Power ... is an issue

Power has many faces - the power to influence, affect change, to motivate; it means having the ability to impact lives beyond your own. In Washington, power is currency ... but currency doesn't always equal power. It's a fickle thing. Nevertheless, in WL's "Power Issue," we untangle power's tentacles and tell you what we find.

In "The Power 100," we name Washington's top players: an unruly task, at best. Our first order of business was to lay down ground rules. First, we eliminated anyone drawing a government paycheck. We tend to assume titles automatically confer prestige, but empty suits are all too common among posturing public office holders. Another rule states that wealth doesn't necessarily beget power. Money is easy; it's power that is hard - hard to get and relatively easy to lose. So, with considerable help from our venerable committee consultants, we came up with a list that easily could have included two or three hundred more names.

I was happy to see that many on the list were women, such as Sheila Johnson, Catherine Hughes, Jean Case and Katherine Bradley. In fact, as we created this issue, I became increasingly pleased to see so many women filling our pages.

Our first power stop took us to the Vital Voices Awards where we were lucky enough to have CNN's Zain Verjee and the State Department's Dina Habib Powell contribute on the vital voices of powerful women who are are changing the world. In our "Power Profiles," we met up with three vice presidents of leading energy companies - Lisa Barry, Marilyn Harris and Peggy Hudson. They join media producers Heather Dahl, Sam Feist, Betsy Fischer, Janet Donovan and power lobbyists John Breaux, Thomas Quinn and Paul Quinn. (Thanks for the lobbyist jokes, guys.)

In "Who's Next," we put the spotlight on Kirsten Lodal, a pioneer in the non-profit industry and part of the next generation of leading women. And with the help of Elliot Stephanopolous, Christine Pelosi and Michelle du Pont, we toast successful mothers, proving that being powerful and having a soft side are not mutually exclusive.

There were a handful of strong women behind our exclusive first-look into the extraordinarily renovated residence of the Embassy of Turkey to the United States. A warm thank you to Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy and his wonderful wife Gülgün for opening it up to WL, interior designer Aniko Gaal Schott, restoration architect Belinda Reeder and Embassy of Turkey Second Secretary Mehmet F. Sekerci for their help and patience and Gail Scott for her tireless work on this piece.

Where would barrier-breaking women be without the power of fashion? WL contributing fashion editor Barbara McConaghy - a force in her own right - shows you how to shine with the latest silver, metallic and platinum accessories from Ferragamo, Michael Kors, MaxMara, Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and more.

Yet another prominent woman, former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend provides commentary and an excerpt of her new book, Failing America's Faithful, showcasing the power of the written word. Finlay Lewis' introduction of Norman Mailer's new book The Castle in the Forest - and Mailer's musings on God and the Devil - complete our "Power of the Pen" feature. In our exclusive Repotting book party coverage, Mary Haft sits down with authors Ginger Pape and Diane Holman to discuss steps for redesigning your life once your children have flown the coop.

T he organizers of the Mosaic Foundation are another group of extraordinary women. May 9th marks the tenth anniversary of the Mosaic Foundation Gala, which WL proudly sponsors. This year's gala beneficiary is the World Food Program, whose executive director, Josette Sheeran, contributes to our "Event Spotlight." Make sure to save the date for other spectacular WL-sponsored events: The Phillips Collection Gala on May 4, the Meridian International Center's first spring garden party on May 18, the "Hand-in-Hand" brunch and fashion show on June 2, and The Washington National Opera Ball on June 3.

I'd also like to thank the WL staff for all their hard work this issue. We've been quickly growing, and it's a pleasure to see the magazine take the next step with such a talented group of people.

Finally, I'd like to thank my mother, Vicki Bagley, and all the moms out there for providing me with so much inspiration.