The Charter 100 DC
upcoming events
April 20: Ambassador Robert P. Jackson: "Do We Still Need Embassies in 2021?"
What is
The Charter 100 DC?
The Charter 100 of Washington, DC brings together women of outstanding accomplishments in diverse fields. A national nonprofit membership organization, The Charter 100 seeks to identify and bring together business, professional and civic leaders to build and foster a network of communication and support among its members. Through programs on timely issues, and speakers of national prominence, The Charter 100 enlightens and informs its members, as well as provides an open forum for the exchange of ideas, successes and life experiences.
Executive Committee
Arleen Heiss, President
Carol Whitman, Vice President
Sally Fowler, Secretary
Jackie Hunt, Treasurer
Gail Raiman, Ombudsman
Barbara Ciconte, Nominations
Mini Campos, Programs
Juliana Zoto Efessiou, Programs
Sabina Fogle, Special Events
Paula Hantman Tolle, Special Events
Gail Nordheimer, Arrangements
Beverly Dean, Membership
Charter 100 DC Events
Monthly Luncheons
The Charter 100 DC’s monthly luncheons are the staple of our programming.
Our city gives us access to a wide range of experts from media, public policy, economics and politics to literature, activism, history, the arts and food.
In recent seasons, The Charter 100 DC members gathered and were introduced to: the geography of Cuba, escaping chronic abuse, the mountain gorillas of Rwanda and the raw food phenomenon.
Special Events
Several times each year, members enjoy what DC has to offer by attending local theater productions, exhibitions at local art galleries and historical homes, and evening salons at members’ houses.
Each December, members join to celebrate the holidays and the New Year at our annual tea.
Selection of Past Events
2019-2020
November, 2019 - Frank Sesno, Journalist and Director of George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs
October, 2019 - Ann B. Friedman, Founder and Chair of Planet Word, a new interactive museum of words and language in Washington, D.C.
January, 2020 - Leigh A. Frame, PhD, MHS, Program Director of Integrative Medicine at GWU
February, 2020 - Canden Schwantes Arciniega, Author, Historian, and Tour Guide
May, 2020 - Charter 100 DC's First Virtual Get Together
July, 2020 - Jeanette Cutshaw, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
2018-2019
November, 2018 - Missy Ryan, Reporter, The Washington Post
January, 2019 - Channapha Khamvongsa, Executive Director, Legacies of War, "Healing the Wounds of the War in Laos"
February, 2019 - Mary Morton, Curator, French Paintings, National Gallery of Art
March, 2019 - Dr. Josephine (Jody) K. Olsen, Director, Peace Corps
April, 2019 - Victor Hoskins, Director, Arlington Economic Development
May, 2019 - Don Goldberg, Bluetext and the Clinton White House
2017-2018
October, 2017 - Juan José Valdés - National Geographic’s Geographer and Director of Editorial and Cartographic Research
November, 2017 - Sally Sachar, Chief Operations and Program Officer, Us Against Alzheimers - “Alzheimer's - Stopping It and Promoting Brain Health”.
January, 2018 - Francisca Villarroel Alonso, CEO & Co-Founder AV Architects + Builders
February, 2018 - L.Y.Marlowe, Award-winning author, Social Entrepreneur, Founder/CEO of Saving Promise
March, 2018 - Elaine Gibson, Author, Coach and Speaker
April, 2018 - Lezlee Brown Halper, PhD. Tibetan History and International Relations.
May, 2018 - Sousan Abadian, PhD. Trauma Narratives and Violent Extremism: Reframing Huntington's Clash of Civilizations.
September, 2018 - Sara Just, Executive Producer, PBS NewsHour
2016-2017
October, 2016 - Becky McDonald, Founder and President of Women at Risk International. “Creating Circles of Protection and Hope around Women at Risk from Trafficking”.
November, 2016 - Dr. James Thurber, Professor at American University. “On the Transition to the New Presidency and Reflections on the Election Campaign”.
January 2017 - Roger Powell, Chairman of the Board of Gorilla Doctors. “Saving a Species One Gorilla at Time: The Story of the Gorilla Doctors”. Accompanying slides were provided by Charter 100 member Barbara Valentino.
February, 2017 - Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast, Director of Gender Policy and Strategy at the U.S. Institute for Peace. “The Everyday Peacemaker: Strategies for Aligning Gender and Peacemaking into U.S. Policies”.
March 2017 - Elizabeth Petty, President of Elizabeth’s on L and creator of Elizabeth’s Gone Raw. “Healthy Gourmet Dining”.
2015 – 2016
October 2015 - Brad Garrett, ABC News terrorism expert/analyst
November 2015 - A Fun Evening in India – traditional home cooked Indian cuisine. Prepared by Charter 100 Member – Marian Kumar – followed by a classical South Indian Bharatnatyam dance performance by Roushini Manjunath
January 2016 - James A. Thurber, Director and Distinguished Professor
Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University
February 2016 - Evening Art Tour and Reception at American University’s Katzen Center with Renee Stout Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of Museum for exhibit Tales of the Conjure Woman.
March 2016 - Susan Commander Samakow, PCC, CPCC
May 2016- Francis Gary Powers, Jr., President, Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce
Pre- 2015
Chuck Todd, producer and host of Meet the Press
Chris Matthews, producer and host of Hardball with Chris Matthews, MSNBC
Bill Kristol, founder and editor-at-large of the political magazine, The Weekly Standard and political commentator
Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, 2009-2013
Sousan Abadian, policy advisor, State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom
Alice Rivlin, economist and former director of the Office of Management and Budget
Tucker Carlson, conservative political commentator for Fox News
Lynn Cheney, past chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities and Second Lady of the United States
Senator Bob Dole (R-Kan.), 1985-1996, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and Republican vice presidential and presidential candidate