his wife could be part of that world. That’s because Kathleen Matthews, an executive for Marriott International and a former longtime WJLA news anchor, is planning to run for the Maryland 8th Congressional District seat currently occupied by Rep. Chris Van Hollen. While criticizing some Democrats as well as Republicans, her husband seemingly takes great joy in exposing the shenanigans of GOP neo-conservatives and evangelical Bible thumpers, while appearing intrigued by Rand Paul’s prudence on foreign policy. Thanks to a longterm, highly remunerative contract he signed with MSNBC in 2013, viewers can expect more of his insightful commentary for years to come. Kathleen, who has now clocked eight years at Marriott, has brought higher visibility to the company’s brands and innovation, advocated for LGBT equality and women’s empowerment initiatives, launched Marriott’s sustainability strategy to address climate change, promoted smart travel policies through President Obama’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, worked with the Clinton Foundation to develop a Marriott Hotel in Haiti and been a close advisor to both Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson.
Cheryl Mills Founder and CEO, BlackIvy Group LLC Having worked for the Clintons in some capacity for over 20 years, serving as a defense lawyer for Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial and as chief of staff to Hillary Clinton at the state department, among other roles, Mills was thought to be a shoein as a member of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign team. But in March, the New York Times reported that she would not be playing a formal role. Some speculate that after years of intense politics, she now plans to keep her focus on being CEO of BlackIvy Group, a hedge fund she co-founded with a mission to grow businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Though she may not officially have a title within the campaign, she will undoubtedly be sought out for her legal advice together with David Kendall of Williams and Connelly.
Lawrence Mishel President, Economic Policy Institute Economist Lawrence Mishel, who knows all about income inequality in the U.S., has been with the liberal think tank, the Economic Policy Institute, for more than two decades, first joining in 1987 as research director and has served as president since 2002. Nationally recognized
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for his work on wage and job quality trends, Mishel co-authored 11 editions of “The State of Working America,” a text that Robert Reich called “the most-trusted source for a comprehensive understanding of how working Americans and their families are faring in today’s economy.” In June of 2014, EPI launched the Raising America’s Pay initiative, a multi-year research and public education plan to make wage growth an urgent national policy priority. Mishel has been outspoken about his and EPI’s views on economic inequality and has the data to back it.
Susan Molinari Vice President of Public Policy, Google Molinari, a former Republican congresswoman from New York, was tapped in 2012 just as the tech giant was seeking new strategic relationships on both sides of the political aisle, and her access has been invaluable. With Molinari’s aid, Silicon Valley has exerted its power by beating the telephone and cable companies in the net neutrality debate, not to mention the recent defeat of the Comcast/Time Warner merger. It helps that Google spent a record-breaking $18.2 million on lobbying in 2012.
Robert Moser, Jr. CEO and President, Clark Construction Group LLC With the passing of longtime chairman and reclusive billionaire A. James Clark in March, Robert Moser has taken the reigns as the official face of the Bethesda-based construction company. The firm, valued at $4.4 billion, has long been the “semi-official” construction company in Washington. In the last two years Moser has overseen some of the city’s flashiest revitalization projects, from the opening of CityCenterDC’s luxury retail and condo enclave to the current construction on the Mall of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Clark Construction started 2015 off strong with the February launch of new business division CSM Power Systems LLC to diversify its portfolio with transportation projects across the country, including locally with the WMATA Orange and Blue Line rehabilitation projects, and broke ground in April on a new mixed-use project near the Nationals Stadium containing a 13-story, 325-unit apartment building and 12-story, 126,000-square-foot extended-stay hotel with 25,000-squarefeet of retail space on the ground level. And with the winning of big contracts such as The Wharf, a mega mixed-use project on the waterfront, and phase
| washingtonlife.com
Marne Levine You are in a position of power. Are there unique responsibilities that come with that? What are yours? As I’ve taken on more responsibility in my career, I have felt a greater responsibility to empower others – using my position to help the people around me take risks, find growth opportunities, and ultimately advance their own careers. This means everything from putting people in new situations that will help them grow to noticing when someone isn’t speaking up in a meeting and asking for their opinion. p h o t o b y t o ny p o w e l l
Lawrence Mishel
Susan Molinari
Janet Murguia
Tom Nides
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