Washington Life Magazine - June 2015

50

the PHILANTHROPIC Washington’s most influential

Washington’s most influential

WASHINGTON’S CHARITABLE WHO’S WHO Washington’s most influential

EXCLUSIVE: DWIGHT AND MARTHA SCHAR

ON THEIR $50 MILLION GIFT TO INOVA INside homes: Art Philanthropist TONY PODESTA’S CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION home life: THOS. MOSER RETURNS TO GEORGETOWN sports: THE D.C. DIVAS WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

plus: WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT’S DINNER HIGHLIGHTS 4 PAGES OF SUPERMODELS, ACTORS AND JOURNALISTS AT WASHINGTON’S BIGGEST BASH

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EDITOR'S LETTER

SPECIAL FEATURES THE PHILANTHROPIC Washington's most generous givers ........................

EXCLUSIVE Dwight and Martha Schar on their $50 million gift to INOVA .....................

FYIDC INSIDER'S GUIDE ....................................

INNOVATORS AND DISRUPTERS

LIFESTYLES FASHION EDITORIAL Urban Jungle .................

BEAUTY The latest products.................................

DINE AND DISH Post Game Dishing with

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D.C. Divas Allyson Hamlin and Trigger McNair ........

Sparo founder/CEO Rob Sobhani ...........................

WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY

LIFE OF THE PARTY

Woodrow Wilson Garden Party .............................

Hirshhorn Museum Gala .......................................

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

AROUND TOWN Gardens and Grace ...............

Kennedy Center Spring Gala ..................................

Marina Orth Foundation with Maureen Orth..............

The Children's Ball ..............................................

Catholic Charities Gala .........................................

Hirshhorn Museum pre-gala VIP reception ...............

Washington Ballet Swan Ball ..................................

PERFECT PITCH Future Forte ..........................

Quarry Springs Grand Opening ............................

Folger Gala........................................................

Restore Mass Ave reception ...................................

POLLYWOOD

National Gallery of Art Photography Dinner ...........

HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC

OVER THE MOON Elephant & Castle ...............

WHCD weekend recap .........................................

EMBASSY ROW Open Door Policy ....................

Art in Embassies Dinner ........................................

Refugees International Dinner ..................................

INSIDE HOMES

Virginia Gold Cup .............................................

Tony Podesta's contemporary art collection ..............

Trust for the National Mall Luncheon .....................

REAL ESTATE NEWS Summer in the City...........

OPEN HOUSE Impressive Offerings .....................

Life with Cancer's Lobster Fest ..............................

Atlantic Council Dinner .........................................

Grey Soirée ........................................................

Performance of "Seven" ........................................ Sasha Bruce Youthwork 40th Anniversary ................

March of Dimes Gourmet Gala .............................

HOME LIFE

Preakness Race ...................................................

"Kill Chain" book party ......................................

Thos. Moser profile ..............................................

MY WASHINGTON Susan Eisenhower.................................................

ON THE COVER Models Adriana Lima and Irina Shayk at a White House Correspondent's Dinner pre party (photo by Tony Powell); TOP FROM LEFT m"Urban Jungle" fashion editorial (Photo by Anthony Poff; see inside for full crew credits. Shopping credits: ACNE STUDIOS dress ($1,350) and CHLOE clutch ($1,390), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; MANOLO BLAHNIK heels ($795), Hu’s Shoes, 3005 M St., NW, 202-342-0202; ADELER JEWELERS 18k white gold, diamond and druzy black onyx ring ($9,880), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 220066, 703-759-4076, www.adelerjewelers.com.); Aimee Mullins and Rupert Friend at a White House Correspondent's Dinner pre party (photo by Tony Powell); Steve Clemons and Michelle Monaghan at a White House Correspondent's Dinner pre party (photo by Tony Powell); Dwight and Martha Schar who are on the Philanthropic 50 list and give us the exclusive scoop on their recent $50 million gift to INOVA (Photo by Tony Powell).ABOVE SEPHORA COLLECTION cream lip stain in Mandarin Muse ($13), www.sephora.com. CORRECTION In our May 2015 "Power 100" issue, we incorrectly stated that Anita Dunn lobbies on behalf of her clients. Instead, Dunn's firm provides strategic communications counsel.

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WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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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

Alison McLaughlin DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

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

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Eddie Saleh,Triposs Mihail Iliev LEGAL

Mason Hammond Drake, Greenberg Traurig LLP INTERNS

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Vicki Bagley CREATIVE DIRECTOR EMERITUS (*)

J.C. Suarès CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE BOARD

Gerry Byrne Washington Life magazine publishes ten times a year. Issues are distributed in February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, November, and December and are hand-delivered on a rotating basis to over 150,000 homes throughout D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Additional copies are available at various upscale retailers, hotels, select newstands, and Whole Foods stores in the area. For a complete listing, please consult our website at www.washingtonlife.com. You can also subscribe online at www.washingtonlife.com or send a check for $79.95 (one year) to: Washington Life Magazine, 2301 Tracy Place NW, Washington D.C., 20008. BPA audited. Email us at info@washingtonlife.com with press releases, tips, and editorial comments. Copyright ©2011 by Washington Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content or photos in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed in the United States. We will not be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. *deceased

EDITOR’S LETTER

LEADING BY EXAMPLE N

o issue exemplifies the Washington Life community – the people we proudly feature monthly in this magazine – than our annual Philanthropic 50. Although we would never call the list definitive – because our community boasts so many generous givers, including many who prefer to remain anonymous – we are humbled and honored to highlight the contributions of the 50 benefactors you’ll read about on our 2015 list.

Whether they were born into wealth or have earned their money on their own, they have made the act of giving an important part of their lives and have set an example for us all. They not only give, they care passionately about the many causes they support.

In May, self-made billionaire Dwight Schar, founder of homebuilder NVR Inc. and part owner of the Washington Redskins, and his wife Martha, gave $50 million to Inova Health System to establish a cancer research center. This generous gift was the largest ever to a medical facility in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In our exclusive interview with them, Dwight Schar told us that the gift was personal because he knows all too well that with age comes the greater likelihood of cancer. “Now,” he says, “is the time to make a difference in the lives of our generation and beyond.”

We highlight philanthropists and charitable giving throughout the issue. In Inside Homes, we feature super lobbyist and art collector Tony Podesta, who has donated contemporary masterpieces worth approximately $8 million to various museums. Our Charity Spotlight is a firsthand account by Vanity Fair Special Correspondent Maureen Orth which tells why she created the Marina Orth Foundation to fund schools in Colombia. And our Innovators and Disruptors column features Sparo, a start-up founded by Rob Sobhani that allows consumers to designate a portion of their online purchases for charity.

We remain cognizant of the fact that not all giving has to be on a grand scale to have significance. While those on our Philanthropic 50 list may lead the pack when it comes to large gifts, “there are numerous smaller donors for whom philanthropy is a part of their DNA,” says Barbara Harman, president and editor of the “Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington,” the annual giving guide of vetted, local charities that serve the region. Last year, these donors used the catalogue to give over $3 million to community-based

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non-profits on the front lines of education, human services and the arts – gifts that ranged in size from $10 to $100,000. “Collectively,” says Harman, “they, too, are a significant part of the local philanthropic scene.”

Much of the party coverage this month features grand fundraisers where Washingtonians seemed particularly generous. From the Children’s Ball’s $4 million proceeds to the Kennedy Center Spring Gala’s $2 million, the Grey Soiree’s $1.2 million for the National Brain Tumor Society (spoiler alert: Sheryl Crow performed!) and the March of Dimes’ $800,000 to continue preventing premature births, it is clear that the spirit of giving is alive and well here.

The horse set was also in full gallop this month and we admit to downing a few mint juleps at both the Preakness and Gold Cup. We didn’t miss the festivities surrounding Washington’s annual “Nerd Prom” either, of course, so you’ll also see extended coverage of more than a dozen of the White House Correspondents Association weekend’s biggest parties. And we were there at the WL-sponsored Hirshhorn and Catholic Charities gala, the Refugees International’s dinner, as well as the Atlantic Council awards featuring Toby Keith and Quarry Springs’ grand opening reception.

Before we all start packing for our summer vacations, make sure to tune in next month for Tudor Place’s Garden Party, the WTEF Tennis Ball, Geico’s JTCC Gala and much more!

Nancy R. Bagley Editor in Chief Readers wishing to contact Nancy Bagley can email her at nbagley@washingtonlife.com

Among our community of donors were Savvas and Amy Savopoulos who, along with 10-year-old son Philip and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, tragically are no longer with us. The couple were known for their philanthropy and community engagement. They were regulars at charity events, involved in their childrens’ schools and together donated at least $100,000 to the National Cathedral School. The Washington Life family is heartbroken by their loss and we send our deepest condolences to their family and friends.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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FYIDC The Insider’s Guide to Washington

BY ERICA MOODY

SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL

PERUVIAN CULTURE

POLISH NATIONAL BALLET

DANCING DEBUT

Ballet fans won’t want to miss the first U.S. tour of the world-renowned Polish National Ballet, making a stop for two nights at the Kennedy Center to perform in Washington for the very first time. Directed and choreographed by the internationally recognized Krzysztof Pastor, the Warsawbased company is known for mixing classical and contemporary ballet styles to create a theatrical, entertaining show. It is presented by the Laurel Fund for the performing arts. June 23-24.Tickets range from $25-$95 and are on sale at the Kennedy Center box office, charge by phone at (202) 467-4600 and kennedy-center.org. For more information about the tour, visit thelaurelfund.org.

UNION MARKET DRIVE-IN SERIES

FLASHBACK FRIDAYS

Return to a bygone era this summer with Union Market’s popular drive-in movie series, now in its third year. To enhance the vintage vibe, the DC Rollergirls will be serving snacks and drinks on wheels, and all 40 Union Market vendors will be open for service during each movie night. Enter a spacious parking lot and catch a hit film projected onto the two-story front wall of the market. This year’s features include classic crowd favorites “Pretty Woman,� “Beverly Hills Cop,� “Space Jam� and “Jurassic Park.� Kicks off Friday, June 5 with “Jurassic Park� and goes through June 26. $10 per car. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the movie starts at 8 p.m. Union Market Parking Lot, 1309 5th St. NE Washington, DC.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS EVENTS

PETER PAN live

Put down that beach read and exercise your brain at the Library of Congress this summer. The numerous and mostly free public events there every month include lectures, readings and film screenings. The cerebral highlight this month is ScholarFest, “a unique mixture of rapid-fire dialogues, panels and scholarly conversations on a series of thought-provoking topics� bringing together 70 top thinkers in foreign policy, history, ethics, religion and other fields. The two-day event celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Library’s John W. Kluge Center. ScholarFest is June 10-11. For a complete list of events, visit www.loc.gov/loc.events.

Escape to “Neverland� for a spectacular stage production that brings the classic tale of J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan� to life. It takes place in the 100-foothigh ThreeSixty Theater, which is “in-the-round� style and features overhead surround computer generated imagery, actors performing in flying sequences 40 feet in the air and giant puppets. Whether you’re taking the kids or flying solo, it is sure to entertain lost boys and girls of all ages. June 24-August 16.

Tickets start at $25 for weekday performances and $45 for weekend performances.

ThreeSixty Theater at Tysons Corner Center. Chain Bridge Road and International Drive. Go to PeterPan360.com or Ticketmaster.com to buy tickets.

SCHOLARFEST AND MORE

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NEVERLAND IN NOVA

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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P H OTO C O U RT E SY O F S M I T H S O N I A N F O L K L I F E F E ST I VA L ; P H OTO BY J OY A S I C O ; P H OTO : P O L I S H N AT I O N A L B A L L E T M OV I N G R O O M S CO U RT E SY O F P O L I S H N AT I O N A L B A L L E T; P R O D U C T I O N P H OTO CO U RT E SY O F P E T E R PA N T H E TO U R

Peruvian artists and musicians will be on the National Mall for the 49th annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Every year the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage designates a new country of focus for the festival, and this year’s “PerĂş: Pachamamaâ€? will highlight links between diverse Peruvian and Peruvian American communities. More than 150 participants including dancers, craftspeople and cooks will show how Peruvians are adapting and preserving their traditional culture with the themes of “bridging past and present and reuniting community,â€? June 24-June 28 and July 1-July 5. Admission is free and hours are from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day, with special evening events beginning at 7 p.m. www. festival.si.edu.

FYIDC | INNOVATORS AND DISRUPTORS

PURCHASE WITH A PURPOSE Sparo Founder and local CEO Rob Sobhani created an e-commerce application that turns every online purchase into a charitable event.

BY VIRGINIA COYNE

HOW DO YOU USE SPARO? You use Sparo by shopping at a partnering Sparo merchant (like Citron Clothing). At the shopping cart you choose your favorite charity and the merchant will donate to it at no cost to the shopper. Our technology is very simple and can be easily embedded on any commerce site. Very soon, Sparo’s “Plug and Play” will allow any merchant anywhere in the U.S. or around the world to download our app and become an instant Sparo merchant partner.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA? Some years ago I was at the checkout counter of the Giant Food store on Rockville Pike. The lady in front of me realized that she could not afford the items she had in her cart. I told the clerk that the lady was with me and gave the clerk my card. When we left the Giant Food store she told me that due to circumstances beyond her control she had to now rely on local food banks. And then it occurred to me: what if Giant Food and every other merchant allowed me the choice to give to any charity at the check-out counter?

I knew Sparo was onto something big when in our fourth month of existence the executive director of Save A Child’s Heart told

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us that we had been helpful to them in raising money to literally save a child’s heart.

This was accomplished with one merchant. Imagine a world where every merchant joins the Sparo movement — we can lift the entire boat.

YOU DON’T HAVE A LOT OF MERCHANTS LISTED ON YOUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW. ARE MORE COMING SOON? HOW DO YOU GET COMPANIES ON BOARD AND WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR GROWTH? We are currently Rob Sobhani signing up smallto medium- sized merchants but hope to someday partner with larger companies in our region like Marriott: “Book a room at Marriott and Marriott will support your favorite charity.” We get companies on board by showing our results to them and letting them know they will increase in sales by partnering with Sparo. Our vision is to go public in a few years and to create a company that truly impacts the lives of others in a meaningful way every day and with every purchase.

INNOVATIVE THOUGHTS

What is your advice to other startup entrepreneurs?

Start with a game-changing idea and dream big. Then focus on understanding the challenges to your business. Create a welldefined road map to show investors to fund your idea and never take NO for an answer.

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P H OTO CO U RT E SY R O B SO BH A N I

WHAT IS SPARO? Sparo is the on ly e-commerce application completely embedded at the merchant’s site that allows shoppers to have a portion of their purchase donated to a nonprofit of their choice. Sparo is also a movement — think the intersection of Amazon and Facebook: shopping and sharing your experience of helping others. We want to create a world where every purchase in the U.S. and around the world becomes a charitable event impacting your local community or a community you have never visited. From Nepal to Nebraska, communities will be impacted by Sparo.

LIFE OF THE PARTY

WL-sponsored and Exclusive Events | Hirshhorn Gala, Kennedy Center Spring Gala, Washington Ballet Swan Ball and more!

Carrie and David Marriott at the Children’s Ball (Photo by Tony Powell)

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LIFE

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Stephan Cretier, Stephany Maillery andJean Michel Filiatrault (Photo by Joyce Boghosian)

Shirin Neshat Gwen Holliday, Dadi and Farinaz Akhavan and Stuart Holliday

WL SPONSORED

HIRSHHORN GALA

Fatemeh LeTellier

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

David and Niloofar Howe with Shabnam Fardanesh

Gisue Hariri, Sarvi Shahbazi and Nazgol Shahbazi

Fari Jalayer and Nina Rees

Ken Hakuta and Melissa Ho (Photo by Joyce Boghosian) 22

FOR ART’S SAKE: Art lovers, patrons and guests flew in from New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris for a preview of the museum’s latest exhibit “Shirin Neshat: Facing History,” the first museum-wide Iranian-American exhibition in a Smithsonian museum. This dramatic exhibition, a combination of photography, short films and video clips by Shirin Neshat, maps her evolution as an artist both in technique and point of view. Works include her trademark black-and-white photographs of hijab-clad woman with searing eyes, gun in one hand and a flower in the other; close-up shots of those impacted by the Arab Spring, their faces adorned with stanzas from powerful female poets and Iran’s most revered book of poetry “The Book of Kings”; and short-films capturing the alluring and equally frustrating contradictions of her homeland, Iran. Approximately 260 guests enjoyed cocktails outside the exhibition before joining Pat Mitchell of The Paley Center for Media for an intimate interview with the artist, who shared personal stories and photos from her childhood in Iran. The exhibit will be on view at the Hirshhorn through September 20.

Pat Mitchell and Layla Diba

Negah Angha

Calvin and Jane Cafritz, Christina Culver and Robert Heggestad

Lala Abdurahimova, Azerbaijan Amb. Elin Suleymanov and Afsaneh Tabrizian

Jill Udall, Hirshhorn Board Chairman Peggy Burnet and Sen. Tom Udall

Ghasem Ebrahimian and Jerome de Noirmont

Gala Co-Chairmen J. Tomilson and Janine Hill, Hirshhorn Director Elizabeth Chiu and Gala Vice Chairmen Mary and John Pappajohn (Photo by Joyce Boghosian) WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Deborah Rutter

Annette and Ted Lerner with David Rubenstein

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez

KENNEDY CENTER SPRING GALA

George and Jennifer Lowe

Grant Hill

Kennedy Center | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Ralph and Gwen Everett with Ann and Vernon Jordan

IT DON’T MEAN A THING: The sun was shining, the weather perfect as guests sipped preperformance cocktails on the River Terrace at the Kennedy Center’s annual spring gala, which raised nearly $2 million for Ken Cen programming. The celebration of swing harkened back to the “Big Band” jazz era of the 1930s and ’40s, with stunning performances from the wildly energetic and crowdpleasing Gottaswing DC quartet to a show-stopping rendition of “God Bless the Child,” performed by Jennifer Holliday that had the audience springing to its feet. Even though the expected host Wayne Brady was absent from the show due to flu, the program went off without a hitch; as any entertainer worth his salt knows “the show must go on.”

Dr. Howard Wesley and Earl Stafford

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Clarice Smith

Jack Evans

Carol Schwartz

German Amb. Peter Wittig and Huberta Wittig Tom Daffron and Sen. Susan Collins with Fred and Marlene Malek

Heather Kirby and James Johnson 24

Todd Lenahan, Elaine Wynn and John Gorsuch

Michael and Susan Harreld WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Ashley and Matt Bronczek

Amy and Bret Baier, Katy Ricalde and Leland Vittert

Abeer Al Otaiba with Robert and Elena Allbritton WL SPONSORED

THE CHILDREN’S BALL National Building Museum | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Norma and Russ Ramsey

ONE MAGICAL EVENING: This year’s “Secret Garden”-themed Children’s Ball raised over $4.1 million for Children’s National Health System. The hospital’s signature fundraiser was chaired by Norma and Russ Ramsey and attended by last year’s co-chairmen Amy and Bret Baier and United Arab Emirates Amb. Youssef Al Otaiba and wife Abeer, who helped bring in a record-breaking $10.8 million in 2014. FedEx Express President and CEO Dave Bronczek, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Café Milano owner Franco Nuchese were recognized for their contributions to the hospital during the Spring-inspired meal, which ended with daffodil cake!

Nuchese also served as travel planner for the largest live auction item — an Italian dream vacation that included stops in Milan, Rome and Florence.

Marcus Clark, Katie Rost, Andrew Martin and Rynthia Rost

Wolf Blitzer and Lynn Blitzer

Sen. Mark Warner, Lisa Collis Warner and Bob Hisaoka

Dr. Kurt Newman and Dave Bronczek 26

Jack Quinn and Liz Jaff

May and Jim Lintott

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Jean-Marie Fernandez, Jamie and Dave Dorros, Susanna Quinn, Patrice Brickman and Valeri MacIntyre

Shirley and Ed Henry with Anita McBride WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Sen. Orrin Hatch

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Bruce and Sharon Bradley with Jack Davies, Kay Kendall and Olvia Demetriou

Kristin and John Cecchi with Greg and Stacey Lubar

Anna and Robert Trone with Jennifer Whipp

Tiffany Braniff WL SPONSORED

WASHINGTON BALLET ‘SWAN BALL’ German Ambassador’s Residence PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

SWAN STARS: The Washington Ballet’s spring benefit is always a highlight of the spring social season and this year’s “Swan Ball,” themed to coincide with the company’s recent production of “Swan Lake,” was more beautiful and extravagant than ever.

After being totally transformed for the event, the formal entertaining rooms, basement “Ratskeller,” terrace and extensive gardens of the German Ambassador’s Residence remained open all night as guests sipped cocktails and enjoyed a pas de deux from the world’s most famous ballet before dining at two long tables and then hitting the dance floor until late.

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Dionna Dorsey and Andre Wells

Marc Cipullo, Sachiko Kuno, German Amb. Peter Wittig, Huberta Wittig, Septime Webre and Arthur Espinoza

Mark and Lyn McFadden

Shari and Davor Kapelina

Rudiger von Voss and Robert Haft

Washington Ballet dancers Alex Kim, Ayano Kimura, Maki Onuki and Tamas Krizsa

Anne Luskey and Lori Peters

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Anne Ashmore Hudson and James Hudson

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Mary Haft and Sylvia de Leon

Shigeko Bork

| J U N E | washingtonlife.com Ashley Bronczek, Stephanie Ahr and Reem Sadik

POLLYWOOD The Nexus of Politicsďš? Hollywoodďš? Media and Diplomacy | March of Dimes Gala, Refugees International Dinner, Embassy Row and more!

Tim Daly, Tea Leoni, Bob Schieffer at the National Journal/Atlantic’s pre White House Correspondent’s Dinner party (Photo by Tony Powell)

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POLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD ON TH E POTOMAC

Arianna Huffington

Cecily Strong at the MSNBC after party (Photo by Ben Droz)

Evan Ryan

Mayor Muriel Bowser

Idina Menzel

Elena and Robert Allbritton

WASHINGTON’S BIGGEST BASH Who went where over the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner weekend B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N

B

e careful what you wish for, sometimes you get it. Journalists attending the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner and the fourday weekend festivities surrounding it finally got theirs. After years of criticism that imports from L.A. were stealing their thunder, few A-list celebrities showed up.

Nobody seemed to mind at the “Welcome to Washington: A Salute to Women in Jour nalism” event at the home of Gloria Dittus where now retired ABC News reporter Ann Compton was honored. “We looked several years ago at events that were going on in Washington around the WHCA dinner and realized

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there was nothing that celebrated women, so we decided to do it,” Dittus said.

The pre-event circuit included a dinner at the home of Atlantic Media’s David Bradley, the Washington Jams event with Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell (sponsored

by Mother Nature Network), Politico’s “An Evening with John Legend” and an uber-private bash hosted by Funny or Die. Celebrity watchers were periodically compensated. Lucy Lui (“Elementary”), Connie Br itton (“Nashville”), and Constance Zimmer (“Entourage”) were at The Hill-Extra party at the Canadian Embassy where media folks got their due — including Fox News; media cr itic

Howie Kurtz, who said he wished Hillary Clinton had come to “throw herself on the mercy of 2,000 ravenous correspondents.”

Rock the Vote highlighted Gossip Girls star Kelly Rutherford. The United Nations Foundation, Devex, Foreign Affairs Magazine and Washington Life hosted actress Alfre Woodard, who plays President Constance Payton on NBC’s drama “State of Affairs.”

U.N. Foundation president Richard Parnell said he hoped that Woodard wouldn’t be the last Madam President in the near future, a reference to Hillary Clinton we’re guessing.

We want to thank PEOPLE/TIME for bringing us Michael Kelly, who plays White House Chief of Staff Doug Stamper to

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Elon Musk, Susan Blumenthal and Sen. Ed Markey Jenna Dewan Tatum

Diana Taylor and Michael Bloomberg

PRE-PARTIES AND RED CARPET [THE WASHINGTON HILTON] P H OTO S BY TO N Y P OW E L L

Martha Stewart

Lorraine Wallace, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Julie Chaffetz and Chris Wallace

Katie Couric

Philip Deutch and Marne Levine

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker

Tracee Ellis Ross

Hilary Rosen and Tammy Haddad

Bianna Golodryga and Peter Orszag

Sally and Mark Ein

GARDEN BRUNCH Carolyn Murphy

[MARK AND SALLY EIN RESIDENCE] P H OTO S BY TO N Y P OW E L L

Kelly Rutherford

Tina Tchen and Valerie Jarrett

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Hannah Davis

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Richard Woolfe and Chris Matthews

Chris Jansing and Tara Lipinski

Michael Kelly

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John Engler and Ajay Banga

David and Katherine Bradley, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi

Rep. Bill Paxon

Sally Quinn and Christopher Isham

Melinda Maxfield, Adrienne Elrod

DAVID & KATHERINE and Melissa Maxfield BRADLEY DINNER [BRADLEY RESIDENCE] P H OTO S BY TO N Y P OW E L L

Australian Amb. Kim Beazley and Susie Annus

t James Bennet

Claire McCaskill Jennifer and Jake Tapper

Adam Cahan, Anne Vyalitsyna

Howard Fineman and Amy Nathan

Darren Sands, Jummy Olabanji and Fran Holuba

Beata Gutman, George Lehner and Anastasia Dellaccio (Photo by Alfredo Flores)

GLOBAL BEAT PARTY [UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION]

Alfre Woodard

fictional President Kevin Spacey in “House of Cards.” “So, who is your character most aligned with in real life?” we asked him. “I am not going there,” he said. No kidding, especially since he ran over his girlfriend in the series. Patrick Gavin, who produced an unflattering portrait of the dinner in his new documentary, “Nerd Prom,” swore that the event was the only one he was attending!

Gina Rodr iguez was the honorary chair at OUR VOICES: Celebrating Diversity in Media. “Eventually, we are going to have the first Latino

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Michelle Taylor-Spearman and Autumn Burnett

P H OTO S BY TO N Y P OW E L L

president come out of Voto Latino,” the group’s CEO, Maria Teresa Kumar, said.

Arts advocates showed up for The Creative Coalition’s party with Tim Daly, actor Jason Isaacs, “Gossip Girl” alum Michelle Trachtenberg and Emily Osment, who stars in the ABC show “Young & Hungry.”

Most of the aforementioned piled on at the annual Garden Brunch spearheaded

by Tammy Haddad on Saturday at the home of Mark and Sally Ein where guests loaded up on Bloody Marys anticipating the rest of the weekend.

There was lots of eye candy on the red carpet at the actual dinner, including supermodels Chrissy Teigen, Adriana Lima and Chanel Iman. But as one guest put it, “Who are these people?” The more recognizable carpet strollers were Jane Fonda, Bradley Cooper, Katie Couric, Ronan Far row and Donald Trump.

The CBS/Atlantic pre-party boasted former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and actors Tim Daly and Tea Leoni. The threesome were inseparable. In the CBS “Madam Secretary” series, Tea plays a fictional secretary

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Fred Humphries, Gina Rodriguez, David Sutphen and Maria Teresa Kumar

VOTO LATINO “OUR VOICES” PARTY

Jose Diaz-Balart

Al Sharpton and Aisha McShaw

[HAY-ADAMS HOTEL] P H O T O S B Y V I T H AYA P H O N G S AVA N

Laverne Cox

MSNBC AFTER PARTY [UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE]

Michael Eric Dyson and Tamron Hall

Andrea Mitchell

P H O T O S B Y B E N D R OZ

Mary Anne and Abby Huntsman

Emily Tisch Sussman and Meredith Fineman Canadian Guard and Ambassador Gary Doer

ROCK THE VOTE PARTY

Ben and Ashley Chang

[BLIND WHINO] P H OTO S BY TO N Y P OW E L L

REUTERS BRUNCH

Nikki Schwab, Scott Brodbeck, Judy Kurtz and Neil Grace

[HAY-ADAMS HOTEL]

Nick Schmit and Jonathan Capehart

P H O T O S B Y B E N D R OZ

Kiki Burger and Ashley Spillane

THE HILL & EXTRA PARTY [CANADIAN EMBASSY]

of state and co-star Daly plays her husband.

Throw in CBS‘ Bob Schieffer and you have the perfect “Nerd Prom.” Leoni was Schieffer’s date, Daly claimed Albright ... besties forever.

Guests were still laughing at the hilarity of President Obama’s speech en route to the MSNBC After Party where “bucket list” took on new meaning after his amusing post-dinner remarks to a receptive audience. (“Do you have a bucket list? I say, well I have something that rhymes with bucket. Immigration executive action? Bucket!”) Dinner host Cecily Strong also held her own: “President Obama came

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out in support for putting women on money — as opposed to DEA agents who prefer to put money on women.” Late night elsewhere: included the Bloomberg/Vanity Fair closer at the French ambassador’s residence.

The Hangover Tour: the Allbritton, Reuters and CNN brunches were morningafter destinations. Guests at CNN included Donna Brazile, Sam Feist. Wolf Blitzer, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash and Suzanne Malveaux.

No where in sight: the Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts of the world. Be careful what you wish for!

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P H O T O S B Y B E N D R OZ

Michelle Kosinski and Don Lemon

Lucy Liu

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POLLYWOOD | EMBASSY ROW

Open Door Policy Culture Binging, a Stitch in Time and Opera in the Round

Sir Peter and Lady Westmacott stand beside a uniform jacket of the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars, Sir Winston Churchill’s old regiment, and made by the same Savile Row tailor in the Churchill room of the British Embassy residence.

MI CASA IS WHOSE CASA?: There seems no

limit to the versatile use of embassy residences in the service of public diplomacy. Here are a few recent examples. May 7: British Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and wife Susie hold a British election day reception to witness amazing results unfold on multiple television screens; May 14: the British residence reception rooms are decked out with a display of historical and contemporary bespoke suits to celebrate the excellence of Savile Row tailoring; May 15: Spanish Ambassador Ramon Gil-Casares hosts a live performance of Bizet’s opera “Carmen” in the main salon of his residence.

For the British election day reception, which began amid uncertainty about the result but ended with an unexpected victory for Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, the embassy was hooked up to the BBC’s election coverage. For atmospherics, an actual size replica of the 10 Downing Street door had been installed and guests could test their knowledge of British democracy on a mul-

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tiple-choice quiz printed on cards. A bagpipe band from the Scots Guards serenaded guests in the embassy garden – even as the separatist Scottish National Party was sweeping the board in Scotland; just a coincidence – the bagpipers happened to be on a U.S. tour.

A week later, the party theme was “Savile Row and America: A Sartorial Special Relationship.” The political ‘special relationship’ may not be enjoying its finest hour, but English bespoke (a very English trade word meaning “made to order”) tailoring still has a large enough number of affluent American customers to justify regular U.S. visits by cutters and fitters.

The clothes on show from such distinguished Savile Row houses as Henry Poole, Kilgour, Huntsman, Gieves & Hawkes, and Dege & Skinner included a frock coat made for William F. “Buffalo Bill’ Cody, a range of items from the actor Gregory Peck’s wardrobe and suits and jackets made for three U.S. presidents.

Sir Peter, whose dinner jacket by Chester Barrie was included in the show, said Washington was an appropriate venue for showing

the art of the tailor because “it’s a town where everyone has to wear a suit and tie.”

Opera Camerata is a Washington operatic group that makes house calls – assuming the house can accommodate their small stage and a chamber orchestra – and still leave room for an audience. Such as, for example, the long, main reception room of the Spanish residence, where the group in May performed Bizet’s “Carmen.”

The quintessentially Spanish opera (even if composed by a Frenchman) was sung with passion and distinction by the talented young cast that had recently performed “Madama Butterfly” at the Japanese Embassy Residence.

Opera Camerata hopes to make such diplomatic venues a regular part of its repertoire. In its choices thus far, the group has linked the subject of the opera to the respective embassy rather than the composer’s nationality. On that basis, the group could consider Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri” for the Algerian Embassy, the same composer’s “William Tell” for the embassy of Switzerland, Handel’s “Giulio Cesare in Egitto” for the Egyptian Embassy.

The month of May was one long cultural binge on Embassy Row. International Cultural Awareness Month allowed Washingtonians to cross the frontier into the embassies of over 50 nations where they could pet alpacas, play with robots, get a quick lesson in capoeira – a Brazilian combination of dance and martial arts – and taste Middle Eastern dishes.

On May 9, the European Union’s 28 embassies in the District – from Luxembourg to Germany – held their now famous annual open house, which drew record crowds for more food sampling (including the Austrian Embassy’s demonstration of apple strudel making live!), a cornucopia of free samples, entertainment, and – in several embassies – rare contact with the nation’s armed forces.

The Lithuanian Embassy hosted the Ukrainian Embassy, an aspiring EU country, but thanks to Russia nowhere near there yet.

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CO U RT E SY P H OTO

BY ROLAND FLAMINI

Jennifer Duncan, Bob Colacello and Eleanor Acquavella

Artist Don Gummer with Secretary of State John F. Kerry

Virginia Coleman, Eden Rafshoon and Sophie l’Hélias Delattre

WL EXCLUSIVE

Vera and Donald Blinken

FOUNDATION FOR ART AND PRESERVATION IN EMBASSIES U.S. Department of State PHOTOS COURTESY OF FOUNDATION FOR ART AND PRESERVATION IN EMBASSIES

DIPLOMATIC CRAFT: Patrons and philanthropists joined Secretary of State John F. Kerry to honor famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the latest recipient of the Foundation for Arts and Preservation in Embassies’ prestigious Annenberg Award for Diplomacy through the Arts. After calling art the “link of universal qualities that unite us together,” Ma eschewed further words to play his “Appalachia Waltz” and a “Mongolian folk tune” for his rapt audience. MAJOR DONORS: After noting FAPE’s $85 million gift of art and funds to U.S. embassies and ambassadorial residences over the years, Kerry presided over the unveiling of recent contributions by artists Don Gummer, Jeff Koons, Sylvia Plimack Mangold, Cindy Sherman and Bre Weston.

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Artist Jeff Koons with his print “Play-doh”

Heather Watts, Meryl Streep and Damian Woetzel

Jo Carole Lauder

Theaster Gates, Molly Donovan, Yo-Yo Ma and Darren Walker

Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer and Sharon Rockefeller

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Alma Gildenhorn

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POLLYWOOD

Luis Alberto Moreno and Queen Noor

Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville

Janet Phillips

Maureen Orth and Luke Russert WL SPONSORED

REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL DINNER

Nels and Kristen Olson, Drs. Eileen and Jim MacDonald

Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL PROTECTING THE DISPLACED: Founded in 1979 as a citizens’ movement to protect Indochinese refugees, Refugees International is now a leading advocacy organization. Its gala this year raised more than $787,000 in support of lifesaving advocacy, including $33,000 to fund missions in Myanmar and Iraq. Spanish Amb. Ramon Gil-Casares served as honorary chair, Frederica and George Valanos were benefit chairmen and Nels Olson was global partnership chairman, with actor Matt Dillon, a member of Refugees International’s board of directors, doing the honors as master of ceremonies. Tun Khin, Maureen Orth and Sue Morton were among those honored for their humanitarian work.

WISE WORDS: Chris Coons, upon receiving the Congressional Leadership Award, said that he believed strongly that “in the wealthiest nation on Earth, our ability to broaden our definition of neighbor to include every American is at the core of the American experiment. So, too, is this our challenge globally — building tolerance and compassion for those around the world who are most in need of help.”

Majida Mourad and Rep. Mike Turner

Marisol Pearlstein, Mariella Trager and Casilda Hevia

Kathryn Rand

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Robin West, Eileen Shields West, Lily West, Ben Pfinsgraff and Wyeth West

Matt Dillon and Roberta Mastromichele

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Spanish Amb. Ramon Gil-Casares and Shamim Jawad

Nina Saglimbeni, Dino Saglimbeni and Tatiana Maxwell

Sydney McNiff Johnson and Amb. Francis Cook

Shaista and Ray Mahmood, Rachel Pearson

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POLLYWOOD

Brent Scowcroft, Bob Hormats and Shaukat Aziz

Scotty Emerick and Toby Keith

Greg and Kim Jones

ATLANTIC COUNCIL AWARDS Chad Whalen, Dawne Hickton, Jon Huntsman and Allan McArtor

Curt Motley and Jessica Rogan

Kylie Petron , Will Huntsman and Mary Kaye Huntsman

Felix Bighem, Annie Boutin-King and Frederic Lefebvre

Ritz Carlton Washington| PHOTOS BY VITHAYA PHONGSAVAN INTERNATIONAL HONORS: The Atlantic Council recognized Gen. Philip Breedlove, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe; Afgan President Ashraf Ghani; Lockheed Martin President and CEO Marillyn Hewson; and country music singer Toby Keith, who has performed for U.S. troops around the globe, for their “leadership, vision, and character” at its annual awards dinner. More than 900 guests from 50 countries came to toast the honorees. “It is hard to imagine a more deserving and diverse quartet of leaders who through bravery, perseverance, ingenuity and integrity have served as an inspiration to countless others,” said Atlantic Council chairman Jon Huntsman.

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Linda Zachrison, Bjorn and Madeleine Lyrvall

Alyse Nelson and Producer Bonnie Nelson Schwartz WL EXCLUSIVE

‘SEVEN’ PERFORMANCE

Lynn Lewis, Myrna Faucett and Arlie Schardt John Podesta and Susan Stamberg

George Washington University | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP ON THE WORLD STAGE: Swedish Amb. Bjorn Lyrvall, Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler and NPR’s Susan Stamberg were among the leaders in politics, diplomacy, media and the arts who read roles in a special performance of “Seven” at GW’s Marvin Theatre. The poignant play, written by seven award-winning female playwrights, chronicles the lives of seven women who helped combat sexual assault, domestic violence, sex trafficking and other abuses in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Cambodia, Russia, Nigeria and Guatemala. The play was filmed for an upcoming broadcast documentary called The Power of 7

Tom Wheeler and Christina Cerna

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Franki Roberts and Sen. Pat Roberts Sens. Pat Toomey and Tom Udall Rep. Dave Loebsack and Terry Loebsack

Sen. Susan Collins

WL SPONSORED

MARCH OF DIMES GOURMET GALA National Building Museum | PHOTOS BY JEFF MALLET

Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Mark Warner

FOR THE PEOPLE: The competition was fierce as 44 members of Congress competed, alongside their spouses, in a charitable cook-off, with six emerging victorious. Sen. Pat Roberts and Franki Roberts snagged the coveted People’s Choice award for their delicious curried chicken balls, while Rep. Lynn Westmoreland and Joan Westmoreland, Rep. Sanford Bishop and Vivian Bishop, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Verne Martell, Rep. Doris Matsui and Sen. Chris Coons and Annie Coons also took home awards for their (usually regional) recipes. The long-standing, light-hearted fundraiser mixed things up this year by removing the seated dinner from the program and putting all the emphasis on the members’ cooking, with moving video tributes throughout the evening to remind guests that the cause was anything but lighthearted. More than $800,000 was raised to continue funding March of Dimes, which has contributed to the prevention of 230,000 premature births in the U.S.

Sen. Joe Manchin and Gayle Manchin Dr. Kurt Newman, Melissa Maxfield, Grace Nelson and Sen. Bill Nelson

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Sen. Ben Cardin, John Bessler and Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Paul and Sara Raak with sons Henry and Oliver Jeff Tunks and Lori Welsh WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Sen. Al Franken

Diana Enzi, Elijah Jackson and Sen. Mike Enzi 41

special FEATURE | the philanthropic 50

the

philanthropic

T

The state of giving in our nation’s capital is

and construction moguls, hotel magnates and sports team owners.

strong. Everywhere you look in this great

Some are lifelong donors born into monied, philanthropic

city, and its surrounding communities, are the

families, while others are self-made millionaires and billionaires

philanthropic footprints of the benefactors who

who have committed to giving a significant portion of their

figure prominently on our annual list. You’ll see

wealth to charitable causes.

their names on university buildings and hospitals; you’ll experience

Such generous donors set an example for us all, and are listed

the programs and upgrades they helped fund at institutions like

here because of the scope of their gifts, yet they do not hold

the Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian; a monopoly on charitable giving. A recent Charles Schwab and then there are the things that are not so visible – like the

survey found that despite 60 percent of respondents saying the

District schoolchildren who have seen improvements in education

Washington metropolitan area is one of the most expensive

and their communities as a result of funds earmarked for their

in the country when it comes to cost of living, a majority of

betterment through a number of private foundations.

Washingtonians still view charitable giving as an essential part of

The givers are current and former tech executives, real estate

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their lives. >>

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ADRIENNE ARSHT An active and highly visible presence on the philanthropic scene in Washington, Miami and New York, Arsht’s main loves are the performing and visual arts. Last year, she was the executive producer and underwriter of “Michael Feinstein at the Rainbow Room,” the inaugural show in the newly restored landmark NewYork restaurant and nightclub. In Washington, she chaired the first gala for the Kevin Spacey Foundation, which helps emerging artists with scholarships, underwrites the creation of new works and designs “bespoke education opportunities.” She continues to be a major supporter of many well known arts institutions, including the Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, Metropolitan Opera, Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York City Ballet.

YOUSEF AND ABEER AL OTAIBA Much of the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United States and his wife Abeer’s giving is through the UAE, but the couple also donates to causes on their own, supporting both smaller local charities, where they’ve hosted fund-raisers in their residence, and larger, more well-known organizations. In 2014, as co-chairmen with Bret and Amy Baier of the Children’s Ball they famously helped raise a record $10.8 million for Children’s National Medical Center. In years past, through the UAE, Ambassador Al Otaiba facilitated a $150 million gift to the hospital to create the Seikh Zeyad Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, and helped his country give other significant gifts to disaster relief groups aiding in efforts to help victims of Hurricane Sandy, the Joplin, Mo. tornadoes and other tragedies. Additionally, Abeer serves as the honorary chari of the Hope for Henry Foundation, which helps improve the day-today experience of children with cancer and life-threatening blood disease year-round at Children’s National and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

SALEM AND RIMA AL-SABAH They are a staple on the Washington social scene, and arguably give the most interesting parties in town, but Kuwaiti Ambassador Salem Al-Sabah, and his wife Rima, a former

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journalist and career philanthropist who was recently appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United National Refugee Agency (UNHCR), are also a philanthropic force.

Through the Kuwait-America Foundation, where Rima is founder and chairman of the annual gala, the couple has raised millions for UNICEF to build schools for girls in Afghanistan, Project HOPE to build a children’s hospital in Iraq, Malaria No More to support the fight against the disease in Africa and the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir, Va. Last fall, the gala raised significant funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Proceeds from the 2015 event will assist UNHCR’s efforts to help Syrian refugees, a cause particularly dear to the new goodwill ambassador’s heart. “There are today over 51 million refugees and displaced persons worldwide,” Rima Al-Sabah says. “This is the highest number since the end of World War II. UNHCR is in need of continued and broad public support to provide lifesaving assistance to refugees.” The Al-Sabahs have also generously given to Georgetown University Hospital’s pediatrics department, Children’s National Medical Center and the Diplomacy Center Foundation at the State Department, among other causes.

BRET AND AMY BAIER Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier and his wife Amy, whose son Paul was born with congenital heart disease, have been staunch supporters of Children’s Hospital for years. The Baiers teamed up with UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba and his wife Abeer to chair the 2014 Children’s Ball and help raise an unprecedented $10.8 million for the medical center. Bret Baier returned this year to emcee the gala, which raised more than $4 million. His book, “Special Heart” released in 2014 outlines the couple’s and their son’s experience. The Baiers pledged that all proceeds from the book would go directly to organizations researching congenital heart disease. In January of last year, Children’s National awarded the couple with the inaugural Joseph E. Robert Jr. Prize in Philanthropy in recognition of their “generosity as parents,

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Patrice and Scott Brickman

Ann and Donald Brown

Martha and Dwight Schar

43 Ashley and Alan

Dabbierre

board members, donors, and advocates for children.” Additionally, Bret Baier sits on the board of First Tee, an organization that promotes life skills and leadership through the game of golf as well as No Greater Sacrifice, an organization providing money and scholarships to families of wounded and fallen service members. The Baier family was also the signature sponsor of this year’s Children’s Ball and Saving Tiny Hearts.

Michael Klein and Joan Fabry

Jeff Veatch

Patrice Bauman

May and Jim Lintott

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David and Carrie Marriott

PATRICIA BAUMAN As president of the Bauman Foundation, founded by her late father, New York attorney and noted philanthropist Lionel R. Bauman, Patricia Bauman directs between $5 million to $6 million in annual grants to environmental advocacy and public health organizations as well as to groups working towards more open government and civic participation. The foundation’s endowment is between $90-$100 million and is intended to have perpetual life. Grantees include the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Voter Participation Center, the Urban Institute, the Working America Education Fund, the Brennan Center for Justice and dozens of other like-minded groups. Bauman is also vice chairman of the NRDC and co-chairman of the Brennan Center for Justice. The foundation, she says, “believes in advocacy for progressive change. This takes ‘patient capital’ and hope for a democratic future and healthy environment.”

DAVID AND KATHERINE BRADLEY The founder and chairman of Atlantic Media—publisher of The Atlantic, National Journal and Defense One, among other publications—and his wife Kather ine Brittain Bradley, have centered their giving on helping the underprivileged, particularly children. Through their CityBr idge Foundation, which originally started as a best practices enterprise within The Advisory Board Company, their primary focus is on building a citywide system of high-performing schools in Washington, D.C. Katherine serves as president of the foundation, whose signature projects include

the Education Innovation Fellowship, a yearlong program for teachers, and Breakthrough Schools: D.C., a school design competition. Both initiatives launched in 2013 to help educators learn about the newest innovations in personalized learning and change the educational landscape in Washington. Additionally, the Bradleys are founding investors in Venture Philanthropy Partners, a philanthropic investment group that funds nonprofit organizations with a special focus on the educational needs of children from low-income families in the National Capital Region. According to Mrs. Bradley, “We believe that the school is the essential lever in ending poverty: Great schools can eliminate—not just lessen—inequity.” The Bradleys also contribute generously to KIPP and truly helped establish a presence for Teach For America in the national capital region; this year’s gala raised a record-breaking record $1.6 million and the Bradley’s personally donated $50,000.

SCOTT AND PATRICE BRICKMAN Scott and Patr ice Br ickman are big benefactors who are just as well known for rolling up their sleeves and giving of their time as they are for their generous donations to Washington-area non-profits. Scott, the former chairman of the Brickman Group, one of the largest commercial landscaping companies in the United States, currently serves on the board of Catholic Charities and the Don Bosco Cristo Rey School. His wife, Patrice King Brickman, has been involved in numerous groups and projects aimed at alleviating poverty and homelessness and currently serves on the boards of Wolf Trap Foundation, Ascend and CharityWorks. As a couple, they serve on board of the Upward Bound Foundation, a Potomac-based group that provides funding for students to receive scholarships for college. Previous recipients for the Montgomery County Philanthropists of the Year award, the Brickmans make giving a family affair and along with their four children are regular volunteers at the National Center to Children and Families as well as local shelters and soup kitchens.

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DONALD AND ANN BROWN Donald Brown, a real estate attorney and co-founder of JBG Real Estate Companies, and his wife Ann, a former chairman of the Consumer Products Safety Commission, have given generously to at least a dozen schools and educational causes over the years.

Ditto the arts, including the Washington National Opera, Phillips Collection, National Symphony and Arena Stage. Most recently, their $2 million gift in 2011 helped to renovate Palm Beach Dramaworks, an acclaimed professional resident theater company in West Palm Beach, Fla. Their philanthropic priorities have now changed.

“We want to focus on palpable social return in poor communities,” Ann Brown recently said, mentioning a current favorite: A Wider Circle [See related story on page 48], which has received their initial $100,000 donation to provide bedding and furnishings to families leaving shelters.

CALVIN AND JANE CAFRITZ With close to a half-billion dollars in assets, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is one of the Washington area’s largest philanthropic entities and also one of the most prolific, loyal and creative. Since its creation in 1970, it has given away $428 million to more than 900 deserving non-profit organizations in five general areas (arts and humanities, community services, education, health and the environment) under the capable direction of Calvin Cafritz, the founders’ eldest son.

With help from his wife Jane, the foundation continues to support many established causes (Washington National Opera, Iona Senior Services, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, etc.) but is also known for its willingness to get behind new and innovative groups such as DC Greens, which helps people from all backgrounds gain access to affordable healthy food. Last year the Cafritz Foundation distributed $17.5 million to 424 recipients.

BUFFY CAFRITZ When Bill Cafritz died in August, he left generous and substantial bequests to four organizations that he, along with his wife Buffy, had been supporting for years: the

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National Gallery of Art, National Institutes of Health, Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center. The couple’s Buffy and William Cafritz Family Foundation, which Buffy Cafritz will continue to direct, supports numerous causes including the Washington Ballet, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Signature Theater, the Wilson Center, the Lincoln Awards: A Concert for Veteran and Military Families, the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies and many more.

STEVE AND JEAN CASE Former America Online CEO Steve Case and his wife Jean, a marketing executive at the company, made their $1.3 billion fortune working for AOL, before shifting to philanthropy. They co-founded the Case Foundation in 1997 (Jean Case is CEO), which takes an entrepreneurial approach to giving by funding ideas and initiatives that will make meaningful change in communities.

They say their work currently falls into three areas: revolutionizing philanthropy, unleashing entrepreneurship and igniting civil engagment. The foundation has given more than $100 million to charitable causes, including City Year, Americorps, Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure and America’s Promise.

The Cases have also signed “The Giving Pledge” and have publically reaffirmed their commitment to give away the bulk of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

BETTY BROWN CASEY Casey single-handedly oversees the Eugene B. Casey Foundation, established by her late husband, Gene, a Maryland construction magnate. Its reported assets are close to $200 million and it gives away tens of millions annually to schools, hospitals and the arts.

The foundation established the Casey Health Institute, an integrative medicine center in Montgomery County, with $29.2 million and funded the Casey Trees Project to restore the tree canopy of Washington, D.C. to the tune of $35 million. Casey has given grants to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Suburban Hospital and the Washington National Opera, where she was rewarded with the lifetime chairman title.

In 2014, the foundation made a $1 million

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Alice Clark

Albert Small

Heather and Andy Florance

Micheline Klagsbrun and Ken Grossinger

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Cindy and Evan Jones

donation to her alma mater,Washington College in Chestertown, Md., which has received her gifts for three decades, to enhance the campus swim center.“Quite simply, Betty Casey and her husband, Eugene, through the Eugene B. Casey Foundation, have transformed Washington College with their support,” noted college President Mitchell Reiss.

Alfred Moses

Marilyn and George Pederson

Pierre Chao When it comes to investing money, Pierre Chao brings three decades of experience to the table. Currently, he is the co-founder and managing partner of Enlightenment Capital, a private investment firm with $80 million of committed capital focused on providing debt and minority equity capital to middle market companies. Previously he co-founded Renaissance Strategic Advisors.

Off the clock, Chao focuses his time on CharityWorks, where he serves as a member of the Advisory Board (whose members raise up to 85 percent of the funds donated to partners), and is often spotted at the annual 100 Point Vintage Wine Tasting Dinner.

ALICE CLARK AND COURTNEY CLARK PASTRICK Billionaire investor and philanthropist A. James Clark, chairman and CEO of Clark Enterprises, the parent holding company of one of the largest privately-held general contractors in the United States, died in March of this year, but his family – including wife Alice – are continuing his tradition of grand giving through the Clark Family Foundation, which daughter Courtney Clark Pastrick serves as president. The foundation’s mission is to provide a better quality of life for people living in the region, with a special focus on medical research, health care and education. Additionally, Clark Enterprises and its affiliated companies made contributions totaling $16.4 million to charitable organizations in 2013 alone, $13.9 million of which directly benefited groups in the Washington metropolitan area.

During his lifetime, A. James Clark gave tens of millions of dollars to the University of Maryland, where the A. James Clark School of Engineering bears his name (as does the A. James Clark Scholarship Endowment for

Pierre Chao

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Susan Carmel Lehrman

Clark School undergraduates). According to the university, Clark gave $15 million before his death to support the design and construction of the A. James Clark Hall, a hub for human health innovation that is slated to open in 2017.

BILL AND JOANNE CONWAY Along with his Carlyle Group co-founders Dan D’Aniello and David Rubenstein, Bill Conway has been dubbed by the Washington Post as one of the “go-to guys for public charity” in the region. In 2011, the Conways pledged to give away at least $1 billion, focusing on education and so far have given away at least $55 million in scholarships and tuition-assistance for nursing programs at five local universities, including $5.24 million through their Bedford Falls Foundation in April to the University of Maryland School of Nursing. It was the school’s largest donation ever and will be used to expand enrollment by providing full scholarships to 157 “Conway Scholars.” Past gifts include $5 million to to the Center for Employment Training at So Others Might Eat; $10 million to Catholic Charities; $10 million to the Archdiocese of Washington; $5 million to University of Virginia School of Nursing; $5 million to the Capital Area Food Bank; and more than $1 million to Children’s National Medical Center.

ALAN AND ASHLEY DABBIERE When Ashley Dabbiere was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2012, she and her husband, tech entrepreneur Alan Dabbiere, determined to make a difference. They have pledged or given $10 million to fund brain tumor research and in May, brought Sheryl Crow to play a concert in the backyard of their McLean home for a benefit they named the “Grey Soirée.” The event was a huge success, raising more than $1 million for the National Brain Tumor Society. “When I put my mind to something, I can move mountains,” Ashley Dabbiere said at the dinner, “and tonight I’m just getting started. We need to cure this disease.” The Dabbieres have also given $1 million to Inova Health System — where Alan is board chairman of the foundation — to support various medical priorities,

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including a major commitment to establish a new fetal medicine research fund. Both are involved in efforts to improve childhood education. Alan Dabbiere is a trustee of The Potomac School and his wife is on the board of the Lab School of Washington.

JACK DAVIES AND KAY KENDALL Davies is the founder and former president of AOL International and a current partner at local sports powerhouse Monumental Sports and Entertainment. He and his wife Kay Kendall, like Steve and Jean Case, have used their assets and influence to make a substantial impact on the face of philanthropy in the nation’s capital.

Davies is a founding investor and member of the board of Venture Philanthropy Partners, which looks to build high performing non-profits serving low-income youth in the area. He also serves on the board of Teach for America, the See Forever Foundation (which oversees the Maya Angelou public charter school) and CharityWorks, where he founded the annual 100 Point Vintage Wine Tasting that has raised over $3.7 million for children and families in the area. Kendall, the new chairman of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, is a former board president of the Washington Ballet and a patron of CityDance. The couple also support the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) in Ward 8, which helps underserved children and adults who reside east of the Anacostia River by providing dance classes, music instruction, fine arts, academics, mentoring, tutoring, recreation, medical care and other services at little or no cost.

ALBERT AND CLARIE DWOSKIN Through their Albert and Claire Dwoskin Family Foundation and the Children’s Medical Safety Research Institute, the Dwoskins have worked tirelessly for years to protect children’s health. They have underwritten, supported and organized health conferences, including last month’s AutismOne Conference. Claire Dwoskin has served on the board of the National Vaccine Information Center since 2006 and received its Lifetime Contribution to Autoimmunity award last year. Research

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funded by the family foundation was featured in a documentary she helped produce called “The Age of Aluminum.” The couple have also been generous donors to the Teach for America galas over the years and serve as cochairmen of the Fairfax Library Foundation’s Endowment.

RAUL AND JEAN-MARIE FERNANDEZ Raul and Jean-Marie Fernandez are highly visible philanthropists with a special interest in education reform. Raul Fernandez, chairman of ObjectVideo (which develops video analytics software for automated security surveillance) and vice chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, is also a co-founder of Venture Philanthropy Partners, a group of executives who make investments in area non-profits. Since 2012, he’s served as chairman of Fight for Children’s Fight Night, a popular fall fundraising event that raised a record $4.7 million for the cause in 2014 and is on track to raise more than $5 million this year. The couple’s Fernandez Foundation supports programs to better the lives of underprivileged children in the Washington area. They are also big benefactors of Children’s National Health System and CharityWorks.

George and Trish Vradenburg

Scott and Christy Wallace

KEN AND BONNIE FELD It’s no surprise that a family that made a fortune performing shows for an audience would choose to support theatrically-oriented institutions. The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus CEO may have shaken things up this year with his announcement to phase out the circus’ popular elephant act by 2018, but Ken Feld has remained consistent in his giving, including more than $1.2 million to Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the past six years alongside donations to alma mater Boston University (more than $10 million over the years), Signature Theatre, the Smithsonian, the New York’s Actor’s Fund, the Theatre Development Fund and the Ringling Museum.

Beatrice and Anthony Welters

ANDY AND HEATHER FLORANCE Andy Florance created the nation’s largest online resource for commercial real estate

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Annette and Ted Lerner

data in his dorm room at Princeton at 1986.

Since then, he has directed CoStar Group’s expansion from start-up to its marketleading position today with 2,300 employees worldwide. Outside the fast-paced world of real estate, he and his wife Heather enjoy an active social life and have been spotted at numerous charitable functions, including the Children’s Ball most recently. The couple have committed to helping Children’s National Hospital raise the $5.53 million needed for a 7,200-square-foot rooftop healing garden dedicated to the first ladies of the U.S. So far, under the their leadership, $1.7 million has been donated or pledged. Andy Florance also serves as a trustee of the Shakespeare Theatre Company and served with Heather on the 2014 Gala Committee.

Bonnie and Ken Feld

Michelle Freeman

Robert and Arlene Kogod

Bob Hisaoka

MICHELLE FREEMAN Michelle Freeman is chairman and president of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation and the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, the latter of which she founded after the tragic death of her husband Josh in a 2006 helicopter crash. The foundations both fund non-profit organizations that support communities where Freeman Companies employees “live and play.” Through the FACES (Freeman Assists Communities with Extra Support), the Carl M. Freeman Foundation gives generous annual grants to groups in both Montgomery County, Md. and Sussex Country, Del., where the Freeman Companies developed Sea Colony in the 1960s.

The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation supports the Freeman Stage Series at Bayside, an open air performing arts venue located near Fenwick Island in honor of its namesake, who was passionate about the arts. Michelle Freeman also serves on the boards of the Washington National Opera, CharityWorks and YouthAIDS. KEN GROSSINGER AND MICHELINE KLAGSBRUN A former community activist and top labor movement strategist, Ken Grossinger is chairman and co-founder, along with wife Micheline Klagsbrun, of the CrossCurrents Foundation, which supports social and economic justice. The foundation’s work, according to Grossinger, is rooted in the idea that there are times when ordinary people

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Lynn an dTed Leonsis

can make social change if they have sufficient resources and opportunities to give voice to their concerns. CrossCurrents focuses on areas where private funding can make a strategic difference to community organizing and public education campaigns about critical issues. It also funds socially relevant public art. Grantees include the National Domestic Workers Alliance; Casa de Maryland; Alliance for Justice; The Center for Health, Environment and Justice; Rock the Vote and the Brennan Center for Justice. “The more philanthropic dollars we dedicate to social change, the more social justice we are likely to achieve, “ says Grossinger, who serves as chairman of the Alliance for Justice and as a board member of the Environmental Grantmakers Association and Grantmakers in the Arts. Klagbrun serves on the boards of the Phillips Collection, Transformer and the New School’s Vera List Center for Art and Politics.

ROBERT HISAOKA Hisaoka is the true embodiment of making lemonade from some serious lemons. After the loss of his sister Joan to cancer, he created the Joan Hisaoka Make a Difference Gala, which has raised more than $7 million in seven years, with last year’s gala drawing in $1.43 million; $1.2 million was distributed to the event’s three beneficiaries: Life with Cancer, The Smith Center for Healing and the Arts and The Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer. For the third year in a row, Hisaoka was the lead sponsor of the Teach for America Gala (he donated $100,000) and in October he was honored at the Sack Cancer Gala by the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and the American Cancer Society. He also became an investor in the New School Venture Fund, focusing on charter schools and reforming public education for low income students in the District. For much of 2014, Hisaoka, a former Olympic hopeful in judo, was actively involved with the failed attempt to bring the 2024 summer Olympics to Washington, D.C. EVAN AND CINDY JONES It can be quite difficult to keep up with the Joneses, particularly when talking about Cindy and Evan Jones, who have given generously

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both of their time and resources to the local community over the years. Longtime supporters and volunteers at Children’s National Medical Center, they have given well over $1 million to the hospital (the couple plan to extend that gift shortly and give another $500,000) in addition to endowing the Cindy and Evan Jones Professorship in Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology, the first in the country that tests how medicine reacts in children as opposed to adults. Cindy Jones also sits on CNMC’s foundation board, while her husband serves on the medical center’s main board and is a former chairman of the Children’s Research Institute Board.Though she is an engineer and he a scientist by training, they support other causes as well, including the Washington Ballet, and have endowments established at numerous educational institutions.

MICHAEL R. KLEIN AND JOAN FABRY A successful lawyer/entrepreneur who serves as chairman of CoStar Group, a leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces, Klein is a prolific and generous donor to public interest causes. In 2006 he founded the Sunlight Foundation to make government and politics more transparent and accountable using the “tools of civic technology, open date, policy analysis and journalism.” His initial grant of $3.5 million in 2005 has been supplemented by at least $6 million in subsequent gifts. He and his wife, Joan Fabry, provide major support to local theater groups, including the Shakespeare Theatre Company, which received significant “financial guarantees” to complete the addition of its Sidney Harman Hall facility.

Last year they also made a challenge grant to jumpstart the theater’s Artistic Leadership Fund to provide annual program support.

Klein is also a donor to Harvard University, the American Himalayan Foundation, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Aspen Institute and the University of Miami.

ROBERT AND ARLENE KOGOD, CLARICE SMITH Real estate mogul Robert Kogod and his wife Arlene have been notably generous benefactors of many local institutions for

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years, and buildings named after them reflect their giving: The Kogod School of Business at American University, the Arlene and Robert Kogod Center for the Arts at Sidwell Friends School, the Arlene and Kogod Theater at the University Maryland, the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Musuem and the Kogod Lobby at Signature Theatre.

Robert Kogod and his sister-in-law Clarice’s husband, Robert E. Smith, who died in 2009, ran the Charles E. Smith real estate empire which developed Crystal City. The Robert H. Smith School of Business and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland and the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Gallery at Monticello in Charlottesville, Va. were all made possible through contributions of the Smiths, whose children have continued the tradition of giving. Michelle Smith is the president of the Robert H. Smith Foundation. Her brother, David Bruce Smith, is a publisher of high-end books and also the founder of the Grateful American Foundation, an interactive education project aimed at restor ing enthusiasm in American history. Through the Kogod Family Foundation and the Robert H. Smith Foundation, both families continue to give generously to educational institutions, the arts as well as Jewish causes.

SUSAN CARMEL LEHRMAN A real estate investor with offices in New York and Chevy Chase, Lehrman has focused much of her philanthropy on Russianrelated causes. As the founder and chief funder ($5 million) of the Carmel Institute of Russian Culture and History at American University (AU), she works to promote greater understanding of Russia’s cultural diversity through film screenings, musical performances and other events. She endowed a chair in Russian History and Culture at AU and generously supports the AmericanRussian Cultural Cooperation Foundation and the Mariinsky Foundation of America.

Lehrman has also given millions to the Washington National Opera (whose ball she chaired for four years) and various medical causes, including a chair in Algesiology for the study of pain at Rutgers University, the

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Betty Brown Casey

Bill Conway

Jack Davies and Kay Kendall

Clarie and Albert Dwoskin

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Raul Fernandez

A WIDER CIRCLE

Philanthropist Don Brown tells of his discovery of a remarkable man who has made a real difference in the fight against poverty.

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From left, Mark Bergel, A Wider Circle client, Ann Brown, Don Brown, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. Photo by Rick Reinhard.

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can’t stop thinking about poverty, and it’s all because of Mark Bergel – one of our region’s great leaders who, in the long tradition of trailblazers such as Alice Paul, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the protesters at Stonewall, is creating a movement to address a disgraceful injustice.

Mark is founder and executive director of A Wider Circle, a nonprofit best known for collecting and donating furniture to families in need. Its mission is simple: ending poverty. It’s a lofty goal, one that raises many questions – and some eyebrows. Ending poverty for whom? People in our region?

The U.S.? The world? Who actually thinks we can do that?

Mark does.

Skeptical? I know I was. Then I saw Mark in action, experienced his passion (some might call it obsession) and his 24/7 commitment. Over time, I learned his story.

In 2001, as a volunteer delivering food to low-income families in the Washington, D.C. area, Mark observed parents raising children in unfurnished homes – without beds, without a secure food supply, without access to information about health and wellness. That is when A Wider Circle was born in his apartment. Mark’s original goal was to provide area residents with essential items and help families lift themselves out of poverty. Thirteen years later, A Wider Circle not only collects and distributes new and used beds and other furniture to those in need, it provides them comprehensive job training.

When the organization sees a need, it responds, always in a way that honors the dignity of the people it serves. Last month it launched a new job preparedness program it hopes will become a model for other nonprofits and cities.

Mark is the real deal. In solidarity with adults and children struggling to rise out of poverty and living without a bed, he gave up his own bed (donating it to A Wider Circle), pledging to sleep on the couch or the floor until every last person has a bed. Every. Last. Person. (He had me at “every.”)

In 2013 alone, A Wider Circle received 12,000 requests for beds from individuals and families transitioning out of homeless shelters, escaping domestic violence, or simply living in poverty. By year-end, the organization had provided beds to 5,000 individuals; many others remained on the waiting list.

Impressed by Mark’s leadership and optimism, my wife Ann and I have made multiple donations to A Wider Circle so they could buy thousands of beds and get families off that waiting list. For Ann, this is personal. Her father, who grew up in poverty, shared one bed and blanket with three brothers.

“If you don’t have a proper bed, how can you get a good night’s sleep, go to work, go to school?” Ann asks. “Without a bed, a child starts out with a terrible disadvantage. Can you imagine how it feels as a parent not to be able to provide your children with a place to sleep?”

With my background in business, I want to know I’m giving to organizations that provide the most bang for my buck. I want to support leaders who are both innovative and efficient. I take philanthropy seriously.

Through Mark, I have come to understand that poverty is a problem we can solve if we all work together. I don’t know if we can do it in my lifetime. But what I do know is I’m going to do everything I can to work toward that goal.

Don Brown is a founder of Brown, Gildenhorn & Jacobs law firm and JBG Real Estate Companies.

Donations from Don and Ann to A Wider Circle led to the creation of Browns’ Beds.

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renovation of a Bone Marrow Transplant wing at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and a conference room at Lenox Hill Hospital, both in New York City.

TED AND LYNN LEONSIS After surviving a plane crash in 1983, Ted Leonsis created a list of 101 goals he wanted to achieve in his lifetime, many of them centered on charitable giving, including a pledge to donate $100 million in his lifetime.

Since then, he and wife Lynn have become pillars of the Washington philanthropic scene while reaching toward that lofty goal. Ted Leonsis has already checked off several of the 101 by starting the Leonsis Foundation which has supported more than 400 charities thus far and by giving $1 million to his alma mater, Georgetown University. The couple hosted this year’s CharityWorks 100 Point Vintage Wine Tasting Dinner at their home, which raised the second largest amount for the organization in more than 10 years. When he’s not doling out his fortune, he keeps busy as an entrepreneur, Emmy-Award-winning filmmaker and and sports team owner. This year he achieved a rare trifecta of having all three of his teams qualify for the playoffs.

TED AND ANNETTE LERNER Washington Nationals baseball team owner Ted Lerner is the perfect embodiment of the quote “behind every great man is a greater woman.” The richest man in the state of Maryland built his real estate empire (worth nearly $5 billion) starting with a $250 loan from his wife Annette. Though raised in the Washington, D.C. area, Lerner spreads his charitable giving across the globe. He gave $10 million to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to build a sports center while also consistently donating to various Jewish day schools and organizations in the area as well as the Holocaust Museum. Through their family foundation, the Lerners have pledged $2 million to Children’s National Medical Center and $5 million to George Washington University along with support to causes advancing children’s education, health and recreation through the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation

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JAMES LINTOTT AND MAY LIANG James Lintott has spent his life around philanthropic endeavors and managing money. In his current role as co-founder of Freedom Management Group, where he helps successful individuals and families manage the responsibility that comes with great wealth. (Previously he headed one of the nation’s largest private foundations, Sterling Foundation Management.) It is no surprise then that his own family entity, the May Liang and James Lintott Foundation, has been a prolific donor to a wide range of causes including the Children’s Law Center, Children’s National Medical Center, the Freer Gallery of Art, the Junior Statesmen Foundation, Stone Soup Films and the Institute for Justice. Lintott serves on the boards of several local charities including Children’s National Medical Center and Best Buddies International.

Marriott Family The J. Willard and Alice Marriott Foundation, controlled by brother hoteliers J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr. and Richard E. Marriott, distributed more than $19 million last year to recipients that included Fight for Children, Urban Alliance, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, and Higher Achievement’s summer and after-school academic programs. The Foundation also pledged $2.5 million to the University of South Carolina to support construction of a culinary laboratory in the university’s School of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management. The Foundation supported the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, which has placed more than 20,000 young people in jobs with 4,400 employers since 1989. The Foundation is also active internationally with an ongoing initiative to expand career opportunities for youth in the hospitality industry through the Marriott China Hospitality Education Initiative. Bill Marriott’s youngest son and daughter-in-law, David and Carrie Marriott, have become more active in philanthropic work in recent years, especially with Children’s National Medical Center and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Carrie Marriott served as chairwoman of the 2014 Children’s

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National’s Race for Every Child 5k, which raised more than $1 million and is the vicechairwoman of the MS Society’s board of trustees; she was also co-chairwoman of its 2014 Women on the Move Luncheon, which raised more than $350,000.

MARK AND BRENDA MOORE Mark and Brenda Moore, a businessman and a retired nurse, met in high school and have been married for 30 years. Their generosity to education, music, arts and health care causes is significant, with donations made through the Mark and Brenda Moore Family Foundation.

By pledging $1 million, the Moores are founding donors of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, a $500 million heritage museum on track to open on the National Mall in 2016. Last December, the Moores’ support of Inova Health System came to fruition with the official opening of the Mark and Brenda Moore Patient Tower at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. The couple pledged the $2 million lead gift and served as co-chairmen of the steering committee to raise philanthropic support for the project. Their connection to the hospital is a personal one. Mark Moore suffered a serious stroke in 2007 and was admitted to the Rehabilitation Center at Inova after a month of intensive care. During his time there, he experienced a remarkable recovery and forged lasting bonds with the caregivers who worked with him.

ALFRED H. MOSES A corporate lawyer and 40-year partner at Covington & Burling. Moses was lead counsel to President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 “Billygate” hearings in the U.S. Senate and later served as U.S. ambassador to Romania from 1994-1997. He is active in Jewish causes, especially the American Jewish Committee (where he served as president). In April, he contributed $20 million to fund the addition of a middle school to the Jewish Primary Day School in northwest Washington. Last year he gave $5 million to the Beit Hasfusot Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv to build a Great Hall of Synagogues, which will contain replicas of synagogues around the world over

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David and Katherine Bradley

Jane and Calvin photo) Cafritz Brenda and Mark Moore (Courtesy

The late Bill Cafritz and Buffy Cafrtiz

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Jean and Steve Case

the past 3,000 years. Moses has also funded a program to provide educational funds to Ethiopian immigrants in Israel and has donated to Planned Parenthood. He and his wife, Fern M. Schad, a New York photo editor and gallery owner, recently gave $10 million to add contemporary works of photography to the National Gallery of Art’s collection.

Brenda and Mark Moore

VADIM NIKITINE AND KRISTIN EHRGOOD Vadim and Kristin Nikitine envision a day when children in both their current home of Washington, D.C. and Vadim’s home territory of Puerto Rico can receive a world-class education, despite their social status. In fact, on the couple’s first date they designed their own nonprofit over a bottle of wine. After launching Sapientis, their first joint venture in 2002 in Puerto Rico, they went on to create the Flamboyan Foundation there, which they expanded to the District in 2009. Now the couple tackles education reform together with approximately $1.4 million donated each year according to the foundation’s most recent tax filings. Recent gifts included $325,000 to D.C. Public Education Fund, $100,000 to New Schools Venture Fund, $55,000 to New Leaders and $35,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of San Juan, Puerto Rico. They are also consistent supporters of Teach for America.

Kristin Ehrgood and Vadiim Nikitine

Kevin Plank

Mitch and Emily Rales

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Norma and Russ Ramsey

GEORGE AND MARILYN PEDERSON George Pedersen works at ManTech International, a company he co-founded to find innovative solutions for mission-critical national security programs and that now generates $3 billion in revenue. Finding ways to improve the lives of the downtrodden is also a major concern and he and wife Marilyn have consistently given generously to local institutions, such as Charityworks, Johns Hopkins University Medical School and the Hillside School for Handicapped Children in Maryland. Over the last 10 years, the Pedersens have given more than $1.2 million to Charityworks and hosted or chaired numerous functions for the organization. They also serve on the Advisory Board, whose members raise up to 85 percent of the funds donated to CharityWorks’ partners.

KEVIN PLANK Kevin Plank managed to turn athletic wear into a $2.4 billion fortune through Under Armour, and in return chooses to donate generously to his alma mater, the University of Maryland, where he got his education both in sports and business.

His largest public gift to date is a $1.4 million donation to the school, and through his Cupid Foundation he also donates about $1 million a year to education programs throughout Baltimore and the District from the Living Classrooms Foundation to Johns Hopkins University. He has co-chaired Fight Night for the last two years and both times helped raise record-breaking amounts.

In 2013, the $4 million proceeds included a $500,000 donation from his foundation. In 2014, the event raised $4.7 million.

MITCHELL AND EMILY RALES Art-collecting billionaires Mitch Rales and his wife Emily are rumored to have invested around $500 million in their private Glenstone Museum in Potomac, which presents exhibitions of their collection of modern and contemporary art. He is director of the Danaher Corporation and she is an art historian and curator. Through the Mitchell P. Rales Family Foundation (formerly the Glenstone Foundation) the Rales provide funding to arts, education and arts education.

They gave more than $1 million to the SEED School in 2014 and regularly donate to Fight for Children, an organization that helps low-income students achieve success.

They also donate to the National Gallery of Art (including $10 million to help renovate the East Wing), Americans for the Arts and the Frick Collection. They are also members of the “leadership circle” of the Foundation for Prader-Willi Syndrome Research.

RUSS AND NORMA RAMSEY The Ramseys have dedicated themselves to causes that aid at-risk families and promote education, healthcare and the arts. Through the W Russell and Norma Ramsey Foundation, they donate to organizations such as INOVA Health System, CharityWorks, Teach for America, Fight for Children, and Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts. The couple were founding

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investors of Venture Philanthropy Partners, which has invested over $70 million in non-profits in the D.C. Capital Area helping community leaders build strong non-profit organizations. This year, the Ramsey’s took on the task of chairing the Children’s Ball to benefit Children’s National Medical Center, and helped to raise more than $4 million.

Russ Ramsey spent much of 2014 chairing the campaign to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to Washington.

DAVID AND ALICE RUBENSTEIN Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein and his wife Alice are well known for generosity that never seems to waver year after year while focusing primarily on restoring national landmarks. Recently, “the patriotic philanthropist” gave $5.37 million to refurbish the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, a gift made in honor of his late father, a war veteran. Also in 2014, to name just a few of his gifts, Rubenstein pledged $10 million to help restore James Madison’s Virginia home, “Montpelier,” and just last May, he announced that he would be adding $10 million to a previous $10 million donation for reconstruction work on Thomas Jefferson’s “Monticello.” He also gave $1 million to Martha’s Table to help build a new headquarters for the charity’s many programs.

David Rubenstein also serves as chairman of the Kennedy Center, to which he has given $50 million for a major expansion project.

ROGER AND VICKI SANT It would be difficult to begin to accurately total the major gifts that the Sants have bestowed over the past decade although they are certainly in excess of $100 million to such diverse causes as the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History ($35 million), the National Symphony Orchestra ($20 million), World Wildlife Fund ($20 million) and the Phillips Collection ($9 million). The National Gallery of Art, where Vicki Sant served for 12 years as president, received an additional $10 million in 2014 to renovate its I.M. Pei-designed East Wing. Apart from their significant personal contributions, the couple’s Summit Foundation, has additionally

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focused on four primary areas to “improve our world and the quality of life for its inhabitants” for the past 20 years. In 2014 it distributed nearly $7 million to 76 recipients for restoration and preservation of the Mesoamerican Reef (a cause which has received close to $30 million over the years); cleaning up the Anacostia River; empowering girls; and improving the sustainability and quality of life in cities.

DWIGHT AND MARTHA SCHAR Homebuilder and Redskins part-owner Dwight Schar and his wife Martha made news this May for their generous contribution of $50 million to Inova Health System. Their record-setting gift will help to establish one of the top cancer research centers in the world, a global leader in early discovery of the disease that will be named The Dwight and Martha Schar Cancer Institute. “Inova’s vast genomic resources combined with some of the brightest minds in cancer research and care make it the ideal investment for me,” Dwight Schar told us. The Schars are also known for their generosity to higher education. In 2014 they gave $12 million to Elon University, a private liberal arts university in Elon, N.C. (the largest single donation in its history); $17 million to Ashland University in 2011; and $1 million to George Mason University in 2002. Dwight Schar has donated at least $1 million to his former high school in Ohio to build a track and a performing arts center. The couple have also made sizeable donations to Childhelp and Youth for Tomorrow.

ALBERT SMALL A major donor of histor ical mater ials relating to the nation’s early history, Albert Small celebrated a major milestone this spring when George Washington University opened its much anticipated museum and study center focusing on the city of Washington. The nucleus of the collection — more than 1,000 18th- to mid-20th century maps, letters, documents, books, artworks and ephemera — was acquired by him over the past 60 years. An additional $5 million gift supported renovation of

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David and Alice Rubenstein

Roger and Vicki Sant

Annie Totah

Earl and Amanda Stafford

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Photo Caption Sachiko Kuno and Ryuji Ueno

special FEATURE | the philanthropic 50

the 156-year-old Woodhull House on GW’s Foggy Bottom campus where the collection will be housed. Small, the founder of Southern Engineering, made a similar gift in 2002 when he donated a treasure trove of artifacts related to the signers of the Declaration of

Independence to the University of Virginia along with $2.5 million toward construction of a library to house them. In 2011, he also pledged to underwrite much of the cost of renovating a terrace adjacent to the state department’s Diplomatic Reception Rooms.

charitable giving

Three-quarters of Washingtonians say charitable giving factors into their financial planning, according to a recent survey by Charles Schwab.

Charitable giving plays a large role

Charitable giving plays a mediumsized role

20% 25%

Charitable giving plays no role

12%

43%

Charitable giving plays a small role

EARL AND AMANDA STAFFORD Earl Stafford has spent his life serving, first with a distinguished 20-year career in the Air Force and now as a dedicated philanthropist looking out for the underprivileged. Through his faith-based Stafford Foundation, he has pledged more than $1 million to nonprofits groups that focus on giving people the opportunity to become self-reliant; more than $200,000 was distributed in 2013 according to the foundation’s most recent tax filings. He is best known for The People’s Inaugural Project, which brought more than 400 disadvantaged individuals to the nation’s capitol to witness President Obama’s inauguration. Stafford also serves as a member of the Africare board.

ANNIE TOTAH Totah gives generously to more than 75 causes and uses her time, talent and prodigious energy to help raise even more from other donors. The founder of Annie S. Totah Partnership for Brighter Tomorrows supports the National Museum of Women in the Arts (whose gala she exuberantly chaired in 2014), Young Concert Artists, Strathmore Hall, the Washington Ballet, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, National Rehabilitation Hospital, Sibley Memor ial Hospital Foundation and Heifetz International Music Institute. She also contributes to causes related to her Armenian/Jewish heritage, including the Armenian Assembly of America and the Magen David Sephardic Congregation in Rockville, Md. RYUJI UENO AND SUCHIKO KUNO The Japanese-American pharmaceutical moguls founded their S&R Foundation to support talented individuals in the arts, sciences, and social entrepreneurship and to encourage cultural collaboration.

Among the foundation’s programs are the “Overtures” artist concert series featuring emerging performers at such venues as the Kennedy Center and Evermay, and the “Halcyon Incubator,” which helps social entrepreneurs turn their ideas into sustainable ventures. They fund scientific

innovation at John’s Hopkins University with donations and the new Suchiko Kuno and Ryuji Ueno Innovation Professorship.

Suchiko is a board member of the National Cher r y Blossom Foundation and an advisory board member of THIS for Diplomats at the Meridian International Center. The couple recently gave to the Library of Congress, Transformer Gallery, New Orchestra of Washington and the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

JEFFREY VEATCH Apex Systems co-founder Jeffrey Veatch committed $2 million to Inova Mount Vernon Hospital last year to support the renovation and expansion of the hospital’s emergency department, to include the addition of more child-friendly amenities.

Also in 2014 he and three of his former classmates gave $5 million to Virginia Tech to fuel entrepreneurship and innovation.

The four former classmates met at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business and are the men behind Apex Systems. To honor the contribution, Virginia Tech renamed its innovation building The Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Veatch has also given to ThanksUSA. GEORGE AND TRISH VRADENBURG Former AOL executive George Vradenburg and his wife Trish are best known for their Alzheimer’s advocacy — since 2003 they’ve chaired the National Alzheimer’s Gala that has raised more than $10 million for the Alzheimer’s Association. Their own nonprofit organization US Against Alzheimer’s, aims to end the disease by 2020. The couple’s other philanthropic interests range from healthcare and other social causes to the performing arts (they recently donated to the Washingtonbased Mosaic Theater Company). George Vradenburg is chair man of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, which grants funding to nonprofit arts organizations in Colorado; president of the Vradenburg Foundation; chairman of the board of the Phillips Collection; and a trustee of the University of the District of Columbia.

He also serves on the board of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Washington Scholarship Fund and DC Children First. His wife serves on the board of the Vradenburg Foundation and DC Vote.

Together they founded the Chesapeake Crescent Initiative in 2008, an organization that works to maximize the region’s innovation economy.

SCOTT AND CHRISTY WALLACE The former lawyer and his wife, a diplomat, are co-chairs of the Wallace Global Fund, a private charitable organization founded

by Scott Wallace’s family that works “to promote an informed and engaged citizenry, to fight injustice, and to protect the diversity of nature.” Under the couple’s leadership, the foundation has placed more focus on environmental issues in recent years. In 2014, for example, the Wallace Global Fund provided funding for the establishment of Divest-Invest, an initiative that encourages foundations to divest from fossil fuels and switch to clean energy investments.

ANTHONY AND BEATRICE WELTERS Anthony Welters, the UnitedHealthGroup mogul who helped build the “Obamacare” national website — and was then called back to fix it — grew up in a one-room Harlem tenement, which explains his focus on helping to educate youth from “underresourced and challenging environments.”

He has given over $30 million to provide 30 scholarship each year at New York University Law School and is a longtime donor to Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

He and his wife, Beatrice, a former U.S. ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, make many grants via their AnBryce Foundation, which operates Camp Dogwood, a summer camp for underserved youth in rural Virginia.

They are also known to be longtime donors to the Kennedy Center, the Aspen Institute, the Smithsonian African American Culture Museum and the Horatio Alger Association.

Anthony Welters was also instrumental in arranging a $1 million donation from UnitedHealthCare to help construct the Martin Luther King Memorial.

Adrienne Arsht

Yousel anf Abeer Al Otaiba

Salem and Rima Al-Sabah

Bret and Amy Baier

FEATURE | SPOTLIGHT ON SCHAR

PHILANTHROPIC WINDFALL Dwight and Martha Schar’s transformative $50 million gift to Inova Health System

BY ERICA MOODY

G

asps were heard around the room when Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced at a press conference last month that Dwight and Martha Schar of McLean were gifting Inova Health System $50 million, the largest single gift ever bestowed to a health organization in the commonwealth. The gift will help Inova establish one of the nation’s preeminent cancer research centers.

The billionaire businessman and philanthropist, who founded NVR Inc., the third largest homebuilder in the U.S., is no stranger to charitable giving. In 2014, he and his wife gifted $12 million to Elon University, where their son attends college, along with $17 million to his alma mater Ashland University and $1 million each to George Mason University and Youth for Tomorrow, an organization founded by friend Joe Gibbs.

The Schars weren’t always in a position to give such generous gifts. He came from humble beginnings and was originally a teacher, which is where he developed his passion for education.

“There is no greater responsibility than being a teacher,” Dwight tells us during an exclusive interview at “Windfall,” his McLean home.

“I got my college degree in education because all the people I knew who were what I considered successful were teachers,” he says.

One of six children raised by a single mother in the rural northeast Ohio town of Creston, Dwight knew that his own education, coupled with a dogged approach to work, would be the key to upward mobility. He left home at 15 to work on his uncle’s farm throughout high school and, after graduating Ashland, took on a weekend job, selling houses to supplement his full-time work as a teacher.

“The first house I sold was to a banker who paid cash and he told my boss he was a fool not to hire me, so that’s how I got my start out in sales in Cincinnati,” Dwight says. Soon, he

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Dwight and Martha Schar at their home in McLean (Photo by Tony Powell)

took on more management duties and was put in charge of running a large development. He left to join Ryan Homes “because they were much more successful and I wanted to find out how they did it” and after 11 years there, including four in Washington, Dwight created NVR and ended up acquiring Ryan Homes upon going public.

“When I moved to Washington, I felt like

I’d died and gone to heaven,” he says. “The quality of the people and the professionalism of our competitors was such that we were able to be very successful.”

“Very successful” is an understatement.

“We called our property ‘Windfall’ because that’s what I feel we’ve had, unexpected good fortune,” Martha says. The couple’s success has extended to philanthropic, political and even

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professional sports arenas. Dwight is a part owner of the Washington Redskins and works closely with Dan Snyder. He also served as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee for many years.

But it was meetings with his friend Dr. George Johnson of George Mason University, and a group of business people that got him thinking seriously about philanthropy. “We would meet once a month and talk about civic, political and charitable issues and I was always influenced by the level at which they participated and allowed me to participate.”

We asked how he makes his philanthropic decisions.

“I look at where there is a great need, who is doing the best job in addressing the need and then ask how my support can influence those making a difference to do even more,” he says.

“If you have been blessed with the resources to make a difference in the lives of others, don’t wait. However, be wise in your approach to philanthropy. Find an unmet need and then investigate how your donation will have the greatest impact.”

Take Inova, for example, of which he speaks passionately.

“I have been partial to teaching and education interests now and in the past with my contributions,” Dwight acknowledges.

“However, my passion for teaching led me to Inova. Inova is teaching the world how to apply genomics to improve and personalize cancer care. I learned that the old, reactive approach to cancer care was not as effective as a personalized approach powered by genomics.

A thorough scan of the healthcare landscape revealed that right in my own backyard, Inova was doing extraordinary research using genomics to develop treatments and therapies for cancer.”

“Imagine having one of the world’s leading cancer centers right here, a stone’s throw from the nation’s capital.”

The Dwight and Martha Schar Cancer Institute will be located on an expansive 117acre property formerly owned by Exxon Mobil and across the street from Inova’s flagship Fairfax hospital.

Equipped with one of the world’s largest

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Dwight and Martha Schar with Inova CEO Knox Singleton (Photo courtesy Sean Kelley)

human genome sequenced databases and a formidable combination of researchers and physicians, Inova is already “transforming healthcare,” Dwight says. “Inova’s vision is to develop a model that is predictive, preventive and personalized ... In my view, the pieces are in place to make a game-changing difference in the way cancer is treated. Our philanthropic investment will be the tipping point to push the application of cancer research and care that

“Be wise in your approach to philanthropy. Find an unmet need and then investigate how your donation will have the greatest impact.” will improve and save countless lives.”

“Our gift will enhance the groundbreaking work already taking place at Inova and support more research and recruit the world’s best and brightest cancer specialists to Northern Virginia,” Martha says. “When you add the potential of genomics, healthcare makes tremendous sense for our philanthropic investment because we can make an immediate and significant difference on our health, our family’s health and the health

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of others.”

At 71, Dwight agrees that now is the time to focus on this area.

“As part of the immense baby boomer generation, we are advancing in age but living longer. With age comes the greater likelihood of cancer. Now is the time for Martha and me to make a difference in the lives of our generation and beyond.”

And medical research, he says, is an area in tremendous need of funding.

“With advances in technology, medicine and genomics, so many more options are available to people to help them live healthier and longer. However, not everyone has access to care. My investment in a notfor-profit organization such as Inova ensures that the leading-edge research and care being developed will reach more people - both the less fortunate and fortunate in our community and beyond.”

“You cannot find a harder worker or someone who cares more about this commonwealth than Dwight Schar,” Gov. McAuliffe said when making the historic announcement.

“The reality is you succeed because of your integrity,” Dwight tells us, “because of all the people you do business with. And we’ve had a number of bumps in the road that if we hadn’t dealt honestly and fairly with people, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

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LIFESTYLES

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YIGAL AZROUEL dress ($1,695) and EMILIO PUCCI scarf ($395), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; ADELER JEWELERS custom choker necklace in 18k white and yellow gold with cognac citrines, amethyst gemstones and diamonds ($23,580) and ADELER JEWELERS handmade bangle bracelets in 14k yellow, red and white golds with multi-color tourmaline cabochons ($5,890 each), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 220066, 703-7594076, www.adelerjewelers.com; SAINT LAURENT pumps ($1,295), Huâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shoes, 3005 M St., NW, 202-342-0202.

LANVIN fringed shift dress ($7,450), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 6579000; VALENTINO rockstud naked sandals ($945), Hu’s Shoes, 3005 M St., NW, 202-342-0202; ADELER JEWELERS 14k yellow gold multi-strand culture pearl bracelet with handmade plaque clasp ($11,996), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 220066, 703-759-4076, www. adelerjewelers.com.

ALICE & OLIVIA “Rory” embroidered long jacket ($1,098), VINCE drape hem tank ($98), PIERCE “Josefina” destroyed bleach jeans ($225) and NANCY GONZALEZ razor clutch ($2,000), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; BALENCIAGA open toe leather pumps ($745), Hu’s Shoes, 3005 M St., NW, 202342-0202; bracelet on left arm, model’s own.

CELINE dress ($3,350), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; ADELER JEWELERS 18k yellow goldring featuring a 77mm baroque pearl with ruby and diamonds ($17,695), ADELER JEWELERS 18k yellow gold cuff bracelet with a branch motif with black diamonds ($5,890) and ADELER JEWELERS 18k red gold bracelet with pave mounted round brilliant diamonds ($9,250), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 220066, 703-759-4076, www.adelerjewelers.com.

CLOVER CANYON crop top ($185) and REBECCA TAYLOR skirt ($350), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301 657-9000; SAINT LAURENT shoes ($995) and KENZO clutch ($230), Hu’s Shoes, 3005 M St., NW, 202-342-0202; THIERRY LASRY tortoise sunglasses ($475), Hu’s Wear, 2906 M St., NW, 202342-2020; ADELER JEWELERS 14k red gold ring featuring a natural rough blue tourmaline gemstone mounted in a bypass setting with diamonds ($9,480) and ADELER JEWELER 18k yellow gold cuff featuring a natural rough tourmaline gemstone and diamonds with a hand-applied hammer finish ($59,650), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 220066, 703-759-4076, www.adelerjewelers. com.

LIFESTYLES | BEAUTY

TOMA facial hydrate ($39); TomaSkinTherapies.com LAURA MERCIER “Infusion de Rose” nourishing oil ($62); Bluemercury stores

BURBERRY BEAUTY “Ink Blue” nail polish ($22); net-a-porter.com

AGENT PROVOCATEUR “Fatale Pink” fragrance ($95); saksfifthavenue.com

KILIAN “Good Girl Gone Bad” fragrance($260); saksfifthavenuecom

SEPHORA “Mixed Metals” eye and face palette ($35); sephora.com

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AERIN “Rose di Grasse” fragrance ($185); saksfifthavenue.com

DIANA VREELAND “Simply Divine” fragrance ($250); net-a-porter.com

M-61 “Vitablast A+C Eye” treatment ($78); Bluemercury stores BURBERRY BEAUTY “MyBurberry” fragrance ($95); net-a-porter.com

FENDI “Furiosa” fragrance ($88); bloomingdales.com

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MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN “A La Rose” fragrance ($245); neimanmarcus.com

CHANEL “Les 4 Ombres” eye shadow ($61); neimanmarcus.com

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LIFESTYLES | DINE AND DISH

Post Game:

DISHING WITH THE D C DIVAS Quarterback Allyson Hamlin and linebacker Trigger McNair give the scoop on women’s tackle football B Y L A U R A WA I N M A N

H

ands raised if you knew Washington, D.C. had a women’s contact football team before you began reading this column. If I’m being honest, my hand wasn’t raised either. Make no mistake about it though, these women are serious athletes pursuing their passion while working fulltime jobs to support themselves since they don’t get paid. In fact, they pay to play. Currently, the D.C. Divas are one of Washington’s winningest teams in the middle of Hamlin, Laura Wainman and Trigger McNair an undefeated season and are on the Allyson talk football over lunch at Mio (Photo by Tony Powell) move towards a championship ring.

Over a Peruvian-inspired lunch at Mio, team good at flag football, so I tried it. The Divas captains Allyson Hamlin and Trigger McNair head coach at the time, Ezra Cooper, started told me about their hidden gem of a team recruiting from that league. I actually didn’t play and shared what it is like to go from working the first year because I didn’t think it was going the streets of Maryland as a detective and a to kick off. I remember going to a game that correctional officer Monday through Friday to year just to see what it was about and realizing I had made a mistake. So, I went out for the team tearing it up on the gridiron on Saturdays. >> the next year, and here we are.

HOW EXACTLY DOES ONE GET INVOLVED IN WOMEN’S WHAT DID YOUR FAMILIES SAY WHEN YOU TOLD THEM TACKLE FOOTBALL? Trigger McNair: Well, it has been a long time YOU WERE GOING TO PLAY FOOTBALL? for me. But in 1999 I was trying out for the AH: Oh, they were supportive. I grew up WNBA with the Minnesota Lynx and there playing with boys in other sports, so they loved was a guy passing out cards for women’s it. In fact, my dad purchased the team in 2004 football. The league was just starting. I took so it became kind of a family affair. a card, tried out and 17 years later I’m still TM: You can’t beat that. I’ve been playing sports all my life and I just needed something playing.

Allyson Hamlin: That’s crazy, this is your 17th to keep me in sports. As long as I was playing season? and happy, they didn’t care.

TM: Yep, and my knees feel every last year.

ALLYSON WHAT’S IT LIKE TO PLAY FOR A TEAM OWNED ALLYSON, YOU GOT INVOLVED THROUGH FLAG BY YOUR FATHER? FOOTBALL, HOW DID YOU TRANSITION FROM FLAG AH: The key is that I was already established TO CONTACT? as the quarterback before he bought the team.

AH: I was playing softball at the time and I had Had that not been the case it might have been a teammate who said she thought I’d be really a tougher experience, with nepotism. At the

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same time, he loves the team way beyond me and is a huge ambassador of the sport.

Trigger selects the grilled steak, Allyson has the roasted chicken and I choose the duck breast over taro root gnocchi.

YOU BOTH HAVE PRETTY INTENSE DAY JOBS: ALLYSON AS A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE WITH THE PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND TRIGGER AS A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER. AND YOU PLAY FOOTBALL YEAR-ROUND ON TOP OF THAT. TELL ME WHAT A TYPICAL DAY IS LIKE. TM: In season, we get up early in the morning, work all day, go home and try to get a 30minute nap before you rush to football practice.

I’ll get home around 10:30 and just try to get my mind right and relax. Then you do it all over again the next day. It can be monotonous, but it’s what we want to do. I can’t see myself not playing football.

AH: It’s funny you call it a day job, because I work 65-70 hours a week, and it’s on a rotating basis. Right now I have the next homicide that occurs, so if I got a call right now, I’d leave and because of that I have no life. It is tough for me to keep schedules and commitments. It’s the craziest thing in the world but it’s also an awesome job. .

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS POST FOOTBALL? DO YOU HAVE A DREAM CAREER? TM: I want to be a chef, go to cooking school and get my certificate and get a food truck actually.

AH: I really can’t imagine my post football days, even though I know they will come soon. I hope to still be involved somehow, but I want a family too and its hard because

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you either have to be all in or out. You can’t dip and dab. We do have some retired players as part of the coaching staff, which is amazing, and I would love to be a part of it, but it’s tough to stay away and not have it be your entire life.

WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM FOOTBALL THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO DAILY LIFE? AH: Just seeing the confidence that football has built in my teammates, and how it transcends their whole life is really cool. They are doing something they never thought they could do and they feel powerful.

TM: Absolutely. After last week’s game, I work at the same place as one of the other girls, Dee, and she was walking around with the biggest swagger I’ve ever seen in my life. Her confidence is at a peak right now because of football. You get on this team and it elevates everything. Your confidence goes through the roof because you are part of something big; something bigger than you.

WHOM DO YOU ADMIRE WITHIN THE FRANCHISE? AH:. I really admire our front office, who are all men, and have had our back from day one. They believed in us way more than we believed in ourselves, in a sport that really isn’t backed by men yet.

TM: I feel the same way, but at the same time I look up to Aly here. Always have.

Allyson Hamlin (photo courtesy D.C. Divas)

DO YOU THINK THERE ARE ANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WOMEN’S FOOTBALL? AH: When you say women’s football, if people have never seen it before, they automatically picture these big, scary women who look like men, that aren’t feminine. It’s not the reality, and its an overall societal issue to think women cannot possibly be feminine and powerful at the same time. It’s slowly changing, and we’ve seen it progress over the last 20 years, but people still think we don’t hit hard, we don’t know the sport, it’s powder-puff, all that crap.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT? TM: Tell them to come to a game and see for themselves. I was at dinner the other night with my girl and I was wearing my Divas shirt because I wear it everywhere and this guy came up and asked me if I play. I told him yes, and he goes “y’all are bad ass.” I asked

“It’s an overall societal issue to think women cannot possibly be feminine and powerful at the same time.”

HOW IS THE FAN SUPPORT BOTH OF THE DIVAS AND WOMEN’S FOOTBALL AS A SPORT IN GENERAL? TM: It is a struggle for sure.

AH: I always thought if we built it, they would come. I really did. But we’ve been successful for a long time now and I don’t know if it’s just that there is so much going on in D.C. or Saturday nights are tough for people, but it is not where I thought it would be.

him who he knew on the team, but he didn’t know anyone. He was coming to games just to watch.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE TO BUILD THAT SUPPORT? AH: We need more reputable news outlets covering us and taking us seriously. For example, the Washington Post doesn’t even have a box score for us. We have local papers giving us coverage, but we need to get some of the big guys.

WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL? TM: I am hoping it grows, but I’ve been hoping that for 17 seasons. Hopefully before I am 60 I can see it on TV every Saturday. They’ve got pool and badminton and everything, why not women’s football?

AH: For D.C.,a championship run would really

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Trigger McNair (photo courtesy D.C. Divas)

help the sport.

YOU BOTH HAVE ONE CHAMPIONSHIP UNDER YOUR BELTS FROM 2006, BUT WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THE DIVAS TO BRING IT HOME AGAIN? AH: We’ve been fighting to get back there, and this year I think we truly have what it takes.

I’ve felt like we had championship caliber teams many times but in recent years, this is by far the best team we’ve had.

TM: We just need to stay hungry. We are physically beast. When it comes down to it, it is going to be mental. We have to see how we handle adversity, because we haven’t seen any yet this season.

LIGHTNING ROUND

FAVORITE TV SHOW? TM: “The Walking Dead” AH:I used to watch a lot of CNN but being a police officer it’s very painful these days and I don’t watch it much anymore.

LAST BOOK YOU READ? TM: Coach Cooper’s Coaching Philosophies. I was reading it this morning.

AH: “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN? TM: When I’m ready to give up, I hear my dad saying “Don’t quit, baby. “ AH: Ezra Cooper used to always say “It’s not about the name on the back but the name on the front.” It relates to everything. You’re playing for the guy next to you, not yourself.

IF YOU COULD SIT NEXT TO ANYONE AT A DINNER PARTY, ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD IT BE? TM: Tupac. I still want to know what happened man.

AH: My grandfather [Dallas Townsend]. He was a CBS News anchor for 40 years and covered all the presidential elections. I would have a million questions for him.

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WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y around townďš? gold cupďš? Over the moonďš? folger galaďš? quarry springs grand opening party and more!

Chip Akridge, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Sheila Johnson at the Trust for the National Mall Luncheon (Photo by Tony Powell)

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around town

Gardens and Grace Woodrow Wilson House’s annual garden fête and a journey of faith

By DONNA SHOR

PROPER TOPPERS: Cool winds didn’t

lessen the fun at the 27th Annual Woodrow Wilson House Garden Party; there were too many amazing hats to spot while speculating on the annual contest’s possible winners.

Occasion’s intriguing buffet and live music occupied guests as they enjoyed live music in the two-tiered garden of the 28th president’s former home.

Woodrow Wilson is the only U.S. president (with the possible exception of Bill Clinton) to make Washington his postWhite House permanent home. He retired here after leading the country through World War I, establishing the League of Nations and winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

His Kalorama home is maintained as a privately funded museum by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The house holds many historic objects among the original furnishings bequeathed by his widow, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson.

Back to those hats and the contest featuring Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) as guest judge. The winners were: Mary Lee Malcolm (Most Creative); Sophie Pyle (Best Use of Flowers); Nicky Sund (Best Men’s Hat) Dr. Dianne McRae (Best Fascinator); and the winner of the Show-Stopper Award, Rhonda Septlici, swathed in black and f lame red chiffon.

SALLY QUINN’S JOURNEY: Philanthropists Shaista and Rafat Mahmood welcomed 80 guests at a dinner held at their Mount Vernon home benefiting the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD), with Sally Quinn as the guest of honor.

Shaista Mahmood has supported the nonprofit group for many years and serves on its board of directors. The ICRD addresses identity-based conf licts af lame throughout

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Shaista Mahmood, Sally Quinn and Ray Mahmood at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy Dinner (Photo by Neshan Naltchayan)

the world — tribal and cultural clashes, warring beliefs and factional religious battles beyond the reach of traditional diplomacy.

The group incorporates religious considerations into international politics.

In Afghanistan it secured the release of 21 Korean missionaries held hostage by the Taliban; in Iran it sponsored a delegation of high-level visitors to the U.S., opening the way for Track II initiatives to improve relations.

In Kashmir ICRD promoted “peace from within,” facilitating a cooperative spirit in that troubled Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist land; in Sudan, it helped facilitate an end to the 21-year civil war between the Islamic North and the Christian/African South.

Douglas Johnston, ICRD founder and president, presented the Faith-in-Action Award to Quinn for leadership with her writings in the religion section of the Washington Post.

Speaking of her early journalistic career, she mentioned one bizarre adventure during her travels, which developed unexpected religious connections. Some acquaintances, which she left unnamed, invited her to go to an “important undercover meeting” with them.

After agreeing, she was blindfolded and driven to an unknown spot where she found herself in a room with a group of

men in heated discussion. She realized she was hearing their factional plans to overthrow the Shah of Iran.

Excited at her “scoop,” Quinn sent it in. No luck; the verdict was “what did she know?”

Not long after, the revolution began and the Shah was deposed.

Quinn gave a frank and unadorned account of her personal journey, speaking from the standpoint of her acknowledged (yet unbelievable) 74 years of life.

“For many of those 74 years, I was an atheist,” Quinn said, outlining her life as the wife of the dynamic editor Ben Bradlee and having to watch him slowly slip away into dementia and death. She also spoke as the mother of a learning-disabled child, Quinn Bradlee, and the faith and effort required to steer him along as he gradually emerged from the darkness of his disability.

In that spirit, and looking at the myriad facets of her life and the enhancement her son and husband brought into it, she found her spiritual center, and began the faithbased writings for which she was being honored.

Hat Contest winner Sophie Pyle and Jane Pyle (Photo

by Ben Droz)

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Lauren Pillsbury, John Moffett and Diana Minshall

Rhoda Septilici and Marylee Malcolm

Rep. Steve Cohen and Robert Enholm

Nicky Sundt and Ed Gerber

WL EXCLUSIVE

WOODROW WILSON SPRING GARDEN PARTY Woodrow Wilson House | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ

Ryan Strasser, Bill Hatfield and Anne Berry

Amanda Dawson and Rhiannon Prokop

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| charity spotlight

My Beloved Medellin Vanity Fair’s Maureen Orth on community building in Colombia.

by Maureen Orth

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Maureen Orth with children at one of her foundation’s schools in Colombia.

reporter, after all. And the biggest lesson I had learned in the Peace Corps was that God does not discriminate when he hands out brains, guts or the ability to have fun. It’s only the opportunities that are restricted.

When we started, the teachers did not even know how to use email. But through public private partnerships, Intel and Chevron gave me my first donations of computers and Seagate Technology gave restored models; later General Mills and Proctor and Gamble, HP and Coca-Cola also helped, and thanks to Motorola, my old Peace Corps site became the first WIFI village in Colombia and the first to have families on Facebook!

Today, in our five schools, my greatest thrill is to see the smiles and the potential unleashed in all these beautiful children as they pick up their new computers and start learning. When we didn’t have the funds to repair and maintain our computers, we taught the kids how to take them apart and put them back together from age 7, and the most proficient kids how to do the repair and maintenance themselves. Now we have a growing consultancy business to set

up platforms for other schools and entities that want to learn with computers.

My foundation work has not only been a way to answer the question “What am I here for?” But it’s also a path to follow — in my mind, and in my soul, and in my heart — away from the darkness of the subject matter that I am so often assigned to cover in journalism — as well as the darkness of my own personal losses- toward the light of those shining little faces that I get to see in their joy of learning. To all the boomers out there, I’d say that this kind of work is the most fun you can have at a certain age — with or without your clothes on!

The third annual Colombianos/Gringos Cocktails/ Rumba event to benefit the foundation will take place June 25.Visit MarinaOrthFoundation.org. for information on how to donate.

Maureen Orth was awarded the 2015 McCallPierpaoli Humanitarian Award from Refugees International for her work with the Marina Orth Foundation, which she founded in 2005. Ms. Orth is a Washington-based journalist and special correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine.

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P H OTO CO U RT E ST Y: M AU R E E N O RT H

y decision to join the Peace Corps at age 20, right off the Berkeley campus, and to go to a place I had never heard of — Medellin, Colombia, gave me the best education I ever got.

In those pre-cocaine days, Medellin was merely known as the “City of Eternal Spring”.

One Sunday a dramatic posse of five men on horseback dressed in black gaucho hats and traditional wool ruanas galloped up to my door in the barrio. They were leading an extra horse for me. We rode straight up into the mountains for about three miles to meet an isolated community of campesinos in a small community called Aguas Frias. The people were desperate for a school.

Several Sundays later we began with a community work day and formed a human chain to throw rocks down the mountainside to clear the land. A year later there was a brick building that on dedication day bore a crude hand-lettered sign that was a happy surprise to me: Escuela Marina Orth. We had two classrooms and 35 students.

There were many years that I could not visit Medellin but the people there never forgot. In my first visit back in many years, in 1995, a second story had been added to the school and the community showered me not only with lilies and birds of paradise and lemons from their gardens but a five hour homage of songs, poetry, dances, a serenade, a lunch and a mass!

They did it again in 2004 when thenColombian Ambassador Luis Alberto Moreno stopped by the ceremony. The next day I was summoned into the new secretary of education’s office. “Marina,” the secretary told me, “these kids cannot hope to compete in the 21st century without knowing technology and English.Will you please help us make your school the first public bi-lingual school?

I had no idea how I would achieve this request for help, but I was an investigative

Auxiliary Bishop of Washington Mario Dorsonville and Nick Gent WL SPONSORED

Cardinal Donald Wuerl with gala chairs Karen and Tom Natelli

Missy, Sloan and J.B. Deerin

CATHOLIC CHARITIES GALA Marriott Wardman Park Hotel | PHOTOS BY VITHAYA PHONGSAVAN SAYING YES: More than 1,000 guests gathered on a rainy Saturday night to celebrate a memorable year for Catholic Charities — an impressive turnout in its own right, and even more so considering it was held at the same time as the White House Correspondents Dinner across town. Guests emptied their wallets to the tune of $1.9 million to aid Catholic Charities’ goal to “say yes” to everyone who seeks help.

The new Campaign for Catholic Charities was also rolled out at the gala — a $75 million fundraising effort in three essential arenas: employment service expansion, service excellence and endowment for the future.

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Mark and Julie Price with Charlie and Liz Garner

Tom and Margaret Sweatman

Tom Liljenquist and Erin Kilday with Lyn and Jay Ferriero Bill Whitaker with Marla and Bill Magner Joe and Pam Schiattareggia with Lisa and Tom Kloster

Cat Demaree, Bill Garate, Jonathan Lewis and Gina Guzzon (Photo by Lizzy Demaree) WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Stephen Conley, Msgr. John Enzler and Christabel Methot (Photo by Lizzy Demaree)

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FUTURE FORTE

By PAT R I C K D. M C C OY

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merican conductor Emil de Cou, 55, chats with us from the West Coast about his upcoming “Back to the Future” concert at Wolf Trap, meeting Leonard Bernstein and what excites him about wielding the baton.

WASHINGTON LIFE: Washington audiences probably know you best from your years as the National Symphony Orchestra’s associate conductor. What has it been like to be at the creative helm of your own ensemble?

Emil de Cou: Well, it is different and there is more responsibility, of course.

During my time on staff with the NSO, I was conducting the orchestra on a regular basis, which was a real thrill. Not being responsible for the organizational aspects was sort of like being the fun uncle. I find it incredibly rewarding to try many different things.

WL: What runs through your mind at the start of any given performance, knowing that each instrument, each cue, is dependent upon you?

EC: It’s always very exciting. When I first conducted at Wolf Trap in 2000, I thought it would be a fun, one-time thing. This is now my 15th year conducting there and my 11th year as principal conductor, so it is a thrill. It’s kind of like driving down a straight road: you are making small adjustments and corrections that make things as musical and fun for the audience as possible.

WL: Leonard Bernstein is a giant in the pantheon of American symphonic conductors. Tell us how you came to meet him and what that was like.

EC: I was terrified. For one year, Bernstein did not teach at Tanglewood [the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra]. He did a special seminar at the Hollywood Bowl, and 12 conductors were chosen to be a part of a program called the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute. Just to shake his hand — this man that I grew up watching on television and idolizing — was like meeting a superstar. His personality was so charismatic and he was someone that everyone wanted to be around all the time.

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WL: The movie “Back to the Future” celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion the NSO will perform the soundtrack live while the movie plays. What makes this particular concert at Wolf Trap a musical highlight?

EC: This is a new concert event premiering in Lucerne, Switerland in May. The Wolf Trap performance will be the first in the U.S. I love this film and soundtrack, which we performed with the NSO a few years ago. It will be great to perform the whole film. The composer, Alan Silvestri, has written 15 minutes of additional underscoring for the film, so if you know the film, there will be a new aspect to enjoy.

Emil de Cou and the National Symphony Orchestra provide the live soundtrack for the box office hit “Back to the Future” June 19 at 8:30 pm at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center.

Emil de Cou (Photo by Griffin Harrington for Wolf Trap)

Cou leads members of the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap. (Photo by Griffin Harrington for Wolf Trap)

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Helen and Paul Beckner with May Liang and Jan Najera Tony Blinken and Phillip Blane

Philip Deutch and Jenifer Noland

FOLGER GALA

Kellie Robertson, Gerry Witmore and Sigrid Cerf Victor Shargai, Craig Pascal and Aaron Posner

Folger Shakespeare Library | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP

ALL ABOUT THE BARD: On what was believed to be William Shakespeare’s 451st birthday, 250 Washingtonians gathered to celebrate the Folger Shakespeare Library’s four decades of educating the District’s youth and teachers about Shakespeare’s work and times while raising $365,000 to continue that mission. During cocktails, guests had the rare chance to view “Ships, Clocks & Stars: The Quest for Longitude” an exhibition on loan from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England, which contained the Harrrison timekeepers, including “H4” — the first clock to accurately keep time at sea and thus solve the problem of determining longitude. The first selfie to ever be taken on the Folger stage occurred with gala co-chairman Philip Deutch and Folger Director Michael Witmore. A student performance of the Pyramus and Thisbe scene from the end of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by children from Center City Public Charter School’s Brightwood campus brought down the house, demonstrating the success of the Folger’s student Shakespeare festivals.

Meg Flax, Laura Schiller, Geanie Milbauer, Nancy Jacobson and Laura Blumenfield

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Tony Podesta and Myra Greene

Andrea Nelson and Yossi Milo Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Vera Lutter WL EXCLUSIVE

THE MEMORY OF TIME DINNER National Gallery of Art | PHOTOS BY JAMES R BRANTLEY DOUBLE VISIONS: The National Gallery of Art wasn’t about to let the 25th anniversary of its photography collection pass without a major landmark exhibit (“In Light of the Past”), especially when it also coincided with “The Memory of Time,” a related show of 76 contemporary works acquired with a $10 million gift from lawyer Alfred H. Moses and his wife, Fern M. Schad. “Photography shows the world we live in, not the world we imagine,” Moses told guests in his after dinner remarks. “What does not exist in photography does not exist at all.”

Justice Antonin Scalia and Maureen Scalia WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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OVER THE MOON

Elephant & Castle Skipper Darlington focuses on saving the African elephant from extinction, Mary Braga’s “Oakendale Farm” goes on the market for $33.5 million in Middleburg

BY VICKY MOON

SAVING A SPECIES: Harry “Skipper” Darlington Jr. grew up at “Chilly Bleak” a cattle farm near Rectortown, but these days he’s mostly concerned about much larger beasts that soon could become an endangered species.

A committed environmentalist, Darlington, the son of Jennie Darlington and the late Harry Darlington Sr., is no stranger to far flung projects. His parents took their honeymoon in Antarctica about which his mother wrote an engaging book,“My Antarctic Honeymoon,” in 1956. Harry “Skipper” Darlington Jr. is focused on reversing the plight His grandmother, Ethel Shields Garrett, a of the ever-dwindling African elephant population with Africa ASAP, which stands for Aerial Surveillance Against Poaching. formidable steel heiress, philanthropist and (Courtesy Photo) grande dame of Washington society, saved the circa 1828 columns from the East Portico if that number is not disturbing enough, there of the U.S. Capitol in the mid-1980s when she are only 300,000 elephants remaining on the underwrote their permanent installation at the continent, and at the current rate of poaching, National Arboretum. with 35,000 to 40,000 killed each year, the Skipper is now focusing his efforts on a species could become extinct within the next new organization dedicated to reversing the five to ten years. An African elephant is killed plight of the ever-dwindling African elephant every 15 minutes. population, slaughtered by the tens of thousands “When you see something that is so every year by ivory-hunting poachers.When he wrong,” Darlington says, “it is very hard not to first started reading about the problem about do something about it.” a year ago, he knew he had to do something to help prevent the possible extinction of this CHÂTEAU DE CHIEN: Middleburg’’s equines remarkable animal. may sleep in the lap of luxury, but the town’s A past president of the former Ozone canines now have the good fortune to catch 40 Society, Skipper and several others founded winks in a bespoke bed. Known locally not just Africa ASAP, which stands for Aerial for his rare books and art expertise but also for Surveillance Against Poaching. The new focusing on dogs and horses, Richard Hooper organization, just recently designated a 501 has recently created a new niche. He’s turned (c)(3) non-profit, is now in the beginning his attention to creating elegantly appointed and stages of raising funds to provide long-term, historically rich dog beds called “Châteaux de near-continuous airship surveillance of the la Pooch.”

African wildlife refuges where the endangered Following excursions to Leeds Castle in elephants live.

England and the Musée de la Chasse in Paris, And sadly die.

Hooper began researching the history of dog At the moment, Tanzania is the main focus beds and bases his designs on 18th- and 19thbecause it’s Ground Zero, where one out of century examples, known in France as niches every three elephants are killed in Africa. As pour chiens.

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As early as 1328, dog beds were noted in an inventory of property belonging to a queen consort of France that included two silk cabinets for dogs. Niches began appearing more frequently in the 17th century, reaching their zenith of popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries. Original pieces are few and far between. The largest collections are thought to be at the Château de Vendeuvre in Normandy and now at Hooper’s home-based Middleburg workshop.

SHOW HUNTER SHOWPLACE: Humans, horses and dogs can all live in the lap of luxury at the 835-acre, circa 1934 “Oakendale Farm” now on the market for $33.5 million from Washington Fine Properties in Middleburg.

Designed by architect William L. Bottomley, it was the home of the late Mary Sayles Braga, who not only owned show hunters but was also a longtime supporter of all country pursuits. She was married to the late Bernardo Rionda Braga, `one of the wealthiest sugar barons in Cuba before Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. Her daughter, the late Pamela Braga Drexel, was the second wife of legendary National Gallery of Art director J. Carter Brown. The estate includes an immaculate 9stall barn, greenhouse, studio, pool and pool pavilion as well an original log cabin.

Sophie, a Chinese Crested Powder Puff, sleeps in a custom-made bed from “Châteaux de la Pooch.” (Photo by Crowell Hadden)

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Jarnell Duncan, Jacqui Nigh, Larry Duncan, Rynthia Rost

Felix Bighem, Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer w l sponsore d

INTERNATIONAL PAVILION AT THE PREAKNESS Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore | PHOTOS BY Jay Snap TRIPLE CROWN BOUND?: Despite a freak lightning storm hitting the 140th Running of the Preakness Stakes just before post time, it still seemed so effortless for “American Pharaoh.” Bob Baffert’s three-year-old colt galloped swiftly through the driving rain and thick mud to a six-length, $1.5 million triumph over 11 other horses to capture the second leg of racing’s Triple Crown. “I’m hoping the third one is a charm,” Baffert said, referring of course to the upcoming Belmont Stakes. Inside the sturdy, finish-line tent of the International Pavilion, hosted by the Maryland Jockey Club and Canadian Amb. Gary Doer, VIP guests took shelter with iced tumblers of Black-Eyed Susans while enjoying private wagering booths, airfare giveaways

by Air Canada and a menu of Canadian delicacies prepared by Montrealborn chef Spike Mendelsohn. ALSO DE RIGUEUR: Selfies inside the six new 2015 Rolls Royce Wraith, Phantom and Bespoke models parked inside the Preakness Village by sponsor Rolls Royce Motor Cars of Sterling., Va

Susan Sommer-Luarca

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David Short, Marie Royce and Denis Stevens Carlos Fleming and Cam Newton

Eric Ramsey and Russ Ramsey

Cody Borromeo and Spike Mendelsohn

Laura Prouse and Rich Amador

Robert J Gragiola 36 and Peter Franchot

Mary Pat Foster, N.J. Gov. Chris Christie, Md. Gov. Larry Hogan and Yumi Hogan

Jennifer Whelan and Jeff Ballou

Benjamin Cardin

ASHINGTON ReubenWSmith-Vaughan and Karla Gonzalez

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Sen. Susan Collins and C. Boyden Gray

Co-Chairwomen Rosie Donahower and Roxanne Pincus Reps. Jim Clyburn and Jim Moran

Sen. Mary Landrieu and Monaco Amb. Maguy Maccario Doyle

TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL LUNCHEON

Chip Akridge and Sheila Johnson

Constitution Gardens, National Mall | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL LUNCH IN THE GARDEN: This much-anticipated fixture on the spring social calendar brought together more than 1,000 leaders from the philanthropic, business and political worlds to raise $1.4 million for the Trust for the National Mall. The focus for 2015 is on the upcoming rehabilitation of Constitution Gardens, the 38-acre site connecting the World War II and Vietnam Veterans memorials where this year’s luncheon was held. Guests were offered tours of the site

by National Park Service rangers and the highlight of the lunch was Sheila Johnson’s stirring keynote speech detailing the inspiration she drew from the Mall as a young girl.The massive tent on the mall was used again two days later by Google for its WHCD party.

Caroline Cunningham and Rep. Debbie Dingell

Allison Riepe, Abby Echols, Kaci Williams and Claire Farver

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Jeff Ballou and Felix Bighem D.G. Van Clief and Dr. William Allison

Ashley Caitlin Finger and Catherine Carlstedt WL SPONSORED

VIRGINIA GOLD CUP

Letitia and Daniel LaMere

Bill Fletcher and Jay Adams

Kirk Wiles and Jay Varma

Great Meadow in The Plains, Va. | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ GIDDY UP: Everything seemed just a little bit bigger at the 90th running of the Virginia Gold Cup — bigger hats, bigger crowds, bigger anticipation and, of course, a bigger prize. The feature race, a four-mile match over timber fences, had a $90,000 purse (the winner gets 60 percent), a $15,000 increase from 2014. Grinding Speed, the 2013 champ, and rider Mark Beecher took the prize for owner Michael T. Wharton, winning by a mere length. Though the day centers on equine competition, many revelers come just to enjoy the atmosphere, such as Jackie Deschamps whose 50 Shades-themed tailgate featuring poached salmon with hollandaise sauce, shrimp kabobs and a mouthwatering homemade caramel cake — which led her to victory in the Tailgate Contest.

Townsend and Neva Vogel

Freddie Wyatt, Wendy Broome and Brendan Miller

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Robin and Jim LeMunyon and Rep. Barbara Comstock

Daniel Garcia Beech and Life with Cancer Director Sage Bolte Alan Dabbiere, Karen Schaufeld, Pilar Lorca, Fred Schaufeld and Ashley Dabbiere

Yvonne and John Batal and Rick Peterson

WL EXCLUSIVE

LIFE WITH CANCER LOBSTER EXTRAVAGANZA

John Warner

Carolyn and Milt Peterson Residence | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL PASS THE BUTTER: Summer came early to Carolyn and Milt Peterson’s Virginia home this year as guests donned bibs and feasted on fresh Maine lobster, New England clam chowder, corn on the cob and steamed clams and mussels, all to benefit Life with Cancer, Inova Health System’s non-profit cancer support and education center. Lobster-loving guests included former Sen. John Warner, Rep. Barbara Comstock and Alan and Ashley Dabbierre.

JP Decesare and Sharon Peterson

Milt and Carolyn Peterson

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Patrick McCall, Allison Linden, Casey McConnell and Bridget McCall

Alan and Ashley Dabbiere with Sheryl Crow WL EXCLUSIVE

THE GREY SOIRÉE Hickory Hill Estate | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP

Andrea Cecchi, Enrico Cecchi

Michelle and Chris Olson

BACKYARD BASH: Grammy winner Sheryl Crow rarely, if ever, performs at private parties, but she made an exception for the National Brain Tumor Society’s (NBTS) inaugural benefit. Around 500 guests gathered in the back yard of Ashley and Alan Dabbiere’s “Hickory Hill” estate in McLean (the historic former home of Ethel and Bobby Kennedy) for the “Grey Soirée,” enjoying food and wine pairings by top Washington chefs including George Rodrigues of Tico Restaurant and RJ Cooper of Gypsy Soul. The event had a distinctly personal quality, especially when Mrs. Dabbiere shared her story of being diagnosed with a brain tumor three years ago and told of making it her life’s mission to find a cure. “I’ve realized the two most important days of your life are the day you’re born and the day you realize why you’re born,” she said. “And I was born for a purpose, it was to make a difference in this disease.” After an exciting live auction that had guests bidding on a dinner hosted at “Hickory Hill” for themselves and 14 friends ($40,000 was the highest bid), $1.2 million was raised for NBTS.

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Ann Jordan and Hillary Rodham Clinton

Elizabeth Stevens and Andrea Mitchell Clarice Walker, Ann Walker Marchant and Carolyn Niles

Connie Bruce

Rep. John Delaney

SASHA BRUCE YOUTHWORK BENEFIT Howard Theatre | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Toni Verstandig, Sen. Roy Blunt and Michelle Pablo

Afsaneh Beschloss and Kethleen Kennedy Townsend

SHELTERING YOUTH: Sasha Bruce Youthwork marked 40 years of assisting more than 1,500 homeless adolescents in the District with a celebration featuring cocktails, dinner, live entertainment and a ceremony honoring longtime supporter Ann Jordan for steadfast dedication to the cause. Hillary Clinton, whose featured presence helped raise $900,000 for program support, had warm words of affection and praise for her longtime friend.

“She’s a quiet angel, a force to be reckoned with in all of her pursuits,” Clinton said, noting that Jordan “doesn’t need the limelight because she’s already lit so many candles.”

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Leslie and Andrew Cockburn

Chris Miller Bill Nitze, Finlay Lewis, Willee Lewis and Albert Beveridge WL EXCLUSIVE

‘KILL CHAIN’ BOOK PARTY

Ann Crittendon and John Henry Scott Willis, Max Van Praag and Mary-Sherman Willis

Marie Ridder Residence | PHOTOS BY VITHAYA PHONGSAVAN NECESSARY NONFICTION: Drone warfare was the talk of the night at Marie Ridder’s party to celebrate the release of Andrew Cockburn’s fascinating new book “Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins” (Henry Holt, 2015) that looks into the history of technology in warfare and asks why drones have become our principal method of waging war. Drawing on his military sources, Cockburn reveals insider information and insights into the world of national security. The author recently discussed his book as a guest on “The Daily Show” and C-SPAN.

Priscilla Clapp and Lucy Convoy

Marie Ridder

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Leily Batmanghelidj, Hirshhorn Museum Deputy Director Elizabeth Duggal and Katty Biglari WL EXCLUSIVE

HIRSHHORN PREGALA RECEPTION Dadi Akhavan, Shirin Neshat, Farinaz Akhava and Hirshhorn Museum Director Melissa Chiu

Residence of Farinaz and Dadi Akhavan PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden kicked off its Shirin Neshat “Facing History” Gala weekend and exhibit opening with a cocktail reception hosted by gala host commi\ee cochairmen Farinaz and Dadi Akhavan at their beautiful Chevy Chase home. The excitement for the next evening’s gala was palpable as approximately 80 guests, including the artist Shirin Neshat, Hamid Biglari, Nader Biglari, Nazgol and Kambiz Shahbazi, Leila Heller and Jerome De Noirmont enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails from Occasions Caterers as they discussed the Akhavans’ edgy contemporary art collection.

Reza and Fariba Jahanbani

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Elahé Arvanaghi and Michael Angelakis

Roya Akhavan, Sheila Saleh and Anahita Firouz

Micheline Klagsbrun and Ken Grossinger

Anousheh Razi and Ali Razi

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Catherine May, Irina Rapoport and Dan Rapoport Scott and Margot Lurding Holly Sukenik, Ann Kaplan and Jay Kaplan WL EXCLUSIVE

Caitlin Phillips and Jon Gossens

RESTORE MASS AVE COCKTAIL RECEPTION Residence of the Netherlands Ambassador | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP RE-GREENING WASHINGTON: In 2006, Deborah Shapley found herself appalled by the state of the trees in her Embassy Row neighborhood and resolved to do something about it. She soon founded the all-volunteer effort Restore Mass Ave, a group that now looks after the hundreds of trees both old and new that line Massachusaetts Avenue NW. Interior designer John Peters Irelan chaired the annual cocktail party hosted by Netherlands Amb. Rudolph Bekink and his wife Gabrielle at their Renaissance palazzo-style residence to benefit the cause. Patrons dedicated to beautifying the neighborhood donated to efforts that include the planting of more than 300 trees.

Louis Shields, Delores Wolf and Bobbie Brewster

Cathy Massey and Tom Mansbach Skip Moskey and Andrew Hamilton

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John Fitzgerald, Christine Basso and David DeSantis Larry Goodwin and Marc Korman

WL EXCLUSIVE

QUARRY SPRINGS GRAND OPENING

Bryan Voltaggio Janie Kim and Ronnie Mervis

Bethesda | PHOTOS BY JOY ASICO

Quarry Springs clubhouse

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OPEN HOUSE: More than 150 guests celebrated Quarry Springs’ new luxury clubhouse, previewed floor plans and finishes and talked to representatives from TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, including David DeSantis, Christine Basso and Janie Kim, who are the sales agents for the new community. Larry Goodwin, John Fitzgerald and Ragy Darweesh of 1788 Holdings, Quarry Springs’ developer, were also on hand to answer questions and discuss the progress of the 97 condominiums. As part of the festivities, Celebrity Chef Bryan Voltaggio signed his new cookbook, “Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends,” while the designers of the Quarry Springs model, Akseizer Design Group’s Jeff Akseizer and Jamie Brown, shared thoughts on finishing touches.

Jeff Akseizer, Michelle Kim and Jamie Brown

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HOME LIFE Real Estate News and Open House I Inside Homes and My Washington

4VMZEXI :MI[MRK Inside power lobbyist, philanthropist and contemporary art collector Tony Podestaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kalorama home.

BY LAURA WAINMAN PHOTOS BY JOSEPH ALLEN

HOME LIFE | INSIDE HOMES

f you’ve ever dreamed of strolling through a museum with a slice of pizza and glass of wine in hand, you need to befriend superlobbyist Tony Podesta. Known about town as a legendary political “fix-it” man, Podesta has turned his Kalorama home into a shrine to contemporary art, ranging from relatively under-the-radar artists such as Serbian painter Biljana Djurdjevic to those who are much better known (like French sculptor Louise Bourgeois).

The collection got a rather accidental start. After taking a 50 percent pay cut for his work during the last nine months of Ted Kennedy’s failed 1980 presidential campaign, Podesta ended up being handed a tube of artwork donated by major Kennedy-supporting artists of the day, such as Roy Liechenstein and Jasper Johns, in lieu of his foregone salary.

He didn’t bother to open for five years, but when he did what he found were gems.

“I walked away with 10 or 12 pieces in that tube, including my first two Rauschenbergs and my first Warhol,” Podesta says.

Though his collection currently stands at 792 works (and rising as he still actively buys), only about 10 percent is displayed at any one time in the house, as Podesta prefers to rotate artwork annually. However, his first major purchase, a nearly-2,000-pound bronze sculpture by Bourgeois called “Arch of Hysteria,” is never taken down. Over the years he has donated more than 1,300 pieces to local museums, including the Corcoran, Hirshhorn, Katzen Center at American University, National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery and the Phillips Collection; his largest

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PREVIOUS PAGE (clockwise from top left): Podesta’s main design change for the house was to open up the floor plan and tear down the many compartmentalized rooms.

The sliding glass windows were essential to give the house an indoor-outdoor atmosphere. The red sculpture over the kitchen was custom designed by German lighting designer Ingo Mauer and is a major focal point; “Cell (Choisy II),” the assemblage sculpture by the window in Podesta’s bedroom, is a work by Louise Bourgeois, one of the key artists in his collection. The center of the assemblage has a carved pink marble house representing the artist’s childhood home in France. A suspended needle — probably a found object from there — is suspended above the house inside the cell.;Antony Gormley’s cast iron “Standing Matter XII” (2008); Anna Gaskell’s “Untitled #31” from the Hide Series (1998).

THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left): IIit Azoulay’s “The Keys” ( left) and “Tree for Too One” (right) are both inkjet prints on paper from 2010. On the floor are Marina Abramovic’s “The Shoes for Departure” (1995) made of amethyst quartz; Biljana Djurdjevic’s “Synchronized Swimming” oil on canvas (2008).

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donation stands at 505 pieces to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. In New York City, he has donated to the Museum of Modern art and the Whitney. Last year alone he gifted more than 200 works.

“My plan for the collection is to donate it slowly over the course of my lifetime to museums and give the rest away after I pass,” Podesta says. “People who enjoy success should be giving back and sharing the gifts they have received. Most of my philanthropy occurs in the art world with my donations.”

He has dedicated himself solely to contemporary works — Bourgeois is one of only two deceased artists represented in the collection — and prefers to buy from the same artists once he establishes that he likes their work. Currently he has collected from 40 different artists in some depth, with his top five being Marina Abramovic,Vik Muniz, Bourgeois, Olafur Eliasson and Antony Gormley.

“My personal style aesthetic is spare and clean as the art was always intended to be the centerpiece of the house,” Podesta says.

Though he purchased the 7,000-square-foot residence in 2006, he was not able to move in until 2009 as it took nearly three years to finish the massive renovations he undertook, mainly to better accommodate his art.

“The house is in the historic district and situated across from Rock Creek Park, so it is subject both to the regulations of the historic and fine arts commissions,” Podesta says. “Basically that meant that the façade of the house could not change, but the interior style was more traditional and segmented than I envisioned, with a bunch of small rooms everywhere. I worked with an architect to tear the insides out completely. Essentially we rebuilt everything from scratch within the existing three walls of the old house, and made it much more open.”

Podesta is constantly on the move. The day we met he was dashing home from a Hillary Clinton fundraiser and preparing for an early-morning flight to his vacation home in Venice the following day. Not to mention the rapid-fire

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the

OPENING PAGE: Tony Podesta with one of his favorite works, Louise Bourgeois’ “Arch of Hysteria” sculpture.

nature of his work as founder and chairman of The Podesta Group, whose client roster includes such high profile names as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Wal-Mart, Wells Fargo and Lockheed Martin. Because of his busy schedule he needs his house to be a refuge from daily stress. While its open floor plan and rather sparse décor can give off a museum vibe, particularly in the basement where white-walled rooms are lined with glass containers of shelved art highlighted by recessed lighting, Podesta’s feelings towards his guests are far from cold or regimented. He regularly opens his house to casual pizza parties co-hosted by his friend James Alefantis, the owner of Comet Ping Pong. Over 200 pies emerge from the outdoor pizza oven as guests wander through the house and garden while studying his art collection.

Podesta knows what he likes, makes room for art in most every part of his life and wants to share it with those around him.

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HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS

Summer in the City $2 million-plus sales make for a sizzling market in Kalorama, Georgetown and Burleith

BY STAC E Y G R A Z I E R P FA R R

THE DISTRICT

R STREET NW, an end-unit row house

in a former naval officers club sold for $2.5 million with the help of Compass Real Estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alex Venditti. Patrick McCarthy sold the property to The Alt Kennedy Family Trust. The building, a fine example of modern architecture in the District, was built in 1944 and converted to condominiums in 1990.

The three-bedroom, 2,500-square-foot unit was renovated under the supervision of noted contemporary architect Robert. M. Gurney in 2007. The residence masterfully combines indoor and outdoor living spaces into a single contemporary, urban setting in triple mint condition. Keller Williams Capital Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Lise Courtney Howe was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

Alexandra Preston purchased

N STREET NW from Christine Belson and Robert Smart for $2,385,000. The charming four-bedroom Federal townhouse in Georgetownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West Village features a formal dining room, gourmet galley kitchen and large living room with glass French doors leading to a rear garden and pool. There is a separate carriage house with a two-car garage and studio residence. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Patrick Chauvin was the listing agent; Cecelia Leake, also of Washington Fine Properties, was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

WHITEHAVEN PARKWAY NW in Burleith sold for $2 million when Alla Bakhtina bought the property from KONSTANTINOS SIOZIOS. The five-bedroom 4,200-squarefoot row-house was meticulously renovated to include wide open living and dining rooms, a gourmet kitchen and custom tile, woodwork and moldings throughout. The property has four decks, including one on the roof with Potomac River and Washington Monument views. Long & Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Roby Thompson was the listing agent; Anjelika Dmitrieva of Long & Foster was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

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Shari Loessberg and Christopher Smart sold R STREET NW in Kalorama for $3,278,000.

The couple purchased the house in 2012 from Lou Hughs, a former president of General Motors International. Loessberg founded and runs Big World, a strategy firm, and co-founded ZetaNetworks, an optical networking company. She is also a senior lecturer in technological innovation at MITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sloan School of Management. Smart is an author and expert on Soviet foreign policy.

The Federal-style row house was built in the 1890s and features a dramatic double salon, formal

BANCROFT PLACE NW sold for $2.1 million when James Searby sold the seven-bedroom property to Dr. Jerome Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell. The historic Kalorama town

house was built in 1908 and sits on one of Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most beautiful blocks. The elegant property is ripe for renovation with spacious, well-proportioned rooms complete

with high ceilings and original details. The house features a dining room that opens to a charming patio and garden and a second floor library with French doors opening to a balcony. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Carroll Thornton-Chapin was the listing agent and Lee Murphy of Washington Fine Properties was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

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HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS

Gary Messplay sold OLIVE STREET three bedrooms and two baths. Evers & NW for $2,275,000. Messplay, a partner at Company Real Estate Incâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Melissa Brown was

Mill Georgian features over 6,000 square feet of living space, six-bedrooms and a large Hunton & Williams, bought the house in 2011 the listing agent; Samual Dweck, also of Evers guest suite above a three-car garage. Wide for $1,975,000 from Mickey Kantor, the 1992 & Company, Inc. represented the buyer. verandas on the main and upper level capture Taiping Cui and Zhen Zhang bought sweeping views of the landscaped garden Clinton-Gore campaign chairman, and Heidi Schulman, a former NBC News correspondent. HOLLY LEAF LANE in Bethesda for $2.6 and private woods beyond. TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The four-bedroom Federal row house in million from Vicki Williams. The custom- International Realtyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jill Park was the listing Georgetownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Village was built in 2000 built seven-bedroom Colonial boasts over agent. Weichert Realtorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Patricia Derwinski and sits in a private enclave near Rose Park. It 14,000 square feet of classic elegance. A library, represented the buyer.

Coda Construction sold

KENBAR features a sleek gourmet kitchen with dining solarium, two-level guest suite, finished attic, area, lower level recreation room and window- elevator, pool and pool house are among COURT in McLean to John Henry Johnson filled master suite. TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Michael the many amenities of this posh residence. IV for $2,811,000. Johnson is the founder and Rankin was the listing agent. Jonathan Taylor, Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Marsha Schuman CEO of Edgeworth Economics, an economic was the listing agent while Xinya Zhang of advisory firm headquartered in the District. also of Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, represented the buyer.

The French Country stunner on a park-like Long & Foster was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

MARYLAND setting is complete with a master bedroom The former home of the late Betty and VIRGINIA with 12-foot ceilings, heated bathroom floors, Sidney Sachs at WISCONSIN AVENUE Christian Slavin, founder of Zapatat tattoo a 144-bottle Sub-Zero wine refrigerator and a

sold to Susan Dweck for $2,275,000. removal company headquartered in the library with a coffered ceiling. Long & Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The updated condominium in Chevy Chaseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s District, sold

LANGLEY RIDGE ROAD Tracy Dillard was the listing agent while Somerset House II was built in 1990 and in McLean for $2,735,000 to Eric Minvielle, Howard Brock Realty Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Talmage features 2,800 square feet of space including a senior executive at Mars Inc. The Swanks Amaya was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

PROPERTY LINES DREAMY BACKYARD: A tastefully expanded Colonial at PALM SPRINGS DRIVE is for sale for $1,799,000 in Vienna. Ernest William Wagner and Anna Lueje are selling the property with the help of Beasley listing agents Anne Marie Drechsler and Elizabeth Minoso.

Mature trees surround the six-bedroom property, which features an ensuite office, designer bathrooms, library and backyard retreat with a mini-kitchen, grill, screened gazebo and hot tub.

FOXHALL GEM: An exquisitely renovated and expanded Center Hall Colonial at

FOXHALL ROAD NW is for sale for $3,395,000. Jason and Melissa Twomey are selling the property, which they bought in 2010 for $2.9 million. Mr. Twomey is an executive at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; William F.X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki, Adam Rackliffe are the listing agents for the seven-bedroom house in Wesley Heights. Built in 1938, it features a circular drive, gourmet kitchen with marble breakfast bar, gracious formal entertaining rooms, lower level exercise room and second family room.

Send real estate news to Stacey Grazier Pfarr at editorial@washingtonlife.com.

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GRACIOUS KALORAMA: A sophisticated 1978 Ray Howar-built Federal at KALORAMA ROAD NW is for sale for $3,395,000,000. Reuben Jeffery III and his wife Robin listed the property as they are relocating to New York City. Mr. Jeffery, a former undersecretary of state for economic, business, and agricultural affairs, and his wife bought their new Park Avenue home in 2013 for $9 million. He is currently the CEO of the asset management firm Rockefeller & Co. The stately brick seven-bedroom residence features embassy-sized entertaining rooms, a handsome library, gourmet kitchen opening to a private patio, and a master bedroom with an attached home office. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bobbie Brewster is the listing agent.

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HOME LIFE | OPEN HOUSE

Impressive Offerings The high-end real estate market is rife with listings this season

POND AT BEACH MILL

BEACH MILL ROAD< GREAT FALLS< VA

ASKING PRICE: $3,995,000

This stunning custom home features almost 10,000 square feet of sumptuous living space. Sited on two lushly landscaped acres with views of rolling hills and a pond, this property is perfect for entertaining both indoors and out.

LISTING AGENT: Marianne Prendergast, 703-676-3030; Washington Fine Properties

ASKING PRICE: $2,600,000

GEORGETOWN

PROSPECT ST= NW ` < WASHINGTON< DC

LISTING AGENT: Nelson Marban, 202-870-6899; Beasley Real Estate

Located in the historic Wormley School, this residence offers a double-sized private brick terrace, which was made possible after the neighboring unit was thoughtfully combined – creating an expansive two-bedroom residence with both formal and casual spaces. Features include a designer chef’s kitchen, en-suite baths, custom cabinetry and millwork, two fireplaces, two underground parking spaces and supplemental storage.

ASKING PRICE: $3,195,000

CHEVY CHASE

TH STREET NW< WASHINGTON< DC This expansive, over 8,000-square-foot house is perfectly sited across from Rock Creek Park on a nearly half-acre lot. A chef ’s kitchen opens to family room and breakfast area that overlooks a sylvan fenced yard. The property includes a luxurious master suite and a private in-law suite, plus ample parking.

MCLEAN CHAIN BRIDGE ROAD< MCLEAN< VA This Georgian-style gated estate has views of the Potomac River and is located on one of the most sought after locations on McLean’s Gold Coast. Once home to former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, the property has roughly 11,750 square feet of finished space and underwent a million dollar renovation that includes an open floor plan with a modern kitchen.

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LISTING AGENT: Sylvia Bergstrom & Marin Hagen, 202-257-2339; Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

ASKING PRICE: $6,950,000 LISTING AGENT: Mike Anastasia, 703-5011000, Ashley Anastasia, 703-973-4300; TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

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HOME LIFE | THOS MOSER

AMERICAN ICON Furniture Craftsman Thos. Moser Returns to Georgetown

BY VIRGINIA COYNE

Tom Moser, founder of Thos. Moser Handmade American Furniture, poses next to his signature continuous armchair in his new Georgetown showroom. (Photo by Tony Powell)

T

om Moser celebrated his 80th birthday this year by opening a new Thos. Moser store in Cadyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alley, just a few doors down from his former showroom at 34th and M streets, N.W., which was shuttered in 2013.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a location with a warehouse atmosphere, sparsely accessorized and no-nonsense, a reflection of the strong, lumberjack of a man who left his job as a tenured college professor in the early â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s to make 18th century-inspired American furniture with his hands.> When he left teaching, Moser promised

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his wife â&#x20AC;&#x153;no dirt floors like the hippies.â&#x20AC;? He said he would maintain a middle class lifestyle for themselves and their four boys. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My only intent was to make enough money to keep the wolf away and to feed the kids,â&#x20AC;? Moser says.

Fast-forward 43 years and his Auburn, Mainebased company now employs 70 master craftsmen, whom he trains on the job, and boasts seven showrooms across the United States. Moserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made-in-America handiwork is admired and owned by collectors worldwide.

The artisan wants his work to be seen as

utilitarian art, something a buyer will have for a lifetime. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always fear that somebody will look at a piece and say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I can get one of those for half that price.Why should I buy yours?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Well, maybe what we have is collectible and maybe it will appreciate in time and maybe youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pass it to your children and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pass it to their children,â&#x20AC;? Moser says.â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has a provenance. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made in America. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made by craftsmen here in Maine. It has a story.â&#x20AC;?

Thos. Moser Handmade American Furniture, 1028 33rd Street, NW. www.thosmoser.com

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MY WASHINGTON Susan Eisenhower, President,The Eisenhower Group Inc.

BY KEVIN CHAFFEE

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YOU HAVE SPENT MOST OF YOUR CAREER ON FOREIGN RELATIONS ISSUES. WHAT DO YOU FOCUS ON THESE DAYS? For the last 15 years I have also spent a considerable amount of time on energy and infrastructure issues. In my view, these are critical components of US national economic security. However, given the deteriorating relations between the United States and Russia I have been drawn back into that area a bit more. Engagement with Russia will be required if we hope to avoid a confrontation between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.

AS A LONGTIME RUSSIA EXPERT DO YOU SEE ANY HOPE FOR A THAW IN U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS? Improving relations requires dialogue and negotiation. Unwillingness to commit to on-going dialogue risks a confrontation, either by intention or mistake. Reducing this potential is crucial when tensions are high between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.

YOU FAMOUSLY SWITCHED FROM BEING A REPUBLICAN WHEN YOU ENDORSED BARACK OBAMA IN 2008. HAS ANYTHING CHANGED SINCE THEN? I am still a registered Independent like 43 percent of the nation’s electorate.

I am waiting to make up my mind about

who will be the best choice for the country.

YOU ARE DEDICATED TO THE WORK OF THE EISENHOWER INSTITUTE, NOW PART OF GETTYSBURG COLLEGE. WHAT IS ITS CHIEF MISSION? We educate and provide experiential learning opportunities for Gettysburg students in public and foreign policy. I enjoy conducting a two-semester seminar, with a dozen students each year, on strategic issues.

MY TOP SPOTS 1. The Wyoming Apartments (2022 Columbia Rd. NW). I pass it thinking of the lives of my grandparents, Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower, and my father John. They lived there in the 1930s.

2. The Eastern Market (225 7th St. SE) and the Dupont Circle Farmer’s Market. I love the farm-to-table movement.

3. The view of the U.S. Capitol from the ninthfloor terrace of 101 Constitution Ave. NW is awe-inspiring.

4. The magnolias on the White House lawn are as old as much of the city’s history.

5. Union Station (50 Massachusetts Ave. NE) is the nation’s most beautiful train station.

6. The National Portrait Gallery (8th and F streets NW). I find that studying the faces of people who overcame challenges to leave their mark on the world is a wonderful way to take a lunch break.

7. Politics and Prose (5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. I could get lost in that place and hope never to be found.

8. The Library of Congress, Jefferson Building (10 First St. SE) s an architectural beauty and a national treasure trove of knowledge.

9. Rock Creek Park. You could forget that you are in the middle of a great city.

10. Sushi-Ko (5455 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase). The popcorn shrimp tempura is a delicious indulgence.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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S U SA N E I S E N H OW E R P H OTO BY TO N Y P OW E L L ; U N I O N STAT I O N P H OTO, P O L I T I C S A N D P R OS E P H OTO A N D R O C K C R E E K PA R K P H OTO A L L F R O M I N T E R N A L F I L E S ; S U S H I - KO P H OTO B Y R E Y L O P E Z O F U N D E R A B U S H E L P H OTO G R A P H Y.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN WASHINGTON AND WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPAL CHANGES YOU’VE SEEN HERE SINCE THEN? I have been here now for more than 30 years and have watched Washington develop, increasingly, its own identity as a city. More people are moving here or staying here who have nothing to do with politics or government.

This is good for our city. Though much smaller, Washington will someday be a professionally diverse place, more like London and Paris, than Brasilia or Canberra — cities that serve only as national capitals.

On the negative side, there is too much traffic now.