of PIPA and SOPA, she used her strong Washington connections to persuade Congress to pass legislation favorable to content creators struggling to combat foreign piracy. Lea’s roots have always been in media. Before her current stint at Viacom, she had briefly left the company to work for Belo Corp., which owns a number of Texas-based television stations. Her resume also includes the National Association of Broadcasters and a handful of Washington television and radio stations.
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Chief National Correspondent, The New York Times Magazine These days, it’s hard to use Washington’s nickname “This Town” without using air quotes and immediately thinking about Mark Leibovich. His “This Town: Two
Parties and a Funeral — Plus, Plenty of Valet Parking! — In America’s Gilded Capital” was an instant best seller, much to the chagrin of the high-profile Washingtonians ridiculed within its pages. Leibovich chronicled movers and shakers networking at Tim Russert’s funeral and senators sniping at each other behind the scenes. While deftly skewering his vulnerable victims, he seems to show up at some of the parties himself. Perhaps this is just research? Either way, his stories remain must-reads inside the Beltway and beyond.
Ted Leonsis Majority owner and CEO,Washington Capitals,Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics Leonsis owns the teams as well as the Verizon Center where they, and some of the world’s top music acts, play — so he certainly gives the nation’s capital it’s fair share of ways to be entertained. He gives back to the community in other ways as well. As an early investor in Venture Philanthropy Partners, he’s helped support local nonprofits dedicated to improving opportunities for low-income children. In addition, he’s a venture capital investor, a filmmaker and digital entrepreneur.
Marne Levine Chief Operating Officer, Instagram Instagram, which is now owned by Facebook, made a big hire last October when it promoted Marne Levine from within. She had been Facebook’s vice president of global public policy, but Instagram wanted her for an even bigger job as their first female COO. Levine’s posting was a big win for women in tech, but also Washington women, as she had also done a stint in the government. Like Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, she is a protégé of Larry Summers, working witj him at both Harvard University and the treasury department. After the 2008 election, Summers recruited Levine again, this time at the White House. Now that she’s a top woman in tech, Levine wants to see other female professionals rise and helps accomplish this through serving on the board of Sandberg’s Lean In organization. She is also passionate about alleviating poverty, global democray and creating opportunities for women in war-torn countries.
Drew Maloney Vice President of Government and External Affairs, Hess Corporation Maloney is the lobbyist in charge of government relations for a major
global energy company, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg for a guy who had been considered a shooin for a top White House job had Republican Mitt Romney prevailed in 2012. Maloney left a high-powered job running Ogilvy Government Relations to join the Republican National Committee and the Romney Readiness Project, the former Massachusetts governor’s would-be transition team. He had also helped with Romney’s first presidential foray in 2008. With Romney nixing the idea of a third presidential run, Maloney’s strategic moves will be interesting to watch in 2016
J.W. “Bill” Marriott & Arne Sorenson Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Marriott International; President and CEO, Marriott International Marriott made headlines earlier this year when the longtime Marylandbased company announced plans to move its world headquarters — perhaps to another state. Sorensen told the Washington Post that Maryland “has not been great for business” but nonetheless considers the Washington area to be the nation’s hospitality capital, so it might not be moving far. How could they, after opening the shiny, new $520 million Marriott Marquis Washington, the city’s largest hotel, last May? In April, they told us they absolutely plan to stay in the D.C. area. Wherever they end up, Bill Marriott — whose father J. Willard Marriott founded the hotel chain — certainly trusts Sorensen’s judgment. He passed along the CEO title him to him in 2012 after Sorensen had been at the company for almost 20 years. Under Sorenson’s leadership, the company has grown to 4100 hotels in 80 countries, with 19 brands and has acquired two hotel companies in the past year: Delta in Canada and Protea in Africa. Marrriott is considered a top employer, featured again in this year’s Fortune’s Best Places to Work issue and Forbes’ Most Innovative Companies.
Chris & Kathleen matthews Host, MSNBC’s “Hardball”; Executive Vice President & Chief Global Communications & Public Affairs Officer, Marriott International This long-standing power couple continues to make headlines. Chris Matthews has quizzed thousands of politicians during his nearly 20-year run as host of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” but very soon there’s a possibility
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his wife could be part of that world. That’s because Kathleen Matthews, an executive for Marriott International and a former longtime WJLA news anchor, is planning to run for the Maryland 8th Congressional District seat currently occupied by Rep. Chris Van Hollen. While criticizing some Democrats as well as Republicans, her husband seemingly takes great joy in exposing the shenanigans of GOP neo-conservatives and evangelical Bible thumpers, while appearing intrigued by Rand Paul’s prudence on foreign policy. Thanks to a longterm, highly remunerative contract he signed with MSNBC in 2013, viewers can expect more of his insightful commentary for years to come. Kathleen, who has now clocked eight years at Marriott, has brought higher visibility to the company’s brands and innovation, advocated for LGBT equality and women’s empowerment initiatives, launched Marriott’s sustainability strategy to address climate change, promoted smart travel policies through President Obama’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, worked with the Clinton Foundation to develop a Marriott Hotel in Haiti and been a close advisor to both Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson.
Cheryl Mills Founder and CEO, BlackIvy Group LLC Having worked for the Clintons in some capacity for over 20 years, serving as a defense lawyer for Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial and as chief of staff to Hillary Clinton at the state department, among other roles, Mills was thought to be a shoein as a member of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign team. But in March, the New York Times reported that she would not be playing a formal role. Some speculate that after years of intense politics, she now plans to keep her focus on being CEO of BlackIvy Group, a hedge fund she co-founded with a mission to grow businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Though she may not officially have a title within the campaign, she will undoubtedly be sought out for her legal advice together with David Kendall of Williams and Connelly.
Lawrence Mishel President, Economic Policy Institute Economist Lawrence Mishel, who knows all about income inequality in the U.S., has been with the liberal think tank, the Economic Policy Institute, for more than two decades, first joining in 1987 as research director and has served as president since 2002. Nationally recognized
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for his work on wage and job quality trends, Mishel co-authored 11 editions of “The State of Working America,” a text that Robert Reich called “the most-trusted source for a comprehensive understanding of how working Americans and their families are faring in today’s economy.” In June of 2014, EPI launched the Raising America’s Pay initiative, a multi-year research and public education plan to make wage growth an urgent national policy priority. Mishel has been outspoken about his and EPI’s views on economic inequality and has the data to back it.
Susan Molinari Vice President of Public Policy, Google Molinari, a former Republican congresswoman from New York, was tapped in 2012 just as the tech giant was seeking new strategic relationships on both sides of the political aisle, and her access has been invaluable. With Molinari’s aid, Silicon Valley has exerted its power by beating the telephone and cable companies in the net neutrality debate, not to mention the recent defeat of the Comcast/Time Warner merger. It helps that Google spent a record-breaking $18.2 million on lobbying in 2012.
Robert Moser, Jr. CEO and President, Clark Construction Group LLC With the passing of longtime chairman and reclusive billionaire A. James Clark in March, Robert Moser has taken the reigns as the official face of the Bethesda-based construction company. The firm, valued at $4.4 billion, has long been the “semi-official” construction company in Washington. In the last two years Moser has overseen some of the city’s flashiest revitalization projects, from the opening of CityCenterDC’s luxury retail and condo enclave to the current construction on the Mall of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Clark Construction started 2015 off strong with the February launch of new business division CSM Power Systems LLC to diversify its portfolio with transportation projects across the country, including locally with the WMATA Orange and Blue Line rehabilitation projects, and broke ground in April on a new mixed-use project near the Nationals Stadium containing a 13-story, 325-unit apartment building and 12-story, 126,000-square-foot extended-stay hotel with 25,000-squarefeet of retail space on the ground level. And with the winning of big contracts such as The Wharf, a mega mixed-use project on the waterfront, and phase
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Marne Levine You are in a position of power. Are there unique responsibilities that come with that? What are yours? As I’ve taken on more responsibility in my career, I have felt a greater responsibility to empower others – using my position to help the people around me take risks, find growth opportunities, and ultimately advance their own careers. This means everything from putting people in new situations that will help them grow to noticing when someone isn’t speaking up in a meeting and asking for their opinion. p h o t o b y t o ny p o w e l l
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power100 two of Metro’s Silver Line extending rail transit to Dulles International Airport, Clark Construction will continue to exert its power to refashion the city’s landscape.
Janet Murguia
Grover Norquist
Bill Paxon
President, National Council of La Raza As the head of one of the country’s largest Latino civil rights organization, Murguia continues to pressure both Democrats and Republicans on immigration She famously referred to President Obama as the “Deporter-In-Chief ” last year. This year, at La Raza’s annual awards gala, she slammed the GOP ‘s “growing malignancy” on immigration and called out Speaker Boehner asking “where is your solution? Where is your bill?” In March she did have some good news to report in the Huffington Post with an op-ed announcing that the “unemployment rate for Latinos has finally returned to its pre-recession average and job growth for Hispanics is outpacing other groups.” Last month, Murguia and hundreds of volunteers from NCLR joined Comcast NBCUniversal on “Comcast Cares Day” to take on more than 750 projects ranging from painting classrooms to planting community gardens.
Christopher Nassetta Jon Peterson
Erich Pica
President and CEO, Hilton Worldwide When Nassetta was approached in 2007 to take over the lagging Hilton Worldwide, he already had a long history as being the man who could fix broken companies. And he’s done just that. In 2009, the Washington native moved the company’s headquarters to McLean and overhauled its culture, requiring management to spend three days a year cooking, housekeeping and manning the front desk to instill cooperation and cohesion among its brands and locations. He’s opened over 1,200 hotels since becoming CEO (making Hilton the largest hotelier in the world), took the company public with a strong initial offering and has increased its value to over $34 billion. In December 2013, Hilton surpassed Twitter’s IPO, marking the second largest IPO of the year and the largest ever for a hotel company.
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Founder and President, Americans for Tax Reform Norquist has been the leader of Americans for Tax Reform since its
founding in 1985 at the request of President Reagan.Working to limit the size of government, he’s been a hero for the libertarian movement for declaring he would not stop until he had reduced government “to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.” With the release of his book “End the IRS Before It Ends Us” last month, we can clearly see where he appears to be focusing his drowning energies. ATR is well-known for a Taxpayer Protection Pledge that asks members of Congress to vow to oppose all tax increases and 268 members pledged to do just that this year. Recently, Norquist was elected to the board of directors of the National Rifle Association despite a campaign by Glenn Beck and others suggesting that he was a clandestine member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Phebe Novakovic Chairman and CEO, General Dynamics In January of this year, Novakovic, the former intelligence officer who is chairman and CEO of General Dynamics was able to share some good news: the company’s latest quarter results proved to be the “strongest revenue performance in the past 12 quarters, the highest operating earnings ever and the highest earnings from continuing operations.” Those 12 quarters just happen to correspond to when she became head of one of the world’s top defense contractors in 2013. Novakovic has also made good on promises uttered when she came aboard, such as investigating the company’s past mergers and acquisitions missteps and rectifying them when necessary. In April, for example, GD shed one such cyber security company that it had acquired less than three years ago in order to reshape its core portfolio. Prior to joining the Falls Church-based company, Novakovic gained vital experience working for the CIA and the Department of Defense.
Tom Nides Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley From Capitol Hill to the State Department to the private sector, Tom Nides has been through the revolving door of power in Washington. For three years of the Obama Administration, he served as the number two to Hillary Clinton at the state department in the role of deputy secretary of state for management and resources. Before that, Nides was three times a chief of staff and worked for companies including Fannie Mae,
Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley, where he was chief operating officer. Morgan Stanley happily snatched him back in February 2013 to look after its global clients and government affairs. For now, Nides is expected to stay put and not join Hillary Clinton’s campaign, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be helping. Expect him to play a major fundraising role for her in 2016, as he eyes the chief of staff position in a Clinton White House.
Bill Paxon Senior Advisor, 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 with Akin Gump, whose client roster includes Cox Enterprises, Amazon and Philip Morris. These days the former fiveterm Republican congressman from New York also seems to be throwing his lobbying (and financial) weight behind candidate Marco Rubio.
Milt & Jon Peterson Chairman, Peterson Companies; Chairman, Executive Committee, Peterson Companies This dynamic father-son duo has been behind the ongoing development of the National Harbor and its recent $100 million addition of Tanger Outlets. But they aren’t done expanding just yet on the jewel property they bought almost 20 years ago. In 2016, they will be adding an MGM Resort at National Harbor, which will have a 135,000-square-foot casino and theater. Most recently, they announced their plan to bring a Local Motors 3-D printer car micro-factory and retail store there.
Erich Pica President, Friends of the Earth From mobilizing tens of thousands of people to force Lowes and Home Depot to remove bee killing pesticides and products from their shelves to shutting down the first nuclear power plant (San Onofre) last year, Pica and his organization is part of Friends of the Earth International, a global network representing more than two million activists in 75 different countries. Pica was just tapped to head the Green Group, a coalition of the major American environmental organizations. Pica is unafraid to take on President Obama or Secretary Clinton, nor is he afraid to team up with true conservative conservationists. He has led some
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of the early efforts to oppose the Keystone XL pipeline calling it “the most destructive [pipeline] on the planet,’ in USA Today, launched a campaign to make California nuclearfree by shutting down the dangerous Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant built on 3 earthquake fault lines and is expanding what it means to be an environmentalist with statements supporting #blacklivesmatter and addressing the larger economic equality issues. Pica, a nationally recognized energy subsidies expert also pushes U.S. tax and budget policy reforms to end billions of dollars in corporate subsidies doled out to oil, gas, coal and nuclear interests.
David Plouffe Senior Vice President for Policy and Strategy, Uber Whatever Plouffe did to help elect President Obama when he was his campaign manager, Uber wants. In August 2014, the mobile-appbased transportation company that’s transforming the industry also hired Plouffe to be its “campaign manager” in an effort to “win the hearts and minds” of the public by overseeing branding, communications and policy. His hire was touted across the political and business worlds as the “perfect marriage” and a “game changer for Uber.” He’ll be busy, no doubt, as the company expands to cities across the country, where regulatory roadblocks are often keeping their cars off the road. So far, he has partnered with altruistic organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving to share findings from a recent MADD survey of 807 adults in 19 cities finding that four out of five respondents were less likely to drive drunk due to ride-sharing apps like Uber. In an email to customers, Plouffe stated “since UberX launched in California, drunk-driving crashes decreased by 60 per month for drivers under 30.That’s 1,800 crashes likely prevented over the past 2.5 years.”There’s doubt that Uber will continue to benefit from Plouffe’s communications savvy.
John Podesta Chairman, Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign John Podesta is going to be very busy this year as Hillary Clinton’s right-hand man. The former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and counselor to President Barack Obama is now chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Clinton’s announcement was first made via an email from Podesta alerting donors and Clinton associates to her candidacy. Podesta also wields power in the democratic think tank
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arena and has for years, as former president, chairman and partner of the Center for American Progress. He also influences the next generation of policymakers as visiting professor of law at Georgetown University.
tony podesta Founder and Chairman, The Podesta Group Podesta was not dubbed “one of Washington’s biggest players” by the New York Times just for his powerhouse lobbying firm, The Podesta Group, which boasts a roster of clients that includes Google, Diageo, Wal-Mart and Wells Fargo. His client strategy has been described as an “inthe-trenches” mentality meaning he prefers action to talk, and gets results. A go-to guy for Democratic fundraising, Podesta has successfully raised millions thanks to his longtime relationships on Capitol Hill. It doesn’t hurt that his brother, John, is a former Obama advisor and chairman of Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Rusty Powell Director, National Gallery of Art The former Los Angeles County Museum of Arts director and current director of the National Gallery of Art added another museum to his list this year: the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Last summer, Powell oversaw the takeover of the city’s oldest private gallery with the National Gallery and George Washington University. He did so while effectively preventing the Corcoran’s educational programs from closing, and more recently, has ensured that the art stays in Washington. In February, some 6,430 works found a new home at the National Gallery.
Art Collins What is your advice to people who would like to follow in your footsteps and one day hold a position of power? As your presumed level of power increases, let your level of humility proportionately increase. Power is a double edge sword, which when exercised without careful thought and patience often harms those who carry that sword. Be thoughtful and creative in achieving your goals, while wisely utilizing your power. It is not an exhaustive resource within one’s possession. p h o t o b y t o ny p o w e l l
Michael Powell President and CEO, National Cable and Telecommunications Association The FCC may have voted in favor of net neutrality but Michael Powell and his group at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association could still stand in the way. Powell’s organization joined the CTIA in bringing lawsuits to derail the FCC’s plans. He also has his hands full with the Department of Justice’s nixing of the merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable, two of his biggest constituents. Powell has plenty of experience on his side. He was first appointed an FCC commissioner under Bill Clinton and then became chairman of the agency under George W. Bush. Of course, he’s uber connected in Washington too, as the son of former Secretary of State and
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John and Tony Podesta
Rusty Powell
Reince Priebus
Jack Quinn
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power100 Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell.
Reince Priebus
John F.W. Rogers
David Rubenstein
Chairman, Republican National Committee ` The 2014 midterm election proved to be a huge success for the top man at the Republican National Committee. The GOP took control of the Senate and expanded its majority in the House, giving Republicans control of both houses for the first time in eight years. And it wasn’t just the pick-up in seats that had the committee’s chairman and finance chairman smiling: polls after the election showed a shift in the American public’s political alliances to the right. And with a wide-open presidential election in 2016, the party has its eyes on the White House. Priebus has already come out swinging against Hillary, talking to “Face the Nation” on the day she declared her candidacy to allege that she had taken money from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Oman and Yemen – all countries that abuse the rights of women – and publishing an op-ed in USA Today declaring that “for more than a decade, she has been running from scandal.”
Jack Quinn
Deborah Rutter
Fred Ryan
Co-Founder and President, QGA Public Affairs Jack Quinn has enjoyed an exceptional career in Democratic politics — including serving as White House counsel to President Clinton — before he got into lobbying. Quinn was a young political prodigy, directing Mo Udall’s presidential campaign at just 26. He went on to work for Al Gore and then for Bill Clinton. Afterward, he met Republican Ed Gillespie, who most recently ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Virginia and the two decided to go into business together. Quinn Gillespie and Associates, now QGA Public Affairs, was ahead of its time as a “one stop shop” for lobbying. The hiring of prominent Republican strategist John Feehery in 2010 to run the communications part of the business proved that QGA continues to value bipartisan talent. QGA is ranked among the top lobbying firms (in terms of lobbying income) and in 2014 boasted a client roster that included 21st Century Fox, AARP, AT&T, Sony Corp, State Farm Insurance and U.S. Steel.
John F.W. Rogers
Mitchell Schear
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Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Board, 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 connects 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 wrote. During his Washington days, Rogers worked for the Reagan and Ford administrations before taking a job at the treasury department. He also serves as trustee of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, helps the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and serves as vice chairman of the White House Historical Association.
the “Patriotic Philanthropist” donated $10 million to help restore “Montepelier,” President James Madison’s Virginia home.
Karl Rove
Publisher,The Washington Post The Washington Post ended eight decades of ownership by the Graham family in September when its new owner, Jeff Bezos, let it be known that ex-Politico CEO Fred Ryan would be succeeding Katharine Weymouth as publisher, an occurrence that points to a new focus for the Post on digital journalism. Ryan made news last March when he laid off and hired new staff with an eye to expanding the Post’s digital presence. He launched Politico when he was president and chief operating officer of Allbritton Communications. Previously, he worked as a top aide in the Reagan administration and then ran the Reagan presidential library. Under Ryan’s and executive editor Marty Baron’s direction, the Washington Post recently won another Pulitzer Prize for exposing the chaos in the Secret Service.
Founder, Conservative Victory Project Rove was nicknamed “The Architect” by President George W. Bush for his campaign and fundraising skills and his name has become synonymous with Republican political power. An oft-quoted talking head, he is the “great whisperer” of Republican politics, giving a tremendous boost to whomever 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 group—the super PAC American Crossroads and its related nonprofit Crossroads GPS, which together raised $325 million during the 2012 election cycle. However, there may be defections of well-heeled givers in 2016, who have been rallying for greater accountability from Rove and his team.
David Rubenstein Co-Founder and Co-CEO, The Carlyle Group You’d be hard-pressed to find a mention of the co-founder of the Carlyle Group without talk of his philanthropic side in the same breath. Washingtonians (and, really, all Americans) have Rubenstein to thank for the preservation of the Magna Carta, keeping the giant panda from going extinct and repairing one of the world’s most famous landmarks, the Washington Monument. Worth $2.9 billion, Rubenstein has also made large gifts to several top learning institutions, including his alma mater Duke University, and sits on numerous boards, including serving as chairman of the. Kennedy Center, which received his donation of $50 million for a major expansion. Last November,
Deborah Rutter President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The Kennedy Center has had its share of firsts, and now Deborah Rutter brings a much overdue one to the famed arts institution as its first female president. Rutter previously served as the head of several orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber and the Seattle Symphony. She is overseeing a $100 million expansion of the Kennedy Center that will create new performance spaces and rehearsal halls amd perhaps even a floating pavilion on the Potomac River.
Fred Ryan
Mitchell Schear President,Vornado/Charles E. Smith How much real estate is Mitchell Schear in charge of? At last count, it was more than 20 million square feet, as Vornado is the largest owner and manager of commercial properties in Washington, D.C. Schear came to Vornado in 2003 and directs the performance and growth of the company’s portfolio in the region. Besides leading this successful company, he is known as a leader in charitable giving. He was honored by Higher Achievement Metro Washington with the Gannon Achievement Award for his commitment to helping at-risk youth and getting the entire real estate
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Tom Donohue You are in a position of power. Are there unique responsibilities that come with that? When it’s used to improve peoples’ lives or advance a good cause, influence can be a very positive force. Ultimately, it’s the responsibility of any leader to not only be effective but also ethical, wise, and driven by a positive purpose.
How would you define power? Power is the ability to achieve objectives you deem important--and get things done. Power is often in the eyes of the beholder.
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community to pitch in, pledging to raise $1 million for the nonprofit organization
Bob Schieffer Host, CBS’s “Face the Nation” In April, CBS News made an announcement that marks the end of an era: legendary journalist Bob Schieffer will retire this summer after 50 years with company. One of the most notable stories in his early career was when he answered the phone in a Dallas newsroom that was empty due to the assassination of President Kennedy, and on the phone was the mother of Lee Harvey Oswald asking for a ride to Dallas while admitting that she believed her son was responsible. The rest is history. Since then, the “Face the Nation” host has covered every news beat and interviewed every president. His name will live on not only with the CBS family and his fans, but also in the school of journalism named after him at his alma mater Texas Christian University. We’re hoping
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Scott Reed
that he isn’t quite ready to retire from performing with his band Honky Tonk Confidential. Despite Schieffer’s departure, the CBS Washington team remains notably strong, especially since respected journalist John Dickerson will replace Schieffer on the Sunday show. Chris Isham, the network’s softspoken, low-key D.C. bureau chief has helped CBS maintain its “Tiffany” network image.
Marc Short & Steve Lombardo President, Freedom Partners; Chief Communications and marketing officer, Koch Companies Public Sector LLP The Koch brothers’ political network spent more than $400 million in the 2012 election and plans to spend $889 million on politics, issue advocacy, lobbying and other “educational efforts” in 20152016. Its main political vehicles are the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity. Mark Short is president
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Bob Schieffer
Knox Singleton
David Skorton
Arne Sorenson
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The Power of Transparency in a City of Secrets The discussion of power is often centered on what it is, who has it and how to get it. But what about the people monitoring the usage of power, and ensuring it isn’t abused? Here, we salute some of the recent accomplishments of a few of Washington’s stalwart watchdogs and whistleblowers. Project on Government Oversight (POGO) The Project On Government Oversight, or POGO, is a nonpartisan government watchdog founded in 1981. The nonprofit organization advocates for reforms for more open, effective and ethical federal government. Over its history it has worked closely with whistleblowers to expose government corruption. The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition In April alone FACT partners such as the Center for Effective Government and the Institute for Policy Studies co-published Burning Our Bridges, a report which found that 26 corporations had $1.3 trillion of untaxed profits stashed offshore, representing 62 percent of total untaxed profits held offshore by U.S. corporations. On average, a small business owner in the US would need to pay an additional $3,244 to make up for offshore tax dodging by large multinational corporations. Eliminating these loopholes in our tax system is one of the policy changes for which FACT most aggressively fights. Taxpayers for Common Sense Founded in 1995, Taxpayers for Common Sense is a nonpartisan budget watchdog seeking to serve as an independent voice for the American taxpayer. For example, in September 2014, the Pentagon/Air Force told Congress that it wanted to buy new F-35s out of the war fighting Overseas Contingency Account. TCS wrote about this request in their September 12th “Weekly Wastebasket,” explaining that the F-35 is not operational or being employed overseas. The House Appropriations Committee rejected the request on September 18th. A few months later, TCS uncovered that the oil and gas industry was not paying for oil and gas used in their onsite operations leading to millions in lost royalties. The corrupt practice stems from a more than half-century-old statute that the industry wrote themselves. Lawmakers have since expressed interest in eliminating this giveaway. These are only two examples of how TCS is working to ensure that the government spends taxpayer dollars responsibly.
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of the trade association Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce and has been called a “Koch Brothers operative.” He previously served as chief of staff for the House Republican Conference and was director of the Reagan Ranch. Freedom Partners distributed nearly $300 million to other groups in the Koch network from November 2011 to December 2013, according to its most recent federal tax returns. Lombardo has his work cut out for him as chief communications and marketing officer at Koch Industries, but the former tobacco operative can handle the challenge. He worked on George H.W. Bush’s 1992 presidential campaign and was an advisor to Mitt Romney in 2012. Under Lombardo’s lead, Koch’s first national television ad campaign aired last summer, promoting a positive image of the company to improve public perception. The Koch brothers’ net worth is estimated at more than $40 billion each, and all Republican candidates will audition for them in hopes of receiving their support -a process informally known as “the first primary” - before Iowa.
Knox Singleton CEO, Inova In his 30 years at the helm, Singleton has led Inova to become the area’s largest hospital system, and it’s getting even bigger. Inova recently announced plans to build a 117-acre national cancer and personalized health center, the Inova Translational Medicine Institute, in Falls Church. The new facility will provide even more care services in keeping with the nonprofit’s mission to give world-class care to anyone, regardless of his or her ability to pay. Singleton is known for his involvement in the community and has been recognized for it-he is one of 16 members appointed to George Mason University’s Board of Visitors by the governor of Virginia, and has received numerous other awards and honorary degrees.
David J. Skorton Secretary,The Smithsonian Institution Cornell University’s class of 2015 won’t be the only people leaving the upstate New York campus this June. The school’s president, David J. Skorton, will also be relocating to Washington to serve as the new secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the largest museum and research complex in the world. The first physician to lead the organization, he is widely recognized for academic distinction as well as
public service. Cornell honored Skorton with the selective Tanner Prize this year for his contributions to the Jewish community on campus. He is past chairman of the BusinessHigher Education Forum, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former member of the board of directors of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Joseph Stiglitz Economist This Nobel Prize-winning economist who has been sounding the alarm about growing income inequality recently published a new book, “The Great Divide,” and makes the argument that it doesn’t cost jobs when the minimum wage is raised, as people need money to purchase goods and services. Stiglitz advised Hillary Clinton on this and has reached out to other candidates as well. Insiders say the fact that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have been speaking about income inequality of late is a testament to Stiglitz, whom they call a “more readable, not to mention American, Thomas Piketty.”
Jon Talisman Founding Partner, Capitol Tax Partners, LLP Jon Talisman is a true Washington tax expert. Having served as the assistant secretary for tax policy at the treasury during the Clinton administration, chief minority tax counsel of the Senate Finance Committee and as legislative counsel to the Joint Committee on Taxation, Talisman is steeped in tax knowledge. He’s been named one of the “Best Lawyers in America.” Also, Talisman’s Capitol Tax Partners has worked to help some of the country’s biggest companies navigate tax legislation and regulatory matters, with recent clients including Apple, General Electric and FedEx.
Neera Tanden President, Center for American Progress She hasn’t been officially named as a member of Hillary Clinton’s team, but many knowledgeable sources are speculating that Tanden will be on that roster soon. The current president of the Center for American Progress has been a longtime Clinton advisor and there’s little chance of that changing now. For now, she’s focused on running the progressive think tank armed with the expertise in health care and domestic policy she’s gained serving in both the Obama and Clinton administrations.
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chuck todd Moderator, NBC’s “Meet the Press” He’s the 12th moderator of “Meet the Press,” replacing David Gregory – the heir to beloved host Tim Russert – who was unceremoniously ousted in 2014 after years of tanking ratings. Todd’s ratings haven’t been stellar either, but his understanding of the players and the political process are highly respected, and some say unparalleled. He remains NBC’s political director, and because of his knowledge, garners respect when questioning politicos on both sides of the aisle. In April, amid controversy that the Clinton Foundation had taken donations from foreign governments during Hillary’s tenure as Secretary of State, Todd called the situation “politically…just dumb and inept.”
Richard Trumka President, AFL-CIO The longtime leader of the 12.5 million-strong union isn’t afraid to take a stand against President
Obama. “Both parties side with the wealthy over working people,” Trumka said recently. “Both parties are too close to big corporations. Neither party cares deeply enough about creating jobs. Neither party cares enough about raising wages or protecting Social Security or Medicare.” With one of the biggest trade deals in history being worked on by top lawmakers in the House and Senate, Trumka is making sure the president hears how this will effect his constituents. In April, he explained how these sorts of “fasttracked trade deals [have] devastated our communities through lost jobs and eroded public services.” Environmentalists and some Democrats are echoing his desire to “fight and…ultimately prevail.”
Helgi Walker Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Last year Walker scored a major coup for Verizon by winning the “net neutrality” appeal, allowing it to raise rates for companies that use more bandwidth. This year she celebrated a Sixth Circuit win for Ford Motor Co. that ruled it did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. She is a partner in Washington’s Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher firm where she is a member of its appellate and constitutional law group. Prior to joining the firm in 2013, she was an associate counsel to President George W. Bush and was a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Chris Wallace & Bret Baier Host, “Fox News Sunday” ; Host, “Special Report with Bret Baier” Wallace, a three-time Emmy Award winner, is the host of “Fox News Sunday” and the only person ever to have served as host/moderator of more than one Sunday political talk show. He was previously moderator of “Meet the Press” and celebrated 50 years in the broadcasting industry in 2014, having started his career as an assistant to Walter Cronkite at the 1964 Republican Convention. With over three million viewers, Fox News is the number one cable network and “Fox News Sunday” is Washington’s number one Sunday program in cable news’s 25-54 demographic. Senior political anchor Bret Baier hosts “Special Report with Bret Baier,” another of the network’s successful shows, and remains a strong yet measured voice who will lead the network’s 2016 election coverage.
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Randi Weingarten President, American Federation of Teachers As head of an organization with 1.6 million members, Weingarten is committed to improving schools and making things better for students, educators, nurses, health care workers and public employees in solidarity with workers across America. A former United Federation of Teachers president, arbitration attorney and Brooklyn, N.Y. school teacher, she recently joined the conversation about sexual assault on college campuses by writing a first-person account of her own experiences for the culture website Jezebel. The outspoken union leader also recently spoke out about Pearson’s standardized testing methods, calling for more transparency and the full release of test questions.
Jake Tapper
Candida Wolff Executive Vice President & Head of Global Government Affairs, Citigroup Wolff served as President George W. Bush’s top lobbyist on Capitol Hill during her three years in his administration, so it’s no surprise that she landed the top lobbying job at Citigroup after leaving the White House. In her current position, American Banker applauded Wolff for her “deep Rolodex of government contacts” and praised her ability to “put out political fires that flare up and threaten to harm Citigroup’s interests.” Wolff has prodded members of Congress on such issues as cyber security, mobile payments regulation and corporate tax reform, while dutifully representing the banking and financial services corporation in the post too-big-to-fail era.
Chuck Todd
Richard Trumpka
Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl Roman Catholic Archibishop of Washington It’s going to be a year Cardinal Wuerl will never forget. In September, he was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2010 and in September will be welcoming Pope Francis to Washington for a meeting with the president and the first lady and an historic address before a joint session of Congress. Having a popular pope who may be able to get lapsed Catholics to return to the fold is a great opportunity that Wuerl is not likely to miss. On Easter Sunday this year, the cardinal said that one of the reason’s the pope is so appealing is the “way he lives, treats people, responds to people, to many people…he sounds…a lot like what Jesus would have sounded like.”
Helgi Walker
Cardinal Donald Wuerl
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LIFESTYLES Fashion﹐ Art﹐ Dining﹐ Travel | trend reports and Dine and Dish with D﹒C﹒ United
POWER OF THE PURSE A CLASSIC PURSE NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE AND ADDS A PUNCH TO ANY OUTFIT
EDITORIAL DIRECTION BY LAURA WAINMAN PHOTOGRAPHY ANTHONY POFF FOR LOFT > WWW ANTHONYPOFF COM DIGITAL TECH ASSISTANT LUIS ARAGON FOR LOFT WARDROBE LEE WILL FOR T H E ARTIST AGENCY> WWW LEEWILLMAKEUP COMŎsŎMAKEUP AND HAIR CAROLYN BERRY POFF FOR LOFT > WWW CBERRYBEAUTY COMŎsŎMANICURE SHAE JACKSON FOR HAVEN BEAUTY LOUNGE> ASSISTED BY MAKEDA JANIFER> WWW HAVENBEAUTYLOUNGE COMŎsŎMODEL 5"*"/"Ŏ)"-&Ŏ'03Ŏ5Ŏ)Ŏ&Ŏ"35*45Ŏ"(&/$:ŎsŎPHOTOGRAPHED AT LOFT
(previous page) STELLA MCCARTNEY blazer ($1,720), STELLA MCCARTNEY pants ($685) and ALEXANDER MCQUEEN bag ($1,345), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; heels model’s own. CELINE coat ($4,900) and GIVENCHY clutch ($995), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; heels model’s own.
LANVIN dress ($3,685) and GIVENCHY bag ($2,435), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; ALEXIS BITTAR lucite hoop earrings ($150) and ALEXIS BITTAR assorted lucite bangles ($85 each), CityCenter D.C., 984 Palmer Alley NW, 202-842-2804, www.alexisbittar.com; wedges model’s own.
ALICE & OLIVIA “Rory” embroidered long jacket ($1,098), VINCE drape hem tank ($98), PIERCE “Josefina” destroyed PIAZZA SEMPIONE top ($695), YIGAL bleach jeans ($225) and NANCY GONAZROUEL pants ($790) and JIMMY ZALEZ bag razor clutch ($2,000), Saks CHOO ($1,295), Saks Fifth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; 20815, 301 657-9000; TIFFANY AND BALENCIAGA open toe leather CO. “T-Bar” cuff ($3,500), 5481pumps Wis($745), Hu’s M St., NW, 202consin Ave.,Shoes, Chevy3005 Chase, MD 20815, 342-0202; bracelet on left arm, model’s 301-657-8777; flatform sandals, model’s own. own.
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN dress ($3,145) and GIVENCHY clutch ($995), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; TIFFANY AND CO. 14.5ct tanzanite ring ($32,000), 5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-8777; heels model’s own.
AKRIS dress ($3,990) and VALENTINO bag ($2,695), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; ALEXIS BITTAR pillow clip-on earrings ($100), ALEXIS BITTAR moonlight resisting panther bracelet ($295) and ALEXIS BITTAR molten detailed color-coated bangle with 18k gold detailing ($125), CityCenter D.C., 984 Palmer Alley NW, 202842-2804, www.alexisbittar.com; heels model’s own.
ALEXANDER WANG Tie-dyed mesh top ($795); saksfifthavenue.com
IRO Tie-dye skirt ($350); barneys.com
PROENZA SCHOULER Tie-dye slub cotton-jersey top ($280); saksfifthavenue.com
MICHAEL KORS Printed suede wide-leg pants ($3,595); saksfifthavenue.com
DIOR 'Tiedye' Optyl 58mm sunglasses ($295); dior.com
TORY BURCH Caroline tie dye ballet flats ($225); saksfifthavenue.com
REBECCA MINKOFF Mini MAC tiedye crossbody bag ($225); neimanmarcus.com
83 (=) *36 BY ALISON MCLAUGHLIN
EMILIO PUCCI Asymmetric embellished tiedyed silk-chiffon gown ($7,800); saksfifthavenue.com
J茅r么me DREYFUSS Florent tie-dyed leather backpack ($845); net-aporter.com
EQUIPMENT Reagan silk tie-dye silk blouse ($208); saksfifthavenue.com
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Riviera tiedye-effect patent-leather clutch ($1150); saksfifthavenue.com
CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA Debbie multicolor pump ($895); us.charlotteolympia.com WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
An upscale twist on the homemade summertime classic.
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LIFESTYLES | TREND REPORT VICTORIA BECKHAM Denim Ginghamprint silk-faille shirt ($525); net-a-porter.com
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG Fausta gingham stretch-crepe shorts ($250); saksfifthavenue.com
DOLCE & GABBANA Gingham brocade T-bar pumps ($975); saksfifthavenue.com
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BOTTEGA VENETA Gingham knitted cardigan ($1,350); saksfifthavenue.com
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG Riviera plaid silkjersey and chiffon wrap dress ($480); saksfifthavenue.com
Spring 2015 is all about little checks, but with these sleek and tailored pieces, there’s not a hint of Dorothy in sight. BY ALISON MCLAUGHLIN
MICHAEL KORS Gingham cotton midi skirt ($1,295); neimanmarcus.com
MICHAEL KORS Samantha gingham stretchcotton skinny pants ($595); saksfifthavenue.com
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG Vera gingham twill and leather sandals ($375); saksfifthavenue.com
MSGM Lace-paneled gingham cottonblend twill mini dress ($905); net-a-porter.com DOLCE & GABBANA Box gingham textured-leather shoulder bag ($3,495); neimanmarcus.com
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LIFESTYLES | DINE AND DISH
POST GAME
DISHING WITH D C UNITED Chris Pontius and Steve Birnbaum share the 4-1-1 on the current keepers of RFK Stadium
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hat is it about a big juicy steak that puts a guy in the right mood to talk? I haven’t solved that yet, but thankfully BLT Steak provided just the right atmosphere, and that perfect filet, to put D.C. United defender Steve Birnbaum and midfielder Chris Pontius in a loquacious mood. With all the friendly competition and playful ribs exchanged, I would have thought the teammates were brothers, but it turns out they are just roommates. Over the course of L to R: Chris Pontius, Laura Wainman and Steve Birnbaum kicking it at BLT Steak. (Photo by Tony Powell) lunch, Pontius and Birnbaum spoke openly about their lives on and off the field, YOU ARE BOTH FROM CALIFORNIA. WHAT WERE YOUR and revealed some little-known D.C. United FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF WASHINGTON, D.C.? factoids, such as the team’s reigning Ping CP: To be honest, I was a bit culture shocked. Pong champion, the mandatory attire of a I came from Santa Barbara and the pace of life post-win night out on the town and how was just a bit slower. I’ve been here for seven they adjusted from playing with to playing years, and I think I really started to embrace the city by my third year. I was more adventurous for coach Olson. >> in going out and making new friends, especially outside of soccer.When I had that escape to not HAVE EITHER OF YOU EATEN HERE BEFORE? Steve Birnbaum: Once, with my mom. I’ve be talking about soccer all day, I started enjoying heard it’s [Coach] Ben’s favorite though. the city more. Chris Pontius: He’s so picky about food. I asked SB: The weather was the biggest shock for me. him if he’d been to Barcelona on 14th, which It snowed until April, I think, the first winter I I love and think is the most amazing place. He was here. It probably took about six months to goes “yeah, it’s ok I guess.” settle in. But I was lucky, coming in with some great guys - we had basically a whole new team THAT’S A GREAT DATE SPOT. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR that year, so we were all in it together. Chris and FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT AROUND TOWN? I bonded being from Orange County and we CP: Barcelona is my place.I am more of a tapas hit it off right away. Living in Northern Virginia guy. Boqueria is another good one. I don’t know as much of the city as I’d like to. SB: Rays the Steaks is good. My goal this year is to get out more in the city and try new restaurants. We order a Tuna Tartare starter for the table. Pontius and Birnbaum both order the 12 oz. filet HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR FREE TIME? SB: We recently got into golf. with classic and horseradish sauces respectively, CP: When he says we “got into it,” we are not and I order a grilled Wagyu skirt steak salad.
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good. Let’s just clarify that. SB: True. We go out and we have a little foursome through our team with Taylor Kemp and Davy Arnaud. Those guys have been playing for a while. Pretty much whenever we have a day off, we’ll hit the links. CP: Chris: It’s a love-hate relationship. I like to bike around the city a lot. Last year when I was injured, I used it as my fitness. I would bike all the way out to Mount Vernon and back. It’s a great way to see the city. WHAT IS A TYPICAL WEEK LIKE WHEN YOU ARE IN SEASON? CP: It kind of depends on where we are in the season, or if we are winning since we get more days off when we are winning. But say we have a home game on Saturday, we’ll generally come in Monday around 8:15 a.m. for the injured players and 9:15 for training players. We’ll watch video or have a meeting at 9:45 and then head to the training field. We’ll be back at the stadium around noon for a lifting session or yoga.We typically hang out together afterwards, rather than racing back to our apartments. We might play some ping-pong or what not. We’ll be back for training Thursday/Friday and game on Saturday. WHO IS THE TEAM PING-PONG CHAMP? CP: I’m the best. SB: He is not. CP: I’m the Duke in this scenario. SB: I think there’s a pretty general consensus
that Chris Rolfe is the best player. CP: Oh, he is the best ping-pong player. He’s the Kentucky. SB: We have tournaments once or twice throughout the year, but we have a league that runs basically the full year.
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IT SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY FUN ATMOSPHERE. IS THAT THE NORMAL VIBE AMONGST THE TEAM? CP: You want to keep it as lively as possible in the locker room. As the season wears on, especially with our season being so long, it can feel like coming in is a chore. I know we are very blessed and lucky to be doing what we do, but it does get strenuous at times. So these are things on the side that keep you a little more motivated to come in and get to work. SB: It keeps the guys close and interested and competitive. We’re always competitive. HOW DO YOU FIND THE DATING AND SOCIAL SCENE HERE? SB: I am recently single, and I’ve found people are more welcoming here than I thought in the beginning. They might be more willing to talk to you than in California actually. CP: I’ve only had one girlfriend that I’ve dated from D.C. I guess there are a lot of opportunities now for dating, but we don’t have the benefit of work happy hours, since we are in a locker room with 28 guys most of the time. Most 9 to 5 jobs give you the chance to meet friends of friends and date. DO YOU REMEMBER A MOMENT WHERE YOU KNEW SOCCER COULD BE A CAREER OPTION? SB: Probably freshman year of high school. I started getting called into youth national soccer camps, and meeting guys that were professionals and I thought “wow this could be a thing” and I really committed to it. CP: That’s a lot earlier than me. I was in junior year of college probably. We won national champs my sophomore year, but I wasn’t a star on that team or anything. I started peaking some interest my junior year, from MLS teams mainly. I wasn’t thinking about it as a way to go pro, I just couldn’t have imagined my college experience without soccer or the team. THE CURRENT SEASON STARTED ON A RECORD HIGHNOTE, WITH WINS IN THREE OF THE FIRST FOUR GAMES. BUT THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL LATE-IN-THE-GAME SCORES TO CLINCH DRAMATIC WINS. WHAT IS THE FEELING IN THE LOCKER ROOM RIGHT NOW? CP: It hasn’t been pretty the first four weeks. We’ve had one game where I thought we played well. But when you can grind out victories
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Steve Birnbaum (Photo by Tony Quinn)
when you aren’t playing well, that shows the true character of a team. But I wouldn’t say we are happy with just winning ugly.We are always talking improvement. SB: It’s always great to get the win. No matter what, a win’s a win. But it’s tense at the end of a game if its 0-0 and we come out with a late goal. We are elated in the moment though. CP: Might not be so elated reviewing film. SB: Exactly, we realize we have a lot to do to prepare for the next one. WHO DO YOU ADMIRE MOST WITHIN THE D.C. UNITED FRANCHISE? SB: It has to be Ben [Olson] in my opinion. He has such a history with D.C. United, having had a great career here and now as the coach.We go on the field wanting to win for him. He is so passionate about winning because he wants to bring winning to this city, and to the fans he has been around for so long. He has a connection to our fans that I don’t think most coaches have, having played for them not long ago. CP: I was fortunate enough to play with Benny for a year and I saw that passion first hand. It can be tough going from playing with guys to coaching them. But for me, it wasn’t an issue crossing because he demanded that respect as
Chris Pontius (Photo by Tony Quinn)
a player as well. On top of that, he understands what we go through as players and approaches us from that angle. Through my injuries, he would always ask me what I was doing to keep myself happy off the field. He cared for my well being as a person, not just a player. LIGHTNING ROUND BEST NIGHT OUT IN D.C.? CP: We did a thing on Sundays last year, after wins, and we wore cat shirts out. It was a conversation starter. SB: We are looking for ideas for this year. CP: Overalls were thrown out there. LAST BOOK YOU READ? SB: “Scar Tissue” CP: “Kill Shot” by Vince Flynn LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? SB: Concert for Valor. We went together. CP: Steve and I thought we were Eminem .We cleared people out with our rapping. WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE? CP: Mark Wahlberg SB: George Clooney GO-TO “PUMP-UP” SONG? CP: It changes, but right now “Dreaming” by Small Pools SB: Old school rap: Biggie,Tupac, Eminem.
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WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y around townďš? National Museum of women in the arts spring galaďš? Divine Comedy reception and more!
Janice Dean, Shannon Bream and Norah O’Donnell at the MS Women on the Move Luncheon (Photo by Ben Droz)
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AROUND TOWN
High Kicks French flair at the Washington Home and Community Hospices Gala BY DONNA SHOR
OH-LA-LA! For one superbly Gallic evening at the “Magic of Montmartre” benefit for Washington Home and Community Hospices (WHCH), the French embassy was transformed into that colorful neighborhood on the highest hill in Paris. Guests strolled in under a painted Art Deco Montmartre subway motif as très coquette songbird Robin Phillips cooed songs by French icons Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour into their enchanted ears. Just ahead, an all-white vision awaited them: a bewigged and beautiful Marie Antoinette, with, over her billowing gown, a flared metal hoop holding slender flûtes of bubbly pink Kir Royale. Inside, entertainers out of a classic French street scene did their thing — jugglers, mimes, accordionists, a classic violinist, even an artist drawing fine caricatures that actually resembled the sitters. High-spirited dancers did the cancan, the high-kicking display that once scandalized onlookers at the Moulin Rouge, and fascinated Toulouse-Lautrec, who immortalized them on canvas. Against a backdrop of the SacréCoeur Basilica crowning Montmartre, revelers shopped an elegant French market purveying jewelry, cashmeres and other unique wares. Guests were welcomed by Tim Cox, CEO of Washington Home and Community Hospices and lawyer Sharon Collins Casey, chairman of the WHCH board. Proceeds sustained the facility’s mission to treat chronically ill patients and provide end-of-life services. In its 126year history, the organization has kept its doors open to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, who has been aff licted by a
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WHO LET THE BOYS IN? Washington’s
Can-can dancers at the French-themed Washington Home and Community Hospices Gala (Photos by Neshan Naltchayan)
feared illness, including cancer, HIV and Alzheimer’s. Waiters bearing hors d’ouevres threaded their way through the 350 guests; the buffet tables offered varied entrees, from scallops to braised beef, and the desserts included a stand-out Crèpes Grand Marnier. Honorary Chairman Claudia Fritsche, the ambassador of Liechtenstein, was joined by host committee members and guests including Shahin Mafi, Genevieve Boyoux, Aniko Gaal Schott, Judith Terra, Ray and Shaista Mahmood and Annie Totah. Also seen: Nina and Philip Pillsbury, Jane Pennewell, Camilla McCaslin, Richard and Michele Leiby, Lynn Van Fleit, Drucilla Bowden, Bobbie Brewster, Kent Davis, Brenda de Suze, Christine Warnke, Richard de Sonier, Jan DuPlain and Portia Davidson. About that pink bubbly: Kir, a popular French cocktail, was named for a beloved priest and World War II French Resistance hero, Canon Kir, whose favored quaff was a dry white wine with crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) added. For especially festive occasions, replace the still wine with champagne, and voila!— Kir Royale!
unique National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) displays only womencreated art works. Founders Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and her late husband Wallace discovered, on touring Europe’s museums, a wealth of fine paintings by women artists never exhibited in the United States, nor even suspected here of the talent they possessed. (The official stats: women make up 51 percent of the world’s artists, but only 5 percent of the work U.S. museums display.) That women-only rule was just breached for the NMWA’s groundbreaking, nationally acclaimed exhibit “Picturing Mary, Woman, Mother, Idea.” The works ranged from the Renaissance to Baroque era, and were gathered from European museums, churches and private collectors For completeness, famed Mary-themed art by men could not be excluded which explained the appearance of works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Botticelli and other masters. This once in a lifetime assemblage was spearheaded by NMWA Director Susan Fisher Sterling. Its success was celebrated at the museum’s recent Spring Gala, where one always sees the most elegant gowns and jewels in town. (View photos on the opposite page.)
Didi Cutler, Tim Cox and Alexandra de Borchgrave at the Washington Home gala
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Marlene Malek, Marcia Carlucci and Marsha Shiff Wilhelmina Holladay
Danny Korengold with Genny and Fred Ryan and Nancy and Marc Duber
Liechtenstein Amb. Claudia Fritsche
Laura Denise Bisogniero and Italian Amb. Claudio Bisogniero
WOMEN’S MUSEUM SPRING GALA National Museum of Women in the Arts | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Norwegian Amb. Kåre R. Aas with Carol and Climis Lascaris Leo Sahakian and Annie Totah
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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| CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Building to a Better future Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington partners with Pepco to create the STEM Club B Y D AV I D V E L A Z Q U E Z
pproximately one out of every fundraiser of the year - the Tim Russert four school-age children in the Congressional Dinner. The event is Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is named in honor of a true advocate of without adult supervision after school the Clubs, Tim Russert, whose efforts between 3:00pm and 7:00pm; 20 percent helped to raise awareness and support of all crimes committed by juveniles for the youth of our nation, particulary occur during that time; more than 1,500 her in the nation’s capital. children in the Washington area are As the dinner chairman, I’m helping homeless, and many more are without to raise critical funding that enables access to a proper meal. The Boys & BGCGW to offer effective after school Girls Clubs of Greater Washington is programming and a safe haven to over addressing these critical issues every day. 1,200 children and youth each day In an effort to help fix one of during the school year at 12 sites across the greatest disparities in education, the District, Northern Virginia, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Maryland. Washington decided several years ago to The Congressional Dinner, which Pepco STEM Club at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, began in 1986, pays tribute to local and Engineering, the Arts, and Math).The BGCGW the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation national leaders who have made extraordinary STEAM curriculum was created to de-bunk the Campus (THEARC) as they transformed it contributions to BGCGW. But most perception that STEM is “too hard” by making into a laboratory that evening. The enthusiasm importantly, it ensures the kids who need the learning both fun and relevant. and comments from the kids were inspirational. Boys & Girls Clubs have a better chance for a Pepco is proud to have joined forces with Many said they were surprised that they had so better future. Discovery Education to create the Pepco STEM much fun learning on a Friday night. David Velazquez is executive vice president of Club provided only in Boys & Girls Clubs.The The partnership between Pepco and the Boys power delivery for Pepco Holdings, Inc. students access the digital curriculum on energy & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington has been and urban infrastructure via pepcostemclub.com. going on for nearly 30 years. We have donated The learning activities and digital resources well over half a million dollars in the past 10 within the online curriculum allow students years alone to assist Boys & Girls Clubs with to investigate how energy works and discover their nationally recognized programs that help how small bursts of creativity can unlock huge at-risk youth overcome their daily challenges, potential for the future. They also get to explore and grow to be the next generation of leaders engineering principles and design challenges in our Washington metro communities. that surround us in everyday life which helps Our alliance with the Boys & Girls Clubs prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. has always been more than just dollars donated, Just this past January, the Pepco STEM Club it’s also about the time and commitment held its inaugural program for over 100 middle provided by our employees. It’s about activities school students from the 12 Boys & Girls Clubs like volunteering to help with homework and of Greater Washington. Held at the FBR painting the walls of a clubhouse so the kids Branch in Southeast Washington, the student have a clean environment to study and play after teams competed in creating “Rube Goldberg” school. It’s about being in the community and devices that transfer energy from one object to having a positive impact. another. I myself had a chance to interact with On May 13, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dave Velazquez the students as a judge. They filled the gym of Greater Washington will hold their biggest
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B OT H P H OTOS CO U RT E SY P E P CO
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Janice Dean and Norah O’Donnell
Carrie Marriott and Stephanie Polis
Sarah Rogers and Shannon Bream WL EXCLUSIVE
MS WOMEN ON THE MOVE LUNCHEON Marriott Wardman Park Hotel | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ LADIES WHO LUNCH: Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean, Chief Legal Correspondent for Fox News Shannon Bream and Co-Host of “CBS This Morning” Norah O’Donnell joined other special guests at the MS Women on the Move Luncheon, which raised nearly $300,000 to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s National Capital Chapter. The event is a leadership initiative designed to bring women and men together in the battle against multiple sclerosis. The society’s National Capital Chapter works to improve the quality of life for people affected by MS and raises funds for critical research.
Didi Parker, Deborah Testa and Dr. Kirsten Hanson Cheryl Barnes and Sara Durkin
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Kerri Larkin and Amanda Whiting
Katie Makris, Kate Olson and Kate Morse
Jean-Marie Fernandez and Maureen Curley
Charles Byrd and Russell Parker WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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Neada Onufrychuk and Melinda O’Brien
Peggy Rowe, Carla Crawford and Lisa Paro
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Designs from the Akris Fall/Winter 2015/16 Collection
Meryl Comer, Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton, Dr. Howard Fillit and Elise Lefkowitz
Diane Rehm
Jennifer Mims and Sebastian Courret
ALZHEIMER’S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION’S GREAT LADIES LUNCHEON AND FASHION SHOW Faith Bobrow and Claudia Bird
Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL FOR ALZHEIMER’S SAKE: Very few lunches raise more than $230,000 to support a charity, but the fi/h annual Great Ladies Luncheon and Fashion Show did just that for teh Alzheimers cause. Hosted by legendary NPR host Diane Rehm, this highlight of the spring social calendar honored Emmy Award-winning journalist and author Meryl Comer, who wrote a New York Times bestseller detailing her painful experience caring for her husband, an early-onset Alzheimer’s patient. “I fight for everyone who is well, I fight for all women because I want be&er options for them and I fight because I don’t want my great grandchildren asking how their grandparent could forget them,” Comer said when accepting her award. A/er a luncheon symposium exploring the reasons women are more likely to develop the disease, guests enjoyed a runway show featuring the designs of Swiss fashion house Akris.
Mary Haft
Wilma Bernstein, Alma Gildenhorn and Tina Alster
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Ayo, Ade and Ife Afolayan
Joel Andrianomearisoa and Holly Bass
Marco Guerra and Yasmina Alaoui
THE DIVINE COMEDY OPENING RECEPTION
Charles Aubin and Pelagie Gbaguidi
Museum of African Art | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
James Staton Karen Milbourne 72
DANTE ON DISPLAY: A powerful new exhibition curated by Simon Njami is the first to occupy all levels of the Smithsonian African Art Museum. “The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Purgatory and Hell Revisited” opened with a reception to show the works of more than 40 African artists, all inspired by Dante Aligheri’s 14-th-century epic poem. It remains on view through Aug. 2, VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
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Carol Schwartz
Lee Talbot, Kirk Brown and Jill Wiltse
David Paly and Fred Ingham
Ruth Perlin, Rusty Powell and Dr. Seymour Perlin
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND TEXTILE MUSEUM OPENING George Washington University | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Nelson Carbonell, Ben Vinson and Steven Knapp
Kyle Ramsey, Maryclaire Ramsey and Tom Goehner
FABRIC OF OUR LIVES: National Gallery of Art Director Rusty Powell and George Washington University President Steven Knapp were among the city’s cultural VIPs at the opening reception of the new George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum on the university’s Foggy Bo&om campus. The 53,000-square-foot complex combines the nearly 100-year-old Textile Museum, which was relocated from its former Kalorama home, the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection of historic artifacts of our nation’s capital and relevant artworks from the university’s collections. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Buffy Cafritz, Deborah Rutter and Ann Jordan
Willie Lewis, Jane Harman and Molly Raiser WL EXCLUSIVE
Vernon Jordan and Ann Friedman
WELCOMING DEBORAH RUTTER Buffy Cafritz Residence, Bethesda | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES WARM WELCOME: Kennedy Center trustees and benefactors and a few special guests gathered at the home of Buffy Cafritz to welcome Deborah Ru er, who took over the reins of the Kennedy Center and became its first female president last September. Vernon Jordan, who co-hosted the event with Mrs. Cafritz and his wife, Ann, had fulsome praise for the guest of honor and her impressive reputation even though he claimed to be “far be&er informed about election cycles than Wagner’s ‘Ring Cycle.’” The Kennedy Center, he told her, “is now your magnificent instrument and we cannot wait to see what you do with it.”
Jeannie Ruesch, Morton Funger and Norma Lee Funger WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Jacqueline Mars, Philippe Auguin and Francesca Craig
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PARTIES PARTIES PARTIES
Military heroes, Ivy League influencers and mathematical geniuses VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!
TAPS HONOR GUARD GALA
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE & BONHAMS RECEPTION
NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM
(Photos by Laurence Genon)
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
(Photos by Rod Lamkey Jr )
At the annual Honor Guard Gala, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) raised $2.1 million for programs aiding those grieving a loss in the military. Actor and TAPS supporter Eric Dane, who plays a naval commander in TNT’s “The Last Ship,” told of losing his father who served in the U.S. Navy. TAPS honored Patricia Bye with its Sen. Ted Stevens Leadership Award, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen with its congressional award, and Adm. Jonathan Greenert with its military award.
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1. Eric Dane 2. Kyra Phillips, Bonnie Carroll and John Roberts
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A rare wartime manuscript was on display at a wine and cheese reception hosted by The Aspen Institute and Bonhams. Guests at the private viewing saw 56 pages of mathematical notes by Alan Turing, who was credited with cracking the so-called unbreakable codes of Germany’s World War II Enigma machine. A1944 Enigma machine was also on view. Aspen Institute CEO and author of “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution” Walter Isaacson made remarks. 5. Walter Isaacson
6. Alma Gildenhorn and Judy Price
7. Martin Gammon
HBS ROUNDTABLE DINNER RESIDENCE OF THE EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR
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(Photos by Jack Conroy) Antonio Alves, the new president of the Harvard Business School Club of Washington, D.C. invited the Club’s patron members to the annual CEO Roundtable dinner. A total of 26 executives were at the dinner hosted by Egyptian Amb. Mohamed Tawfik at his redidence. The club has organized dinner meetings and networking events for Harvard alumni in the area since 1933. 8. Abe Mansour
4 TED KENNEDY’S HALL OF LABOR INDUCTION
9. Guests around the table 10. Youssef Aldesouky, Leo Fox, Antonio Alves, Egyptian Amb. Mohamed Tawfik, Behrad Mahdi and Raj Patil
FRANCIS PERKINS BUILDING
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(Photos courtesy U.S. Department of Labor) The late U.S. Sen. Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy joined the likes of Helen Keller, Cesar Chavez and Mother Jones to be posthumously inducted into the Labor Department’s Hall of Honor for his efforts to improve working conditions, wages and quality of life for American families. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez presided over the ceremony a&ended by administration officials, labor leaders, Kennedy’s family members and friends. Guests included former labor secretaries William E. (“Bill”) Brock, Elaine Chao and Alexis M. Herman; Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy; Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and William Kennedy Smith; Sens. Richard Durbin and Elizabeth Warren; and former Mass. Rep. John R. Tierney. 3. Elaine Chao, Thomas Perez, Bill Brock and Alexis Herman 4. Ted Kennedy’s grandson Max Allen; his widow Victoria Reggie Kennedy,;and sons Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and Patrick Kennedy
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8 WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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Kim Perry Mark Sherwin and Wonhee Kang WL SPONSORED
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB CASINO NIGHT
Bernadette Harvey and Monica Villalta
The Ritz Carlton, Tyson’s Corner | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL CRAPS FOR A CAUSE: Games of chance, dinner and dancing were all part of the scene at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington’s second annual Casino Night. Guests played Texas Hold ‘Em, Black Jack and Craps, and bid for live and silent auction items that included a New York vacation package, a Lamborghini driving experience and a weekend stay at Nemacolin Resort. Board Chairman Mark Sherwin was honored for outstanding achievements during his five-year tenure — including the launch of three signature fundraising events (Casino Night; “Fore,” the Kids Golf Tournament; and the World’s Fanciest Rummage Sale), increasing the number of directors from less than 10 to 30 and nurturing corporate sponsorships. The night raised a total of $88,450.
Leonardo Laviola and Celia Gondrand
Rynthia Rost, Christy Chang, Tahneena Barron and David Kim
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HOME LIFE Real Estate News and Open House I Inside Homes and My Washington
'SQI -R ERH 7XE] %[LMPI You’ll immediately want to sit down and marvel at Kristin Kuehl’s classic, yet vibrant, family-oriented house. BY LAURA WAINMAN PHOTOS BY JOSEPH ALLEN
HOME LIFE | INSIDE HOMES
alk into Kristin Kuehl’s Colonial house in Bethesda and you may feel so comfortable that you start sharing your life story. Whether it is the subtle scent of Japanese Quince filling the foyer, the tinkling of melodic jazz music in the background or the personal, familial touches gracing each and every room, a guest in Kuehl’s house instantly feels welcome and wanted. It doesn’t hurt that this single mother of three also runs a successful design company, Kristin Kuehl Interiors, and knows the tips and tricks of accessorizing to create a desired atmosphere. For Kuehl, that atmosphere is a calming respite from the demands of the day where her offsrping can unwind and feel relaxed and secure. “With children so programmed today, I think they need a refuge just as much as we do as adults,” Kuehl says. “My goal was to create that cocoon-like feeling, and then add an unexpected shot of levity to keep us all smiling.” Take the neon, limited-edition Andy Warhol panda print above the living room mantle, or the Marilyn Monroe paper-cut tesselation portraiture by Craig Tinsky in the back of the foyer as examples — both are classic, either in terms of the artist or the subject matter, with a bit of whimsy thrown in to add a unique element of surprise that makes the house so personalized. For a woman who selects cream as her favorite color, her house nonetheless boasts a lot of color and positive energy, from the golden yellow ombre paint in her dining room (representing sunset) to the paisley pink wallpaper in middle child Amelia’s bedroom and brightly-colored Glassybaby
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Isabel, Kristin, Amelia and Carter Kuehl; The Kuehls feel that their living room best defines them: warm and cozy. As a designer herself, Kristin is constantly tinkering with decor and placement and she’s enlisted a friend’s help to move the piano twice already; Though this office is Kristin’s “me space” she still wants her kids around when she is working, thus the couch that comfortably fits her family of four. THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left): Flowers are Kristin’s go-to easy decorating tip to change the atmosphere of a room and add life to every corner of the house; Like most moms, she says she spends the most time in her kitchen; Kristin wanted her children’s bedrooms to be a place of comfort that defined their personalities, thus she let them be very involved in the design; This golden ombre paint is meant to represent sunset.
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candles strewn throughout the house. But the bright, airy vibe is a far cry from the dark and traditionally heavy decor she encountered when she first arrived. Kuehl purchased the house with her now ex-husband in 2004 and moved her burgeoning family in two weeks before she gave birth to her youngest child, Carter. With two children under the age of three and a third to arrive shortly, renovations were not a priority. Thus, she needed a space where she could focus on small redesigns over time rather than complete overhauls. “I admit I am always tinkering and making changes, but oftentimes its not even about replacing items, but relocating,” Kuehl says.“I’ll change pillows constantly, because it is such an easy way to make a room feel entirely different. I love paying attention to the little details that not everyone would notice, as it keeps a space layered and more interesting.” In the Kuehl household those little details often reflect the family’s history, an observation made by the children themselves. In Carter’s bedroom, for example, Kuehl framed 30 of his father’s Yankee baseball cards and hung Carter’s Alex Rodriguez jersey in the middle to connect father and son, both avid Yankees fans. Photos of all three children taken every year on Fourth of July are displayed on a shelf right outside the kitchen, while a painting of Kuehl’s grandmothers hangs in the foyer not far from her great-grandmother’s tea set in the dining room. “These historical pieces, even though they may not be the most valuable, give my home a special touch that even the finest accessories or art couldn’t possibly replicate,” she says. Carter noted that his mother’s placement of a large and comfortable sofa in her home office indicates that she wants her kids with her even when she is working. And if you spend an afternoon there, that’s exactly what you’ll take away. Kristin Kuehl has dedicated herself to creating a home that reflects her family and their interests on every surface, from the sophisticated and glamorous family room where they enjoy post-dinner conversations about their days, to the kid-centric, white-and-black stripe wallpapered basement movie room.
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HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS
Matters Of State Donald Rumsfeld, Evan Bayh and ex-FCC chair William Kennard buy and sell in the Capital City BY STAC E Y G R A Z I E R P FA R R
LCB Place LLC sold BANCROFT PLACE NW to Martin DiMarzo for $4,864,000. Washington Fine Properties’ Nancy Taylor Bubes was the listing agent while Glass House Real Estate’s Khalil El-Ghoul was the buyer’s agent. The five-bedroom, neo-Georgian residence was built in 1928 and was spectacularly renovated by John Cecchi. The property in the much sought-after Kalorama neighborhood includes a large eat-in kitchen, five bedrooms with en-suite baths, a garage and an elevator.
THE DISTRICT Two-time Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s brick Federal row house in Kalorama sold for $3.9 million to the Trustees of the Rutland Trust . Rumsfeld bought KALORAMA ROAD NW in 2001 for $3,350,000. The seven-bedroom, five-bath house, built in 1979, includes a pool, private garden and greenhouse. Washington Fine Properties’ Boucie Addison was the listing agent; TTR Sotheby’s International Realty’s William Stewart was the buyer’s agent. Former Indiana Governor Birch “Evan� Bayh III and his wife Susan bought N STREET NW Georgetown for $2,925,000. He
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is the son of Birch E. Bayh Jr., a former Indiana senator and 1976 Democratic presidential primary contender. Mrs. Bayh is an attorney and former corporate board member for health insurance company, Wellpoint. Glass Construction spearheaded the complete remodeling and rebuilding of the 1820 fourlevel Federal structure using the best materials and finishes. The four-bedroom residence boasts a sunny gourmet kitchen,10-foot ceilings and a charming south-facing garden. Washington Fine Properties’ Jim Kaull was the listing agent. McEnearney Associates’ Allison Brigati represented the buyer. UNIVERSITY TERRACE NW in Kent,
which in the spring of 2013 held the title for most expensive listing in Washington with an original price tag of $19.5 million, recently sold for $4.5 million to an undisclosed buyer. The residence was most recently home to Louisa du Pont Copeland Duemling and her late husband, former ambassador to Suriname Robert Duemling. The fivebedroom, seven-bath, 10,000-square-foot mansion features a two-bedroom guest house, pool, circular driveway, gated parking and gardens on over six acres of land. Heidi Hatfield of Washington Fine Properties was the listing agent; TTR Sotheby’s Jonathan Taylor represented the buyer.
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HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS
Marilyn Charity was the buyer’s agent. David Stevens, a former Federal Housing Administration commissioner and current head of the Mortgage Bankers Association, and his wife Mary, sold SEDGWICK STREET NW for $2,175,000 to David Hudson. Mr. Stevens is also the former chief operating officer of Long & Foster Real Estate. The five-bedroom slate-roof Colonial in Spring Valley was built in 1939 and boasts a gourmet kitchen, charming garden, and fully finished lower level. Long & Foster’s Marc Fleisher represented both sides in the transaction.
MARYLAND Patricia Adams Harr sold WEST KIRKE STREET in Chevy Chase for $1,557,500 to Elizabeth and Richard Tonner. Harr is the
VIRGINIA Leslie Smith Ariail sold CAMERON STREET in Alexandria to Grant Reid for $4,020,000. Ariail is a partner of BM Smith, a real estate investment and management company founded in 1908 by her grandfather. The historic Lord Fairfax house was built in 1803 and features five bedrooms and 7,000square-feet of interior living space. The residence is an outstanding representation of Federal architecture in the heart of Old Town. Washington Fine Properties William F.X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki and Adam Rackliffe were the listing agents.Weichert Realtors’ Patricia Derwinski was the buyer’s agent.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union William Kennard and his wife Deborah Kennedy, an attorney, purchased Unit 603 in Harbourside at 2900 K STREET NW for $3,570,000 from Langport Ltd. Prior to being appointed ambassador by President Obama, Kennard was managing director of
granddaughter of Edward Stratemeyer, creator of many of the characters in the popular Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys children’s mystery series. Her mother, Harriet Adams, wrote over 200 of the books and was also senior partner of Stratemeyer Syndicate, a group of writers employed to write books for the series. The buyers relocated from Alexandria to live near the Chevy Chase Club. The house was built in 1898. The street must appeal to literary types; political columnist Mark Shields lives next door. Washington Fine Properties’ Mary Addison was the listing agent; Washington Fine Properties’ Bobbie Brewster represented the buyer.
The Carlyle Group and served as chairman of the FCC from 1997-2001. The four-bedroom Georgetown condominium features over 5,000-square-feet of high-end finishes, luxe amenities and Potomac River views. Long & Foster Real Estate’s Nancy Itteilag was the listing agent. Washington Fine Properties’
PROPERTY LINES DUPONT DREAM: A stunning Victorian (1895) five-bedroom row house on a charming treelined street in the heart of Dupont Circle is listed at $2,228,000. SSI International Corporation is selling the RIGGS PLACE NW residence, which features modern-day appointments with period sophistication. The property also includes a separate metered guest quarters with a kitchen. Beasley’s Anne Marie Drechsler and Elizabeth Minoso are the listing agents.
library and stone terrace with gardens. Beasley’s Jim Bell is the listing agent.
PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ: Over 5,600-squarefeet of luxe living is up for grabs in the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton West End. Jeffrey and Linda Fine listed RD STREET NW PH for $6,950,000. The penthouse boasts dual entrances plus a service entrance for catering, three balconies, an eat-in gourmet kitchen and four bedroom suites, plus a wood-paneled library. Ellen Morrell and Matt WAKEFIELD BEAUTY: Allison and Henry McCormick of Washington Fine Properties are O’Connor listed CUMBERLAND STREET the listing agents. NW in the Wakefield neighborhood for $1,249,000. The fully remodeled stately six-bedroom Georgian COUNTRY CLUB DREAM: Rick Bates has includes an eat-in gourmet kitchen with marble listed CONGRESSIONAL COURT in countertops, formal dining room, wood-paneled Potomac for $5.2 million. Bates is the former
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president of Catalyst Health Solutions, which was acquired by SXC for $4.4 billion in 2012. He is currently the CEO of Singlecare. The Bradley Farms Colonial boasts 12-foot ceilings, sun-filled embassy sized rooms, a chef’s kitchen with a separate catering wing and an expansive master suite. The seven-bedroom property (which sits on a meticulously maintained two-acre lot overlooking the fifth fairway at Congressional Country Club) was custom-built in 2000. A guest cottage was added in 2012 by Studio Z. The property also includes a half basketball court, indoor batting cage, pool and spa. The listing agents for the property are TTR Sotheby’s Maura Shannon and Zelda Heller. Send real estate news to Stacey Grazier Pfarr at editorial@washingtonlife.com.
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home life | Sotheby’s Alfredo Gangotena
Master of Marketing Alfredo Gangotena is taking the Sotheby’s brand in a new direction
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t’s a name synonymous with excellence, a company that’s been around since 1744 — Sotheby’s — renowned throughout the world for exhilarating auctions of museumquality art. A major multinational corporation boasting a stellar reputation could rest on its laurels and stick to tradition, but that’s not going to happen now that a new chief marketing officer, Alfredo Gangotena, is on the job. As we discovered when Gangotena was in town to launch a new marketing initiative with his primary affiliate, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, he isn’t someone who plays it safe. In April, for example, he partnered with the online auction giant Ebay to set in motion a groundbreaking new streaming service. “Our auctions do not change, the works of art do not change — they are available at sothebys.com,” says Gangotena, who previously worked at Mastercard and Disneyland Paris. “But at the same time they’re now visible to the 150 million potential buyers on Ebay. It is a new entrance point to the Sotheby’s house.” Reaching a new audience of potential buyers, at a range of price points, is something Gangotena cannot stress enough. Increased accessibility is causing a revolution in the art world, he says, adding that there can be no turning back now. “Art is a common, widely-spread passion,” Gangotena says, noting that sometimes people just need to be introduced to it in order to realize this passion in themselves. Building a collection, he maintains, doesn’t have to be restricted to the uber wealthy. “You can acquire a Picasso for $100 million as well as perhaps for $10,000, both being signed by the same genius artist,” Gangotena says. “There is definitely a pleasure to owning a piece of art of such magnificence, independent of the price point. As I like to say, love for the piece of art is not an equation of the dollar sign.”
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By Erica Moody
Alfredo Gangotena at The Hay-Adams Hotel (Photo by Sean Shanahan Photography)
According to Gangotena, two current trends are changing the scope of the art auction business. “One is an incredible change in the acceleration of wealth around the planet. We see that not just in the United States but also in the emerging markets — China, Russia, Brazil, to name a few.” The second trend, he adds, is that “many more contemporary living artists are producing art that is pleasing many more people.These two phenomena combined means that the world of the arts is expanding. There are more buyers, more collectors, more sellers ... not just at the top end but throughout price ranges. This accessibility to art allows Sotheby’s to expand and cater to many more people than in the past.” This expansion and inclusion of contemporary artists is seen in projects such as a current Sothebys’ gallery exhibition curated by hip-hop artist Drake. The exhibition, featuring contemporary works by black American artists such as Kara Walker and Jean-Michel Basquiat, explores the relationship between music and art, and is open to the public at Sotheby’s New York headquarters.
To explain this focus on reaching new buyers, Gangotena cites a TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) study that reveals just how small the number of people owning art is throughout the world. Of the 32 million households on the planet with at least $1 million in liquid assets, only 600,000 own art. “This means that the expansion potential is phenomenal,” he says. “Currently, 98 percent of millionaires do not have art in their homes.” Rather than competing with Christie’s, Phillips or Bonham’s for existing clients, Gangotena thinks that 98 percent is where Sotheby’s should be looking — with a strategic focus placed on people who are on the verge of buying art. This perspective is something he learned from his years with Mastercard. “For many, many years, Mastercard saw Visa as its archrival and was fighting for market share, one bank at a time, until more recently when the same equation was drawn. Only 15 percent of financial transactions are made with credit cards; 85 percent are still cash or checks worldwide. So, rather than focusing on and fighting for the 15 percent, you now
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Real Estate Insights Mark Lowham, managing partner
TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
How does the high-end real estate market in Washington differ from other major cities where Sotheby’s is active? Compared to other global capitals, Washington remains a tremendous value. We see significant potential for future appreciation in Washington real estate, particularly at the high-end.
David DeSantis, Jonathan Taylor, Michael Rankin, Mark Lowham and Derrick Swaak of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty (Photo by Sean Shanahan Photography)
have credit card companies, led by Mastercard, If you think about it, there is a perfect synergy attacking the 85 percent potential.” between the two at a crucial moment where A new magazine might attract some of people change lifestyle — and the partnership the 98 percent as well, which explains why works hand in hand.” Sotheby’s will begin bringing art to new and “Art and Home,” he says, is a prime existing clients’ doorsteps this month with the example of this synergy. launch of “Art and Home.” The new lifestyle With new developments like the publication will feature editorial content about magazine launch and the partnership with major collectors, e B ay, S o t h e by ’s beautiful houses, may be working to interior designers and expand its reach, but individual works of it won’t be to the art.The magazine will detriment of existing combine the art and client relationships. auction aspects of the Those will always be business with the real nurtured, Gangotena estate element as well. insists, because the Here it should be company recognizes noted that Sotheby’s that it would not Realty, an affiliated be where it is today licensee, is at the very without the faithful highest end of the collectors who have real estate market. remained with the “The relationship house, sometimes for The cover of the first issue of “Art & Home” between the auction many generations. (Image courtesy TTRSIR) house and the realty There is even an house is natural because we cater to the same insiders club, called 1744, that hosts events audience — rather high-end, affluent and to cultivate new generations of buyers. high-net-worth,” Gangotena says. “When you Such relationships are irreplaceable, he says, acquire a new home or move to a new place, comparing them to one’s doctor or lawyer. very often you will be changing the decor “That trust is very special, and so is the and the interior design of that place, so it’s a legacy,” he says. “A Picasso is just a Picasso. perfect moment for Sotheby’s auction house But a Picasso recommended by Sotheby’s, to be able to provide art to those new homes. now that is something.”
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What percentage of your real estate business is international? Thirty-four percent of our largest regional submarket, Fairfax County, is foreign-born. The data is comparable in Montgomery County and roughly 16 percent of the District of Columbia is foreign-born. This region is very much an international market. In addition, we see an increasing number of clients from Asia and the Middle East, particularly in Northern Virginia and close-in Maryland, and they are very focused on the top tier of the market. How is the on-line environment for real estate listing changing the market for your company and what are you doing to capitalize on this? As consumers increasingly depend on on-line resources for information, a firm’s brand becomes critically important in order to rise above the noise. With a brand that has a 250-year head start over most brokerages, our website, sir.com, captures over a million unique visitors per month, and they spend an astounding 11 minutes per visit. In addition, consumers want good content, and we deliver that in a format that is gorgeous and engaging — in 16 different languages and multiple global currencies. How has your affiliation with Sothebys led to recordbreaking growth in the National Capital Region? Our affiliation with Sotheby’s inspires us every day to achieve new records, not only in terms of prices, but also in the innovation, marketing and service we provide to our clients. The Washington market has responded well, and our year-over-year growth of 18.6 percent set the market pace for the national capital region. As part of that success, we achieved the highest singlefamily home sales in both the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia, and we set the record for the most expensive condominiums ever sold in both the District and Maryland. Washington is at the heart of a global market and our 280 associates deliver that market to their clients every day.
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HOME LIFE | OPEN HOUSE
Living Large Some truly high-end properties are currently for sale
DUPONT RIGGS PLACE NW> WASHINGTON> DC
This stunning Victorian row house sits on a charming tree-lined street in the heart of Dupont Circle. It features modern-day appointments with period detailing such as hardwood floors, high ceilings and a chef ’s kitchen with Wolf stove, stainless steel appliances and a tray ceiling. The home also includes five bedrooms and threeand-one-half designer bathrooms, as well as a separate guest suite with kitchen and secured two-car parking.
ASKING PRICE: $2,228,000 LISTING AGENT: Anne Marie Drechsler, 301-980-6687 & Elizabeth Minoso, 301-275-8181; Beasley Real Estate
ASKING PRICE: $5,200,000
POTOMAC
CONGRESSIONAL COURT> POTOMAC> MD
LISTING AGENT: Maura Shannon, 301-346-4183 and Zelda Heller, 202-267-1226; TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
This elegantly proportioned country estate sits on two landscaped acres overlooking Congressional Country Club’s golf course.The main residence has twelve-foot ceilings, oak floors, top-of-the-line finishes, a gourmet kitchen with catering wing and six fireplaces. The guest cottage, built by Studio Z in 2012, includes accommodations, a halfbasketball court and indoor batting cage, and is adjacent to pool and spa lanai.
SPRING VALLEY
ASKING PRICE: $3,875,000
ND TERRACE NW> WASHINGTON> DC
This Miller custom-built home offers 8,100-square-feet of exceptional living space. With its classic details, custom kitchen, dual formal and family living rooms, it is perfect for entertaining. The three-room master suite, four fireplaces, elevator, heated garage, first-floor in-law suite and full walkout lower-level make this home truly one-of-a-kind. The property sits on more than a half-acre of landscaped, private park-like grounds.
GEORGETOWN
WISCONSIN AVENUE NW [ -W> WASHINGTON> DC
This brand-new penthouse in the heart of Georgetown offers stunning views of the Potomac River, Roosevelt Island and the Rosslyn skyline. Featuring three bedrooms and three and one-half baths, this residence also offers a gourmet kitchen, private outside terrace, luxurious master suite, and motorized Mecho shades and hardwood floors throughout.The building, 1055 High, offers 24-hour staff services, rooftop deck and pool, fitness center, two parking spaces and more.
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LISTING AGENT: Monica Boyd, 202-321-5055; Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
ASKING PRICE: $5,300,000 LISTING AGENT: Mark McFadden, 703-2161333; Washington Fine Properties
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HOME LIFE | QUARRY SPRINGS
Luxury Without the Hassle Quarry Springs offers a haven for empty nesters or anyone looking for quality, space and convenience. BY ERICA MOODY
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ou can’t have it both ways, people say. If you want a luxury estate, you must be willing to maintain it, and that takes work. It’s a burden that many empty nesters tire of carrying — hence, the tendency to downsize once the kids have left home. In one luxury Bethesda community, this mainstay is being challenged. Quarry Springs, a 13-acre gated community set apart from the bustling city of Washington but close enough to get there in ten minutes, offers homes equipped with concierge services, valet parking for both residents and guests, 24-hour access monitoring, five-star amenities and a full-time security guard. TTR Sotheby’s International Realty’s David DeSantis, who is presenting the residences along with Christine Basso, let us in on the appeal.
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“What really makes Quarry Springs special is that it’s a product that is pretty rare in the D.C. marketplace,” DeSantis says. “These condos were meant to appeal to people who most likely have lived in large custom homes their whole lives — the empty nester crowd.” However, he explains, the problem with the Washington market is that most condominiums are relatively small. Master bedrooms larger than 170 square feet are a relative rarity. Quarry Springs condos, conversely, “have been designed to feel like a custom home.” Floor plans range from 2,200 square feet to nearly 5,000 square feet, nearly twice the size of other condos in the market, according to DeSantis. “The real niche is for people who are used to living in a spacious home. They don’t want to give up that feel but also don’t want the
obligation of taking care of a home anymore either,” DeSantis says. “You can go away for three weeks and the staff takes care of it. It’s a very carefree lifestyle.” Located at 8101 River Road with easy access to I-495, Washington and Tyson’s Corner, Quarry Springs offers 50 residences in two boutique buildings. It’s close to downtown Bethesda, Potomac Village, the Collection at Chevy Chase and other shops, and also near the Congressional, Bethesda and Burning Tree country clubs, but still feels like a sanctuary. Units offer 10-foot ceilings, sprawling wraparound outdoor living spaces, front-to-back views and modern, classic interior design. Homes range from $1.499 to $4.6 million and sales are run out of the clubhouse, now
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I M AG E S CO U RT E SY O F Q UA R RY S P R I N G S
Quarry Springs condominiums offer expansive outdoor living spaces overlooking the pool and a clubhouse, which features a grand salon, library, lounge and more on the main floor with a fitness center with yoga studio and spa on the lower level.
This Quarry Springs floor plan is one of many to choose from offering top-of-the-line kitchens with Wolfe six-burner cooktops, convection ovens, Sub-Zero refrigerators, solid wood cabinetry in select styles and colors, and stone counters.
open daily from noon to 4 p.m. In addition to convenience of location, Quarry Springs offers high-end indoor and outdoor amenities including climate-controlled storage areas, multi-port multimedia taps for audio and video, contemporary base moldings, and recessed and accent lighting. In select units, there are new options to add wet bars and exterior fireplaces. Community amenities include a catering kitchen, game room, elegant clubhouse with a library, a grand salon for formal gatherings and a full bar/lounge area. The 6,000-squarefoot fitness center has a yoga studio and spa on site offering a steam room, sauna and shower facilities. On the grounds you’ll find winding walking trails; a 50-foot, three-tiered waterfall with a stream; and a centrally-located resortstyle pool. Quarry Springs has a strong local history. It’s situated on the land of the former Stoneyhurst Quarry that was first opened in 1924 by farmer Lilly Stone. At the Quarry, stones were sourced for close to a century and used for Washington area homes, bridges, churches and major landmarks, including Washington National Cathedral. Residents will begin moving into their Quarry Springs homes in the fall of 2015. Go to quarrysprings.com to schedule your visit.
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Quarry Springs’ spa bathrooms include Waterworks fixtures, separate marble-surround tubs and showers, rich wood vanities, and dual sinks.
Additional interior amenities at Quarry Springs include premium wide-plank hardwood flooring, vented gas fireplaces with stone hearths, recessed and accent lighting, and multi-port multimedia taps for audio and video.
Serenity surrounds the exclusive Quarry Springs community, which offers outdoor living areas overlooking sculpted grounds, winding walking trails, clubhouse amenities, and the convenient close-to-everything location.
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HOME LIFE | OVER THE MOON
Stable Environment Middleburg’s top private stables open over Memorial Day weekend to support local charities BY VICKY MOON
Snowden Clarke, trainer in residence at “Orange Hill” with Redford and his Jack Russell named Boo (Photo by Vicky Moon)
“Foosaner Farm” stables (Courtesy Photo)
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hot shower, automatic water fountains and a soft bed at night - what more could a horse ask for? Just ask the owners of some of Middleburg’s splendid stables. One such place is “Foosaner Farm,” owned by Robert Foosaner, a retired Nextel executive. Designed by farm and stable architect John Blackburn of Washington, its primary purpose is to house ponies and horses for daughter Nellie Foosaner. She began as a horse show and Grand Prix jumping rider and is now a second year law student at George Washington University. Horses will always be a way of life here and the flexible design of the barn, currently configured for six stalls while Nellie focuses on her studies, can easily be altered to accommodate ten. Overlooking the barn and arena is the stone residence and when Bob Foosaner is not out walking the property, he can be found at the Middleburg Tennis Club, where he currently serves as president, or at the Hill School, where he is on the board of trustees. Carol and Landon Butler’s barn at “Gap Run Farm” is a departure from the traditional Middleburg style. Mr. Butler served as deputy to the chief of staff in the Carter administration and is founder and chairman of the Landon Butler & Company investment firm. The stable and main
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residence were designed by Jack Diamond of Toronto to be connected around a landscaped entry courtyard. As long-time owners of Quarter Horses and masters of the competitive discipline known as “cutting,” the Butlers’ horses are competitively judged on their ability to control cows. Their horses live in the lap of luxury in a spacious light-filled stable with roomy stalls, ceiling fans and rubberized flooring. “Orange Hill” dates back to the early 1800s and has been host to numerous hunt meets and parties and has produced top qualityVirginia-bred horses for over a century. The farm was recently purchased by Bryce Lingo, who works in his family’s real estate business in Delaware during the week and comes to ride in the country on weekends.“Orange Hill” is also home to trainer Snowden Clarke, who is in charge of training, boarding and lessons. After several years on the West coast, he has returned to the countryside he loves so much. The modernized, updated 15-stall barn with indoor ring was built in the 1930s and, while Clarke’s main focus is on horsemanship, he can’t help himself when it comes to pets. So, “Orange Hill” now includes breeding and showing Cashmere goats, Serama chickens and Call ducks,
as well as tending to Simon, a 27-pound rabbit. Organized by the members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, these three stables and ten others are part of the 56th edition of the Hunt Country Stable Tour on Memorial Day weekend from Saturday, May 23 athrough Sunday, May 24. Blackburn will guide visitors around “Foosaner Farm,” there will be roping demonstrations at “Gap Run” and Clarke will ride his horses and show off the exotic pets at “Orange Hill.” Proceeds benefit S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) in Washington D.C., the Churches of Upperville Outreach, Fauquier Habitat for Humanity, the Laurel Center and Helping Haitian Angels.
“Orange Hill” stables (Courtesy Photo)
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MY WASHINGTON Eric Hilton, co-founder,Thievery Corporation BY KEVIN CHAFFEE
DESCRIBE THE IDEAL NIGHT SPOT. The ideal night spot is original and one-of-a-kind, honest, tastefully decorated, has great music, excellent sound, dim lighting and is not merely good by local standards; it would impress people from any cosmopolitan city.
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HOW HAS THE WASHINGTON MUSIC SCENE CHANGED SINCE YOU OPENED EIGHTEENTH STREET LOUNGE 20 YEARS AGO? The music scene in D.C. is all over the place and diffuse — but still quite vibrant. Some people reminisce over the vibrant punk scene that put our town on the map in the ’80s and ’90s. Others miss Tracks, an epic club in Southeast that was always great fun. These days I’m thankful to U Hall, Eighteenth Street Lounge and Flash for bringing great out-of-town DJs here. The 930 Club is consistently my go-to live venue. Anytime Ian Svenonius, Kid Congo and Baby Alcatraz are dee-jaying together I’m in sonic heaven. WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG TREND IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC? Probably un-electronic (or analogue) music. The EDM fad is pretty unexciting and the technology has spawned a lot of vapid and formulaic music. I’m more excited about people who can play instruments and sing songs. Strangely, the best band I’ve seen recently was New Order. But perhaps I’m just a curmudgeon WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? I just spent time in Jamaica with Rob Garza and our live
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band mates recording our eighth Thievery Corporation LP. We have concerts coming up in Europe, Red Rocks and all over the West Coast. On the restaurant side, we are building a wine bar/private party room for Chez Billy Sud in Georgetown.
MY TOP SPOTS 1. Montserrat House (9th & U streets NW). This former Rasta colony, head shop and underground weed dispensary was abandoned for nearly a decade. My friends and I turned it into an art gallery and hosted famous visual artists like Gaia and musicians Moby, Grace Potter and the cast of the Broadway musical “Fela.” It’s now the recording studios for Thievery Corporation. There are plans to once again open to the public on a low-key basis. 2. Som Records (1843 14th St. NW). Neil Becton’s shop is the best record store in D.C. Vinyl has always been a passion of mine and any good musical artist needs obscure sources to garner inspiration. Som’s eclectic mix of hand-selected titles reflects Neil’s good taste and broad knowledge of all great musical styles. 3. Dumbarton Oaks Park (31st and R streets NW). It’s rare not to see deer grazing in the mornings and evenings in this oasis park in Georgetown. A walk through this wild green space can make you forget the noise and traffic for just a little while. 4. The Gibson (2005 14th St. NW) is my favorite bar by a long shot and is named after Ellsworth Gibson, one of the coolest D.C. jazz musicians I’ve ever known. He would have been right at home here. The atmosphere is always civilized, yet lively. The drinks are considered to be the best in the city. 5. Good Wood (1428 U St. NW) Dan and Anna Kahoe have an incredible eye for home decor and art and I am always stopping by to see what gems Dan’s buying excursions have unearthed. Decorating is a passion and necessity for me, and without Good Wood, the process would be far less gratifying.
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E R I C H I LTO N P H OTO BY A N D R Z E J L I G UZ ; SO M R ECO R DS P H OTO BY M OS H E Z U S M A N ; D U M BA RTO N OA KS PA R K P H OTO C O U R T E S Y; G I B S O N P H OTO B Y D O M I N I Q U E F I E R R O ; G O O D W O O D P H OTO C O U R T E S Y.
YOU’VE BEEN A DISC JOCKEY, A MUSIC INDUSTRY DYNAMO AND A HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ENTREPRENEUR. WHAT’S THE MOST FUN? I could never decide which endeavor I like more, so I always had a dual career — making Thievery Corporation music and hospitality. The nice thing is that if I get burned out with one half of my career, I can focus on the other.