Washington Life Magazine - June 2016 by Washington Life Magazine

Wendi McLendon-Covey, Rosario Dawson and Neve Campbell

The Best of the

White House Correspondents’ Dinner NERD PROM’S POWER PARTIES AND SIZZLING STARS

Books: ARIANNA HUFFINGTON TELLS US WHY WE’RE SLEEP DEPRIVED Fashion: Sexy Swimsuits, Nautical Styles and Rose Gold Jewelry PROPERTY LINES: AN INDY RACER’S GEORGETOWN mansion HITS THE MARKET FOR $10 MIL

pa rt i pa es! rt Pa ie rt s! ie s!

Profiles in Philanthropy: Donors Who Make a Difference

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JUNE 2016

EDITOR'S LETTER

WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY FEATURES

AROUND TOWN

PROFILES IN PHILANTHROPY Washington's Most Charitable Givers ................................................

Washington Ballet 'Bowie & Queen' Gala ..................

SPECIAL FEATURE Arianna Huffington's New Best Seller "The Sleep Revolution" .................

Empowering Women and Children .........................

OVER THE MOON Celebrity Sightings at the Middleburg Spring Races........

HOME LIFE

MedStar Victory Awards Gala..................................

INSIDE HOMES

FYIDC

Virgin Atlantic Entrepreneurial Symposium .................

INSIDER'S GUIDE Smithsonian Folklife Festival,

Hillie Mahoney Book Party ....................................

REAL ESTATE NEWS

AFI Docs Film Fest,Wolf Trap Children's Theatre and DC Jazz Fest ....................................

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

Former DC Design House Sold ...............................

MarylandYouth Ballet Anniversary Bash ....................

OPEN HOUSE Luxurious Listings.......................

Newseum/CNN Politics Exhibit Opening .................

MY WASHINGTON Victor Shargai, Theater Booster and Interior Designer.........................

SOCIAL CALENDAR ........................... INNOVATORS & DISRUPTORS GoodWorld founder Dale Nirvani Pfieffer ..............

POLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC Washington's Biggest Party: Inside a Week of White House Correspondents' Dinner parties ...........

Anna and John Mason .....................................

World Food Program USA's McGovern-Dole Leadership Awards .......................... The 'Ring Cycle' Opening Night ............................. Great Falls Fashion Show ...................................... Events DC Cherry Blast ....................................... The Virginia Gold Cup .........................................

EMBASSY ROW A Taste of Europe .................

Casey Trees Canopy Awards ....................................

Refugees International Gala ..................................

Parties, Parties, Parties! ...........................................

Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies Dinner ..............................

LIFESTYLES

DC Volunteer Lawyers Project.................................. J Street National Gala ...........................................

FASHION EDITORIAL Urban Splash .............. JEWELRY REPORT

USO Metro Awards Dinner.....................................

The [Rose] Gold Standard ...................................

Innocents at Risk Gala ..........................................

TREND REPORT Smooth Sailing........................

ON THE COVER Wendi McLendon-Covey, Rosario Dawson and Neve Campbell (Photo by Tony Powell) TOP FROM LEFT: Arianna Huffington (Photo courtesy of Arianna Huffington); Bryan Cranston with Renee and Matthew Morrison at White House Correspondents' Dinner Garden Brunch (Photo by Tony Powell); Fashion editorial ERES Road Trip Vani triangle bikini ($495), Sylene, 4407 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md., 301-654-4200; GAS BIJOUX Wave oval drop earrings ($210), Tabandeh, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-244-0777 (Photo by Tony Powell). Henri Bendel West 57th nautical tote ($328), henribendel.com,, Cindy Jones for Profiles in Philanthropy (Photo by Tony Powell)

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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 EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Virginia Coyne SENIOR EDITOR

Kevin Chaffee ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND SENIOR WEB EDITOR

Erica Moody ASSISTANT EDITOR

Catherine Trifiletti 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

Joy Asico,Tony Brown, Ben Droz, Alfredo Flores,Vithaya Phongsavan, Kyle Samperton, Erin Schaff and Jay Snap

PUBLISHER & CEO

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Mason Hammond Drake, Greenberg Traurig LLP INTERNS

Evan Berkowitz, Claire Handscombe and Meghan Moriarty FOUNDER

Vicki Bagley CREATIVE DIRECTOR EMERITUS (*)

J.C. Suarès CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE BOARD

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

EDITOR’S LETTER

SWEET CHARITY & RESTFUL SLEEP

ur June issue has traditionally showcased Washington Life’s “Philanthropic 50,” a listing of the area’s most charitable families and individuals. This year, we wanted to dig a little deeper and the result is an informative spotlight on some of the region’s most prominent donors and volunteers. From working to alleviate the plight of refugees to funding research against Alzheimer’s disease, the people we have highlighted are tireless advocates for their causes and setting examples for us all. If, like many of us, you can’t quit your day job to work toward the betterment of others full time, be sure to read our “Innovators and Disruptors” interview of GoodWorld founder Dale Nirvani Pfeifer, who has made it possible to donate to your favorite charity with the use of the hashtag “#donate.” The best part (aside from the giving) is that you can make contributions while logged on to Facebook or Twitter! If you missed White House Correspondents’ Dinner week at the end of April, you can read all about it in Hollywood on the Potomac columnist Janet Donovan’s coverage of the nearly 20 parties she attended between Wednesday and Sunday, beginning with an intimate gathering for members of the White House Correspondents’ Association and ending with brunches the morning after the dinner, one of which got so crowded that fire marshals were summoned! By the time you read this, the rain which plagued us for the greater part of May will have stopped and you’re likely to be looking up at sunny skies. If you’re ready to hit the pool, like I am, be sure to flip to our fashion editorial, shot at the rooftop pool of the Atlantic Plumbing building, for some swimsuit inspiration. Need a little reading material while laying poolside? In Book Talk we interview Arianna Huffington about her latest bestseller, “The Sleep Revolution: Transforming your Life One Night at a Time.”

We bet that if you lived in John and Anna Mason’s home, a duplex penthouse on the edge of Georgetown, you’d sleep pretty well. The earth-toned transitonal beauty impeccably appointed by nationally recognized designer Barry Dixon, comes complete with a sweet baby girl, Isabelle! And for you sleepless party-goers out there, you’ll ﬁnd our usual roundup of galas, dinner and fundraisers, including the dance-ﬁlled Washington Ballet Bowie & Queen Ball and the star-studded World Food Program Awards honoring Michael Kors. Additionally, Catholic Charities, Refugees International and Innocents at Risk all had annual galas that were not to be missed. Stay tuned next month for more spring parties — the S & R Foundation dinner and Tudor Place’s 200th Anniversary, where we hope to put our best and brightest garden attire to good use. Bonus: we’ll be hitting the high seas (aka Baltimore’s Inner Harbor) for our fashion shoot, showcasing our favorite chic yachting looks.

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

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FYIDC The Insider’s Guide to Washington BY ERICA MOODY

THE NEWSEUM’S “CNN POLITICS CAMPAIGN 2016”

INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT

AFI DOCS FILM FEST

SPECTACULAR SCREENINGS

Nonfiction film fans won’t want to miss the annual AFI DOCS film festival. The 13th annual gathering in downtown Silver Spring has been called “the premier showcase for documentary films” by the Hollywood Reporter and a “non-fiction Nirvana” by Variety. In addition to five days of screenings that include the U.S. premieres of several international films, there will be opening and closing night galas and a Guggenheim Symposium featuring Werner Herzog in an in-depth conversation with filmmaker Ramin Bahrani. June 22-26,Tickets start at $10 per screening.Visit afi.com/ AFIDOCS for more information.

CHILDREN’S THEATRE-IN-THE-WOODS

WOLF TRAP ENCHANTMENT

Parents and children alike will enjoy the enchantment of the outdoor theater and entertainment from world-renowned acts in music, dancing, puppetry and storytelling at this year’s outdoor festival, where the lineup includes Grammy-nominated singer Lisa Loeb (performing favorites from her recent album “Nursery Rhyme Parade!”), Dinorock, Serendib Dance Company and Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards (pictured). Performances are offered Tuesday through Saturday mornings from late June to early August. Tickets range from $10 to $12 per show. Visit wolftrap.org for tickets or call 1-877-WOLFTRAP.

SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL

BASQUE COUNTRY CULTURE Since 1967, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has honored contemporary cultural traditions by highlighting a different community each year in a two-weekend festival on the National Mall. This year, musicians, cooks, language experts and others from the Basque regions of Spain and France will be on the Mall to “explore themes of cultural sustainability, identity and migration” and showcase the food, crafts, music and poetry for which the culture is known. The Basque language, Euskara, was once on the brink of extinction but has been revitalized in recent years, with an estimated 1 million people now speaking it. June 29 through July 4 and July 7 through July 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special evening events beginning at 6:30 p.m.; Free admission.

DC JAZZ FEST

SOULFUL CELEBRATIONS The 12th annual DC Jazz Fest brings more than 100 acclaimed jazz artists and emerging Washington talent to the Kennedy Center, the Yards Park, Sixth and I Historic Synagogue and other venues in June. You’ll see acts like Kamasi Washington, The Chuck Brown Band and Igmar Thomas and the Revive Big Band (performing with Talib Kweli, Bilal and Ravi Coltrane) free of charge. June 10-19, dcjazzfest.org.

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CO URT E SY P H OTOS

Act like a political reporter and put yourself in the middle of this year’s fascinating presidential campaign. The Newseum’s new interactive exhibit, “CNN Politics Campaign 2016: Like, Share, Elect,” tells the story of the election in real time by using innovative digital media techniques. Explore how journalists have changed the ways they cover elections, how candidates campaign and how the public participates in the political process. The educational exhibit was created in partnership with CNN Politics, Facebook, Instagram, Zingal Labs and Pivit. Visit tickets.newseum.org to purchase tickets. $22.95 adult admission. Runs through Jan. 22, 2017.

FYIDC | SOCIAL CALENDAR

JUNE

S & R FOUNDATION WASHINGTON AWARDS GALA Evermay’s splendid gardens will be the site of a celebration to recognize emerging talent from Washington’s art and music scene. The evening includes performances by the S&R Foundation’s 2015 winners and a live auction. Evermay Estate; 7 p.m.; garden cocktail attire; $550; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact l.galperina@sandr.org.

KE N NEDY CENTER SPRING GALA

Whoopi Goldberg is host of the Kennedy Center’s annual gala will pay tribute to a legendary Washingtonian– the late Marvin Gaye. Performances will include some of the famed singer’s top hits, songs that heavily inﬂuenced the Motown era and opened doors for successors of the R&B genre. Kennedy Center; 5 p.m.; blacktie; $1,000; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact 202-416-8338, springgala@kennedy-center.org.

STE P AFRIKA! AFTER DARK GALA The vibrant dance company has big plans for its fall productions and will use its annual gala to get the word out. Proceeds from the event, which includes dinner, dancing and dance performances, will benefit the program’s choreography program and new productions. Union Market Dock 5; 7 p.m.; cocktail attire; $350; sponsorships start at $500; contact development@ stepafrika.org.

WILL ON THE HILL At the intersection of theater and politics, this annual beneﬁt gives members of Congress and media players a chance to showcase their acting chops.This spirited event supports the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s community outreach programs. Sidney Harman Hall; 6:30 p.m.; $50; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact WillontheHill@ShakespeareTheatre.org.

George and Jennifer Lowe at the 2015 Kennedy Center Spring Gala (Photo by Tony Powell)

TH ANNIVERSARY

OF PUBLIC CITIZEN Public Citizen takes pride in making government work for Americans through its dedication to democracy. Join the 45-yearold group in celebrating its success promoting health, safety, justice and democratic rights for every American. National Press Club; 6 p.m.; $250; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Kristen Caruana 202-588-7759, events@citizen.org.

MCON CONFERENCE Join leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs for a three day millennial impact conference, presented by the Case Foundation, that will include daytime panels and nighttime networking. Conﬁrmed speakers run the gamut with topics ranging from politics to the arts.

Evening events will be held at the Renwick Gallery and Spanish Cultural Center. National Geographic Headquarters; $250-$350; contact MCONPress@sunshinesachs.com.

CUISINE DES ARTISTES Described as a “dinner happening,” the District of Columbia Arts Center’s annual event brings together top area chefs and artists to showcase their creativity through scrumptious edible art. Guests will enjoy cocktails and appetizers in the Meridian House’s lush garden before moving inside to sample dishes from 10 chef-artist teams. In addition to a fantastic culinary repast, guests will be entertained by poets, musicians and performing artists. The Meridian House; 6:30 p.m.; $180; sponsorships start at $500; contact info@dcartscenter.org, 202-462-7833.

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FYIDC | INNOVATORS AND DISRUPTORS

#DONATING, MADE SIMPLE Dale Nirvani Pfeifer’s GoodWorld makes it possible to donate to your favorite causes via social media. BY VIRGINIA COYNE

WAS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO DO SOMETHING PHILANTHROPIC? I actually prefer to think about it in terms of having the biggest and most positive impact that I can. It’s about making my life matter in a way that truly helps others. More than that, I created GoodWorld as a story-sharing movement for people to share what they do to make the world a better place. It’s an opportunity for people to tell others what they love, the ways they do good, how they care, and what they’re passionate enough to take action about. I think it’s important for us to celebrate and inspire one another to become a force for good.

acebook and Twitter have become our windows to the world. On social media, we communicate with friends, keep up with current events (including news of tragedies and national disasters) and now, thanks to GoodWorld founder Dale Nirvani Pfeifer, we can simply post the hashtag “#donate” to give to victims, refugee groups or others in need right away. Since launching in 2014, GoodWorld has helped raise over $1.5 million for over 1,600 nonprofit partners, including Save the Children, Greenpeace and UNICEF. HOW EXACTLY DOES ONE USE #DONATE? Commenting “#donate” on a GoodWorld partner charity’s Facebook page or tweeting “#donate” at the charity’s Twitter handle triggers an instant donation that is shared with a social media user’s entire network. The first time you #donate, you’ll receive an instant reply to complete your donation. After completing registration, you can #donate to thousands of charities anytime without having to fill out forms or leave social media.

Dale Nirvani Pfeifer founded GoodWorl d in 2014. (Photo by Violetta Markelou)

WHY DID YOU START GOODWORLD? I’ve always wanted to have a positive impact on the world—that’s the way my parents raised me. I came up with the idea when I saw a post on Facebook about a struggling Afghan educator and wanted desperately to help. However, it was difficult to find a way to contribute. It took me so long to locate a website, then a donation option, then to navigate the donation form, that I became incredibly frustrated by the end of the process. I realized that there had to be a faster, better, and simpler way for us to give during the moment when we’re inspired, and GoodWorld was born.

ARE YOUR DONORS MOSTLY MILLENIALS? A good number of our donors are Millennials and young Gen Xers, but we see people of all ages using #donate. They’re civic-minded and passionate about the causes they care about, so many of them #donate regularly. This was our intent with building our product—making giving easier and more accessible to everyone, in a place that’s convenient for them.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS GOING ONE, FIVE, 10, EVEN 20 YEARS FROM NOW? We plan to expand beyond the U.S. and onto other social media platforms, as well as beyond charitable donations and into social payments. Our ultimate goal is to create a generosity-based financial system where giving is as important as receiving. We want to change the way that people think about money and make giving back an everyday activity and even a habit.

INNOVATIVE THOUGHTS

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER ENTREPRENEURS? “Don’t wait for anyone or anything. There’s very little that you can’t do yourself. The press release you write may not be the best in the world, but you can do something and get out there. Living in an environment of scarcity can actually be useful, especially when starting up, because you’re forced to use lean principles. Getting money too early could actually be a curse rather than a blessing.”

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POLLYWOOD The Nexus of Politics﹐ Hollywood﹐ Media and Diplomacy | Hollywood on the Potomac, Refugees International Dinner and more!

Model Kendall Jenner at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. (Photo by Tony Powell)

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POLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD ON TH E POTOMAC

Christopher and Jennifer Isham

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Eric Trump and Lara Yunaska

Adriana Lima

Bill Nye

Morgan Freeman

WASHINGTON’S BIGGEST PARTY Stars descend on the nation’s capital for a week of White House Correspondents’ Dinner festivities.

s the Brits would say: “Keep Calm and Carry On.” A stash of Red Bull doesn’t hurt either when you’re hoping to make it through the surfeit of White House Corespondents’ Association parties that prelude Saturday’s dinner with the President and first lady. We covered more than 20 of them, starting on Wednesday evening and ending at brunch on Sunday (that’s a lot of outfits, thank you very much!). Here are the highlights: WEDNESDAY APRIL Press for the Press: “You know, I want

to meet the ‘Broad City’ gals on Comedy Central,” The Washington Post’s Reliable Source columnist Emily Heil told us at an intimate and lavish party for accredited

B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N

White House Correspondents’ Association members at the home of Xavier Equihua. It’s also where we learned that C-SPAN gets the President’s speech ahead of time. “We will get the text top secret, probably late afternoon,” said Steve Scully. “What we’ll do is read the script, look at the program, look at the table settings, and f igure out who’s where and so if he’s going to poke fun or acknowledge or make reference to a certain individual, we’ll be able to have that shot ready to go.” THURSDAY APRIL

Women in Journalism Awards: “We’re lucky

to have women who, in particular, stand out in their field for extraordinary journalism

and the things that they do for their craft,” Gloria Dittus said before acknowledging the awardees at the Third Annual Women in Journalism event she has hosted at her Kalorama home. “Admittedly, we’re in the midst of one of the most interesting political years ever. We’re probably going to have a woman at the top of the ticket for the first time, so it’s quite appropriate that today we’re going to acknowledge women who are leaders in the field of journalism. ... No matter who is selected at the ballot box in November, male or female, Democrat or Republican, I know that the women that we’re going to honor tonight will continue to set the standard among their peers for reporting and journalism.”

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Emily Lenzner, Steve Clemons and Andrew Oros

William Lewis

Bob Schieffer

PRE-PARTIES AND RED CARPET [THE WASHINGTON HILTON]

Elena and Robert Allbritton

Kerry Washington

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

Karlie Kloss

Katherine Bradley, Randi Weingarten and David Bradley

Jessica Stone and Jacqueline Policastro

Fred Ryan, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi Jared Leto

DJ and Devika Patil and Emily Heil

Damian Lewis

Gayle King, Geoff Tracy and Norah Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Donnell

Tony Podesta, Gloria Dittus and Mary Landreau

PRESS FOR THE PRESS [XAVIER EQUIHUA RESIDENCE] P H OTO S BY TO N Y P OW E L L

Dana Bash and Rep. Debbie Dingell

WOMEN IN JOURNALISM Hannah Davis Steve Scully, Laura Haim, Jon Decker and Xavier Equihua

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[GLORIA DITTUS RESIDENCE] P H O T O S B Y B E N D R OZ

Susan Page

Jennifer Moore, Claire Baumann and José Andrés

Alex Skatell, Jonathan Badeen and Kyle Miller

GLOBAL BEAT PARTY

Dave Egan and Rob Groulx

SWIPE THE VOTE

[UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION] P H OTO S BY ST UA RT R A M S O N

[W HOTEL ROOFTOP] P H OTO S BY E R I N S C H A F F

Rick Parnell, Michael Kelly and Zain Habboo

Kiki and Tim Burger

Lauren Probyn and Kate Bennett

Elise Shutzer

David Reid

Anastasia Dellaccio, Christine Warnke and Suzanne Kianpour

BYTES & BYLINES [SPANISH AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE]

Allen Gannett, Spanish Amb. Ramón Gil-Casares, Susanna Quinn, Eric Kuhn and John McCarthy

Global Beat: The annual Global Beat party sponsored by Devex, the U.N. Foundation and Foreign Affairs magazine celebrated with Michael Kelly, who plays presidential henchman Doug Stamper in Netf lix’s “House of Cards,” and our favorite local chef and activist, José Andrés. Kelly still likes to remind us that he is far from the evil character he plays on television. Swipe the Vote: Rock The Vote? Tinder? I.J. Ali Stagnitta and Hannah Stempler

Irish Amb. Anne Anderson, Afghani Amb. Hamdullah Mohiib

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

Barry and Marla Beck

Review? The trio of sponsors made for fun & games at their rooftop party. Rock the Vote’s

Kiki Burger told us they mixed the dating app Tinder’s signature swiping feature with the 2016 field to test a different compatibility. “Based on if you swiped right or left on the issue, you got matched with the candidate. You could see where you align on the issue, so that was really fun.” What we really want to know is who got matched with The Donald? Rock the Vote also partnered on PSAs with Kendall Jenner, Burger said. “She’s been a big supporter of ours, which is great because she’s only 20 and this will be her first time voting in the presidential election.”

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Irina and Stephen Bartell

Scott Thuman L.Y. Marlow and Stephanie Fischer

Cliff Madison and Tanya Rahall

WASHINGTON LIFE PARTY [1700 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW]

Kyle Samperton

Francesca Chambers and Michael Moroney

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

Jayne Visser and Kristin Smith

Bret Baier

David MacNaughton, A.J. Calloway and Jimmy Finkelstein Tamera Mowry

Nina Totenberg

AnnaLynne McCord

WASHINGTON POST [ONE FRANKLIN SQUARE] P H OTO S BY E R I N S C H A F F

Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston

Emily Ratajkowski

Dulé Hill and Canadian Mountie

Paul Strauss

THE HILL Bytes and Bylines: This party at the residence

of Spanish Amb. Ramón Gil-Casares was the ultimate soirée, co-hosted by Allen Gannett, Eric Kuhn, John McCarthy and Susanna Quinn. “I should’ve done it before,” GilCasares said, wondering why he hadn’t had a hip, young party previously. “It’s been so much fun and such a wonderful evening, I hope to be able to do it for many more years.” José Andrés, Rebecca Cooper and Steve Clemons hammed it up downstairs reminiscing about past dinners. For that, we turned the recorder off.

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[CANADIAN EMBASSY] P H OTO S BY E R I N S C H A F F

Nina Dobrev

Constance Zimmer and Esai Morales

CREATIVE COALITION [STK WASHINGTON] P H O T O S B Y J AY S N A P

Tamron Hall

Don Lemon

Len Amato, Connie Milstein and Bryan Cranston

Ashley Graham

Eamon and Maureen Javers

Vivica Fox

GOOGLE HBO PARTY

MOTHER NATURE WHCD JAM

[RENWICK GALLERY]

[THE HAMILTON]

P H O T O S B Y V I T H AYA P H O N G S AVA N

P H O T O S B Y J AY S N A P

Jerramy Stevens and Hope Solo

Sally and Reince Priebus

Olivia McDonald and Bridget Gribbin

Chuck Leavell, John Bell, Mike Mills and Paul Riddle

t Widespread Panic’s John Bell

pavement looking for new day job.

FUNNY OR DIE

Voto Latino: It’s always a good thing that no

[FIOLA MARE]

caffeine is available at Voto Latino parties; guests are already on an energy high. The event highlighted the “Crash the Parties” initiative, a nationwide search to identify two millennial, aspiring reporters to cover the Democratic and Republican conventions for the Fuse network. “Crash the Parties” was created to inspire and encourage participation among millennials in the presidential race, and address the lack of on-camera diversity in media.

P H O T O S B Y J A N E T D O N OVA N

Valerie Jarrett, Rita Cosby and Gabrielle Union

Mary Ann Akers and Marc Adelman

Rep. Mark Sanford

Karen Finney and Jonathan Capehart

FRIDAY APRIL Sunset Over the White House: Although the

and pocket square from Ike Behar.

sun was not visible for this rooftop gathering hosted by Washington Life, there was plenty of excitement from guests admiring the stunning view of the Old Executive Office Building and White House. We tapped our closest pals, including Real Housewife of Potomac Katie Rost and Fox News’s Bret Baier, to join the happy hour celebration,which raised awareness of domestic violence for L.Y. Marlow’s Saving Promise Foundation. A generous swag bag contained a commemorative Preakness glass

Washington Post and SAG-AFTRA: “I did

have a lot of fun going into the press briefing room this afternoon and starting it as C.J., which was a lot of fun.” Allison Janney told us at the SAG-AFTRA bash. C.J. Cregg is the role she played on the television series “The West Wing,” a character is loosely based on Clinton-era White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers (who served as a consultant to the show). We hear that the real White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, is pounding the

Creative Coalition: “I’m here to thank you, to implore you to keep going, to let you know that the difference we’re talking about is the difference between life and death for some people,” actor Esai Morales said in reference to funding the arts. Besides Morales, the “Night Before” Supper Suite by STK had plenty of eye candy: Emily Ratajkowski (“Gone Girl”), Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries”), Rosario Dawson (“Daredevil”), Neve Campbell (“House of Cards”), AnnaLynne McCord (“90210”) and Constance Zimmer (“UnREAL”), to name a few. The Hill and Extra: The Hill, Extra and the Embassy of Canada hosted a star-studded event featuring Hollywood, media, sports and political types. Spotted in the crowd: actress

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Kasie Hunt, Katy Tur and Chris Jansing Al Sharpton and Aisha McShaw

Jaimie Alexander

MSNBC AFTER PARTY [UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE]

Rebecca Berg and Brendan Buck

Robert Kang and Eun Yang

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

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

Kate Snow

Bridget Moynahan (“Blue Bloods”), Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, actor Scott Foley (“Scandal”), CNN anchor Don Lemon, Fox Anchor Greta Van Susteren, MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell, and Extra’s A.J. Calloway. People and Time: “Hillary is well on her way to marching to the White House again,” party-hopper extraordinare Michael Kelly, told us when leaving the St. Regis Hotel. As for Trump, “It’s not going to happen. Enough people in America know that the people in this country deserve a leader who can operate with the proper decorum, respect and knowledge; not just for the country, but for the world.” Mother Nature’s WHCD Jam: This self-

proclaimed jam session at the Hamilton may have been the most laid back of them all. With a dress code that ranged from “blue jeans to black tie,” it was apparent that there were no rules for this one. Several bands rocked on stage, slowly drawing guests farther from the bar and closer to the music. But nothing compared to the grand finale. The Jam’s cool factor flew off the radar when Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones), John Bell (Widespread Panic), Mike Mills (R.E.M) and Paul Riddle (Marshall Tucker Band) took to the stage. The dance floor erupted at the sound of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” leaving lifetime Stones fans (and us) frenzied and awestruck.

Arianna Huffington and Travis Kalanick Tammy Haddad and Helen Mirren

Deesha Dyer Evan Ryan and Tony Blinken

Candace Cameron-Bure

GARDEN BRUNCH [MARK AND SALLY EIN’S RESIDENCE]

Daniela Lopez Osorio

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

Jessie Usher

Chad Griffin and Mandy Grunwald Sally, Charlie and Mark Ein

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Tina Tchen and Emma Tchen

Katherine Nikas, Rebecca Sears and Kerri Kupec Mark Drapeau and Rena Shapiro

Laura Bolos and Jake Ward

HOUSE OF CODE [KINSHIP] P H O T O S B Y B E N D R OZ

THOMSON REUTERS [HAY ADAMS ROOFTOP]

Jake Tapper and Jennifer Marie Brown

P H OTO S BY A L F R E D O F LO R E S

Funny or Die: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Forbidden fruit tastes so much

CNN HANGOVER

sweeter,â&#x20AC;? as the saying goes. Such was the case at the fourth Annual â&#x20AC;&#x153;no sponsors, no cameras, no press, no hasslesâ&#x20AC;? party hosted by Funny Or Die and United Talent Agency at Fiola Mare in Georgetown, where the proHillary crowd included Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to President Obama, and Karen Finney, spokeswoman for the Clinton 2016 campaign. All were happy campers, assuming that the likely Democratic nominee would be Clinton.

[LONGVIEW GALLERY]

SATURDAY APRIL Garden Brunch:â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I was here last year,

I was literally approached with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the hooker.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Okay, Okay!â&#x20AC;? Lisa Edelstein told us of being recognized as her sultry â&#x20AC;&#x153;West Wingâ&#x20AC;? character. The Annual Garden Brunch is hosted by Tammy Haddad, Kevin Sheekey, Hilary Rosen, Sachiko Kuno, Fred Humphries, Constance Milstein, Anita Dunn, Bill Knapp, David Adler and Franco Nuschese at the legendary Beall-Washington House once owned by Washington Post Publisher Katharine Graham and now owned by Sally and Mark Ein of the Washington Kastles. The brunch proved to be a feel-good morning after the hectic activities preceding it. But, the big challenge still remained â&#x20AC;&#x201C; getting to Sunday!

P H O T O S B Y J OY A S I C O

Pablo Manriquez and Luis Miranda

Michael Chertoff, Rob Colorina, Isabel Sepulveda and Courtney Cooper

S.E. Cupp

White House Correspondentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association Dinner: The President spoke with his usual

humor and ease at his last Correspondentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dinner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eight years ago I was a young man, full of idealism and vigor. Look at me now! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m grey, grizzled, just counting down the days â&#x20AC;&#x2122;til my death panel!â&#x20AC;? he joked. Pre-events included the Yahoo & ABC News reception with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright taking center stage; the Atlantic/CBS party where presidential candidate Bernie Sanders felt the Bern from selfie-seekers; and the Washington Postâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bash where Rep. Joaquin Castro and Daniela Lopez Osorio ruled the room.

House of Code Brunch: Tech entrepreneurs

f locked to Kinship on Saturday morning to talk passionately about industry issues and their latest apps over mimosas and bites from chef Eric Ziebold. The first annual brunch from Buzzfeed and the App Developers Alliance provided a somewhat more relaxed atmosphere than the Garden Brunch. Plenty of business cards were passed between local innovators wanting to network.

MSNBC After party: As guests arrived at

the Institute of Peace through the American Airlines sponsored Arrivals/Departures lounge, they were invited to get the party started with a First Class Fizz cocktail. But, by the end of night, it became evident that a few partygoers may have had one fizz too many when a fist fight broke out between Ryan Grim of the Huffington Post and Jesse

Spencer Garrett and Wolf Blitzer

Watters of Fox News. You might say the evening ended with a bang! SUNDAY MAY Thomson Reuters Brunch: Guests at Thomson

Reutersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Morning Afterâ&#x20AC;? had to deal with a human traffic jam when fire marshals concerned about overcrowding limited many guests from moving to the top f loor of the Hay-Adams, where the party took place. CNNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Political Hangover: At CNNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Political Hangover brunch, the conversation centered on Larry Wilmoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comedic performance at the WHCD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love Larry Wilmore. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a guest on his show. He could not be nicer,â&#x20AC;? Ashleigh Banfield told us at Long View Gallery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smart, talented. The only thing I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like was his hitting on my bestie Wolf Blitzer. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all in fun and everybody is a big boy and a big girl.â&#x20AC;? Money guru Suze Orman said â&#x20AC;&#x153;A struggle, just a struggle,â&#x20AC;? adding to the general criticism of his performance. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All Folks!

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FAPE Chairman Jo Carole Lauder, Jack Shear, Frank Gehry and Secretary of State John F. Kerry Stavros Niarchos, III Artwork donated through FAPE on display at the State Department

FOUNDATION FOR ART AND PRESERVATION IN EMBASSIES DINNER U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Reception Rooms PHOTOS BY MARY HILLIARD

ARTFUL DIPLOMACY: The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) celebrated its 30th birthday with a special two-day gathering that included panel discussions, lunch at the National Gallery of Art and dinners at the French Ambassadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residence and Department of State. At the latter, Secretary of State John F. Kerry flattered benefactors for â&#x20AC;&#x153;wallâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;towall talent, a fair amount of glamour and just the right amount of gravitas,â&#x20AC;? before thanking them for bestowing 2,300 gifts from more than 200 artists (valued at $85 million) over the years. The works on display in embassy properties abroad, he noted, help to â&#x20AC;&#x153;represent America in a different way, a powerful way.â&#x20AC;?ESTEEMED GUEST: Famed architect Frank Gehry, was honored with FAPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leonore and Walter Annenberg Award for Diplomacy through the Arts for his â&#x20AC;&#x153;unique creations and architectural philosophyâ&#x20AC;? and lauded by Kerry as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;national treasure.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are privileged,â&#x20AC;? FAPE President Eden Rafshoon noted, â&#x20AC;&#x153;to claim a small piece of his genius.â&#x20AC;?

Alma Powell, Sharon Percy Rockefeller and Kinshasha Holman Conwill

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hamiltonâ&#x20AC;? producer Jeffrey Seller, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Gen. Colin Powell

Bob Tuttle and Buffy Cafritz

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Eden Rafshoon, Wendy Stark Morrissey and Bob Colacello

Marlene Malek and Alma Gildenhorn VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Sydie Lansing with Jeff and Justine Koons

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Martin Puryear with Avis and Eugene Robinson

Michael Singer and Maryscott Greenwood

POLLYWOOD | EMBASSY ROW

Open House The European Union embassies invite Washington to visit and a longtime ambassador departs. BY ROLAND FLAMINI

official phrase, the “protecting power” of Syria’s interests. In Damascus, where the U.S. embassy closed in 2012 as the civil war heated up, the embassy of the Czech Republic houses the U.S. interest section, but the State Department knows of no corresponding Syrian interest section here. The U.S., though, recognizes the Washington office of what the State Department calls the “moderate” Syrian Opposition Coalition (with Najib Ghadbian as its chief representative) as a foreign mission, but says such recognition “does not establish the coalition office as the Embassy of Syria.” GOING, COMING: In the moving village that

French Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Nathalie Broadhurst kicks to DC United midfielder Julian Buescher as German Amb. Peter Wittig looks on in his embassy’s garden. (Photo courtesy of the French Embassy)

A TASTE OF EUROPE: On the tenth anniver-

sary of the European Union’s Open House Day on May 14, many of the embassies rose to the occasion with innovative ideas. In addition to the usual folk dancing and colorful dirndls, there were dribbling soccer players, video games, virtual reality tours, exhibitions of historic photos and cooking lessons. The embassy of Malta opted for a historic footnote to bilateralism, mounting a one-day exhibition of photos taken by Gen. George S. Patton, the brilliant, but irascible U.S. Army commander. The images were shot over the course of his visits to Malta during the runup to the Allied invasion of Sicily in World War II. Also included: excerpts from Patton’s journal in which, said Maltese Amb. Pierre Clive Agius, “Though it was torn apart by bombs, Patton marveled at the island’s beauty and culture.” At the combined GermanFrench open house at the German Embassy,

visitors practiced soccer moves with DC United’s German midfielder Julian Buescher: France will host the European Soccer Championship in June. The Polish Embassy’s array of playable video games from Poland’s booming video game industry was also a great draw. Offerings of national cuisine were, as usual, plentiful, but the Spanish embassy offered lessons in how to cook paella as well as eat it, and a “workshop” (it says here) about carving Serrano ham. DIPLOMATIC VOID: Who represents the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad in Washington? It seems that nobody does. It’s been two years since the Obama administration ordered the Syrian Embassy on Wyoming Avenue NW to suspend operations and its diplomatic staff to leave the country. Normal diplomatic practice would have been for another foreign mission to become, in the

is diplomatic life, recent departures this spring included Bulgarian Amb. Elena Poptodorova, and Greek Amb. Christos Panagopoulos. Poptodorova was a revenant, having served in Washington for 14 of the past 16 years, from 2002–2008, and again from 2010–2016 – not exactly a record, but much longer than most. Before leaving, she rhapsodized about her time in America, but doesn’t think she is likely to come back for yet a third term. For Panagopoulos, who arrived in 2012, it was not the best of times. His two main challenges were to explain and defend his country’s disastrous financial situation, and then the influx of Syrian refugees. All the time he was effectively homeless: the Greek residence was shuttered and renovation work halted for lack of funds, and he had to live in a rented house. Still, the general view was that the one-time star of Greece’s water polo national team had got on swimmingly here. Meanwhile, according to Moroccan media reports, the next ambassador to Washington from the Maghreb kingdom will be Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoii, currently Morocco’s ambassador to the Court of St. James and first cousin to King Mohammed V. The royal palace has yet to officially announce the princess’s appointment.

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Michael Gabaudan

Mariella Trager, Casilda and Jorge Hevia and Marisol LaMadrid WL SPONSORED

French Amb. Gerard Araud

Fabio Trabocchi, Richard Branson and Maria Trabocchi

REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL GALA Sam Waterston and Annie Totah

George and Frederica Valanos

Kosovo Amb. Vlora Ă&#x2021;itaku

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Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL LIFESAVING ADVOCACY: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have long felt that how we treat refugees is a crucial test of how open and progressive our societies are,â&#x20AC;? Sir Richard Branson said when accepting the McCall-Pierpaoli award at Refugees Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual gala. Branson encouraged guests to â&#x20AC;&#x153;remain positiveâ&#x20AC;? even in the face of global hardship, because â&#x20AC;&#x153;openness and tolerance may prove the strongest forces we have.â&#x20AC;? Actors Sam Waterston and Ma Dillon flew in for the occasion, and benefit chairs Maria and Fabio Trabocchi provided the hot ticket auction items â&#x20AC;&#x201D; two dinners at Fiola Mare for 30 guests (with wine pairings) which were auctioned off for $55,000. Final proceeds totaled more than $800,000, including more than $30,000 in the Text-to-Give initiative to fund a mission to Nigeria. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

David Grimaldi, Gordon Giffin, Lyndon Boozer and Mike Maceroni

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Kristin Solheim and Kristin Heim Mowry

Roberta Mastromichele, Eileen Shields-West and Matt Dillon

Andrea Pizziconi and Keyon Harrold

POLLYWOOD

Dr. Sachiko Kuno and Barbara Garlock Kathleen Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Tisha Hyter Jenny Brody, Hiram Puig-Lugo and Karen Barker Marcou

DC VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Residence of the Japanese Ambassador | PHOTOS COURTESY OF DCVLP

Traci Silas, Sarah Morgenthau and Marcus Green-Baker

Katharine Weymouth and Julia Springer

HONORING ATTORNEYS First lady Michelle Obama, who holds a law degree from Harvard, was the featured speaker at the sold-out annual fundraiser for DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, a group with more than 1,600 registered volunteer attorneys providing free legal assistance and social services to domestic violence victims and at risk children in Washington. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You give women and families a reason to hope again, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth celebrating,â&#x20AC;? Obama told the crowd. The eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highlights included a silent auction featuring tickets to the hit Broadway show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hamiltonâ&#x20AC;? and a moving performance from Georgetown Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a capella group, Superfood, singing Lady Gagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Til it Happens to You.â&#x20AC;? Guests included co-chairwomen Kathleen Biden and Tisha Hyter, Sen. Chris Coons, Rep. Gwen Moore and fashion designers Tracy Reese and Byron Lars. Adrienne Arsht, who funds DCVLPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arsht Law Fellows program, provided a generous matching gift.

Takafumi Yanagi and Kanji Yamanouchi

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Vice President Joe Biden Alexandra Stanton and J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami

Sen. Tim Kaine with the honorees, former U.S. Ambassadors Samuel Kaplan (Morocco), Alan Solomon (Spain, Andorra) and Louis Susman (U.K.) WL EXCLUSIVE

J STREET NATIONAL GALA Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center | COURTESY OF J STREET PEACE PLAYERS J Street has been at the forefront of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for eight years, pushing its message of peace and resolution. At its national gala over 1,000 community leaders, supporters and over 50 members of Congress came together to look ahead to a nonviolent future. Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John F. Kerry spoke to a full house, reiterating the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; steadfast support of Israel. Before introducing three former U.S. ambassadors with awards for their dedication to international peace, Kerry emphasized â&#x20AC;&#x153;the absolute necessity of pursuing justice, the urgency of pursuing peace and the vital importance of diplomacy.â&#x20AC;?

Secretary of State John Kerry Lester Hyman and Dylan Williams 30

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Gen. Paul Selva and Miss America Betty Cantrell WL SPONSORED

Patti and Erick Turasz

Jon Stewart

Richard Petty and John Cena Elaine Rogers

USO METRO AWARDS Renaissance Arlington Capitol View Hotel | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL HEROâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SALUTE: U.S. Special Operations Forces received a special salute by comedian Jon Stewart at the USOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Metroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual dinner acknowledging those who have made significant contributions to the military community. Other honorees included Monster Energy for bringing entertainment to troops overseas; wrestling superstar John Cena, who also hosts Fox televisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s militarythemed reality show â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Grit;â&#x20AC;? and Army National Guard Sgt. Jon Meadows, who suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in Afghanistan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m certainly not the hero you guys are,â&#x20AC;? Cena said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but just know that you have a great influence on me, and for that and everything you do, I say thank you.â&#x20AC;?

Melissa and Jon Meadows VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Barbara Harrison, Frank Mars, Annie Totah and Susan Mars

Deborah Sigmund and Bruce Neal

Amra Fazlic, Nazgol Fearnow and Lara Dizeyee WL SPONSORED

INNOCENTS AT RISK GALA Dominican Republic Amb. JosĂŠ TĂłmas PĂŠrez and Pedro VergĂŠs CimĂĄn

Organization of American States | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL RAISING AWARENESS In 2003, when Deborah Sigmund heard that human trafficking was a $150 billion industry worldwide and that few people realized it, she set out to spread the word. The work of her organization, Innocents at Risk, was highlighted at the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual benefit to raise funds to fight against the nefarious practice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to be in schools. These children have no clue they are at risk,â&#x20AC;? Sigmund told the crowd, making sure to highlight the successful â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flight Attendant Initiativeâ&#x20AC;? that gives airplane passengers a way to call out suspicious activity on their flights, many of which are international.

Lola Reinsch and Bill Detty VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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PROFILES IN PHILANTHROPY T

he plight of refugees, the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, the quest for cancer research, support of education, a notable youth orchestra and championing of women artists are but a handful of the causes supported by generous residents of our community. This month, we chose to highlight some of the most visible donors and contributors in the region; individuals who are working tirelessly for the greater good. From Eileen Shields-West’s work at Refugees International to George and Trish Vradenburg’s personal experience with Alzheimer’s disease, the following pages offer a glimpse of what inspires people to give and why they work so hard to make an impact. The reasons range from simply feeling financially blessed and wanting to give back to their communities to having suffered their own illness and pain. No matter the motivation, their efforts are inspiration to us all. >> PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

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eileen shields-west CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL FIRST PERSON﹕ Although there are many great nonprofit groups I like to support, I am focusing right now on Refugees International, one of the world’s leading advocacy organizations for individuals who cross borders or are internally displaced (IDPs) within their own countries. The world’s total refugees and IDPs now numbers close to 60 million people. While my educational background in international affairs and journalistic career inspired my interest in this cause, I actually came to support RI’s mission through my friends Trish and Mark Malloch Brown. I first traveled with RI to Cambodia’s faraway Mondulkiri province in 2001 to ensure that the last returning refugees from the Pol Pot era were getting the seed, rice and tools needed to restart their lives. In 2005, with RI’s then-president Ken Bacon, I found myself in the wasteland of Darfur, still under attack by government-allied JanjaWA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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weed militia. We waited until we had left the country to press the “send” button on our report of Sudan’s flagrant violations of international law. Last November, holding back tears, I watched with the RI team as Syrian families and others in overloaded, deflating dinghies, slowly reached the shores of Lesbos, Greece, headed for Germany and the dream of a better life. I still wonder where they are today. Those missions changed me, as did our visits to South Sudan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jordan, Turkey, Thailand, Kenya and Rwanda. Right now, RI operates with a portfolio of about 20 focus countries, but the need grows each year. In 2016, we added Nigeria, focusing on Boko Haram’s forsaken survivors, and we would like to add Yemen, if security permits, to examine the quiet catastrophe of approximately 2.5 million IDPs. On average, RI allocates 85 to 90 percent of its $3.2 million budget to advocacy efforts that include fielding missions to our focus countries; lobbying Capitol Hill, the United Nations and targeted countries; and providing public education on displacement issues. www. refugeesinternational.org 33

SYRIA: THE MOTHER OF ALL HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS AND WHAT GLOBAL PHILANTROPY IS DOING ABOUT IT

hen the Syrian exodus began in 2011, the United Nations and big, established relief groups like Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders switched into gear, working from a relief template put in place decades ago to confront such emergencies – refugee camps, medical support, food and clean water supplies, Angelina Jolie touring new camps, etc. Within three years it had become clear that in Syria, the international community faced a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions; by 2015, Syria had become “the world’s single-largest driver of displacement,” according to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). “Today, there are 20 million refugees, and a fifth of them are Syrian,” says Michel Gabaudan, president of the Washington-based Refugees International, a leading humanitarian non-profit group. Actually, the current total of Syrian refugees is 4,844,111 (at deadline).“2.7 million are in Turkey, 1.3 million in Lebanon, and 700,000 in Jordan, and a smaller proportion in Europe.”The drama of a stricken humanity wandering across Europe’s borders on a scale not seen since the end of World War II gets the most attention, but the larger presence (up to 80 percent, according to the U.N.), and the larger burden, remains in

regional neighbors, where the majority of refugees eke out a precarious existence outside their camps.“Lebanon, with a population of 4 million, faces a serious situation with 1.3 million Syrian refugees,” Gabaudan says. In addition to the refugees, there are 6.8 million displaced Syrians living inside the country. The scale and complexity of the Syrian crisis and its human impact prompted significant changes in the way the international community confronts such challenges, starting with the bewildering array of international, national and private philanthropic and relief organizations involved, and the emergence of a wide range of innovative practices including public-private sector partnerships, smart-card technology, digital atlases and integrated, conflict-sensitive approaches. One relatively new concept has been the largest-scale adoption thus far of cash assistance so that refugees can buy their own food and other requirements from local tradesmen, says Noah Gottschalk, Washington-based senior humanitarian policy adviser at Oxfam America. Refugees in Jordan and Lebanon receive books of cash vouchers “the same way they used to receive a bag of grain,” Gottschalk explains, “but this way helps preserve their dignity and it improves rela-

tions with the host population.” Oxfam America is very active inside wartorn Syria itself, where the conflict between Sunni insurgents and President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite Shi’ite regime has destroyed cities and essential services.The international organization’s large-scale relief effort focuses on water, sanitation and hygiene, working with the white-helmeted Syrian humanitarian workers Gottschalk calls “the unsung heroes of the conflict.” The war had been dragging on for four years when one published photo shocked the world. The image of 3-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi’s dead body, face down in the rocky surf on Turkey’s Bodrum peninsula (known for its beach towns and international resorts) in September 2015, went viral, triggering a global volunteer response. At the time, Migrant Offshore Station, a charity that runs boats to save refugees at sea, told The Guardian that their donations had spiked 15-fold in the 24 hours after the photo was published. Private efforts raised millions in days. Social media went berserk: in Windsor, England, young housewife Jennifer McGlachie posted an appeal on her Facebook page and collected three van-loads of donated

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CO U RT E SY P H OTO

BY ROLAND FLAMINI

relief supplies in 42 minutes. While many volunteers went to help at European border crossings, a large number converged on the Greek island of Lesbos, where Syrian refugees made – and are still making – a landfall from often ramshackle boats. There were times when the volunteer effort backfired, as when there were more volunteers on the beach than refugees, resulting in clashes with seasoned rescuers, according to some reports. A Wall Street Journal correspondent described how one American woman volunteer “waded into the sea” shouting “I’m the baby hugger! I’m the baby hugger!” New private charities sprang up almost overnight. While the Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán covered itself in infamy with an unwelcome approach to the Syrian influx, a group of young Hungarians calling themselves The Secret Kitchen was providing food and succor. In Germany, Refugees Welcome arranged housing for incoming refugees, and in Turkey, a group of volunteers founded The Small Project Istanbul “to help people displaced by the Syrian war to build their lives.” While British Prime Minister David Cameron had to be pushed and pummeled into saying Britain would take “up to 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years,” British groups like Refugee Action were volunteering to rehabilitate Syrians in Britain. Recent reports say arrivals of refugees on the coast of Greece and at the Turkish border have diminished this winter, but attribute this to bad weather and not the current precarious truce in Syria which, Mercy Corps in Washington spokeswoman Christy Delafield says has so far produced “no change” in conditions on the ground. What has been really striking, says Gottschalk, is the way Syrians themselves have developed their own humanitarian effort. For example, in the small town of Reyhanli on the Turkish coast near the Syrian border, there are 47 Syrian-operated relief programs in place, including schools, health clinics and vocational training. Basmeh & Zeitooneh, a highly respected Syrian volunteer group helping refugees in Lebanon, is an icon among smaller humanitarian organizations. And while many relief workers regret what they see as a groundswell of public indifference in the United States towards the Syrian crisis, a concerned Syrian-

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American community has been mobilized from the outset, with organizations like the SyrianAmerican Medical Society and the Karam Foundation raising millions for Syrian refugee relief and lobbying the administration to allow more Syrian asylum-seekers into the country. The Karam Foundation first invited questions via e-mail, then never answered them, but Matthew Chrastek, who heads the American Relief Coalition for Syria (ARCS) in Washington coordinating the efforts of the Karam foundation and 12 other Syrian humanitarian and philanthropic groups, some formed in response to the Syrian crisis, others already established in the United States, said that in 2015 alone, the organizations raised $52 million from individuals. “And these groups can make a dollar go farther than any other NGO I’ve ever known,”

NGOs and philanthropic organizations are showing signs of donor fatigue... The total appeal by U.N. agencies is for $9 billion, but only a third of that total has been made available. he added. Twelve of the groups were active in Middle East areas where there were refugees and one on finding homes for refugees in America. “All would say that the U.S. needs to do more, but they don’t have the clout to push heavily for more Syrians to be admitted at a faster rate,” Chrastek said. Donald Tusk, the Polish president of the European Union Council, recently denounced criticism of Europe’s mixed reception of the Syrian influx as “sheer hypocrisy.” He said:“Those who do not want to [help refugees] at least shouldn’t hide their indifference by criticizing Europe for doing so little.” Tusk mentioned no names, but many speculated that he was referring primarily to Russia and to the Gulf States, whose intake of fellow Sunni Arab victims of the conflict has been zero. But what about the United States? “One of the things that has impeded American support is the perception that America doesn’t really care

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what happens in Syria,” Gottschalk says. President Obama’s ambivalence towards the Syrian crisis both in terms of intervention and of its humanitarian dimension was certainly not calculated to stir national concern. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s airport greeting to arriving Syrian refugees was a strong contrast to the Obama administration’s considerably more detached approach. Obama is hesitant in part because of fear of terrorist infiltrators entering the country posing as refugees – especially after it transpired that jihadis in the Paris and Brussels attacks had slipped into Europe under the guise of Syrian asylum seekers. Additionally, no love was lost between Washington and Damascus, an ally of Iran and Russia and an enemy of Israel (although The Jerusalem Post recently reported that Israel was sending humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees in nearby Jordan). NGOs and philanthropic organizations are showing signs of donor fatigue. Gabaudan says, “Appeals for Syria have not been fully funded and there is less every year, so the need is very great.” The total appeal by U.N. agencies is for $9 billion, but only a third of that total has been made available. “To put that in perspective, the marijuana trade in American stands at $7.5 billion, and video games sales [in 2015] amounted to $17.5 billion,” he said. Worse, there is concern that funding from other humanitarian projects is being siphoned off to the Syrian crisis because it is seen as more pressing – and more high profile. For example, some experts said European governments are dipping into appropriations destined for development (usually an annual 0.7 percent of GDP) to meet the cost of supporting the displaced Syrians. And the UNHCR recently warned member governments and NGOs not to forget other serious humanitarian hot spots around the world. “The entire humanitarian system is unusually overstretched,” Gottschalk says. “It is hard to think of a time when there were so many humanitarian crises at the same time, and what is needed is a different approach to humanitarian relief. But the better approach, of course, would be the end to the conflict.” In May, the first ever World Humanitarian Summit, held in Istanbul, called for a complete restructuring of the entire architecture of humanitarian relief.

roger and vicki sant CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT, RESPECTIVELY, THE SUMMIT FOUNDATION WHEN DID YOU START YOUR PHILANTHROPIC ODYSSEY? Roger Sant: Back around 1990 we realized that our start-up company [AES Corporation] might do pretty well, so we established a fund at the Community Foundation and later a family foundation [the Summit Foundation] which has now become our principal foundation.. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO SUPPORT? Vicki Sant: If we both don’t agree on something we don’t do it — and that even includes the art that we’ve purchased over the years. I especially like to support causes relating to women and girls and Roger is interested in the environment and climate change issues. WHAT ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN LATELY? Roger Sant: I recently chaired the search committee that chose Gianandrea Noseda as the new music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and am now chairing a committee tasked with bringing the NSO to the top level of orchestras around the world. I am also doing what I can to have a carbon tax enacted globally.Vicki has taken a very special interest in helping develop a girls school in Kenya established by Kakenya Ntaiya. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE YOUR PHILANTHROPY? Roger Sant: We have been so impressed with our children (Shari, Michael, Lex and Ali) that we decided not to give away all of our funds during our lifetimes and let them carry on our foundation. Besides our traditional work on coral reefs and empowerment of girls, they and their spouses are leading our efforts to radically change the sustainability of U.S. cities. Also, our son Lex is spearheading our impact investing, which is a fascinating journey. WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU BOTH? Vicki Sant: We both feel we have a lot of work to do, so we will continue to actively work in the fields of girls and women and the environment and climate change through our foundation and as board members of other NGO’s like Vital Voices, the Brookings Institution, the World Wildlife Fund, the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, the D.C. College Access Program and the World Resources Institute. We will also continue to support the National Gallery of Art, the National Symphony, the Phillips Collection, the Anacostia Waterfront Trust and the National Geographic among others. 36 www.summitfdn.org

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GEORGE AND TRISH VRADENBURG FOUNDERS, US AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S

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Alzheimer’s is a memory-destroying disease that devastates a whopping 44 million people worldwide – a statistic that might intimidate some, but not George and Trish Vradenburg.The couple, who are leading the fight to eliminate the disease by 2020, became fervently committed to the cause when Trish’s mother was diagnosed 30 years ago.Watching the “lioness” of a woman slowly decline took a toll on the whole family and her caregivers. “My mother was invincible, but she was no match for Alzheimer’s,”Trish says. After her mother’s passing, she recalled her sage advice: “You can’t go through this life without making a difference.” So in 2004, the Vradenburgs tapped Hillary Clinton to support their progressive Alzheimer’s initiative and never looked back. Years later, despite having chaired the Alzheimer’s Association gala for eight years and raising more than $10 million, the Vradenburgs were still not satisfied. They kicked their efforts into high gear and founded US Against Alzheimer’s, an organization that aims to ensure the disease no longer flies under the radar of everyday Americans and the nation’s policymakers. With their advocacy, Congress raised its level of funding from about $436 million to $991 million a year. The Vradenburgs believe that advocacy against the WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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disease has previously lacked “tenacity, voice and passion” because there are no survivors to share their personal battles. George also cites ageism as a factor, but is quick to point out new imaging technology shows the disease cropping up in 50 year olds – about 20 years before symptoms typically occur. The Vradenburgs hope this will serve as a wake up call that, if caught early, the disease could be managed with the right kind of treatment. There are now 17 drugs in late stage human testing that will hit the market in the next few years. They have also undertaken an initiative that will shorten clinical trials by at least two years and make them less expensive (currently it takes 15 years and $2 billion to get a drug released. With a house that The Washington Post once cited for having a “laugh track,” art also plays a vital role in this loving couple’s home, so it is no surprise that George is the long-serving chairman of the Phillips Collection board. But, as the fight against Alzheimer’s heats up, he plans to resign from that post to make sure he does not spread himself too thin. “We advocate for change but we want to be the change for which we advocate, so that we’ve got our hands dirty up to our elbows, up to our shoulders, the whole thing,” George says, “We’re in 110 percent.” www.usagainstalzheimers.org 37

JIM LINTOTT AND MAY liang CHAIRMAN, STERLING FOUNDATION MANAGEMENT; GENERAL COUNSEL & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, OPENCONCEPT SYSTEMS INC. Jim Lintott is chairman and founding principal of Sterling Foundation Management, the oldest firm of its kind in the country, which provides charitable consulting services to some of the country’s largest private foundations. Lintott and Liang serve as members of numereous boards and have generously donated to each organization. He is a board member of the Children’s National Medical Center Foundation, Best Buddies and the Freer/ Sackler Galleries. She serves on the boards of the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Epilepsy Foundation and Sidwell Friends School. Together, they also run the May Liang and James Lintott Foundation. WHY IS IT SO IMPORANT TO YOU TO BE CHARITABLE? Liang: We’ve been blessed with the ability to give back. One more Chanel bag or pair of Jimmy Choo shoes isn’t going to make my life better, but a donation to a worthy charity has the ability to change the lives of many people for the better. I believe we are obligated to be good stewards and leave the world a better place than we found it. ARE THERE PARTICULAR CAUSES THAT ARE NEARER AND DEARER TO YOUR HEART THAN OTHERS? Lintott: Unable to fall asleep one night, May and I discussed what was the benefit of having extra money. We knew plenty 38

of wealthy people who were not happy. It did occur to us that having money meant that you always knew your children could get quality healthcare if they got sick. If that was the case, we decided it would be good for us to give in an area that could provide that same feeling for other parents. That began the involvement with Children’s National. I ended up leading the foundation board for four years and the parent board for four and a half years. Providing world class healthcare for atrisk children in the D.C. area means everything to me. Best Buddies has also been very important to us because of how they too protect some of the most vulnerable members of society. Anthony Shriver has created an organization that helps intellectually disadvantaged young people find friends, find jobs and find a successful place in society, and I am proud of our involvement since 1994. HOW DO YOUR CHARITABLE INTERESTS DIFFER FROM ONE ANOTHER? Liang: I tend to focus on smaller and more local charities. I feel like I can make a bigger difference on the board of a smaller organization than on a larger one. It’s important for me to be involved in charities that resonate with me in some way. There are a lot of worthy charitable organizations out there, and it’s impossible to get involved with all of them. I’ve learned over the years that if you don’t feel passionate about the organization, you’re doing a disservice to yourself and the organization. www. sterlingfoundations.com WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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hilda ochoa-brillembOUrg FOUNDING CHAIRMAN, YOA ORCHESTRA OF THE AMERICAS FIRST PERSON: I am an immigrant, born and raised in Venezuela, who came to the United States for graduate school and moved to Washington to work at The World Bank. The U.S. gave me a great education, an enviable family and community life, and the opportunity to create Strategic Investment Group, a thriving investment management company. I am proud to be an immigrant, but I am also indebted to my Latino roots. I felt fulfilled in helping to create an organization that identifies prodigious young musicians across the Americas, offers them an exceptional training platform beyond what they could otherwise access, connects them with extraordinarily gifted musicians and coaches in a support network for life, and motivates them to become transformational agents in their communities. This is a uniquely valuable way to give back to both the U.S. and Latin America, uniting them â&#x20AC;&#x201D; along with Canada â&#x20AC;&#x201D; through the highest level of excellence and inspired social engagement. For 15 years,YOA Orchestra of the Americas has planted powerful seeds among talented musical leaders who will pursue professional excellence while giving back to their communities, and be all the greater for it. On our 15th anniversary we celebrate an orchestra that has performed 300 concerts in the Americas, Europe and Asia led by our 1,000 graduates (from more than 15,000 applicants) who have launched over 50 social initiatives globally. WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO LAUNCH A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COMPOSED OF YOUNG MUSICIANS FROM ALL ACROSS THE AMERICAS INSTEAD OF ANOTHER CAUSE? We wanted to focus on identifying exceptional achievers throughout the Americas who could reach world class with our additional help and serve as inspiring role models in their communities. Classical musicians at their level met those qualifications. HOW HAVE YOU SUCCEEDED IN GETTING OTHER BENEFACTORS TO SUPPORT ITS MISSION? The YOA mission is a powerful one among those of us who want to make a better world. The dollar for dollar rate of return on every dollar from our programs is about six times what you invest. There are very few, if any, investments that can exceed that rate of return. When potential donors realize how their donations are managed and invested and how well it sits with their legacy dreams for our countries, it makes sense to give to YOA. YOA HAS ALREADY PERFORMED IN 27 COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IN ITS 15 YEARS OF EXISTENCE. WHAT COMES NEXT? Increased web- and social media-based branding efforts so the demand for our training, performances and sustainable revenue base increases; and the further development of the YOA Leaders Program and our Leaders Academy. This year our YOA Leaders Program, certified by Oxford University and McGill University, is being offered to young musicians outside the YOA. www.yoa.org WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Living Classrooms Working to disrupt the cycle of poverty and help young people reach their true potential. BY DERYL MCKISSACK

or ten years, I have served on the board of directors for Living Classrooms, an organization I was initially drawn to because of its dynamic “learning by doing” programs that emphasize applied learning in math, science, social studies, language arts and social skills, particularly for African American and other minority students. In 2001, Living Classrooms began serving the National Capital Region with programs that meet the educational and workforce development needs in the Washington, D.C. area, all with the goal of disrupting the cycle of poverty and helping young people reach their potential. Since then, Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region has served over 118,000 children and young adults, with a focus on Washington’s most underserved areas, mainly Wards 6, 7 and 8. Living Classrooms has developed a distinctive competency in experiential learning — literally learning by direct experience — or what they call “learning by doing.” They apply their approach through hands-on education and workforce development. Their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Mentoring program has an overall goal to positively impact the social development and academic achievement of high-risk youth ages 6-9. Through group mentoring sessions and STEM enrichment activities, youth are exposed to inspiring scientists and engineers who represent a variety of careers and education pathways. By providing consistent, high quality STEM mentoring, the program encourages a reduction in high-risk behaviors and improvement of academic success indicators. Living Classrooms also educates students

Deryl McKissack (Courtesy of Living Classrooms)

aboard their fleet of historic ships. Leadership and teamwork are key objectives as students work together to raise and lower sails, trawl for marine life, perform scientific tests and explore the commerce, history, natural resources and ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. In 2014, Living Classrooms launched the Queen Beez program, working with middle school-aged girls from Ward 7. The girls learn about strong female role models, leadership skills, and STEM topics and careers through a lively curriculum that uses hip-hop music to engage students in learning and inspire their creativity. I have become a mentor and guest speaker for Queen Beez. It is unique in that it couples STEM education, which is especially important

for minority girls, with female leadership and empowerment. From a young age, they are equipped with the tools they need to succeed in the modern workforce. Fresh Start is a 40-week program that provides vocational, academic, and life skills to out-of-school males ages 16-19, many of whom are referred by the Juvenile Justice system. It is designed to mirror the workplace by giving participants an opportunity to learn job skills and attitudes that will help them in their careers. Students who participate see literacy and numeracy skill gains of 1.5 grade levels; 88 percent of students who complete the program are not re-convicted of a crime, and 76 percent retain employment for at least 90 days. One “living classroom” managed by the organization is Kingman Island located on the Anacostia River. This environmental refuge, open to the public, is a site for hands-on environmental education serving thousands of youth. They also manage Camp Fraser in Great Falls, Va., where they are serving middle school youth from the District a two-night, three-day meaningful watershed experience focusing on earth sciences and environmental stewardship. These are just a few examples of the many programs provided by Living Classrooms. For more information visit livingclassrooms.org. Deryl McKissack is Chairwoman of McKissack & McKissack, which she founded in 1990 as an outgrowth of the nation’s oldest minority-owned architecture and engineering firm, founded during the Civil War. Today her firm manages major projects that include the new MGM National Harbor. Her dedication to community service includes serving on the Board of Directors of the DC Building Industries Association, the Miami Art Museum and Living Classrooms.

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lauren peterson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PETERSON FAMILY FOUNDATION

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Lauren’s parents, Milt and Carolyn Peterson,whose company is behind National Harbor, the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring and the Tysons McLean Office Park, established the Peterson Family Foundation in 1997. It quietely raises millions of dollars annually for local organizations including Northern Virginia Family Service, Life with Cancer and George Mason University. Last year, the family gave $10 million to Inova to fund cancer research and another $10 million to George Mason University to contruct a state-of-the-art health sciences building. Peterson not only helms the foundation but says she likes “to get down in the weeds” and help get results for causes she’s passionate about, and thus serves on the boards of Inova Health System, Teach for America and Venture Philanthropy Partners, among others. HOW DID YOU COME TO BE SO PHILANTHROPICALLY INVOLVED? We all learned from my dad. He has always been huge in saying that we need to give back. We’ve WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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all been very blessed and love the communities that have supported us in doing that, so we really, really do believe in engaging and giving back in the communities in which we live. WHY IS YOUR PHILANTHROPIC WORK SO IMPORTANT TO YOU? I have the ability to get stuff done and anything I do I commit to 100 percent. I’m quite passionate about it. I do feel, when I’m on boards, I can make a difference, and I get a lot of personal satisfaction out of that. But also for the family, I like to be the out front-and-center person for the Petersons, so people know that we’re there and know it’s an important part of our family values. So yes, I try to be very visible and very hardworking. I’m on lots of boards where people give money and that’s great, but I believe if you’re going to do it, you really need to be in the trenches. I’m very blessed and my family’s very blessed, so we need to give back. My grandmother would be very upset in her grave if we didn’t. Plus, we all enjoy it and have the gift to be able to do it. Money’s great, but time is better. I know my brothers [Jon and Steven] feel the same way. www. petersoncos.com 41

Barbara Harman FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, CATALOGUE FOR PHILANTHROPY & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HARMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION “I really wanted to give money away, but I didn’t know where to give it,” is a statement Barbara Harman has heard from wealthy individuals more times than she can count. In her first year acting as executive director for the Harman Family Foundation, founded by her father Sidney Harman, she was disappointed to find a dearth of resources for philanthropists in the Washington area. In an effort to change the course of giving around town, Harman created a catalogue providing information about small nonprofits and grassroots organizations covering a wide range of missions. She calls her creation a “piece of philanthropic infrastructure” that has shined a light on small local charities lacking the funds to get their causes out on the frontlines. Before moving to Washington in 2000 to run the family foundation, Harman was a professor of English at Wellesley College in Massachusetts for 25 years. Considering her background, the writing aspect of the catalogue was an essential element. As “writer and chief ” Harman made sure to “write from the heart in a really down-to-earth language that ordinary donors would understand.” The Catalogue for Philanthropy, or as Harman refers to it, her “labor of love,” has since grown into its own independent charity with a multitude of resources that extend beyond the print catalogue itself. Before being published and distributed to 30,000 high-networth individuals in the area, each charity included in the catalogue undergoes a highly thorough screening process (including a 120-person review board, site visit and financial assessment) to ensure its contributions to the community are legitimate. Harman says although it might be “crazy,” the catalogue follows a “purity principle” and does not charge for any of the services offered to charities – free application, free membership that includes a four-year partnership and no fee attached to online donations.

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The portfolio Harman manages at the family foundation includes recognizable organizations like the Shakespeare Theatre, Aspen Institute and the Washington Ballet, to name a few. Smaller grants focused on education and arts for at-risk youth are sourced from the best resource in town – the Catalogue for Philanthropy itself. Day to day, Harman often confronts enormous wealth disparity in the Washington region and hopes her work at the Catalogue and family foundation will help tighten the gap. “All of us want a city in which there is equal access to opportunity and for me, that’s what philanthropy ought to be about.” www.cfp-dc.org 42

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CLAIRE AND ALbert DWOSKIN DWOSKIN FAMILY FOUNDATION WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE CHARITABLE? We have been very fortunate to have had the success we have had in this region and believe that sharing with our community where needs exist can help create needed facilities that serve the community and individuals. We both grew up with the mindset to strive to improve our community, reduce suffering and help others. ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR CAUSES NEARER AND DEARER TO YOUR HEART THAN OTHERS? We support a wide variety of community activities in Virginia, D.C. and Jamaica. We have focused on education, supporting libraries, historic preservation, and community services to those in need. In addition, during the past ten years we have funded a number of health research projects with a variety of institutions. ARE THERE ANY BIG PROJECTS YOU ARE WORKING ON CURRENTLY? We have funded the largest study of its kind to measure the aluminum content of brains donated by individuals who died with familial Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease, a long-suspected neurotoxin implicated in the development of the disease. We are seeking additional funding for a clinical trial to test the aluminum/AD hypothesis in newly diagnosed AD individuals to demonstrate whether chelating or removing aluminum with silica-rich mineral water significantly reduces the impact or severity of the disease, or even possibly prevents or cures the disease.

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WHAT IS THE CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MEDICAL SAFETY RESEARCH INSTITUTE? CMSRI is a public charity we founded to provide funding for research into the causal factors underlying the rise in a wide variety of chronic conditions, including autism. We gather scientists from around the world to present findings at international congresses to help educate academic and clinical communities as well as the general public on new research findings. FAVORITE PHILANTHROPIC EVENT OF THE YEAR? Anything at the Kennedy Center is always great fun and supports a key institution that gathers, inspires and unites our community. www.dwoskinfamilyfoundation.com

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The Heart of Giving in the Washington Area How the expertise and commitment of community foundations offers smarter giving. BY BRUCE MCNAMER

here are real challenges facing our community. In my work as President and CEO of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, I also know the great opportunity we have as a community to address them – because every day we work alongside hundreds of generous neighbors who are doing just that. For donors, community foundations offer charitable giving options that provide tax benefits and strategic advice from knowledgeable and well-connected staff. People like Silvana Straw, who has worked at our region’s Community Foundation for 25 years and guides donors in D.C., Maryland and Virginia on such pressing issues as the affordable housing crisis and family homelessness. Donors are attracted to community foundations because they can pool their philanthropic resources with other respected individuals and have a greater impact than they would have alone. By joining together with committed neighbors, donors’ gifts go further and accomplish more. Community foundations are an especially smart and convenient tool for charitable giving. While the options are quite flexible, the basic idea is that individuals create personalized funds from which to make charitable donations. Beyond significant financial advantages (for instance, gifts of appreciated stock or land generally receive a full tax deduction and avoid capital gains taxes), the expertise and commitment of community foundations offers smarter giving. Donors can begin by writing a single check (or by depositing stock or even property – one community foundation actually received a cruise ship!).

To make grants, they can call a responsive staff member with a request or can operate entirely online. Donors can attend events to learn about meeting important community needs, or can investigate their priorities independently. Based on donor requests, the community foundation writes the checks, sends the acknowledgments, and handles the tax paperwork. It is easy to achieve the advantages of a private foundation without the cost or administrative headaches. Donors like the ability to be thanked publicly – or to remain anonymous. They like the ability to receive thoughtful advice about the community’s needs or make their choices independently.

They like to give within their own communities or to give nationally or even internationally. They like to make their donations at once or spread them out over time. However they choose to give, they like to know their giving through community foundations is thoughtful, aligned with leaders in the community and ultimately inspired by the good fortune they have enjoyed. Founded more than 40 years ago by Katharine Graham, Robert Linowes and Hank Strong, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region is the heart of giving in the Washington area. Our list of board members and donors over four decades reads like a who’s who of the region: from Mario Morino to Eleanor Holmes Norton, Charito Kruvant to Jane Lang, from Vicki and Roger Sant to Joe and Lynne Horning. In the words of donor Cliff White, “The beauty of community foundations is they allow donors to join with others to strengthen the region in measurable and sustainable ways for the benefit of all of our residents.” Bruce McNamer is the President and CEO of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. www.thecommunityfoundation.org. Community Foundation donors give grants across a wide range of issue areas in the community, including education and youth development, human services, arts and culture, health, community development, religion and environment.

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cindy jones PRESIDENT, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS BOARD Not only is Cindy Jones the incoming president of the board of this iconic women’s art museum, she also serves on the Foundation Board of Children’s National Medical Center, the Women’s Board of the American Heart Association and the Associate Board of the Washington Ballet. Over the years, she has served on the boards of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, the Washington Ballet, Dreamland Theater in Nantucket, Mass., Child Health Center Board of Children’s National Medical Center and the Associate Board of National Rehabilitation Hospital. Jones has chaired or co-chaired more than 25 successful galas and events in the region, raising millions of dollars.

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR INVOLVMENT WITH THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS. I am very honored and thrilled to be named the next president of the National Museum of Women in the Arts board as the museum moves into its 30th anniversary. I have been involved with the museum for a long time, and joined the board after co-chairing its 20th anniversary gala 10 years ago. I have always had tremendous respect for the founder, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, and for the mission of the museum. Women remain so underrepresented in all art forms and the mission of NMWA is as relevant today as when it was founded. Even today, most museums and galleries have as little as 10 to 20 percent art WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

by women. NMWA is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to the achievements of women in the arts. We collect, exhibit, preserve, research and educate the public on all forms of art by women of all nationalities throughout time. Our extensive library and research are available online and respected and used throughout the world. WHAT OTHER CAUSES ARE PARTICULARLY DEAR TO YOUR HEART? My husband, Evan, and I have both felt a strong desire to give back to the community, particularly in the areas of science, education, the arts and, more recently, the environment. I am an engineer by training and Evan is a scientist, so we have focused much of our philanthropy on science in educational institutions and research. www.nmwa.org

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SPECIAL FEATURE | BOOKS BOOK TALK

THE SLEEP REVOLUTION Arianna Huffington aims to change the way we think about sleep. BY ERICA MOODY

WASHINGTON LIFE: In the book you quote Bill Clinton saying sleep deprivation has a lot to do with the “edginess of Washington.” How does it affect a city when so many of its residents are chronically sleep deprived? ARIANNA HUFFINGTON A culture of sleep deprivation absolutely affects a city, and in the case of D.C., the result is amplified: elected officials – ostensibly role models for the country – perpetuating the collective delusion that burnout is the necessary price we must pay for accomplishment and success. “No politician would smoke in front of a camera,” says Till Roenneberg, a professor at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, “but all politicians clearly declare— and show it in their faces— how little they have slept.” WL: The number of people who take sleeping pills like Ambien and the extreme side effects (like sleep driving) are truly shocking. They are probably more damaging than alcohol abuse, but we rarely hear about them. Why are sleeping pills more socially acceptable than binge drinking?

AH We have a sleeping pill epidemic in this country. More than 55 million prescriptions for sleeping pills were written just in 2014, with sales topping $1 billion. And for an illustration of how we’ve failed to make sleeping pills a public health priority, just look at colleges. In recent years, there’s been a lot of attention given to the problems of binge drinking and drug use among high school and college students. But a 2014 study by the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota showed that the effect of sleep deprivation on grades is roughly equivalent to that of binge drinking and drug use.

WL: The hardest people to convince about the benefits of sleep might be college students, who suffer from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), brag about library all-nighters and are easily burning out by the end of college. How does this affect grads entering the workforce and what can we do to change the way college students approach sleep? AH “Sleep, grades, social life: pick two” is a motto that can be heard on college campuses across the country. It’s yet more evidence, as if we needed any, that college students today feel as if they’re in a no-win situation, forced to choose between sleep and life. That’s a choice

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P H OTO O F A R I A N N A H U F F I N GTO N BY P E T E R YA N G

n 2014, people around the world spent a staggering $58 billion on sleep-aid products, a figure projected to rise to $76.7 billion by 2019, author Arianna Huffington says. Not only do many Americans not get enough sleep; when they do try to sleep, an increasing number are relying on pills to get there. When Huffington herself collapsed from “sleep deprivation, exhaustion and burnout” in 2007, she decided to do something about the issue. Her fascinating, accessible and necessary book “The Sleep Revolution” (Harmony Books) delves into the current crisis, the history of how we got there, the science of sleep and how we can begin to change the role of sleep in our lives.

“MY SLEEP WISH LIST” nobody should ever have to make. Colleges have become burnout zones where we teach the worst habits of a culture fueled by burnout and sleep deprivation. Students learn an unforgiving definition of success, where going without sleep is considered a badge of honor. It’s why we launched the HuffPost Sleep Revolution College Tour at more than 300 colleges across the country, drawing on the latest science to raise awareness and spark a national conversation about the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep deprivation. It’s had an incredible response. WL: What part does technology have to play in the sleep crisis? Has sleep changed drastically since smartphones came along? AH Technology is absolutely one of the main reasons our relationship to sleep has become so compromised. Technology has allowed a growing number of us to carry our work with us — in our pockets and purses in the form of our phones — wherever we go. Our houses, our bedrooms and even our beds are littered with beeping, vibrating, flashing screens. Even when we’re not actually connecting digitally, we’re in a constant state of heightened anticipation. And always being in this state doesn’t exactly put us in the right frame of mind to wind down when it’s time to sleep. Though we don’t give much thought to how we put ourselves to bed, we have little resting places and refueling shrines all over our houses, like little doll beds, where our technology can recharge, even if we can’t. WL: What can those of us, myself included, do to prioritize sleep when we have such an attachment to our devices and fear of being unplugged? AH My advice is to create a healthy transition to sleep that begins before you even step into your bedroom, and have a specific time at night when you regularly turn off your devices. I treat my own transition to sleep as a sacrosanct ritual. First, I turn off all my electronic devices and gently escort them out of my bedroom. Then, I take a hot bath with epsom salts and a candle flickering nearby — a bath

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that I prolong if I’m feeling anxious or worried about something. I don’t sleep in my workout clothes as I used to (think of the mixed message that sends to our brains) but have pajamas, nightdresses, even T-shirts dedicated to sleep. Sometimes I have a cup of chamomile or lavender tea if I want something warm and comforting before going to bed. This attachment and fear are real – I speak from experience – but I’m also living proof that when we change our minds, we can change our habits. WL: Any tips you recommend for those who have trouble falling asleep? What do you do when you have trouble falling asleep? AH I’ve found meditation to be a great remedy. Instead of stressing out about how I’m staying awake and fearing I’ll be tired the next day, I prop a few extra pillows under me and reframe what’s happening as a great opportunity to practice my meditation. If it’s in the middle of the night, I remind myself that that’s precisely when many avid meditation practitioners, like the Dalai Lama, wake up to get in two or three hours of meditation; this both takes the stress out of my wakefulness and adds an extra layer of gratitude to my practice, just by reframing it from a problem to a blessing that allows me to go deeper without a deadline or any distractions, I find that I both have some of my deepest meditation experiences and, inevitably, drift off to sleep at some point. And if you don’t meditate, there are many great guided meditation recordings, as well as some soothing music and other relaxing audio guides. WL: How has your life changed since you changed your sleeping habits? AH My life has improved in pretty much every way. These days, 95 percent of the time I get eight hours of sleep a night. Now, instead of waking up to the sense that I have to trudge through activities, I wake up feeling joyful about the day’s possibilities. And I’m also better able to recognize red flags and rebound from setbacks. It’s like being dialed into a different channel that has less static.

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Excerpted from “The Sleep Revolution”

t’s not enough to simply know that sleep has the potential to transform our lives. All that knowledge has to be put into action.The early stages of the sleep revolution we’re in have brought us a large array of things to help us do just that. But there’s always room for more. So here are a few items on my wish list. Some are serious, some are whimsical, some are personal, some involve public policy, some are utopian, and some are completely within our reach. The saying “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is unceremoniously tossed into the dustbin of history. The day arrives when nap mats are as plentiful as the yoga mats we see poking out of people’s bags as they go to and from work. People are listing their healthy sleep habits as an item on their resumes and LinkedIn pages. A congressional sleep committee is formed to set the agenda for sleep as the publichealth issue that the CDC says it is. Our elected leaders lead on sleep by example, starting with political candidates — at all levels — making sleep health a part of their platform. Political candidates begin using their opponents’ macho lack-of-sleep braggadocio in political ads. A public-awareness campaign for drowsy driving comparable to the one against drunk driving is launched. Education about the dangers of drowsy driving is added to the warnings against drunk driving in driver’s education classes. A test for drowsiness is developed —similar to the Breathalyzer — so that drowsy driving can be measured and regulated. A wearable fitness tracker comes on the market that alerts us when we’re too tired to drive and then automatically summons an Uber for us. Health insurers offer discounts in premiums for healthy sleep habits. Congress passes stricter laws to better enforce regulations so that long-haul truckers can get adequate sleep.

WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y over the moon﹐ around town﹐ the trust for the national mall luncheon and more!

Fashion designer Michael Kors and actress Olivia Wilde at the World Food Program USA’s Leadership Awards Dinner. (Photo by Tony Powell)

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AROUND TOWN

Empowering Women and Children Shahin Mafi’s Azar Foundation of the Children of the World helps economically disadvantaged youth in many nations. BY DONNA SHOR

groundbreaking exhibit has reached Washington, bringing unexpected views of an enigmatic part of the world and its beleaguered women. “She Who Tells a Story” is remarkable for the quality of its photography and its vibrant and often startling scenes. It will be on view at the National Museum of Women in the Arts through July 31. The photos are by members of a collective of women photographers from Iran and Arab nations; the collective’s name is the exhibit’s title. Their work testifies to resilience in a world gone awry, where women are depersonalized by government edict and eroded by waves of harsh restrictions. The visionary Wilhelmina Holladay, who with her late husband, Wallace, founded the National Museum of Women in the Arts, has consistently secured exhibits of quality. The museum recently featured “She Who Tells a Story” at its annual Spring Gala fund-raising event. Shahin Mafi, who chaired the gala, is a successful businesswoman who also has a story to tell: “As an Iranian woman, I am proud of our Persian heritage,” she says. “Throughout our history [dating to around 9,000 B.C.], Persian women have held positions of power. There were even women who were sole rulers on the throne.” After the Islamic Revolution of 19781979, she stayed in Tehran for two years, working for the minister of finance in a challenging job. She was part of a team faced with the daunting task of computerizing the country, the only woman chosen. “Unfortunately, government restrictions increased and Iran was no longer a good place for me to be. I was studying in France when a stateside call told me that my mother

Wilhelmina Holladay and Shahin Mafi (Photo by Neshan H. Naltchayan)

Newsha Tavakolian, “Untitled,” from the series “Listen” (Photo courtesy of the artist and East Wing Contemporary Gallery)

faced an operation. I joined my mother, who recovered, and so I was now in the United States with my entire family, who had all f led here earlier. “My mother always emphasized the importance of education. She was pleased that I, and subsequently my sister, applied to Marshall University in West Virginia, but alas, my sister’s application was deemed too late. Who could help? ‘Only the university president, Dr. Hayes himself,’ said the registrar. Her tone was not encouraging. “Two more of my mother’s precepts f lashed into my head: ‘Don’t give up’ and ‘Dare it if it’s important.’ I was only a mere student, and my English was not very good, but I forged ahead. ‘Please take me to the president.’ “Surprisingly, she did, and Dr. Stephen Hayes rose to welcome me with outspread arms. Now my sister, too, was on her way, joining me as I got my M.B.A. For many years he was my mentor; we always stay in touch. “Strong encouragement like that and the aid of a great many women were invaluable.

It is important for women to empower and support each other. The women in my healthcare company, Home Health Connection, are from several countries, and we draw from one another and learn from each other.” In 2003, Mafi founded the Azar Foundation of the Children of the World to help needy children (especially those in economically disadvantaged, high risk environments) by focusing on hunger relief, education, health and economic empowerment. She named it after her mother, Azar, who, after raising six offspring of her own, decided to raise and educate six more. Last year the foundation sponsored a gala featuring Oscar-nominated actress and activist Sharon Stone, a dynamic speaker, who presented a short film she produced on the harm caused by cyber-bullying. “I believe wholeheartedly you must give back,” Mafi says, “and that is why I focus on helping children and supporting groups who work to improve women’s lives here and around the world.”

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Dancers Sam Wilson and Delaney Zieg

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WASHINGTON BALLET â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;BOWIE & QUEENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; GALA Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ SEPTIMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SWAN SONG Bravos, applause, toasts and a special tribute by company members were all in store for longtime Washington Ballet artistic director Septime Webre, who acknowledged heartfelt expressions of gratitude and thanks from current and former dancers, benefactors and balletomanes at his final Washington Ballet spring gala. After 17 years at the helm, Webre graciously acknowledged his successor, former American Ballet Theatre prima ballerina Julie Kent, with a heartfelt â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so glad itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s you.â&#x20AC;? LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DANCE: Cocktails, performances and dinner keyed to the eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special theme â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the music of David Bowie and Queen â&#x20AC;&#x201D; were on the bill of fare before guests bid farewell to an era by hitting the dance floor long and hard.

Rynthia Rost and Katie Rost

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Susan Pillsbury and Nina Auchincloss Straight

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Mary Haft and Septime Webre

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Nicole-Graniero, Sarah Savage, Leah Morris and Kelly Williams

Janice Kim, Nora Maccoby and Carole Feld

OVER THE MOON

Horses and Donkeys Scenes and sightings from the Middleburg Spring Races, the Hill School’s Bavarian Celebration and a very special donkey sanctuary. BY VICKY MOON

Actor Robert Duvall joined friends for a tailgate at the Middleburg Spring Races. (Photo by Sophie Scheps)

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS: Reports of actor Robert Duvall’s poor health have been greatly exaggerated. In late March, Radar Online reported the Academy Award winner “has been living like a recluse for seven long months” and alleged he was “hiding a tragic health secret.” Hold your horses. Not so fast folks. Duvall and his stunning wife and tango partner, Luciana Pedraza, were among the racegoers spotted at the April 23 Middleburg Spring Races where they were enjoying a tailgate with friends Lynn and Jim Wiley. And, best of all, the often aloof local landowner even paused when a photographer asked to take his photo. SANCTUARY FOR STRAYS: Sharon Maloney, the granddaughter of the late Sen. James Couzens (R-Mich.), who backed Henry Ford in his early ventures, has embarked on a mission to save stray donkeys. At her 54-acre Dogpatch Farm in Warrenton, she is carrying on a family tradition of tending to animals. Her late mother, Betty Couzens Maloney, and a few friends started the Fauquier SPCA at Dogpatch in 1957.The shelter moved to nearby Casanova in 1989 and Sharon Maloney is now president. When she heard about some donkeys facing the

Payton Maloney tends to the donkeys at Dogpatch Farm. (Photo by Missy Janes)

unspeakable, she financed the rescue venture. “We used to have a room called the donkey room,” Sharon says, adding they collected donkey knick-knacks, paintings and porcelains. They even had a donkey hood ornament that remains in use. The one thing they didn’t have was real donkeys.The rescued animals are now known as “The Donkeys of Dogpatch.” Maloney’s mission is accomplished. The sanctuary is a hit. Friends and family including Payton Maloney come to help, bring carrots and even drop off huge sacks of their favorite treats ... taco chips.

color spiral-bound catalog included: a sevennight charter in the British Virgin Islands on a crewed luxury catamaran (all flights included), a beer and brats bash for ten, an “extraordinary” five-night private African safari, a week in St. Barths at “Les Cazes” (donated by Mr. and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III) and so much more. There was dancing to the pop and oldies music of Snackbar Jones, but no polkas. Early estimates of more than $200,000 raised will go to professional development for faculty and staff along with new buses, classroom smart boards and computers.

BAVARIAN BIERGARTEN: And speaking of giving, the ultimate in Middleburg generosity took place at The Hill School over the first weekend in May. Grandparents and friends visited for an art show and alumni also put in an appearance. The highlight was this year’s annual fundraising auction with Wendy Heuer as chairman. It unfolded in the form of “Deutschland: A Bavarian Celebration.” The old world evening included a buffet dinner of chicken schnitzel, German sausage and sauerkraut plus apple strudel for dessert. Big ticket auction items listed in the 200-page full-

JACKIE’S RETREAT: As often happens in Middleburg… what goes around comes around. The property known as “Glen-Ora,” once rented by President John F. Kennedy and his horse-happy first lady, has been sold. The 130-acre estate was purchased by Julie Nettere for $2.7 million with John Coles of Thomas and Talbot as agent. Neighbors include Diana McNamara, widow of the late Robert S. McNamara, who served as secretary of defense during the Vietnam era. “I don’t like politics in Washington,” she says, “so I enjoy living out here.”

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Bensten Schone and Heather Bensten Schone

Dianne Kay, Fulton Liss and Maggie Shannon

RJ Mitte

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MEDSTAR VICTORY AWARDS GALA Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

John Rockwood and Tony Nicely Bob Sloane and Danny Korengold Maralyn and Robert Marsteller and Nick Pappas

Julie and Adelaide Ritter

VICTORY OF HUMAN SPIRIT At its 30th anniversary gala, chaired by James V. Reyes and GEICO Chairman Tony Nicely and emceed by NBC4 anchor Doreen Gentzler, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network raised a record $133,000 in 10 minutes. The annual Victory Award started in 1986 to recognize individuals â&#x20AC;&#x153;who exemplify courage and strength in the face of physical adversity.â&#x20AC;? This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honorees included â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breaking Badâ&#x20AC;? actor RJ Mitte, Brazilian Paralympian Renato Leite and former MedStar NRH pediatric patient Bensten Schone. Calling the gala â&#x20AC;&#x153;a fantastic celebration of the perseverance and bravery of my son and three other honorees,â&#x20AC;? Lance Schone said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;But just as important, it was a recognition of the significant contributions of the nurses, therapists, doctors, technicians and administrators who make it possible for people like Bensten to realize their recovery potential.â&#x20AC;? VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

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Brazilian Amb. Luiz Machado

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Carole Margaret Randolph

Renato Leite 53

Sir Richard Branson Kevin Plank

Heather Podesta, Roy Schwartz and Penny Lee

Chris Rossi and Virgin President Craig Kreeger

VIRGIN ATLANTIC ENTREPRENEURIAL SYMPOSIUM Long View Gallery | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Yasmine El Baggari, Amelia Makin and Anastasia Dellaccio

Sarah Ingersoll, Jayne Sandman and Tace Joelle Loeb

SECRETS TO SUCCESS Businessman and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson was in Washington for Virgin Atlanticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business is an Adventureâ&#x20AC;? series sponsored by General Assembly and 1776. Many of the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most successful business leaders (including Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, Salamander Resorts CEO Sheila Johnson and 1776 co-founder Donna Harris) shared insights into entrepreneurship, branding and the future of business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve coined the phrase, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Screw it. Just do it,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Branson told the crowd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can get you into a lot of trouble, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot more fun than saying no!â&#x20AC;? His Virgin Group now includes more than 400 companies valued at over $7 billion. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Nancy Howar and Ruthie Leffall

Ann and Vernon Jordan WL EXCLUSIVE

Wendy Benchley and John Jeppson

HILLIE MAHONEY BOOK PARTY

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Alexandra de Borchgrave, Hillie Mahoney and Aniko Gaal Schott

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter Residence, Georgetown | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL WARTIME JOURNEY Fascinating women tend to gravitate towards each other and that explains why Bonnie McElveenHunter, Alexandra de Borchgrave and Aniko Gaal Scho would collaborate on a swanky book party (French Champagne, top notch hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres, a solo turn by opera bass Soloman Howard) to celebrate their pal Hillie Mahoneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 60-year project, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Family Without a Country in a World at War.â&#x20AC;? The story of the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s German-American family becoming stranded in Japan during World War II relates an epic six-year saga of forced relocation, brutal winters in the mountains and scarce food rations before their eventual return to Germany and then New York. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brilliant, dynamic, relentless â&#x20AC;Ś,â&#x20AC;? McElveenHunter said of the guest of honor, words that many of those present agreed could equally describe their hosts.

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Congressman John Delaney and Summer Delaney

Anna Trone, Bishop Mario Dorsonville and Robert Trone WL SPONSORED

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

Ivette Dominguez and Logan Antigone

Marriott Wardman Park Hotel | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES CATHOLIC CAMARADERIE Nothing gets a crowd going quite like an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;80s cover band and that was especially true at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Charities gala chaired by James V. Reyes, which raised $2 million for the local nonproďŹ t. The Los Angeles-based Spazmatics had guests singing along to Journeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Stop Believinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? and dancing to classics of the like. The fun continued at the after party for young professionals of the Enzler Society, where a basic step-and-repeat got an upgrade with a life-sized cutout of Pope Francis. By the end of the night, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington Mario Dorsonville was spotted taking selfies with partygoers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a sign of a good time had by all!

Chelsea Rutherford and Bobby Dwyer

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Katelyn Haney, Frank Haney and Kathleen Callahan Katie Lemek, Kate Manders and Janathan Peel Leslie Cunningham, James V. Reyes, Dave Jacobin and Laura Jacobin

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Msgr. John J. Enzler and Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl

Suzette Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Conner, Raha Lee and Ann Kane 55

Anna Shaffer

Caroline and Ian DeWaal

Maryland Youth Ballet dancers Julie Kent, Tensia Fonseca and Susan Jaffe

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MARYLAND YOUTH BALLET ANNIVERSARY BASH Kenwood Country Club | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL CELEBRATING EN POINTE: Incoming Washington Ballet artistic director and former American Ballet Theatre (ABT) prima ballerina Julie Kent was among the special guests at the Maryland Youth Balletâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 45th anniversary celebration. Kent, an MYB alumna, studied there under its founder, Hortensia â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tensiaâ&#x20AC;? Fonseca, 94,, who was honored with a lifetime achievement award. ALSO SPOTTED: Susan JaďŹ&#x20AC;e, another retired ABT prima ballerina and current dean of dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Jim Barratt, Charlotte Reid, Michelle Lees and Fred Walls

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Jake Tapper and Shelby Coffey III

Sam Fiest and Carol Melton Megan Whittemore and Deirdre Walsh

Jayson Braude

NEWSEUM/CNN POLITICS EXHIBIT OPENING Newseum | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES CAMPAIGNS AND CHAMPAGNE: Newsies gathered to celebrate the opening of the Newseumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interactive exhibit showcasing social media while telling the story of the 2016 presidential campaign in real time. The launch of â&#x20AC;&#x153;CNN Politics Campaign 2016: Like, Share, Electâ&#x20AC;? was delayed several days after the network announced a Democratic presidential debate ahead of the New York primary. Much of the talk during the panel discussion, moderated by CNN Worldwide President JeďŹ&#x20AC; Zucker, centered on Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was shown as â&#x20AC;&#x153;trendingâ&#x20AC;? on the exhibitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;command centerâ&#x20AC;? wall. The exhibit will be on display until Jan. 22.

Nia-Malika Henderson and Ashley Codianni 56

Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, Matt Dornic and Hillary Rosen

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Lynda Carter and Rep. Nancy Pelosi Jill Biden

Hunter Biden and Vice President Joe Biden

Leslie Cockburn and Cody Horn

WORLD FOOD PROGRAM USA MCGOVERNDOLE LEADERSHIP AWARDS Organization of American States | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL FASHION FIGHTS HUNGER Michael Kors has walked hundreds of red carpets, but none quite as humbling as the one at World Food Program USAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual awards gala. Kors was recognized with the McGovern-Dole Leadership Award for his support of the nonprofit group, which provides meals for families globally. By tapping into his star-studded Rolodex, he was able to engage millions of followers with his #WatchHungerStop social media campaign. At the elegant Organization of American States headquarters, flanked by two supermodels (clad in Kors, of course) the famed fashion designer mingled with the Washington crowd and friends including model Beverly Johnson and actress Olivia Wilde. POINTED REFERENCE: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The measure of a man is what they do when they are out of the spotlight,â&#x20AC;? Vice President Joe Biden said, taking a moment to single out the honoree.

Jessica Hart and Cameron Russell

Mary Ourisman

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WNO Chairman Jacqueline Badger Mars and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ringâ&#x20AC;? director Francesca Zambello

Adrienne Arsht and Tony Podesta

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Das Rheingoldâ&#x20AC;? cast members, left to right: Alan Held (Wotan), Elizabeth Bishop (Fricka), Richard Cox (Froh), Melody Moore (Freia) and Ryan McKinny (Donner) (Photo by Scott Suchman)

CELEBRATING THE â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;RINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kennedy Center Opera House and Atrium PHOTOS BY YASSINE EL MANSOURI

Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein

Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter, WNO Conductor Philippe Auguin and Peter Ellefson

GOLDEN â&#x20AC;&#x153;RINGâ&#x20AC;? Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein was only half joking when he said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Going to the Moon was a lot easier that putting on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ring Cycleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the glittering dinner following the opening of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Das Rheingold,â&#x20AC;? the first opera in the quartet of Richard Wagnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s epic work. The landmark production, one of the most challenging in all of opera, was cause for much jubilation among trustees and benefactors alike as it not only marked the first time the company had mounted it in complete cycles in its history, but was almost completely sold out before opening night. BENEFACTOR BON MOT: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have two great loves, opera and horses,â&#x20AC;? WNO Chairman Jacqueline Badger Mars told the crowd, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and this weekend opera won out.â&#x20AC;? VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

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Aiden Knouft, Ricki Harvey and Keira Knouft

Team Toka: Mazir Ozturk, Heather Jones, Can Yurt Shinika Parris, Engin Bozkurt and Teresa Yurt

Teresa Yurt and Heather Guay Yoo

GREAT FALLS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS FASHION SHOW Bloomingdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Tysonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH EDUCATION Great Falls Friends and Neighbors hosted its first fashion fundraiser to support its program that gives scholarships to Virginia women over the age of 25 who are pursuing a college degree. The community organization also hosts a range of social, education and cultural activities for residents. Channel 9 news anchor Andrea Roane, who served as emcee, remarked on the importance of empowering women after models (some professional and others volunteer organization members) strutted the runway in Bloomingdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top spring selections. In kind sponsors included Toka Salon and Christian Dior cosmetics.

Andrea Roane

Irina Bartell VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Nicole Gallub and Olga Tregubova

Waikeena Robinson and Earle Bannister

Larry Allen, Christine Smitz and Errickson Wilcox

EVENTS DC CHERRY BLAST Carnegie Library | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ ALL THINGS JAPANESE An anime costume contest, Japanese fashion show, Cherry Blossom-inspired artwork, outdoor gaming experience, sushirolling station, sake workshop entertained guests at Events DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Cherry Blast. Guests dressed as characters from their favorite Japanese movies, video games and books danced to the tunes of DJ LJ MTX and DJ Leko. More than 60 local and international artists displayed cherry blossom-inspired art with many participating in live painting on largescale canvases. Food vendors lined outside the Carnegie Library made sure to give guests a taste of the Tokyo street food experience as well.

Adam Rast, Jennifer Rast, Thomas Batty and Sarah Brice

David Amoroso

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Catherine Cartstedt, Jim Igo and Faisal Al-Enezi

Janell and Larry Duncan

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Dawn Schrammel, El Rivera and Molly Brady

VIRGINIA GOLD CUP Great Meadow, The Plains, Va. | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP RECORD CROWD RECORD PURSES A record 68,500 spectators came out for the 91st running of the Virginia Gold Cup Races, a nine-race steeplechasing card which paid out a record $445,000 in purses. This year the course celebrated 35 years since the late news executive and philanthropist Arthur W. Arundel established Great Meadow in 1981. Irvin Naylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Irishbred runner Ebanour, ridden on a soft turf by Gustav Dahl, took home the $100,000 purse, under a backdrop of sunny skies, elaborate tailgating, an uber-competitive hat contest and terrier races, and Derby-styled fashion. JetLinx Aviation and Base President Greg Kinsella hosted a Washington-Life sponsored tent on Memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hill for friends and clients of its Private Jet Card, aircraft management and sales and acquisition private jet services, featuring a catered lunch and a bar serving up the official Gold Cup cocktail, The Mint Julep.

John Harris Anderson and Ellen Flynn

Greg Kinsella, Michele Kinsella and Ronald Hobson

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Christie Nightingale, Donald Wilson and Ellen Struber Mark Buscaino, Kevin Spence Kelso and Barry Duncil

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Dylan Galvin

THE CANOPY AWARDS

Kevin Clair and Kendal Marcus

Dock5 at Union Market | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP ARBOREAL OCCASION Whole Foods Market presented the third annual Casey Trees Canopy Awards to recognize local leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts to â&#x20AC;&#x153;re-tree D.C.â&#x20AC;? The District Department of Transportation was honored with the design award for its advancement of new Green Infrastructure Standards. Capital City Public Charter School garden coordinator Ryoko Yamamoto was also recognized for her efforts to engage students in outdoor experiences and Gregg Serenbetz took home the award for volunteer service. Councilmember Mary Cheh received thanks for introducing the Tree Canopy Protection Amendment Act of 2016, which fosters increased tree protection and ensures that more are planted throughout the city.

Mariah Maloy and Jillian Ott WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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Jay and Frank Fedele 59

PARTIES PARTIES PARTIES

Athletes, Book Lovers & Francophiles! VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

NOROOZ RECEPTION IRANIANAMERICAN COALITION THE WHITE HOUSE (Photos by Ben Droz) Noroozâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second annual gathering brought together 10 Iranian-American organizations and more than 300 guests to celebrate the Iranian new year. Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett a=ended along with other high-ranking government oďŹ&#x192;cials. 6. Valerie Jarre 7. June Trone, David Trone and Eileen Massumi

PROMISE NIGHT AWARDS HOWARD THEATRE (Photos by Jay Snap) Beyond the basketball court, Earvin â&#x20AC;&#x153;Magicâ&#x20AC;? Johnson has spent years advocating for voiceless communities. At the second annual Promise Night Awards he, along with several others, were honored for their work supporting organizations committed to child and youth development. Hosted by Gen. Colin Powell and Alma Powell, the second annual gala recognizes leaders â&#x20AC;&#x153;who pull out all the stops to make the promise of America real for every child.â&#x20AC;?

1. Magic Johnson and Gen. Colin Powell 2. Alma Powell and Patricia de Stacy Harrison

A PARISIAN GALA EMBASSY OF FRANCE (Photos by Shannon Finney Photography) The Washington Chorus partnered with the French-American Cultural Foundation to create an unforge=able Parisian-themed soirĂŠe featuring music and cuisine to help tap into every guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inner Francophile. The eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most festive guest was Leonard Silverstein, who was honored for his steadfast support of the foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued growth. 8. Jacqueline Badger Mars, Knight Kiplinger, Betsy Kleebla and Deborah Ru er 9. Louise Oliver and Leonard Silverstein

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;CRUSHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BOOK PARTY PENNSYLVANIA (Photos by Alfredo Flores) Who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember their first celebrity crush? For Washington authors Cathy Alter and David Singleton, they were Donny Osmond and David Cassidy, respectively. The power duo invited guests to the launch party of their extremely well received book of essays, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Crush: Writers Reflect on Love, Longing and the Lasting Power of Their First Celebrity Crush.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 3. Dave Singleton and Cathy Alter 4. Hanna Rosin

5. Howard Yoon and Bill Almond

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Artists, Doctors and Bibliophiles! VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

GEORGETOWN PEDIATRICS GALA ANDREW W MELLON AUDITORIUM (Photos by Tony Powell)

Saudi Arabian Amb. Prince Abdullah Al-Saud hosted the 17th annual Georgetown Pediatrics Gala, with proceeds supporting pediatric researchers in their work advancing childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health and welfare. Mary Hoobler founded the gala to honor her late husband James, who was treated at Georgetown Hospital. 7. Jane Kestner and Pamela Maroulis 8. Lina Salazar and Joe Costa 9. Talal Nsouli, Nail Al-Jubeir and Mary Hoobler

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D.C. PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION GALA MARTIN LUTHER KING JR MEMORIAL LIBRARY (Photos by Ben Droz) Derek Brown brought book-loving chefs and bartenders together at the D.C. Public Library Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural â&#x20AC;&#x153;Story Timeâ&#x20AC;? reception to support library programs that serve more than 25,000 children a month in each of the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eight wards. Chefs including Toki Undergroundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Erik Bruner-Yang, Minibarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Johnny Spero and Collectif 1806â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Duane Sylvestre served dishes and concoctions inspired by their favorite childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stories, and musician Walter Martin (of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Walkmenâ&#x20AC;? fame) performed songs from his new album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arts and Leisure.â&#x20AC;?

1. Colin Sugalski and Erik Bruner-Yang 2. Andrea Harper, Jill Flack and Joy Dorsey 3. George Pelecanos

DC-CAPITAL STARS

OLIVER CARR CHERRY BLOSSOM ART RECEPTION

THE KENNEDY CENTER

THE WILLARD (Photos by Tony Powell)

(Photos Courtesy of DC-CAP)

Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top ten high school performers (from District public and charter schools) took center stage at the 8th annual DC College Access Program beneďŹ t. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Idolâ&#x20AC;?-style show rewards a grand-prize winner with a $10,000 college scholarship and this year, Woodrow Wilson student Saloni Rao took home the prize for her beautiful operatic performance 4. Alice Clark, Ted Leonsis and Courtney Clark Pastrick

Developer Oliver Carr unveiled his newly commissioned cherry blossom art at a reception with 2016 Cherry Blossom Queen Aiko Musada. On display was the Mikimoto Crown (valued at $4 million), which stays in a vault all year long and comes out only to crown a new Cherry Blossom queen.

10. Noelle Verhelst and Aiko Masuda 11. John Gable and Oliver Carr 12. Teri Galvez and Jonathan Kahan

5. Saloni Rao 6. Allen Herring, Rosie Allen-Herring, Argelia Rodriguez and Pat Butler

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LIFESTYLES

96&%2 740%7, GRAB YOUR BIGGEST SHADES BRIGHTEST BEACH TOTES AND HEAD TO YOUR NEAREST CITY ROOFTOP

PHOTOGRAPHY TONY POWELL | WWW TONY-POWELL COM WARDROBE POLLY SPADAVECCHIA@ T H E ARTIST AGENCY MAKEUP AND HAIR CAROLA MYERS@ ASSISTED BY SHERLEY Z | WWW CAROLAMYERS COM MODELS EMMA SLIWINSKI & ERIC HEIDENBERGER@ T H E ARTIST AGENCY EDITORIAL DIRECTION CATHERINE TRIFILETTI PHOTOGRAPHED AT ATLANTIC PLUMBINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROOFTOP TH STREET NW WASHINGTON DC

ERES “Glitter” bikini ($435), Sylene, 4407 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md., 301-6544200; SAM body chain ($1,490) and ISA wide multi-link bracelet ($485), Tabandeh, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-244-0777; CASTAÑER Babbel espadrille ($250), Ann Mashburn, 3251 Prospect St. NW, 202864-0367; LONGCHAMP Le Pliage Cuir bag ($775) Longchamp CityCenterDC 990 I Street, NW, 202-842-0625 and TORY BURCH sunglasses ($149), Bloomingdale’s Tysons Corner Center, 8100 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Va., 703-556-4600.

HUGO BOSS Diganira dress and Cipeila jacket; Hugo Boss CityCenterDC 1054 Palmer Alley NWWashington, D.C 20001 (202) 408-9845; STUART WEITZMAN nudist song patent heels ($398) Bloomingdales 5300 Western Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, (240) 744-3700. TIFFANY & CO. Schlumberger multiplication earrings in 18k yellow gold with diamonds ($17,500) . Tiffany & Co, 5481 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (301) 657-8777.

ON EMMA: ANN MASHBURN off the shoulder Swiss dot top ($250), Ann Mashburn, 3251 Prospect St. NW, 202-864-0367; MARYSIA Antibes bikini bottom ($136), Sylene, 4407 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md., 301-654-4200; AQUA gold tone Daniella open weave cuff ($38), MARA HOFFMAN black and white patterned towel ($100) and SKY orange patterned reversible towel ($60), Bloomingdale’s Tysons Corner Center, 8100 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Va., 703-556-4600; TORY BURCH Marcia metallic toe ring slide sandals ($195) and woven beach bag with cotton fringe appliqué ($245), Tabandeh, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-244-0777. ON ERIC: BURBERRY Cambridge Aboyd white button down shirt ($265), BAILEY OF HOLLYWOOD Brooks straw hat ($137) and KENNETH COLE De-Lite sandals ($110), Bloomingdale’s Tysons Corner Center, 8100 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Va., 703556-4600; BLUE DRAKE new resort suit, Lost at Sea Bali print ($133), bluedrake.us.

RED CARTER one piece with multi-colored string and woven back ($155), WILDFOX lavender frame sunglasses ($179), Bloomingdale’s Tysons Corner Center, 8100 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Va., 703-556-4600.

Left: AUDACIOUS & FERAL floral print cream jersey knit dress ($120) direct from designer DKNY back detail crepe blazer ($495) Saks Fifth Avenue 2051 International Drive Mclean, VA 22102 TIFFANY & CO. cocktail 2-Hand Pavé 21 x 34 mm women’s watch in 18k rose gold ($22,000) KEN STETSON asymmetrical handmade red clutch with red bottom high heels ($205) direct from designer. Right: THE KOOPLES rings on crepe back satin dress ($395) Saks Fifth Avenue 2051 International Drive Mclean, VA 22102 TIFFANY & CO. Schlumberger multiplication earrings in 18k yellow gold with diamonds ($17,500) and Tiffany & Co. CT60 3-Hand 40 mm men’s watch in 18k rose gold Tiffany & Co. 5481 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (301) 657-8777.

ON EMMA: HERVE LEGER one piece ($790), Sylene, 4407 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md., 301-654-4200; MORGENTHAL FREDERICS Fay hand-crafted buffalo horn sunglasses ($2,095), Morgenthal Frederics, CityCenterDC, 941 H St. NW, 202-204-3393; ERICKSON BEAMON multi-ring necklace ($950), Tabandeh, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-244-0777. ON ERIC: BURBERRY stone blue bathing suit ($225), Bloomingdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tysons Corner Center, 8100 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Va., 703-556-4600; MORGENTHAL FREDERICS Hustler hand-crafted Japanese titanium sunglasses ($495), Morgenthal Frederics, CityCenterDC, 941 H St. NW, 202-204-3393.

Left: REISS orchid lace dress ($465) REISS Melania fitted high neck jacket ($520) TIFFANY & CO. enchant scroll earrings in platinum with diamonds ($11,000); Schlumberger Sixteen Stone ring in platinum with diamonds ($9,900), Schlumberger, N / NICHOLAS dress ($529), Saks Sixteen Stone ring with diamonds ($9,000), Jandel, 5510 Wisconsin Avenue, Ring set in platinum with a round diamond Chevy Chase, MD 20815, (301) 652($62,000) REISS gaia suede vinyl ankle 2250; HALSTON HERITAGE clutch heels ($285) Bloomingdales, Chevy Chase, ($345) and SJP Sarah Jessica Parker MD Right: BOSS dress and BOSS jacket pumps ($560), Bloomingdales, 5300 ($795) Hugo Boss CityCenterDC 1054 Western Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; Palmer Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001 TIFFANY & CO. Enchant scroll earrings (202) 408-9845. TIFFANY & CO. Schlumin platinum withHOFFMAN diamonds patterned ($11,000), ON EMMA: MARA berger multiplication earrings in 18k yellow Tiffany & Co., Tiffany & Co., 5481 Wismonokini and KATE SPADE Cameron gold with ($253) diamonds ($17,500), Victoria alterconsin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, Street Blakely bag ($378) Bloomingdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nating graduated necklace in platinum with (301) 657-8777; CARTIER ParisCorner NouTysons Corner Center, 8100&Tysons diamonds ($75,000) Tiffany Co, 5481 WisvelleMcLean, Vague Va., Delicate white gold and Center, 703-556-4600. consin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (301) diamond necklace ($16,300) and LOVE 657-8777 STUART WEITZMAN nudist song bracelet in white gold, pave diamonds ON ERIC: FREDERICS patent heelsMORGENTHAL ($398) Bloomingdales, 5300 and ceranic ($43,700), Cartier, 5471B Hustler Japanese Westernhand-crafted Ave, Chevy Chase, MDtitanium 20815, Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD sunglasses ($495), Morgenthal Fredrics, City(240) 744-3700. 20815, (301) 654-5858 CenterDC, 941 H St. NW, 202-204-3393.

LIFESTYLES | JEWELRY

TIFFANY & CO. Victoria earrings ($8,300); Tiffany & Co., Chevy Chase, 301.657.8777

EDDIE BORGO Door latch cuff bracelet ($250); Saks Fifth Avenue, Chevy Chase, 301.657.9000 TORY BURCH Studded double wrap logo bracelet ($195); Saks Fifth Avenue, Chevy Chase, 301.657.9000

DAVID YURMAN Labyrinth TripleLoop Ring with Diamonds in Rose Gold ($5,900); CityCenterDC, 202.682.0260 BULGARI Parentesi pink gold necklace with pavÃ© diamonds (price upon request); Liljenquist & Beckstead, Tysons Galleria, 703.448.6731

8LI ?6SWIA +SPH 7XERHEVH Pink-hued pieces are jewelry box staples this spring. BY C AT H E R I N E T R I F I L E T T I

ROBERTO COIN Gourmette Diamond & 18K Rose Gold Chain Necklace ($16,500); Saks Fifth Avenue, Chevy Chase, 301.657.9000

CARTIER Love wedding band ($1,070); Cartier, Chevy Chase, 301.654.5858

CHOPARD 36mm rose gold Imperiale watch ($44,890); Tiny Jewel Box, Dupont Circle, 202.393.2747 68

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LIFESTYLES | TREND REPORT

DEREK LAM Button detail sailor flare leg denim ($795); Intermix, Georgetown, 202.298.8080

ISABEL MARANT Ultrafine merino wool cropped Hatfield sweater ($1,260); Barneys New York, Georgetown, 202.350.5832

EUGENIA KIM Nautical Craig fedora ($290); Barneys New York, Georgetown, 202.350.5832

ARAKS Navy and white Harlow one-piece ($350); Nordstrom,The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, 703.415.1121

MARA HOFFMAN Striped cotton shorts ($180); Bloomingdale’s, Chevy Chase, 240.744.3700

7QSSXL 7EMPMRK ILLESTEVA Leonard II striped round sunglasses ($290); Nordstrom, The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, 703.415.1121

Nautical styles to get you ready for the yachting life. BY ERICA MOODY

MULBERRY Printed tree fringed scarf in nautical blue camo ($280); Mulberry, Tysons Galleria, 703.738.7300

DOLCE & GABBANA Striped cotton dress with appliqué ($5,995); Saks Fifth Avenue, Chevy Chase, 301.657.9000

REBECCA MINKOFF Silva sleeveless lace-up dress ($378); Neiman Marcus, AMC Mazza Gallerie, 202.966.9700

MULBERRY High heel rope sandal ($550); Mulberry,Tysons Galleria, 703.738.7300

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TORY BURCH Meg embroidered stripe top ($225); Bloomingdale’s, Chevy Chase, 240.744.3700

EDIE PARKER Oscar Ahoy acrylic clutch ($1,595); Saks Fifth Avenue, Chevy Chase, 301.657.9000

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

0EFSV SJ 0SZI Anna and John Mason design a home and make room for baby in a whirlwind year. BY VIRGINIA COYNE PHOTOGRAPHS BY TONY BROWN

HOME LIFE | INSIDE HOMES

hen Anna and John Mason, who were then living in Los Angeles, came to visit Washington in May of 2015, it was only to see family, visit her obstetrician and do a site check of their new Pennsylvania Avenue NW penthouse, where they planned to relocate later that year. Her doctors had a different fate in mind. Anna, who was just four months pregnant at the time, was unexpectedly put on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. The Masons decided she would move into the apartment early, despite tthe months of work still needed on the duplex. John would return temporarily to California to pack up and move their belongings before joining her. Reunited and nonplussed, the two took up residence in the second floor guest room and began feathering their nest. “This was very much a labor of love,” says Anna, a former Wall Street trader turned tech entrepreneur, of the process of appointing their home while stuck in bed. The couple hired acclaimed interior designer Barry Dixon, whom John, a real estate developer, had used for a previous residence in the area. “He knows what I like,” John affirms. According to Anna, she and John share “very complementary” tastes: a love of muted earth tones, transitional design and family pieces with history, such as old books, framed photographs and artwork. “They are modern and dynamic...as a couple and in their singular tastes,” says Dixon.” With John’s penchant for masculine modernity and Anna’s easy, breezy feminism chic, they are the perfect balance.” Dixon describes the Masons’ esthetic as “urban chic,” and there is, perhaps, no other area in the home that exemplifies that sensibility more than the statement wall surrounding the fireplace in the living room, which features massive slabs of backlit honey onyx that draw the attention

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OPENING PAGE: Anna and John Mason pose with their daughter Isabelle in the living room of their duplex penthouse on the edge of Georgetown. PREVIOUS PAGE (clockwise from top left): A curved staircase leading to the second floor adds a dramatic flourish to the foyer. The “Oeuf” pendant light by Averett Fine Furniture was designed by Barry Dixon. The abstract bronze scultpure is a work by John Mason’s great aunt, the artist Mary Kass, who studied under Hans Hoffman; the focal point of the living room is the backlit honey onyx wall behind the fireplace; a leather and wood Jean de Merry “Lucca’ armchair beckons guests to sit next to the fireplace; a reupholstered crib by Restoration Hardware sits beneath an Arteriors’ “Hue” chandelier in the nursery; Stewart Furniture’s “Francis” chaise graces a sunlit corner of the living room. The painting is another of Kass’ works.

THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left); The “Manhattan” sofa by R. Jones provides a comfortable place to curl up in the family room; Gregorius Pineo’s “Vassaro” chandelier makes a statement in the Hamptons-inspired kitchen; the master bedroom is an earthtoned oasis; a colorful mural by Nicollette Capuano of Nicollete Attelier delights in the nursery’s bathroom; the wood-paneled study is Anna’s favorite room.

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of the eye, yet somehow don’t overwhelm the space. The master bedroom is a neutral oasis and one of John’s favorite spaces, because, like the living room, it features an oversized television where he can watch his favorite shows on ESPN and CNN. The nursery is muted, too. “We knew we didn’t want it to be pink or blue,” explains John. “We wanted it to be white and have the things in it—Isabelle’s books and stuffed animals—provide the color. The walls in the room are painted “Goat’s Milk” from Barry Dixon’s Naturals Collection for C2 Paint. A reupholstered Restoration Hardware crib and coordinating changing table and bookshelf complete the neutral palette. Anna’s favorite room is the wood-paneled study off the kitchen, where there is no TV and she can work on her computer or curl up with a book, while catching glimpses of family history from the framed photographs that occupy every corner of the room, or admiring the beautiful antique barometer above the fireplace that once hung in John’s grandparents’ house in Southhampton, N.Y. John designed the Hamptons-inspired kitchen himself: open and white with counters topped with carrera marble. He wanted it to look like it belonged in a suburban house (at 5000-plus square feet, the home is larger than many in the suburbs).The two say they cook every day. John likes to grill and Anna makes organic baby food for six-month old Isabelle from scratch. Today, Anna’s bed rest and the construction are just a memory. The work on the apartment was completed exactly one week before Isabelle was born in October, providing her parents with a delightful new distraction.

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HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS

Full Circle

Matthew Jemal sells a former DC Design House once owned by his father for $9.1 million in Forest Hills. BY STAC E Y G R A Z I E R P FA R R

1943 to 1949. While at Woodrow Wilson High School, Warren Buffett started his first business selling soft drinks and his own horse-racing tip sheet. When the sellers, Leyla and Anthony Serafino, moved in, they realized Buffett once lived there and they struck up a correspondence with him about his former home. The house has been renovated from top to bottom since then of course and now features two additions, an eat-in chef â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen, a master bedroom with an en-suite spa bath and fully finished basement. The property was listed by Daryl Judy and Kimberly Casey of Washington Fine Properties and sold by Joan Cromwell Matthew Jemal, vice president of Douglas Development, sold ELLICOTT STREET NW of McEnearney associates. for a cool $9.1 million to an undisclosed buyer. The 2011 DC Design House last sold for $4,247,500 in 2012. The former residence of the late Janice Goldsten Wasserman was originally built for Andre Matini, founder of the Sweet Leaf George N. Everett, a vice president of the fabled Woodward & Lothrop department store, which, cafes and current CEO of JTF Business incidentally, Matthew Jemalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, Douglas Development CEO Douglas Jemal, purchased in Systems, purchased DUMBARTON 1999. The seven-bedroom Forest Hills Tudor was built in 1925 and features a great room with STREET NW from a pr ivate LLC for soaring ceilings and exposed beams, a 40-by-60-foot Beverly Hills style swimming pool and a $1,295,000. The gracious Federal townhouse guest house with two additional bedrooms. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nancy Taylor Bubes in Georgetownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Village was built in listed the house; TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christie-Anne Weiss represented the buyer. 1955 and substantially renovated to include THE DISTRICT Washburn preserved original elements of a posh new kitchen, custom built-ins and a Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official. President Barack Obama and his the design while renovating it to allow for private walk-out level with rear garden patio. family will be trading in the White House for a grand entertaining spaces and then added a William F. X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki, stunning 8,200-square-foot house in Kalorama top notch chef â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen, luxurious master Adam T. Rackliffe, and Christopher R. once he leaves office. The brick residence at suite and entertainment center with glass Leary of Washington Fine Properties listed BELMONT RD NW, built in 1928, features doors to a southern terrace. The purchasers, the property and Michael Ahmadinejad of nine bedrooms and nine baths and a beautiful Margaret Ludlow and Marc Vincent Teillon, Fairfax Realty Inc. sold it. courtyard.The New York Times reports that the are relocating from California. He is in A historic Georgetown Tudor built in Obamas will be renting and Zillow estimates the equities and she will be working on a 1856, once the Market Street Chapel that degree in International Relations at Johns served residents west of Wisconsin Avenue rent to be around $22,000 per month. Architect Alexandros Washburn sold his Hopkins Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Advanced from 1855 to the 1930s, sold for $3.2 million. childhood home at

MASSACHUSETTS International Studies. The buyers were John Hlinko and Katherine Stringer bought AVENUE NW for $2,450,000 after a recent represented by Franky Hoyas of Compass.

RD STREET NW from Eric and Jena top-to-bottom renovation. Washbur n Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bobbie Watson. Completely renovated in 2012, the five-bedroom property boasts sunny, spacious served as the chief urban designer of New Brewster was the listing agent. York City during the administration of Warren Buffettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s childhood home at rooms and cathedral ceilings and also features Michael Bloomberg when he served as TH STREET NW sold for $1,550,000. a side garden and a charming patio area mayor of New York. The grand Embassy The billionaire financier hung his hat in with a brick privacy wall. Washington Fine Row townhouse near Sheridan Circle was the five-bedroom Tudor when his father, Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Theresa Burt was the listing agent. designed in 1910 by Nicholas T. Haller, Howard Buffett (R-Neb.) was serving in Keller Williams Capital Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Joel Nelson a preeminent architect of the Gilded Age. the U.S. House of Representatives from represented the buyer.

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MARYLAND Fox News Channel anchor Greta Van Susteren and her husband John Coale sold their historic downtown Annapolis house at DUKE OF GLOUCESTER STREET for $1,050,000 to 1756 Partners LLC. The brick Federal, built in 1776, has beautifully proportioned rooms and classic architectural details that include original crown moldings, chair rails and mantels.Within walking distance of the city docks, the house also has a private courtyard and two-car garage. Long & Foster Real Estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kathleen Coale was the listing agent. Mary Beth Paganelli of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent. Venture capitalist Thomas Dann and his wife Melissa sold WEST KIRKE STREET for $3,650,000 to Tom and Elizabeth Brown. Mrs. Dann serves on the board of Root Capital, a nonprofit social investment fund that helps Third World farmers. Graceful white columns and an ornate widowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s walk along the roof line distinguish the stately facade of this Chevy Chase Village gem. Inside are large, luminous rooms with tall windows, high ceilings and beautiful architectural details. Built in 1919 by a prosperous local paint and varnish manufacturer, the house retains much of its original charm after thoughtful renovations over the years that have brought it to the highest standards of taste, quality and craftsmanship. A unique dwelling of many parts, it features a rambling floor plan, large common areas and a newly renovated kitchen plus five bedrooms on the second floor and an additional room and bath on the top level. Hans Wydler of Wydler Brothers represented the buyer and Washington Fine Properties Hatfield Team assisted the seller. VIRGINIA James and Susan Pittleman are the first owners of PATHFINDER LANE in McLean. The couple purchased the Art Deco house from Win Development for $2,570,000. The brand new six-bedroom residence in Broyhill Estates sits on a serene, half-acre lot and features 10.5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;-foot loft style ceilings, a gourmet kitchen, a spa, an inspired master suite with a balcony, an elevator, steam shower, wet bar and social room. Keller Williamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sahba Samimi was the listing agent; Century 21 Redwood Realty represented the buyer.

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A stunning four-level Kalorama townhouse fetched $3 million when Grant and Kelly Felgenhauer bought LEROY PLACE NW from David Weisman, CEO and founder of InSite Wireless Group, a telecommunications tower and infrastructure company headquartered in Alexandria. Mr. Felgenhauer is a principal at Euphrates Advisors, an investment firm focuses on equities in the Iraq Stock exchange. The fourbedroom, 5,700-square-foot house was built in 1990 and features 11-foot ceilings on the main level, a oneof-a-kind wrap around staircase, an elevator and custom built wine bar. Listing agents for the property were William F. X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki, Adam T. Rackliffe, and Christopher R. Leary of Washington Fine Properties. Nate Guggenheim and Anne Savage of Washington Fine Properties represented the buyer.

Lisa Rockefeller, a great-great-granddaughter of William A. Rockefeller, and her husband Ned Sebelius, sold their North Cleveland Park house to Robert Byron Wight and his wife, Federica Dal Bono, an executive at the insurance arm of the World Bank Group. The three-bedroom semi-detached brick Colonial at

TH STREET NW closed at $1,276,000. Classic 1920s architecture, abundant character and a rear garden and lower level in-law suite make this residence a classic Washingtonian abode. William F. X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki, Adam T. Rackliffe and Christopher R. Leary of Washington Fine Properties represented the sellers; Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Richard Newton was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS

PROPERTY LINES LIFE IS A HIGHWAY: Former Indy Racing League vet Will Langhorne and his wife Samar are selling N STREET NW for $9,995,000 with the help of TTR Sotheby’s Russell Firestone III. The six-bedroom Contemporary townhouse was built by Georgetown developer Richard Levy for his mother in 1960. Langhorne’s parents bought the property from Levy and the race car driver in turn bought the house from them. The main entry features a 1,000-pound pivoted door with smart glass that switches from clear to translucent at the touch of a button, Boffi-designed bathrooms, a glass elevator, a second floor Bulthaup gourmet kitchen and media room. The exterior features a garden terrace with a heated pool. POSH KALORAMA: One of the District’s most expensive listings, TRACY PLACE NW is listed at $6,995,000 — down a little over $1.5 million from its original asking price. Syrian businessman Raja Sidawi, chairman and chief executive officer of Energy Intelligence Group Inc., is selling the Kalorama classic, which boasts a three story-circular staircase, parking for five cars, seven bedrooms and bathrooms and a pool. Washington Fine Properties’ Cynthia Howar listed the property. MODERN MASTERPIECE: A striking midcentury modern house at TH STREET NW in Massachusetts Avenue Heights has hit the market for $2,795,000. Currently owned by well known architect and jewelry designer Sylvia Gottwald (she has lived there for the past 30 years) it is sited on a beautiful, multilevel terraced lot. The four-bedroom property is surrounded by diplomatic residences in one of Washington’s premier neighborhoods. This lush, private oasis boasts landscaped gardens, mature trees, fountains and brick patios that are perfect for entertaining. TTR Sotheby’s International Real Estate’s Theo Adamstein is the listing agent.

GEORGETOWN CHARM: Phil and Darlene Surprenant listed their historic Georgetown residence at N STREET NW for $2,899,000 with Washington Fine Properties agents William F. X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki, Adam T. Rackliffe, and Christopher R. Leary. Mr. Surprenant is an executive at PricewaterhouseCoopers; his wife is a lecturer at American and George Washington universities. They bought the house in 2013 from Douglas and Jean Salter. The East Village Federal was built in 1835 and features original floors throughout, an arched entryway, five fireplaces and a chef’s kitchen.

ROAD NW from $7.5 million to $6.5 million. The eight-bedroom house sits on 1.5-plus acres of land boasting a front lawn reminiscent of a country club’s golf fairway, manicured terraces and a gorgeous pool. Built in the early 1930s and meticulously expanded and renovated in 2008 to remain faithful to its early Georgian design and interior styling, the house boasts more than 7,500 square feet of interior space, high ceilings, large windows and top-of-theline finishes. Washington Fine Properties Matt McCormick and Nancy Taylor Bubes are the listing agents.

DREAM LAWN: James and Barbara Mauro Send real estate news to Stacey Grazier Pfarr at have dropped the price on FOXHALL editorial@washingtonlife.com.

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HOME LIFE | OPEN HOUSE

Open House Luxurious listings offering space for relaxation and entertaining.

MCLEAN

ASKING PRICE: $4,500,000

FOUNDERS RIDGE LANE@ MCLEAN VA This impressive six-bedroom, seven-full-bath stone manor is perfectly situated on a lushly landscaped premium level corner lot in The Reserve, and offers 11,800 interior square feet for luxurious living and entertaining. Recent renovations include stunning new kitchens, an elevator serving all levels, new and updated baths and a whole-house generator. A separate carriage house offers opportunities for recreation or an on-site retreat.

GEORGETOWN N STREET NW@ WASHINGTON DC This beautifully renovated four-level federal townhouse has been updated throughout while still maintaining historic charm with wide plank wood floors, five brick fireplaces and four bedroom suites including an owner suite with two fireplaces and a private terrace. Also included: a granite kitchen with Viking and Sub-Zero appliances, a formal dining room and large sunken living room with a skylight and bright windows overlooking a private rear garden, plus a lower-level guest suite with a full bath and separate entrance.

LISTING AGENTS: Christie-Anne Weiss 202-256-0105 and Christopher Ritzert 202-256-9241, TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realty.

ASKING PRICE: $2,899,000 LISTING AGENTS: William F. X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki, Adam T. RackliďŹ&#x20AC;e, and Christopher R. Leary, 202-243-1620, WilliamFX.Moody@ wfp.com, Washington Fine Properties

ALEXANDRIA RIDGE ROAD DRIVE@ ALEXANDRIA VA Majestically sited on 1.33 acre lot with towering trees, this classic brick six bedroom plus four and a half bath center hall colonial boasts imposing columns, grand room sizes, three fireplaces, hardwood floors and a huge kitchen/family room plus a lower level mother-in-law or au pair suite. This lovely home is perfect for gracious entertaining and comfortable family living.

WESLEY HEIGHTS

FOREST LANE NW@ WASHINGTON DC

ASKING PRICE: $2,695,000

This magnificent stucco colonial, built in 1931 with the finest materials and finishes, has been beautifully expanded and updated and includes a large formal living room and stately dining room, a family room with vaulted ceilings, fabulous gourmet kitchen, luxurious master suite and private flagstone patio and garden, six bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and a two-car garage.

LISTING AGENT: Lynn Bulmer, 202-257-2410/ 202-364-1700, Evers and Co. Real Estate Inc.

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ASKING PRICE: $2,295,000 LISTING AGENT: Donnan C. Wintermute, 703608-6868, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

MY WASHINGTON Victor Shargai,Theater Booster and Interior Designer T

BY KEVIN CHAFFEE | PORTRAIT BY TONY POWELL

WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST PLEASURE WITH REGARD TO THE GROWTH OF LOCAL THEATER? The stunning quality and diversity of the work in so many of our companies and the talented community it has fostered. Washington artists are in great demand to work in our region but also, all around the country – including the city I fled from!! And just as I have learned to love the Washington region, they too, live here and marry, have children and call it home,Yes, even opposite-sex couples. WHAT IS THE SECRET BEHIND YOUR SUCCESS IN INSPIRING OTHERS TO CONTRIBUTE? Whether it be theater to which I am committed, or affordable housing to which my partner Craig Pascal is devoted, there must be a great passion for an organization and for its mission to convince others to give their support. That makes it natural to ask others to join us. We have recently hosted events at our new Watergate home for a theater company, an affordable housing initiative and a political campaign. YOU ARE A SUCCESSFUL INTERIOR DESIGNER. DID YOU EVER TRY YOUR HAND AT DOING STAGE SETS? I did but I had more success in costume

design when I was in the process of weaning myself from an acting career. Strangely, would you believe, I have met several successful interior designers who were also actors in a first career. WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST MEMORY OF THE LOCAL THEATER SCENE? That’s an easy one! One night as I was in Studio’s Mead Theatre with my late dear friend Jaylee Mead, a man Jane Lang had introduced me to came up and asked to have dinner with me – alone.Yes, it was Craig!

MY TOP SPOTS Mulebone (1) (2121 14th St.NW). Our latest new restaurant is Andy Shallal’s eatery. The ultimate comfort food and old favorites like 701 Restaurant (701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW), where the menu is always intriguing and the service and the room friendly and inviting. And the corn muffins! Aaron Sterling’s Gym (2112 18th St. NW) to work out with my trainer Eddie and see friends. Politics & Prose (2) (5015 Connecticut Ave. NW) where it’s always a treat to search for new friends in the form of novels or biographies. Any local theater for opening or closing night. Still magic for me! Union Market (3) (1309 5th St. NE) is always an adventure. A delightful collection of food and things and an exciting new event venue. Bidwell is a family favorite eating place. The Washington Design Center (1099 14th St. NW) to see old buddies and shop for something special. The Watergate South (4) (700 New Hampshire Ave. NW) because home is best and nothing beats leftovers in the library and an English murder mystery on WETA’s “Masterpiece Theatre.”

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CO U RT E SY P H OTOS

HOW HAS THEATER CHANGED SINCE YOU ARRIVED HERE? When I came to Washington, D.C. in 1964 from New York, I was escaping a career in theater; but of course, I couldn’t stay away. The only theaters here then were Arena Stage (which refused my offer to join its company), Folger Shakespeare Theatre, The Olney Theatre Center and the National Theater, where I tortured myself with pre-Broadway productions. Now, there are nearly 90 theater companies. There are many reasons for this growth and high among them I list the creation of the Helen Hayes Awards and theatreWashington. I am very proud to have been part of the movement which has proven itself to be a major economic catalyst in this region.