Roland flamini on the WikiLeaks that caused a Diplomatic Tsunam i
Freshman Orientation
THE INSIDE SCOOP ON some of The Newest Members OF THE HOUSE and senate
the tuxedo ball
40s Glam
For the UNder-40 Set at luxurious turnberry
+ 250 Leaders changing
WASHINGTON (and the world)
tower
Andrew noyes, FACEBOOK’S public policy and communications manager
Washington Life february 2 011 • $7.9 5
PLUS Their
favORITE BARS, restaurants & music hangouts
inside every issue!
Washington Social Diary celebrity contributions fashion and design Real Estate News & Parties, parties, parties!
Exclusive look
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The Young THE guest List Washington Life’s guide to WASHINGTON’s most influential under-40 leaders. Over the past six years, Washington Life’s annual Young & The Guest List has beEN the go-to guide for accomplished young leaders in the nation’s capital. As the city becomes more vibrant with each new crop of twenty- and thirtysomething movers and shakers, deciding whom to include becomes an ever-more daunting task.
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E
ach year, a clued-in but necessarily anonymous committee compiles a unique list of Washingtonians under the age of 40 who contribute to the cultural, political and social fabric of the city and nation. After spirited debate, the group whittles down a list containing many hundreds of names to just over 250. This year was no exception. We spent many long hours poring over nominations, analyzing achievements (so many!) and making sure that the list reflects a diversity of talent. The 2011 list includes formidable overachievers: members of Congress, administration policy makers, entrepreneurs, musicians, artists, activists and media personalities It also reflects the area’s growing dining scene with restaurateurs, mixologists and other fabulous foodies. Most may not be as well known as the people who employ them, but make no mistake, these young innovators are the face of the future.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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2011
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Photo by Tony Powell Hair by Dusan Grante
YGL Snapshot
Matthew Kroenig Assistant Professor of Government, Georgetown University; Special Advisor on Nonproliferation, Office of the Secretary of Defense; International Affairs Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Author, “Exporting the Bomb: Technology Transfer and the Spread of Nuclear Weapons.” Reading now? “On Thermonuclear War” by Herman Kahn Somewhere you’ve never been, but would like to go? A gorilla-tracking safari in Rwanda
e er th
Favorite local restaurant and what do you order there? It’s a tie between 2 Amy’s pizza and the sablefish dressed in red at Citronelle. On your iPod? Sweat from my run this morning Favorite quote of the moment? “I have simple tastes. I’m always satisfied with the best.” (Oscar Wilde) Something surprising about you? My sister, Julie, is a television news anchor and my brother, Brad, is one of the world’s top fashion models.
special feature | THe young & the guest list
We Love the Nightlife WL’s going out guide
A PERFORMER’s FAVORITES
Washington may only occupy 68.3 square miles, but there is a never-ending list of bars, restaurants and clubs to attract the city’s energetic under-40 set. Here are some special picks as well as a few offered by our Y&GL honorees.
H Street Playhouse: Consistently good work is done here by little-known, but highly talented companies, including Scena Theatre and Theater Alliance. Forum TheatRe: “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” was the stuff of D.C.-theater-scene legend. I’m looking forward to seeing “One Flea Spare” and “Bobrauschenbergamerica” at Round House’s Silver Spring location, directed, respectively, by Alexander Strain and Derek Goldman, two seriously talented artists. Synetic Theater: I would be horribly remiss if I left out my own company! We take classic stories and reinvent them, fusing drama, dance, acrobatics, mime, combat and original music. It always leaves me sore, which, to me, is a very good sign! Check out our production of “King Lear” at the Lansburgh Theater. March 24 to April 24.
Top Tunes
Where DJ Neekola gets her groove on
Food Finds WL The Dish blogger Katie Test’s cravings Estadio: Unique, delicious with homemade salsa fresh off and stylish, this Spanish eatery’s my favorite food truck. small plates will have you coming back again and again. Capital City Diner: This restored diner car is open 24 District Taco: Craving hours to ease your late-night breakfast? Nothing hits the cravings for pancakes after a night out on H street. spot better than an egg taco
Kushi: Sophisticated, sleek, classic and always on point, Kushi is the “it” spot for sushi. Ted’s Bulletin: Good, solid American food like milkshakes and fried chicken designed to satisfy, plus some of the best pastries in the area.
Bohemian Cavern: Great for jazz, and deep house. The few times I’ve been, the people really get into the music. Jazz icons such as Billy Holiday and Louis Armstrong have performed there. It’s also got a very underground vibe, like you are actually in a cavern.
Eighteenth Street Lounge: Owned by Thievery Corporation so it has to be good! It really feels like a house party – with a great vibe! The best dance party has been Sunday nights with Sam Burns. 9:30 Club: My favorite place for music in the city. They bring in lots of great acts, some of my favorites being Bajofondo and Deadmau5. It has a much more friendly, down-to-earth vibe than megaclubs where some of my favorite DJs have performed.
Spirited Spirits wl editors’ picks
The Passenger’s Columbia Room: Leading mixologist Derek Brown shakes up – almost dancer like – a tasting menu of the most intriguing concoctions anywhere. Order the negroni made with an old fashioned flavorpacked Campari.
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Sidebar: Jackie Greenbaum has us all atwitter with her speakeasy in a former adult bookshop. Cozy but with a slightly subversive edge, this Silver Spring neighborhood spot is ideal to kick it old-school style with pals.
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D i st r i ct Taco p h oto co urt e sy o f D i st r i ct Taco. E sta di o p h oto co u rt e sy o f E sta d i o. T e d’s B u l l e t i n m i l ks h ake s p h oto co urt e sy o f T e d’s B u l l e t i n . E i g h t e e nt h St r e e t Lo u n g e p h oto by r u m m e n i g g e o n F l i ck r .
CHOSEN BY Synetic Theater’s Ben Cunis
Huma Abedin
Courage for Kids
Senior Advisor, Office of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Katy Adams
Yeas & Nays Columnist, Washington Examiner Nicole Aguirre
Zeno Baucus
Senior Associate, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP chad bauman
Director of Communications, Arena Stage Greg Behrman
Editor in Chief, Worn Magazine
Member, Policy Planning Staff, U.S. Department of State; best-selling author
Yousef Al Otaiba
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates James Alefantis
Owner, Buck’s Fishing and Camping and Comet Ping Pong; President, Transformer Gallery
Elliott bisnow
Founder, Summit Series Robert “Bo” Blair
Founder and President, Smith Point, Jetties, Surfside, and The Rookery Meghan Blair
Aniello Alioto
Founder, Something Sweet Bakery
Political Director, Progress Now
Joanna Block
David All
Owner, David All Group; Publisher, Tweet Watch Report; Executive Director, AMP Summit Grant Allen
Vice President, ABB Technology Ventures Roshanak Ameli-Tehrani
Entrepreneur and Film Producer Jonathan Aronchick
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
150 Business Leaders
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11 Restaurateurs
7 Athletes
George Chopivsky, III
Design Associates
Political Director, Office of the First Lady
Vice President, Development, Simpson Housing, LP
Anna Chaley Croll
Desmond Butler
Shom Chowdhury
Reporter, Associated Press
Co-founder and CEO, Salido
Nicholas Cambata
Karim Chrobog
Co-founder, 8112 Studios
Producer, 18th Street Films; Founder, Tangier Pictures
Hunter Campbell
Michael Bloom
Alejandra “Ali” Campoverdi
Co-founder, George
Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff, The White House
Cedric Bobo
Sarah Cannova
Vice President, The Carlyle Group
Co-owner, Sassanova G. John Cecchi
J. Quinn Bradlee
Author and Filmmaker
Assistant Vice President, The IDI Group Inc.
Greta Brawner
Drew Chafetz
Journal Host and Producer, C-SPAN’s Washington
CEO and Co-Founder, Love.fútbol
Founder/Executive Director, Just Vision
William T. Brawner Jr
Keo Chea
Moira Bagley
Lee Brenner
Communications Director for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)
Founding Principal, FastFWD Group; Founder and Designer, L. J. Bamboo Company
Ronit Avni
Calibre Systems Policy Analyst
Amy Baier
Boardmember, Children’s National Medical Center Douglas Barnes
Derek Brown
Mixologist; Founder, Passenger and The Columbia Room
Owner, Destination Polo
Pamela Brown
Vinoda Basnayake
Reporter, WJLA/ABC7 and TBD News
International Associate, Patton Boggs LLP; Co-founder, Night Life Agency Group Inc. Stephanie Baucus
Austin Bryan
Global Account Manager, Pingtone Communications
CEO and CFO,
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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3 DIPLOMATS
Erinn “Ebs” Burnough
President, Kiron Global Strategies Deputy Policy Director, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
Media Elites
5 3 white house and C a p itol Hill staff
Michael Coe
CEO and Executive Vice President, Government Relations, Hawthorn Group L.C. Kelly Collis
Founder, CityShopGirl.com Tim Conlon
Artist Chris Cooley
Tight End, Washington Redskins Peter Corbett
CEO, iStrategy Labs
Counsel, House Financial Services Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee
Rachel Cothran
Gina Chersevani
Alexandra Cousteau
Mixtress, PS7’s
Founder, Blue Legacy International; Emerging Explorer, National Geographic Society
Peter Cherukuri
VP, General Manager, D.C., Bureau, The Huffington Post Timothy Chi
Founder/CEO, WeddingWire Inc. Clara Brillembourg Chopivsky
Associate, Foley Hoag LLP
Public Relations, Corcoran Gallery of Art; Editor, ProjectBeltway.com
Philippe Cousteau Jr.
CEO, EarthEcho International; Owner, Azure Worldwide; Chief Ocean Correspondent, Animal Planet carrie cox
Vice President, Hughes
Guest Relations, Sofitel Lafayette Square Danielle Crutchfield
Director of Scheduling, Office of the President Ben Cunis
Actor, Synetic Theater Monique Currie
Forward, Washington Mystics Lindsay Czarniak
Sports anchor and reporter, WRC-NBC4 Brooke Daley
Student, Georgetown University Law Center Kate Damon
Owner, Kaze Design Nathan Daschle
Executive Director, Democratic Governor’s Association Jill Daschle
Managing Director, EnTrust Capital Dominique Dawes
Motivational Speaker and President, Dominique Dawes LLC Brad Dayspring
Communications Director, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) Tara De Nicolas
Executive Director, Fashion for Paws benefiting the Washington Humane Society
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special feature | THe young & the guest list
tech talk CEO of iStrategy Labs
Peter Corbett’s
top 5 tech trends for
1 2 3
2011
Social media startups New companies will continue to sprout and grow.
The Internet IPO Look for announcements from Groupon, LinkedIn, Skype and Zynga.
Demand for talent There’s no slowing down in Washington, San Francisco, Austin and New York. Hundreds of web technology jobs are open in the District alone with no one to fill them.
4
Location based services (LBS) FourSquare, Facebook Places, SCVNGR and geo location social apps will become more popular. Small businesses in turn will start to see the value in using them. The trend will grow into 2012 or 2013 as these services become a standard marketing tool for brands big and small.
5
Tablets Currently a luxury, but that may change this year as more businesses use these devices to interact with customers. Super early adopters will start using tablets as their primary business computer.
Mark Drapeau
Industry Council
Director of Innovative Social Engagement, Microsoft
Robert “Bo” Garza
Joshua DuBois
Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Jeff Dufour
Editor, UrbanDaddy DC Ben Dunham
Environmental Advisor to Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) Cate Edwards
Civil Rights Attorney, Sanford Wittels & Heisler LLP ebong eka
President, Ericorp Consulting, Inc. Lisa Ellman
Senior Counsel, Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice Greg Engert
Beer Director, Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Churchkey/Rustico) Jon Favreau
Director of Speechwriting, White House Office of Communications Sarah Feinberg
Communications Strategy, Bloomberg News Abby Fenton
Director of Community Relations, WJLA and TBD TV Adam Frankel
Renaud De Viel Castel
Amy Donnelly
General Manager,Veolia Environment Inc.
Partner, Arent Fox, LLP
AnaÏs De Viel Castel
Raymond “Tripp” Donnelly, III
Public Relations and Fashion Consultant
President and CEO, RepEquity Inc.
Laurent Desbois
Matt Dornic
Correspondent, France 2 Television
Director, Quinn Gillespie & Associates; Editor, FishbowlDC
nichole devolites
Ross Douthat
Marketing Consultant, Conversa Group
Conservative author, blogger
Rich Dinning
Co-founder, Artistic Director, The Forum Theatre
Tysons Galleria, General Manager
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Michael Dove
Senior Presidential Speechwriter, White House Office of Communications lauren freedman
Erika Gutierrez
President, epgPR, LLC
Musician and Co-owner, Thievery Corporation Patrick Gavin
Co-founder, MoKi Media
Lauren Gentile
Director of Sales, Irvine Contemporary Gallery Chuck Ghoorah
Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Cvent Inc. fletcher gill
Senior Washington Editor, The Nation Kate Shaw Hayes
Associate Counsel to the President Matthew Hemerlein
Mark Gillespie
Doug Heye
Artistic Manager,YOA Orchestra of the Americas
Communications Director, Republican National Committee
Shana Glickfield
Recording Artist
Partner, Beekeeper Group; Online Community Director, www.NextGenWeb.org
Heather A. Higginbottom
Becca Glover Watkins
Francis Hoang
Director of Media Relations, The Daily Caller
Partner, Fluet Huber + Hoang PLLC; President, MAG Defense Services LLC
Angie Goff
Traffic and Entertainment Anchor, WUSA-TV; Coanchor, WUSA 9NEWS NOW John Goodwin
Chief of Staff to Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) Garrett Graff
Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget
Matthew Hoh
Senior Fellow, Center for International Policy; Director, Afghanistan Study Group Jason Horowitz
Reporter, Washington Post Style Section
Editor in Chief, Washingtonian
Duncan Hunter
Jonice Gray Tucker
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (R-Calif.)
Partner, BuckleySandler
Joseph P. Ireland, III
Adam Green
Founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Carolina Furukrona
Kate Marie Grinold
Director for Development, Smithsonian Archives of American Art
Director of Development, FAIR Fund
Matthew Gardiner
Quarterback, Washington Redskins
President and CEO, Information Technology
Chris Hayes
Vice President, Montview Realty Advisors
Mae Haney Grennan
Dean Garfield
Student, Georgetown University Law Center dannia hakki
Staff Writer, Politico
Public Affairs Associate, Burson-Marsteller
Resident Director, Signature Theatre
Carlos Gutierrez
Philanthropist
Sassy Jacobs
Co-owner, Sassanova
Rex Grossman
Katie Johnson
Personal Secretary to the President Rikka Johnson
General Manager, The Source Anna jones
Kristin Guiter
Director of Public Relations, Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Founder and CEO, J.D. Ireland Interior Architecture and Design
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Director of Marketing, Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association
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Photo by Tony Powell
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Katharine Zaleski Executive Producer and Head of digital news products, the washington post
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2011
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M
y fiancé, Rufus Lusk, and I, moved to Washington from New York City about a year ago so I could join the Washington Post after being at the Huffington Post since it launched in May, 2005. I work with an amazing team that aims to get more people to read the Post’s content on its website, phones, tablets and in social media, a challenge I’m glad to say that is becoming easier because we had our highest online audience in 2010 since launching the website in the ’90s. We also had the most people tweeting and posting our content on Facebook, watching our videos and engaging with our stories. It’s great to know people are reading quality – original – content with increasing fervor. My job would be very difficult if we didn’t have a team of incredible reporters, producers, web designers, videographers and editors coming together every day to put forth the best – and most widely read – news that’s for and about Washington. Say what you will about the state of journalism,
but I look at our audience numbers and I know readers are heading. When you’re obsessed with bringing millions of people to a major website every day, it’s nice to know you can run for the hills where Blackberries, iPad apps, Twitter lists, Facebook fan pages and anything else requiring an Internet connection doesn’t work. Rufus and I love to go rock climbing at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia. On weekdays we head over to Sport Rock in Alexandria and when it gets warmer we go to Carderock and Great Falls, some of the best climbing you can do in an afternoon. I love the countryside, but there are places I like to escape to within city limits as well, especially Café Saint-Ex,Thai Crossing (the location of my team’s holiday dinner), The Passenger and the bar at the Jefferson Hotel (because it’s close to my office and actually serves food that is as good as the drinks). Whether I’m in a no wireless zone or surrounded by mobile devices at a restaurant in Logan Circle, there’s one reason why I really prefer Washington over New York: better escape routes! 35
special feature | THe young & the guest list Katherine Kallinis
Parag Khanna
Peter Korbel
Maria Teresa Kumar
MatT LAUER
Founder, Georgetown Cupcake
Senior Research Fellow, New America Foundation; Author
Co-founder, Fojol Brothers of Merlinida
Founding Executive Director,Voto Latino
Partner, Qorvis Communications LLC
Lindsay Kin
Michael Kosmides
Aba Kwawu
Becky Lee
Program Assistant, Gender, Violence & Rights, International Center for Research on Women
Owner, Teatro Goldoni and Cities
President, The ABA Agency
Executive Director and Founder, Becky’s Fund
Sherri Kraham
Founder, Georgetown Cupcake
Pum Lefebure
Reed Landry
Co-founding Partner and Creative Director, Design Amy
Olivier Kamanda
Speechwriter and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State Goldy Kamali
President and Founder, FedScoop Cassidy Karakorn
Associate Marketing Director, Human Rights Campaign; DJ Sam Kass
Assistant to White House Chef; Senior Policy Advisor, Healthy Food Initiatives Cody Stephen Keenan
Presidential Speechwriter
Reporter and Columnist, The Washington Post
Acting Vice President, Department of Policy and International Relations, Millennium Challenge Corp.
Rachel Klenifeld
Matthew Kroenig
Co-founder and CEO ,Truman National Security Project
Professor of Government, Georgetown University
Erikka Knuti
Jackie Kucinich
Communications Director, Health Information Center
Staff Writer, Roll Call
Brian Komar
Executive Director, Arca Foundation
Ezra Klein
Director of Strategic Outreach, Activism and Alliances at American Progress
Anna Lefer Kuhn
Sophie Lamontagne
Founder, LNS Media Corporation
Jake Lefebure
Sara Lange
Special Events Manager, National Children’s Museum
Co-founding Partner and Creative Director, Design Amy Svetlana Legetic
Founder, BrightestYoungThings
Philippe Lanier
Rachel Lerner
Principal, EastBanc Technologies
Vice President, J Street Education Fund
Mat Lapinski
President, The Capital Club
Marne Levine
Vice President, Global Public Policy, Facebook
YGL Snapshot
ANDREW NOYES manager public policy communications, Facebook
Reading now? My email all day, all night. The volume of email traffic at Facebook is astounding. When I’m not digging through my inbox, I’m scanning a dozen D.C. and Silicon Valley news sites. Leisure-time reading: Monocle, GQ, Esquire, Vanity Fair. Somewhere you’ve never been, but would like to go? Istanbul and the Almalfi Coast On your iPod? Scissor Sisters, Dragonette, Kylie Minogue, “This American Life” podcast Favorite quote of the moment? “If it happens every day it is not a fire drill, it is your job.” Photo by Tony Powell Hair & Makeup by Dyan Zurick Smith, PR@Partners
Favorite app? Facebook for iPhone, obviously What do you collect? Sunglasses in the summer, scarves in the winter and items for my to-do list year-round Something surprising about you? Despite taking years of piano lessons and Spanish classes, I can’t play much more than “Chopsticks” or say much more than “hola.”
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WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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Photo by Tony Powell Hair & Makeup by Dyan Zurick Smith, PR@Partners
Jon Ward
YGL Snapshot
senior political reporter The Daily Caller Reading now? “Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus” by Rick Perlstein and “Washington: A Life” by Ron Chernow. I recently finished a great book about Teddy Roosevelt called “River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey” by Candice Millard On your iPod? Mumford and Son’s “Sigh No More,” The Roots’ “How I Got Over” and Sufjan Stevens’ “The Age of Adz” Favorite quote of the moment? “Journalism, done right, is enormously powerful because it does not seek power. It seeks truth.” It’s a quote from Mark Bowden’s October 2009 article in The Atlantic. Favorite app? Google Maps Something surprising about you? I never wrote for my college newspaper.
special feature | THe young & the guest list Kirsten Lodal
Kate Michael
Maggie Pitts
Co-founder and CEO, LIFT
President, K Street Kate LLC
President, The Madison
Reggie Love
maggie Michael
Ada Polla
Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the President
Artist
Founder and CEO, Alchimie Forever
Annie Lowrey
Senior Editor, Human Events
Lauren Pomponio
Jeff Mills
Field Marketing Manager, Pop Chips
Economics Reporter, Slate RUFUS LUSK
Emily Miller
Filmmaker
Director, Food Service, D.C. Public Schools
Jen Mapp
Eduardo Morales
Brand Manager, Cibu
Deputy Director, Generation Change Program, Center for Community Change
Carrie Marriott
Philanthropist David Marriott
Chief Operations Officer, Eastern Americas Region, Marriott International
Katie McCormick Lelyveld
Press Secretary to the First Lady Tommy McFly
DJ/Radio Host, 94.7 Fresh FM Heather C. McGhee
Director, Washington office, Demos Patrick McHenry
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (R-N.C.) Andrew J. McKenna
Founder, President and CEO, McKenna & Associates Spike Mendelsohn
Restaurateur, Good Stuff Eatery and We, the Pizza Alicia Menendez
Senior Advisor, New Democratic Network Elaine Mensah
Founder and Fashion Director, SVELTE LLC; Keri Ann Meslar
Glaceau District Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola Co.
38
Chief Legislative Counsel, T-Mobile
Renee Sharrow
Qubad Talabany
Marketing Communications Manager, Park Hyatt Washington DC
Representative of the Kurdistan Government
Muna Shikaki
“CLICK” Reporter, Politico
Correspondent, Al Arabiya
karin tanabe Ashley Taylor
Jen Psaki
Heath Shuler
deejay neekola
Deputy Communications Director, White House
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (D-N.C.)
Ben Quayle
Cynee Simpson
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (R-Ariz.)
Reporter, WJLA/ABC-7
Program Director,Young People For (YP4)
Nicole Siobal
Aureta Thomollari
Steve Ressler
Project Manager, New Media Strategies
President, D&A Luxury Consulting
Thomas Snedeker
Rebecca Thompson
Director of Finance, New Media Strategies
Director,Young People For (YP4)
Anna Soellner
Doug Thornell
Vice President for Communications, Center for American Progress
Communications Director for Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
Nora Sommerkamp
Lead Singer, US Royalty
Model; Assistant Front Desk Manager, Jefferson Hotel
Paul Thornley
DJ, Music Producer Principal Dancer, Washington Ballet
President, United States Student Association
Marie Sylla-Dixon
Managing Partner, Night Life Agency Group Inc.
Technology Entrepreneur
Ross Mueller
Owner, Charm Georgetown
Lindsay McCluskey
Drew Porterfield
kunal shah
Managing Partner, The Finance, Law & Media Group
Arash Shirazi
Jared Nelson
Senior Fellow, The New Organizing Institute
Co-owner, Café Bonaparte and Napoleon
Jennifer Streaks
Curator and Director, Long View Gallery
Jaclyn Mason Ashindi Maxton
Omar Popal
Representative for Small Business, Market Access and Industrial Competitiveness
Andrew Noyes
Manager, Public Policy Communications, Facebook Norah O’Donnell
Chief Washington Correspondent, MSNBC Anne Olaimey
Director of Office of Business Liaison, U.S. Department of Commerce Maggie O’NeilL
Owner, O’Neill Studios LLC Brian Orakpo
Defensive End, Washington Redskins Alex Ovechkin
NHL Left Wing, Washington Capitals; Founder, Crazy Eights charles paret
Co-founder, Paxton Stuart LLC Dan Pfeiffer
Communications Director, The White House Macon Phillips
Director of New Media, White House Office of Communications Erich Pica
President, Friends of the Earth
President, GovLoop “Facebook for Government” Ben Rhodes
Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, White House Joseph Robert, III
Board of Directors, Fight for Children; Sergeant, U..S Marine Corps Jayne Sandman Dufour
Director, BrandLinkDC DJ Saul
Gemologist, Ann Hand LLC
President, Bullitt Bookings
Douglas Sonders
Director, Open Innovation, iStrategyLabs
Co-founder, 8112 Studios; Principal, Douglas Sonders Photography
Christy Schlesinger
Pamela Sorensen
Architect, Schlesinger & Associates
Founder, Pamela’s Punch
Aaron Schock
Press Secretary, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio)
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (R-Ill.) John Schriffen
Sam Stein
Reporter, WRC/NBC-4 Nikki Scwabb
Dan Steinhilber
Yeas & Nays Columnist, Washington Examiner
Artist
Sheldon Scott
President, BlogPAC
General Manager, Marvin Christina Sevilla
Shaunna thomas
John Thornley
Guitarist, US Royalty Scott Thuman
Anchor and Reporter, WJLA/ABC-7 Executive Director, Energy Action Coalition Elliot Totah
Executive Vice President, The Oxbridge Group Geoffrey Tracy
Restaurateur, Chef Geoff ’s and Lia’s Omar Vargas
Director, Global Policy and Government Affairs, PepsiCo.
Matt Stoller
David Vennett
Stephen Strasburg
Pitcher, Washington Nationals
Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Senior Director, First Services Real Estate
Jessy Tolkan
Michael Steel
Political Reporter, Huffington Post
Josh Thomas
| fe b r u a r y
National Manager, Government Affairs and Special Projects, Toyota
2011
| washingtonlife.com
Photo by Tony Powell
YGL Snapshot
Shom Chowdhury Co-founder and CEO, Salido On your iPod? Rock: The Strokes, The White Stripes, Interpol. Electronic: Deadmau5. To chill: Portishead. Jazz: always Vijay Iyer, a buddy of mine and a virtuoso on the keys. Favorite app? Hipstamatic is a cool camera app that basically simulates old school cameras and you can select the film, lens and flash. Each picture comes out looking like a gothic version of reality or antiqued. What do you collect? I have Harley and Ducati motorcycles that I treat like my kids (maybe because I don’t have any and I secretly want them). Every time I see a Gibson Guitar I swear it says “buy me.” Tim Corun at Georgetown’s Jinxproof tattoos does such a good job that I just can’t stop.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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| washingtonlife.com
39
special feature | THe young & the guest list
Motor North America Inc.
Paul Wharton
Amal Zaari
Katharine Zaleski
Ryan Zimmerman
Justin Vitarello
Owner, Evolution Look Modelling Agency
Director of Social Catering, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington
Executive Producer and Head of Digital News Products, The Washington Post
Third Baseman, Washington Nationals
Co-founder, Fojol Brothers of Merlindia Lee Wang
Chief Operations Officer, Wedding Wire Jon Ward
Senior White House Correspondent, The Daily Caller Kevin Warsh
Member, Board of Governors, The Federal Reserve William “Pepper” Watkins
Special Projects Manager, The National Trust for Historic Preservation
Kirk Wiles
Owner/Founder, Paradise Springs Winery Christina Wilkie
“In The Know” Columnist, The Hill Erica Williams
Deputy Director, Progress 2050 at the Center for American Progress Stephanie Williams
Miss District of Columbia 2010 Justin Young
Founder and Creative Director, ReadySet Creative Studio LLC
2011 ALUMni Bret Baier · Spencer Boyer · Warren Brown · Donna Byrd · Sam Chaltain · Anne Corbett · James Cornwell · Philip Deutch Xavier Equihua · Adrian Fenty · Michelle Fenty · Betsy Fischer · Angela Fox · Dean Garfield · Ginuwine · Wendy Adeler-Hall Kathy Hollinger · Emily Lenzner · Rachel Hirschberg Light · Joe McGinniss Jr. · Lamell McMoris · Jim Messina · David Morgan · Lana Orloff · Nicholas Penniman David Pollin · Kirsten Pollin · Michael Romeo · Michael Strautmanis · Lindsay Stroud · David A. Sutphen · Will Thomas
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Francis Hoang Partner, Law Firm of Fluet Huber + Hoang PLLC
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After serving as an associate White House counsel to President George W. Bush from 2007 to 2009, Francis Hoang deployed to Afghanistan for seven months of combat as the executive officer of a U.S. Army Special Forces Company, returning to Washington, D.C., last Spring. (Photo courtesy of Francis Hoang)
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wear a black metal bracelet on my right wrist. When people notice it, they often ask me what it’s for. When I reply that the bracelet is inscribed with the names of two Green Berets from my unit who were killed in combat in Afghanistan last year, I prepare for a bevy of questions:“What was Afghanistan like?” or “Are we winning?” and “How does it feel to be back?” But rarely am I ever asked the question: “Why did you serve?” Part of the answer is that in war, the world is real, vivid beyond compare, and reduced to its most basic struggle: life or death. In war, the unimportant, the trivial, and the petty fade away in the harsh light of the daily struggle to complete the mission, take care of the soldier next to you, and do your duty. What remains is pure living: a life distilled into its essence, where simply
being alive is joyful. Soldiers fight for many reasons, but at least for me, fighting for a cause, for my country and for my comrades brought clarity to my life. Perhaps that’s because I began my life in war. I was born in Vietnam in the closing years of the war, there, and along with my family, I was evacuated by the U.S. military mere days before Saigon fell to Communist forces. As a result, I grew up mindful of what my life might have been, grateful for my adopted home and especially grateful for those who serve her. Being in Afghanistan was never a burden, it was an honor. I will be forever grateful for the chance to have served others as others have served me. Like the names etched into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the names on my bracelet remind me not of death, but of lives lived honorably.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| fe b r u a r y
2011
| washingtonlife.com