WASHINGTON, March 3, 2003 - The White House today announced that 108 outstanding men and women from across the country have been selected as Regional Finalists for the White House Fellows Program - the Nation's most prestigious program for leadership and public service. The Regional Finalists represent a broad cross-section of professions, such as business, education, health care, law enforcement, local government, law, non-profit, and technology. Additionally, five branches of the military are represented among the Regional Finalists. A complete list of the Regional Finalists is attached below.

During March and April 2003, the Regional Finalists will participate in a rigorous interview process before Regional Selection Panels. These panels are held across the country and comprised of prominent local citizens. Based on the results of the interviews, approximately thirty candidates will be named National Finalists. The President's Commission on White House Fellowships will interview the National Finalists in June 2003. Based on these interviews, the Commission then will recommend between 11 and 19 outstanding candidates to President George W. Bush for a one-year appointment as a White House Fellow.

The White House Fellows Program was founded in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This non-partisan program offers exceptional young men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government. Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with renowned leaders from the private and public sectors, and in trips to study U.S. policy in action both domestically and internationally. Following the Fellowship year, Fellows are expected to repay the privilege by contributing to the Nation as better leaders and public servants.

Selection as a White House Fellow is highly competitive and based on a record of remarkable professional achievement early in one's career, evidence of leadership potential, a proven commitment to public service, and the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute successfully at the highest levels of the Federal government. In its 39-year history, the program has fostered leaders in many fields, including Secretary of State Colin Powell; Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao; American Red Cross President Marty Evans; United Nations Foundation President and Former U.S. Senator Timothy Wirth; and U.S. Senator Samuel Brownback.

Additional information about the Program is located at www.whitehouse.gov/fellows.

2003-2004 White House Fellows Regional Finalists

Anisha Abraham - US Army Physician; Wilmington, Delaware
Jessica Adelman - Issues Manager, Agribusiness; Washington, DC
Terry Adirim - Physician; Miami, Florida
Ellen Agler - Non-Profit Executive; Boise, Idaho
Ruben Almaguer - Firefighter; Miami, Florida
Ajay Amlani - Transportation/Logistics Strategic Planner; Troy, Michigan
Ahmad Atwanm - Energy and Technology; Cleveland, Ohio
Elizabeth Bancroft - Medical Epidemiologist; New York, New York
Stephen Bickler - Pediatric Surgeon; San Diego, California
Lisa Black - US Army Occupational Medicine Physician; Chicago, Illinois
Maria Blair - Management Consultant; Minneapolis, Minnesota
Susan Boedy - Management Consultant; Phoenix, Arizona
Charles Bowery, Jr. - US Army Officer; Quinton, Virginia
Lisa Bozzeli - Investment Banker; Arlington, Virginia
Jack Briggs II - US Air Force Pilot; Novato, California
Richard Bryant - US Naval Officer; Bowie, Maryland
David Buckingham - US Army Officer; Manns Choice, Pennsylvania
Robert Bush, Jr. - Entrepreneur/Financial Services; East St. Louis, Illinois
Mihai Carp - International Civil Servant; Washington, DC
Roger Carstens - US Army Special Forces Officer; Spokane, Washington
Mary Cedillo - Attorney; Dallas, Texas
Will Clarke - US Navy Supply Corps Officer; Queens, New York
John Copeland - Business Consultant; Miami, Florida
Marcia Daft - Musician/Arts Education Consultant; Washington, DC
Pyper Davis - Consultant; Birmingham, Michigan
Anthony Deifell - Entertainment Media; Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Linda Demaine - Public Policy Analyst; Phoenix, Arizona
Timothy Docking - Non-Profit Executive; East Lansing, Michigan
Dawn Dunlop - US Air Force Officer, Branch Chief; Huntington, New York
Jill Enos - Business Manager; Stockton, Illinois
Charlotte Farmer - Consultant; Macon, Georgia
John Ferrari - US Army Officer; Plainview, New York
Lisa Festa - US Coast Guard Officer; Hamden, Connecticut
Anne Fitzgibbon - Government Affairs; Hackettstown, New Jersey
Victoria Forlini - Journalist; Rock Island, Illinois
Harry Foster - US Air Force Pilot; Selma, Alabama
Jacqueline Fox - Attorney; Washington, DC
Mark Fung - Attorney; New York, New York
Tanuja Garde - Attorney; Lexington, South Carolina
Georgia Gillette - Non-Profit Executive; Lafayette, Louisiana
Steven Gluckman - Information Technology Consultant; Rochester, New York
Michael Goldberg - International Business; Cleveland, Ohio
Garth Graham - Physician; Miami, Florida
Kenneth Halla - Teacher; Vienna, Virginia
Michael Hatheway - Management Consultant; Austin, Texas
Francis Hoang - Law Student; Tumwater, Washington
Auren Hoffman - Entrepreneur; Mamaroneck, New York
Elisa Hoffman - Teacher/Librarian; Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Lawrence Hoffman - US Air Force Test Pilot; Edwards Air Force Base, California
Valerian Jerdes - Teacher/Entrepreneur; Cupertino, California
Lauren Johnson - Business Consultant/Motivational Speaker/Author; Centreville, Virginia
Nirja Kapoor - Litigation Paralegal Consultant; Lake View Terrace, California
Kevin Keenan - Attorney; Fairfield, Connecticut
Peter Kellner - Entrepreneur; New York, New York
Fred Krawchuk - US Army Officer; Romeo, Michigan
Merrily Lallo - US Air Force Military Communications; Saginaw, Michigan
Gail Lese - Financial Analyst/Physician; Nahant, Massachusetts
Robert Lietzke - Management/Technology Consultant; Kailua, Hawaii
Paul Lo - Attorney; Merced, California
Jerome Loughridge - Education Administrator; Duncan, Oklahoma
Mark Lyles - Physician; Sumter, South Carolina
Lisa May - US Air Force Reserve Officer; Lantana, Florida
Paul Maykish - US Air Force Air Battle Manager; West Caldwell, New Jersey
Maria McColgan - Pediatrician; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tara McFeely - US Navy Reserve Officer; Lincroft, New Jersey
Kathleen McMahon - Entrepreneur; Princeton, New Jersey
James Mejia - City Government Manager; Denver, Colorado
Kathryn Miller - Special Education Teacher; Cleveland, Ohio
Bryan Mistele - Business Executive; Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Richard Mitchell - Attorney; Port Orchard, Washington
James Muro - Firefighter/Paramedic; Boca Raton, Florida
Peter Murray - Non-Profit Executive; Lewiston, Maine
Lisa Neal-Graves - Computer Scientist/Product Manager; Denver, Colorado
Eric Nyquist - Business Executive; Albert Lea, Minnesota
Todd Offutt - US Coast Guard Officer; Frederick, Maryland
Pawan Patil - Development Banker/Economist; State College, Pennsylvania
Tracey Petengill - Business Executive; Glastonbury, Connecticut
Maria Pico - Government Administrator/Public Health; Queens, New York
George Pivik - US Army Officer; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jeffrey Robinson - Professor; Parsippany, New Jersey
Paul Ryan - US Marines Corps Officer; Prescott, Arizona
Nazanin Samari-Kermani - Non-Government Development Officer; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Todd Seniff - US Navy SEAL; Sharon, Vermont
Michele Sherburne - Graduate Student; Raleigh, North Carolina
Omari Simmons - Attorney; Milford, Delaware
Ryan Smith - US Air Force Officer; Glennwood, Indiana
Wendin Smith - Government Consultant; Glen Arbor, Michigan
Robert Smullen - US Marine Corps Officer; Gloversville, New York
Martin Spake - Corporate Finance and Strategy; Williams Bay, Wisconsin
Kraig St. Pierre - Criminal Prosecutor; Orange, California
Gina Stephens - Graduate Student; Des Plaines, Illinois
Marc Sternberg - Education Management; New York, New York
Michael Suk - Orthopedic Surgeon/Health Care Attorney; Flossmoor, Illinois
Erwin Tan - Physician; Manchester, Connecticut
David Tarantino - US Navy Physician; East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Cathy Taylor - Financial Services Executive; Gladwyne, Pennsylvania
Matthew Testerman - US Naval Officer; Mt. Vernon, New Hampshire
Vatsal Thakkar - Physician; Knoxville, Tennessee
Daria Torres - Management Consultant; Willingboro, New Jersey
William Triant - Graduate Student; Wellesley, Massachusetts
Rakesh Tripathi - Engineer; Houston, Texas
Gayle Turk - Management Consultant; Cleveland, Ohio
Eugene Urcan III - Business Consultant; Pasadena, California
Todd Valentine - US Air Force Pilot; Blackfoot, Idaho
Gregory Werkheiser - Attorney/Civic Educator; Springfield, Virginia
Kenneth Wheeler - Principal; Miami, Florida
Thomas Williams II - US Naval Officer; Reston, Virginia
Scott Wunsch - Physicist; Circleville, Ohio

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