Most Powerful Women MORE THAN 100 OF THE REGION’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS, LAW, GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, MEDIA, NONPROFITS, AND THE ARTS By Leslie Milk

IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT WASHINGTON news from a cadre of women in key posi- steer congressional action. produces, attracts, and rewards smart women. tions at new-media outlets such as Vox and Over the past six months, we talked to What is surprising is the number of new women BuzzFeed. dozens of area leaders to put together this in power positions since Washingtonian’s last What makes all of the women on our list list of more than 100 of Washington’s most list of most powerful women in 2013. powerful? They define the agenda and deter- powerful women. The roster reflects the many Earning her stripes: This year, we salute the first female four- mine the course of action in their enterprises. spheres where women now hold sway, in both Michelle Howard, vice chief of naval star admiral, applaud the first woman to head They’re not necessarily members of Congress, the public and private sectors as well as in the operations, is the first female four- the Kennedy Center, and look for breaking for example, but could be the staffers who arts, science, and community service. star admiral in the Navy’s history.

54 WASHINGTONIAN ★ NOVEMBER 2015 Photographs by Susana Raab NOVEMBER 2015 ★ WASHINGTONIAN 55 LOCAL PUBLIC POWERS the fight against ISIS. MURIEL BOWSER, mayor of DC. Her Honor has JANE HARMAN, president and CEO, Woodrow her hands full with longstanding problems such Wilson International Center for Scholars. Harman as homelessness, a broken EMS system, and gained her foreign-policy cred after nine terms still-troubled schools. representing her California district in Congress SHARON BULOVA, chair of the Fairfax County and serving on all the major security committees. Board of Supervisors. Bulova, who gets credit CHRISTINE LAGARDE, managing director, for the Silver Line, has no strong opponents in International Monetary Fund. The head of one the upcoming county election. of the most powerful economic institutions in BARBARA COMSTOCK, US congresswoman. the world, Lagarde leads with a calming voice This Republican from Virginia will be a key player amid global economic uncertainty. in GOP plans to turn her state from purple to red in 2016. BUSINESS, LABOR, DONNA EDWARDS, US congresswoman. If the AND LOBBYING Maryland Democrat wins her Senate campaign, ANNE ALTMAN, general manager, IBM US Fed- she’ll be the first African-American woman to eral Government. Altman heads IBM’s efforts represent the state in that chamber. to upgrade government IT to meet growing JANET HOWELL, Virginia state senator. The border- and homeland-security needs. Democrat serves on the key Senate budget com- SHAZA L. ANDERSEN, founder and CEO, Wash- mittee protecting Northern Virginia’s interests. ingtonFirst Bank. Andersen’s institution has She also stands up to the Republican majority: grown to $1.5 billion in assets and 17 branches When another senator proposed that an ultra- in Virginia, Maryland, and DC. sound be required before every abortion, Howell PAMELA BAILEY, president and CEO, Grocery added a rider that every man be required to have Manufacturers Association. Bailey is involved a rectal exam before getting a prescription for Second act: Esther Safran Foer has overseen Head of the class: As president of Montgomery in all major food-labeling issues. erectile-dysfunction medication. a rebirth of the Sixth & I synagogue, which now College, DeRionne Pollard runs an institution MEREDITH ATTWELL BAKER, president and CATHY LANIER, chief of police, Metropolitan Po- has an active roster of speakers and events. that enrolls nearly 60,000 students. CEO, CTIA–The Wireless Association. A veteran lice Department. Rising homicide rates threaten telecommunications executive, Baker is a for- Lanier’s status as the most popular official in mer commissioner of the FCC. the District. TERESA CARLSON, vice president, Amazon ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, DC delegate to Web Services. Carlson’s company has 1,500 Congress. A conservative Republican House federal-government customers. won’t give an inch on expanded home rule for AMBER COTTLE, head of global public policy the District, but for 25 years DC residents have chief of staff for intelligence, US Army. As the through better technology. Budget committees. She may be on the short- National Journal reports that Skiles is the and government affairs, Dropbox. Cottle was sent Norton back to the Hill to keep trying. Army’s senior intelligence officer, she’s in , national-security adviser. Rice list for a vice-presidential nomination. social-media guru for House Democrats. previously Democratic staff director for the charge of the readiness, modernization, and laid the groundwork for President Xi Jinping’s SUSAN COLLINS, US senator. The Maine Re- SHARON SODERSTROM, chief of staff for Senate Finance Committee. NATIONAL POWERS development of the 58,000 soldiers and civil- September visit at a time of China’s economic publican has emerged as a major dealmaker Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. NANCY DORN, vice president for government DEESHA DYER, White House social secretary. ians in the military intelligence corps. setbacks and increased military belligerence. in the divided Senate. After three decades working for Republicans affairs and policy, General Electric. According Dyer proved her social savvy overseeing major GINA McCARTHY, administrator, Environmental BETTY SAPP, director, National Reconnais- BARBARA MIKULSKI, US senator. Maryland’s in Congress, Soderstrom is now McConnell’s to the Atlantic magazine, between 2007 and back-to-back events for the pope and the Protection Agency. Despite Republican opposi- sance Office. Sapp is the intelligence com- retiring senator will be fighting for the state to right hand and the highest-ranking female 2012, GE secured more than $16 billion worth president of China. She’s got a hand on the tion, McCarthy keeps pushing the EPA forward— munity’s eye in the sky. get a bigger piece of the federal pie until the staffer on the Hill. of federal contracts. most coveted guest lists in town. including tough new rules on clean water. MEGAN SMITH, US chief technology officer. day she departs. Two of the three finalist sites ELIZABETH WARREN, US senator. Warren JULEANNA GLOVER and HEATHER PODESTA. ADMIRAL MICHELLE HOWARD, vice chief of CHERYL MILLS, adviser to . Mills The former Google vice president came east for the new FBI headquarters are in Prince seems to wield more influence by not running Glover is a top lobbyist with strong Republican naval operations. The first female four-star was deputy White House counsel for to promote technology innovation and advance George’s County. for President. For example, the Massachusetts ties. Podesta is a top lobbyist with strong admiral in the Navy’s history, Howard is no and now serves as a top strategist for Hillary’s smarter tech policies. NANCY PELOSI, minority leader, US House Democrat has kept the SEC’s feet to the fire on Democratic ties. Politically polar opposites, paper-pusher—she was the first African- presidential campaign. MARY JO WHITE, chair, Securities and Exchange of Representatives. With the majority often banking and investment regulations. both are hot hired guns. American woman to command a ship, and she , homeland-security and coun- Commission. The SEC recently issued a rule battling itself, Pelosi has been able to wield TAMMY HADDAD, president and CEO, Haddad led squadrons of elite fighters before coming terterrorism adviser to the President. Monaco mandating that public companies disclose the considerable power by keeping her Democratic INTERNATIONAL POWERS Media. The woman to see if you want to get to the Pentagon. also oversees the Cyber Threat Intelligence pay ratio of CEOs to the median of its employees. caucus together. That’s how the California con- SHEIKHA RIMA AL-SABAH, wife of Kuwait’s booked on TV, quoted in the media, or invited , senior adviser to the Integration Center. JANET YELLEN, chair of the Board of Gover- gresswoman managed to preserve funding for ambassador to the US. The newest goodwill to the top parties in town. President. Officially, Jarrett oversees the , First Lady. Her campaigns nors, Federal Reserve System. When Yellen the Department of Homeland Security. ambassador for the United Nations refugee CAROLYN HANDLON, executive vice presi- White House offices of Public Engagement and for healthy eating, exercise, and helping mili- speaks, stock markets rise or fall. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS, US representa- agency, she’s known locally for her philanthropy dent of finance and global treasurer, Mar- Intergovernmental Affairs as well as chairing tary families have won her more fans than her tive from Washington state. As chair of the House and her ability to gather A-listers at her version riott International. Handlon leads Marriott’s the White House Council on Women and Girls. husband has. ON THE HILL Republican Conference, Rodgers is the highest- of the Davos conference. corporate-finance organization, oversee- Unofficially, “the Obama whisperer” has the ARATI PRABHAKAR, director, Defense Ad- KELLY AYOTTE, US senator. The Republican ranking woman in the Republican leadership. ALIA HATOUG BOURAN, ambassador from ing the financial health and strategy of the chief executive’s ear and his back. vanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA is from New Hampshire is a vocal member of KAT SKILES, senior adviser and digital direc- Jordan. She holds a key diplomatic post, $14-billion company. LIEUTENANT GENERAL MARY LEGERE, deputy key to keeping a smaller armed forces effective the Armed Services, Homeland Security, and tor for House minority leader Nancy Pelosi. representing one of the critical US allies in MARY KAY HENRY, president, Service Em-

56 WASHINGTONIAN ★ NOVEMBER 2015 NOVEMBER 2015 ★ WASHINGTONIAN 57 PHEBE NOVAKOVIC, chairman and CEO, intendent and coping with a rapidly changing General Dynamics. Despite defense cuts, GD school population. has had strong profit growth under Nova- DeRIONNE POLLARD, president, Montgomery kovic’s leadership. College. Pollard heads one of Maryland’s largest CRYSTAL PATTERSON, government-and- community colleges, with nearly 60,000 students. politics outreach manager, Facebook. Pat- The new Bioscience Education Center in German- terson is a social-media wizard who’ll be in town represents an $87.9-million investment in high demand during the 2016 campaigns. STEM education and workforce development. NORA POUILLON, chef/owner, . Pouillon, who recently released a mem- LAW oir, My Organic Life, is a longtime driving force LISA S. BLATT, partner, Arnold & Porter. Blatt behind the movement toward more organic, holds the record for the most cases argued by a environmentally conscious cuisine. female attorney before the US Supreme Court. LINDA RABBITT, founder and CEO, Rand AVIS BUCHANAN, director, DC Public Defender Construction Corporation. Rabbitt is a former Service. Director since 2004, Buchanan last year board chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of received the Presidents’ Award for Public Service Richmond and is working with Harvard Busi- from the Washington Council of Lawyers. ness School on a program to prepare more ELLEN DWYER, managing partner, Crowell & women to sit on corporate boards. Moring. The expert in labor law spearheaded a DEBORAH RATNER SALZBERG, president, program to develop and retain more women Forest City Washington. Salzberg heads the and minorities at the firm. Fewer than 5 per- real-estate-development effort for a 48-acre cent of the country’s law firms have a woman mixed-use project near Nationals Park. as firm-wide managing partner. DAWN SWEENEY, president and CEO, National RUTH BADER GINSBURG, ELENA KAGAN, Restaurant Association. Sweeney advocates and SONIA SOTOMAYOR, associate justices, for the industry as it deals with restaurant- US Supreme Court. The three “Supremes” wage mandates and other critical issues. have been key to majority decisions uphold- Law and order: Therese Pritchard, chair of ing the Affordable Care Act and supporting Checks and balance: Nicky Goren leads the Bryan Cave, is one of the few women to head EDUCATION marriage equality. Meyer Foundation, which each year gives more a major international law firm. FRANKIE BROWN, director of admissions and LORETTA LYNCH, US attorney general. Since than $7 million to nonprofits helping the poor. financial aid, Sidwell Friends School. Brown is her Senate confirmation in April, Lynch has gatekeeper at the private school favored by been front and center on critical civil-rights power parents such as the Clintons and the issues, such as the Freddie Gray case, and has Obamas. brought down the corrupt leadership of the CHARLENE DUKES, president, Prince George’s international soccer federation, FIFA. Community College. With more than 44,000 PATRICIA MILLETT and CORNELIA PILLARD, ployees International Union. Henry is one of the to identify and launch promising new culinary students at six locations, PGCC is also home judges, US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. ELIZABETH BROUN, MELISSA CHIU, JOHNNETTA 250,000 patrons. More than 1,000 students leaders in the “Fight for $15” minimum-wage concepts at DC’s Union Market. to the National CyberWatch Center. They both faced an uphill battle, caught in a B. COLE, and KIM SAJET, directors, Smithson- also take classes there. campaign, expanding her efforts beyond the MELISSA MAXFIELD, senior vice president of KAREN GARZA, superintendent, Fairfax political crossfire in the Senate over changing ian museums. Broun heads the American Art DOROTHY KOSINSKI, director, Phillips Col- union’s membership. federal-government affairs, Comcast Corpora- County Public Schools. She has success- filibuster rules, but Millett and Pillard were con- Museum, including the Renwick Gallery. Chiu is lection. Kosinski has preserved and expanded MARILLYN HEWSON, president and CEO, Lock- tion. Maxfield, a former staffer for senators Tom fully negotiated later start times for high- firmed in 2013 to the second-most important director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Washington’s premier private museum, heed Martin. Hewson just scored a major sole- Daschle and Bob Kerrey, oversees all political schoolers and eliminated half-day Mondays court in the land. Garden, hired to bring new donors to a belea- attracting major gifts to add to the Phillips source contract to build a combat-management activity for the $69-billion company. for elementary kids. THERESE PRITCHARD, chairman, Bryan Cave. guered museum still deflated by the “inflatable family’s legacy. system for future Navy frigates. CAROL MELTON, executive vice president for KAYA HENDERSON, chancellor, DC Public The litigator is one of the few women to head a roof” fiasco. Cole, a former president of Spelman DEBORAH RUTTER, president, John F. Ken- LAURA COX KAPLAN, US government, regula- global public policy, Time Warner. She was the Schools. Henderson has managed to close major international law firm. College, is in charge of the National Museum of nedy Center for the Performing Arts. The first tory-affairs, and public-policy leader for PwC. top lobbyist for Viacom and advised the chair- some underutilized schools, raise test African Art. Sajet runs the National Portrait Gal- woman to head the Kennedy Center, Rutter Kaplan also holds the purse strings on the firm’s man of the FCC. scores, and win the confidence of more ARTS AND LETTERS lery, one of the Smithsonian’s gems. recently announced a major expansion, includ- political-action committee. SUSAN MOLINARI, vice president of public District parents. MARIN ALSOP, music director, Baltimore ESTHER SAFRAN FOER, executive director ing three pavilions on the south plaza and a SUE KELLY, president and CEO, American Pub- policy and government relations for the Americas, PATRICIA McGUIRE, president, Trinity Wash- Symphony Orchestra. The BSO plays a third of and CEO, Sixth & I. Foer has turned the reborn pedestrian bridge connecting to the Potomac lic Power Association. APPA represents 2,000 Google. The former congresswoman from New ington University. Trinity attracts students of its concerts at Strathmore in North Bethesda. historic synagogue into a, um, cultural mecca. River waterfront. community-owned electric utilities, serving York represents one of the biggest-ticket lobby- all backgrounds and ages—though 95 per- Alsop also brings classical programs to Mont- Recent speakers included Salman Rushdie, MOLLY SMITH, artistic director, Arena Stage. more than 48 million people. ing shops—Google reportedly spent more than cent of its undergraduates are women—with gomery County schoolkids. Mindy Kaling, and Supreme Court justice Smith led Arena through a dramatic recreation BOBBIE GREENE KILBERG, president and CEO, $5 million in the first quarter of 2015. classes on the main campus in Northeast DC JENNY BILFIELD, president and CEO, Wash- Stephen Breyer. of its space and an expansion of its mission. Northern Virginia Technology Council. Kilberg is SUSAN K. NEELY, president and CEO, American and in Anacostia. ington Performing Arts. Bilfield fills local stages MONICA JEFFRIES HAZANGELES, president, She produces more works by women and godmother of NoVa’s tech community. Beverage Association. Neely’s claim to fame: PATRICIA O’NEILL, president, Montgomery with artists of all music and dance genres, and Strathmore. Hazangeles runs the largest and minority playwrights than many other profes- RIS LACOSTE, chef/owner, Ris restaurant. She got Coke and Pepsi to work together on County School Board. O’Neill presides over concert venues rely on this longtime presenting most productive venue for performing arts in sional theaters and attracts the most diverse Lacoste is a judge for Launch Pad, a competition consumer initiatives. a system looking for a permanent super- organization to keep them in the black. Maryland, with 260 shows annually attracting audiences in town.

58 WASHINGTONIAN ★ NOVEMBER 2015 NOVEMBER 2015 ★ WASHINGTONIAN 59 MEDIA C-SPAN. Swain oversees programming for CEO, New America. Slaughter’s 2012 Atlantic MELISSA BELL, vice president of growth and C-SPAN’s three TV channels and its radio feed. article “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All” analytics, Vox Media. Bell and Ezra Klein left the reignited the debate on work/life balance, and Washington Post to start Vox.com. In August, ADVOCACY, PHILANTHROPY, she has expanded her argument in a new book, NBCUniversal made a $200-million equity AND NONPROFITS Unfinished Business. investment in Vox Media. ROSIE ALLEN-HERRING, president and PATTY STONESIFER, president and CEO, JACKIE BRADFORD, general manager, WRC-TV. CEO, United Way of the National Capital Area. Martha’s Table. Stonesifer, who previously The NBC affiliate leads its rivals in local news. Former managing director of the community- headed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ELISABETH BUMILLER, Washington bureau investment-and-engagement division at Fan- and the Smithsonian Board of Regents, has chief, New York Times. The former White House nie Mae, Allen-Herring is the turnaround artist a multimillion-dollar address book. (See and Pentagon reporter took over the bureau in the charity needed. interview on page 35.) early September. KATHERINE BRADLEY, president, CityBridge NEERA TANDEN, president, Center for Ameri- SUSAN GLASSER, editor, Politico. The former Foundation. CityBridge invests in programs can Progress. Tanden took over from John Po­ editor of Foreign Policy was the founder of to improve DC schools. Bradley also chairs desta in 2011 and now oversees the progres- Politico’s long-form magazine. the Washington regional board of Teach for sive policy-research and advocacy think tank. ROSIE GRAY, reporter, BuzzFeed. Gray is America. one of the new girls on the bus transforming JEAN CASE, CEO, Case Foundation. A one- HEALTH AND MEDICINE presidential-campaign coverage. time senior executive at AOL, Case promotes M. JOY DRASS, executive vice president and CORY HAIK, executive director of emerging the use of technology to assist nonprofits chief operating officer, MedStar Health. Drass news markets, Washington Post. She has as well as an entrepreneurial approach to oversees ten hospitals in the Washington- shared three Pulitzers as a print journalist, philanthropy. Baltimore area. but now Haik is shaking things up at the Post’s ROSE ANN CLEVELAND, executive director, ALISSA FOX, senior vice president of the office emerging platforms. Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. In the of policy and representation, Blue Cross and Blue PAULA KERGER, president and CEO, PBS. past ten years, the foundation has awarded Shield Association. The top lobbyist for one of the The woman who brought Downton Abbey to $214 million to nearly 950 organizations in the nation’s largest health insurers. the US has also forged many digital partner- Washington area. PATRICIA GRADY, MARTHA SOMERMAN, and ships, increased the network’s online video NICKY GOREN, president and CEO, Eugene NORA VOLKOW, directors, National Institutes of portals, expanded resources for teachers and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation. Goren spent Health. Grady (who heads the National Institute and classrooms, and picked up dozens of four years as president of the Washington Area of Nursing Research), Somerman (head of the broadcasting awards. Women’s Foundation before being selected to Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research), KIM KINGSLEY, chief operating officer, Po- head the Meyer Foundation last year. and Volkow (who heads the National Institute litico. In 2006, Kingsley joined Jim VandeHei BARBARA HARMAN, president, Catalogue for on Drug Abuse) oversee major research on im- and John F. Harris at Politico’s inception. She Philanthropy, Greater Washington. Harman’s portant medical issues including brain science now directs its multi-platform operations. guide is a trusted source for funding often- and disease predictors. DEBRA L. LEE, chairman and CEO, BET Net- overlooked small charities. KIM HORN, president, Kaiser Foundation Health works. BET, a unit of Viacom, is the leading ILYSE HOGUE, president, NARAL Pro Choice Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States. Under Horn’s provider of entertainment targeted at African- America. Since 2013, Hogue has led national leadership, the HMO has standardized electronic Americans. and state efforts to combat restrictions on record-keeping and wellness care. GRACIA MARTORE, president and CEO, Tegna. abortion rights. LINDA MATHES, CEO, American Red Cross When Gannett split up, Martore’s company MARIA TERESA KUMAR, president and CEO, Voto in the National Capital Region. Mathes is on got the lucrative broadcast stations and the Latino. Conventional wisdom is that you can’t win the case every time a family is dislocated by digital-media operation. the White House without the Latino vote. fire, flood, or other disaster. She manages the ANDI McDANIEL, senior director of content MEE MOUA, president and executive direc- local blood supply and is key to the region’s and news, WAMU 88.5. McDaniel joined WAMU tor, Asian Americans Advancing Justice. disaster-preparedness. in August to oversee news and talk program- Moua heads a leading nonprofit advocating ming, develop new content, and redefine the for Asian-Americans on immigration and RELIGION station on-air and online. other issues. REVEREND MARIANN EDGAR BUDDE, bishop MEGAN MURPHY, Washington bureau chief, JANET MURGUÍA, president and CEO, National of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Budde Bloomberg News. Murphy was lured from the Council of La Raza. Murguía leads one of the is the first female bishop in the diocese, which Financial Times. largest advocacy organizations dedicated to includes the area’s most famous church, DIANE REHM, radio talk-show host, WAMU. Rehm Hispanic civil rights. Washington National Cathedral. She has been attracts A-list authors and opinion leaders to her CATHERINE REYNOLDS, chairman and CEO, a vocal supporter of the Episcopal Church’s nationally syndicated program. Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation. Rey­nolds’s sanctioning of same-sex marriage. W RACHEL SMOLKIN, executive editor, CNN Pol- foundation has donated $100 million to the itics. As head of CNN’s digital coverage, Smol- Kennedy Center and millions more to other Lifestyle editor Leslie Milk can be reached kin will have a strong voice in the network’s beneficiaries in the performing arts as well as at [email protected]. Editorial 2016 coverage. education and community service. fellow Talia Mindich contributed research SUSAN SWAIN, co-president and co-CEO, ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER, president and to this article.

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