Photo by Judith Beermann

Rokas Beresniovas and Sue Hamilton at Washington Harbour

Fifty Georgetown business leaders and friends joined hosts GBA for a September networking reception Wednesday evening … on the Potomac. With picture-perfect weather and complimentary libations and hors d’oeuvres, Capital Yacht Charters provided the priceless river views from port to starboard.

Docked at Washington Harbor, guests were greeted outside Nick’s Riverside Grille before embarking by GBA President, Joe Giannino, VP, Rokas Beresniovas, Events Chair, Sue Hamilton, and Marketing Chair, Nathan Winstead.

Photo by Judith Beermann

Jack Evans, Erik Wemple and Beth Solomon

Over 100 Washington journalists and friends toasted Robert Allbritton’s TBD Blog Community Network and its Georgetown media partner, The Georgetown Dish, Tuesday evening at Billy Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown.

About the future of community news and entertainment, TBD editor Erik Wemple was eager to engage the crowd. “We love to link,” he explained.

D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans, a few blocks from home, almost delayed his entrance to change into business clothes, but, prodded by The Dish, came in during the last yards of his daily five-mile run. After all, as he said, “I need to check The Georgetown Dish every day to see what they’re saying about me.”

Evans was in good company. Wemple often jogs home through Georgetown from TBD headquarters in Arlington. “It’s just three miles,” he says modestly.

Georgetown resident and renowned auteur Sally Quinn stopped by to congratulate TBD General Manager Jim Brady, former head of washingtonpost.com, and Steve Buttry, in charge of the community blog network. Dozens of

TBD writers, contributors, and new media staff attended.

Georgetown business leaders Rokas Beresniovas, Nathan Winstead, Leslie Wheelock of Georgetown Farmer’s Market, Ada Polla of Alchimie-Forever, Jeffrey Wingate of Restaurant Associates, Mel Davis of Michel Richard Citronelle, Patti Cumming, journalists Steve Gottlieb, Pamela Sorenson, Catherine Featherston and Tom Newberg, the USO’s Lynly Boor and Em Hall, Karen Szulgit, Hollywood on the Potomac’s Janet Donovan, the Washington Business Journal’s Jennifer Nycz-Conner, Robert Devaney, and Biznow’s Mary-Kate Rasa and Byrd’s Eye View’s Mary Bird were also there to party.

Buttry pointed out that one of numerous brainstorming sessions in search of a name for the new media juggernaut took place at Martin’s. Gracious host and fourth-generation owner Billy Martin was there at Martin’s Tavern Tuesday to oversee the latest step in TBD’s evolution.  TBD owner Robert Allbritton lives a few blocks away.

On Friday, September 24, the glitz and glamour of New York Fashion Week comes to the City Tavern Club in Georgetown as designer

Edwing D’Angelo’s previews his newest fashion collection. Also on hand will be internationally acclaimed Juilliard concert pianist Edvinas Minkstimas, fashion photographer Viktorija Juodenaite, Miss D.C. 2010 Stephanie Williams, former Miss D.C. Kate Michael, celebrity stylist Erwin Gomez, and Miss Peru, just to name a few.

Many prominent members of the Georgetown business community have donated their time and effort to produce this amazing evening of style and grace, including Janine Schoonover (Serendipity3), Rokas Beresniovas (Wells Fargo), Katy Adams (The Washington Examiner), Marilyn Thompson (WASH-FM), Jenny Zin (Betsey Johnson), H.E. W.Nelson Lewis (Rolling Stone Magazine), Christopher Swann (Thomson Reuters), and Melanie Zipperer (World Bank) and many others.

Support a worthy cause and enjoy one of the highlights of the early fall social calendar in Washington D.C.!

Sponsors include:

Charm Boutique
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States
Fresh Boutique
Georgetown Business Association
Glittarazzi
Kavenchy Spa and Salon
Latham Hotel
Late Night Shots
Shadow Room
Serendipity3

Tickets and more information here.

GLL žada bendradarbiauti ir su kitomis pasaulio lietuvi? iniciatyvas telkian?iomis organizacijomis – Lietuvos verslo konfederacijos “ICC Lietuva” organizuojamu Pasaulio lietuvi? ekonomikos forumu, pilietiniu jud?jimu “Aš Lietuvai”, Žini? ekonomikos forumu. Pasak M.Lepeškos, naujoji organizacija nuo ši? skirsis tuo, kad bus ne tik ekonomin?s pakraipos, bet ir skirs daug d?mesio mokslui, kult?rai, menui, aplinkosaugai, skatins verslo bendradarbiavim? su mokslu ir menu.

July 21, 2010 | by G”town Gravyboat

On the surface, Georgetown appears to be all for Fenty. But is that really the case?

The Dish has plenty of photographs that suggest that Georgetown is FentyTown. But is it?

Bloggers and reporters often peg Georgetown as solid Fenty territory, but after talking to community leaders about their views of mayoral candidates Vincent Gray, the City Council Chair, and Mayor Adrian Fenty, and what they sense among Georgetown voters, we”re not so sure that”s the case.

Take Rokas Beresniovas, a Georgetown-based Vice President with Wells Fargo who is active in the area”s business community. Beresniovas has said he is not impressed with Fenty”s campaign. An organization in which he is active, the Georgetown Business Association, recently released a statement warning that without the mayor”s presence at a candidate forum, the GBA would have a hard time deciding who to endorse in the race. His read on Georgetown is that there are voters in both camps—and that voters who are ostensibly for Fenty may not be as staunch in their support as one might think.

“There are many in the Fenty camp who are truly supporters, but a greater majority simply seem to be comfortable with “the devil they know” mentality,” he wrote in an email, “even if [they] openly acknowledge that Fenty’s promises to serve in the best interests of the Georgetown community haven’t done anything substantial for them.”

Others, meanwhile, are using the refrain that “it”s Fenty”s race to lose” in Georgetown. At a recent fund raising event for Gray, Davis Kennedy, publisher of the Current Newspapers said, “I imagine that a month ago [Georgetown] was overwhelmingly for Fenty, and it”s coming down from that now,” since Fenty has been absent from voters” view, particularly as he continues to shun candidate forums.

Still, Citizens Association of Georgetown Jennifer Altemus said she supports Fenty”s reelection effort and that she and most of the Georgetown residents she”s talked to about the race think “the city has come a long way under his leadership.”

And many more are still undecided. The members of the GBA are not alone in saying that they need to hear what both Fenty and Gray have to say about issues important to locals before they make their decision. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tom Birch said that he and most of those who he has spoken to are undecided. His colleague, ANC Commissioner Ed Solomon, said more residents favor Fenty in Ward 2 and this community, but he is interested to hear more specifics from Gray about his plans to pay for programs he”s touting, where the City can make cuts, and taxes that “nickel and dime.”

What are the issues that the undecided voters of Georgetown care about the most? According to Altemus, it”s city services and the Georgetown University 2010 Campus Plan. Then there”s historic preservation and zoning issues, “whether [residents] know it or not.” Solomon said that residents care about the quality of schools in the area too. “Since Fenty has been making that one of his premier issues, I would think generally this community is supportive,” he explained. Birch mentioned the Campus Plan, development, and transportation.

1 Comment For This Article

Thursday, July 15, 2010

1 comment:

As a DC small business owner, I’ve got a problem I can’t get resolved and I need your feedback and help. Can someone ask the Mayoral candidates who show up what’s going on with the District’s Dept of Employment Agency mismanagement that cost taxpayers $14,000,000…. But, don’t believe me, see for yourself straight from the horses mouth here in this OPEN GOVERNMENT testimony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdKT5yh3Qu0

Thanks!

(Georgetowner- Robert Devaney)

The second Georgetown Leaders’ Get Together was held June 30 at L2 on Cady’s Alley. It was powerful face-to-face networking — even better than Facebook. There to meet and greet were more than 100 guests representing all sides of Georgetown — from the residents (CAG), merchants and bankers (BID and GBA), the university (GU) and politicians (ANC and the D.C. city council). Councilmembers Jack Evans and Kwame Brown showed up, along with Clark Ray and Vincent Orange. Event organizer and GBA board member Rokas Beresniovas proclaimed the evening “a great success.” The next leadership event is planned for late September, he said.

Vyras (Julius Kielaitis aut.) (Fotodiena.lt nuotr.)

Sutelkti šviesiausius pasaulio lietuvi? protus, keistis informacija, kontaktais ir taip pad?ti ne tokiems s?kmingiems Lietuvos pilie?iams atsitiesti. Pasinaudoti lyderi? id?jomis šalies gerovei kurti. Toki? plan? turi besikurianti organizacija „Global Lithuanian Leaders“.

Visi lyderiai – vienoje vietoje

Pirmajam oficialiam susitikimui pasirink? Vilniaus daugiaaukšt?, pro kurio langus kaip ant delno matyti Gedimino pilis, naudos nesiekian?ios organizacijos nariai simboliškai primin?, kad turi tiksl? prisid?ti prie lietuvišk? vertybi? puosel?jimo ir padirb?ti šalies naudai.

Id?ja kurti tarptautin? forum? kilo pernai vasar? Pasaulio lietuvi? ekonomikos forume susitikusiems JAV „Eagle“ banko viceprezidentui Rokui Beresniovui ir organizacijos direktoriui Mykolui Lepeškai. Šiemet jie jau turi ne tik aiški? vizij?, kaip sujungti geografiškai išsibars?iusius lietuvius bendram tikslui, bet ir nemažai ?taking? pasek?j?.

„Norime sujungti savo srities lyderius, kurie yra lietuviai, po viena v?liava. Kai sakau „lietuviai“, turiu omenyje platesn? lietuvio s?vok?, susijusi? ne tik su etnine kilme, bet ir su prisirišimu prie Lietuvos ir gero link?jimu jai.

„Global Lithuanian Leaders“ (GLL) siekia sukurti infrastrukt?r?, kaip b?t? galima pasinaudoti savo srities lyderi? ryšiais, kuriant gerov? tautai, nes iš tikr?j? žinome nemažai pavyzdži?, kai lietuviai yra susilauk? neeilin?s s?km?s. Galvojame, kaip tos s?km?s pavyzdžiais paskatinti kitus žmones siekti panaši? aukštum? ir kaip jiems galima pad?ti.

Svarbu pl?sti profesinius ryšius: premjero patar?jas po vizito ? JAV ir Didži?j? Britanij? kalb?jo, kad reik?t? orientuotis ? labai aukšto lygio ryšius, nes ir Niujorke, ir Silicio sl?nyje, ir kituose miestuose daug aukštus postus užiman?i? žmoni?, kurie didžiuojasi turintys lietuvišk? šakn?. Tokius žmones suvienijus, sujungus ? vien? tinkl? galima bus pad?ti Lietuvos žmon?ms, kurie šiuo metu galb?t n?ra tokie s?kmingi“, – sak? M. Lepeška.

Gal?s bendrauti lietuviškai

Jo teigimu, GLL orientuosis ne tik ? ?vairi? verslo sri?i? lyderi?, bet ir mokslo, meno, kult?ros, aplinkosaugos lyderi? telkim?, bus stengiamasi perimti j? patirt? ir kurti inovacijas ir tinkamai pasinaudoti mokslinink? atradimais.

Planuose – ir galimyb? tiems lietuviais save laikantiems žmon?ms, kuri? kaimynyst?je n?ra n? vieno lietuviškai kalban?io, bendrauti gimt?ja kalba internete. „Jeigu Piet? Amerikoje gyvena šeima, kuri neturi su kuo pasikalb?ti lietuviškai, bandysime toki? prog? suteikti.

Norime parodyti, kad esame tauta, kuri bendrai siekia gerov?s, dalinasi, o ne spaudžia vertybes savo gl?byje ir sako: „?ia mano, niekam neduosiu“. Skatinsime tautinio tapatumo išlaikym? ir stiprinim?. Be to, turime r?pintis jaun?ja karta – uždegti j? siekti aukštesni? tiksl?“, – kalb?jo M. Lepeška.

Smalsiam jaunimui ketinama rengti susitikimus su lyderiais, be to, jie dalinsis savo patirtimi ir virtualiose erdv?se.

Naujas m?stymas

Vos prad?j? m?styti apie GLL k?rim?, iniciatoriai sulauk? daug d?mesio iš kito jud?jimo, siekian?io pagerinti Lietuv?: prisijungti ir dirbti kartu nusprend? „Aš Lietuvai“ nariai.

Prie „Aš Lietuvai“ prisijung?s strategini? komunikacij? konsultantas Steve Stepanoff pasakojo: „Man b?davo nepatogu prisistatyti lietuviu, bet dirbant užsienyje, mane dažnai pristatydavo kaip lietuvos atstov? ir daug kas laik? tai svarbiu momentu. V?liau supratau, kad žodis „lietuvis“ reiškia ne tik tautyb?, bet ir žmoni?, kuri? t?vai, seneliai gim? Lietuvoje, kuriuos vienija bendra kalba, sanglaud?.

Taip istoriškai susiklost?, kad lietuvi? k?rybiniai, žmogiškieji, finansiniai ištekliai pasiskirst? ne vienoje šalyje, ta?iau dabar vyksta unikalus procesas, kuriuo gali pasigirti vos keletas pasaulio bendruomeni? – vienijimasis d?l id?j? generavimo ir ?gyvendinimo dvasios sužadinimo“.

GLL misij? pristat? jos steig?jai pabr?ž?, kad labai svarbi yra vis? lygi? visuomen?s kooperacija. Jie taip pat nusiteik? pasinaudoti jaunimo veržlumu.

„Kažkas man sak?, kad naujoji karta skiriasi nuo senosios m?stymu: j? m?stymas, fizikiniais terminais kalbant, nebe korpuskuliarinis, Niutono, o kvantin?s fizikos kategorij?. Tok? nauj? m?stym? galima paversti galinga k?rybine banga“, – sak? S. Stepanoff.

Alfa.lt

Žymos: Rokas Beresniovas Global Lithuanian Leaders M. Lepeška lyderyst? Lyderiai

Skaitykite daugiau: http://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/10340490/?Lyderiai.pades.Lietuvai.atsitiesti=2010-04-25_10-40#ixzz2500VrYwK

Photo by RJSmith

Kelvin Robinson, at-large council candidate (on left), joined Georgetown ANC Bill Starrels on Capitol Hill, with Clark Ray, also a council candidate, and Eugene Dewitt Kinlow of DC Vote.

Besides the tireless Starrels, among the lobbyists were Ward 7 Council member Yvette Alexander and two at-large D.C. Council candidates Clark Ray, supported by popular Georgetown Business Association official Rokas Beresniovas, and the just-announced Kelvin Robinson, former chief of staff to former Mayor Anthony Williams.  After a short pep talk from the Congresswoman, the advocates fanned out to persuade the Members. While winning voting rights may weaken gun control laws in the District, Norton says time is running out on congressional support, which is based on a deal whereby Utah would get an extra seat, likely Republican, in the House.