More than 225 White House Fellows and guests including six Gardner Fellows from Stanford University, met from October 24th - 26th at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Pentagon for the 2002 WHF Association Annual Meeting and Seminar. Fellows from all 38 classes attended different aspects of the Annual Meeting, which included a full schedule of keynote speeches, panel discussions, the John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award ceremony, a welcome reception for the 2002-2003 class, a visit to the Pentagon, and class reunions.

In honor of program founder John W. Gardner, the theme of the meeting was "Renewal: Building Our Communities." Attendees examined personal and institutional renewal through a variety of lenses - from national renewal as a strategic actor after the Cold War, to the war on terrorism, homeland security, corporate ethics, bioterrorism, transformation of our armed forces, as well as the national mood in advance of the 2002 mid-term elections.

The first two days included meetings with a broad range of renowned speakers. Speaker after speaker called for a renewed commitment to public service, acknowledged the significant contributions of WHF alumni over nearly 40 years, and urged the alumni to continue to attract and prepare our Nation's leaders for tomorrow.

Speakers included Colonel Bob Caslen, Chief of Staff for the Army's 10th Mountain Division; General Wesley Clark ('75-76), Former NATO Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers of Europe Commander; Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health; Steven Harris, Senate Budget Committee Staff Director; Peter Hart, Columnist and Pollster; Major General James Hawkins, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff; Clay Johnson, Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel; Geoff Kemp, Director of Regional Strategic Programs for the Nixon Center; Bob Keuppers, National Managing Partner for Professional Practice at Deloitte & Touche; Paul O'Neill, Former Treasury Secretary; Governor Tom Ridge, Homeland Security Advisor; Peter Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defense; Ambassador Dennis Ross, Former Special Envoy for the Middle East; James Schlesinger, Former Secretary of Defense and Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense; and Jim Woolsey, Former Director of the CIA.

A highlight of the Annual Meeting was the focus on the community of mutual support among White House Fellows. During an inspirational tribute to John Gardner prepared by Joan Abrahamson ('80-81) and Rick Stamberger ('84-85), alumni were reminded of John's vision for a vibrant Fellows family that would form a "community of mutual support" in times of victory and distress. Marty Evans ('79-80), recipient of the 2002 John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award, Anne Cohn Donnelly ('79-80), Doris Meissner ('73-74), John Borling ('74-75), Ron Ray ('74-75), Judy Brown (78-79), Arnold Rachlis ('85-86), and Barrye Price ('99-00) stressed the importance of this community in their own lives over the years. Their personal stories of community were a reminder of the wisdom of John Gardner's vision for the community of White House Fellows.

Following a full day of meetings, the 2002-2003 class was honored at a Welcome Reception at the Sky Terrace of the Hotel Washington - against the backdrop of a stunning background view of Washington, D.C. With their families, special guests, senior Administration officials, and members of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships in attendance, WHF Commission Chair Julie Nixon Eisenhower presented each member of the class with their Fellowship certificates.

On Saturday, October 26, 135 Fellows and guests visited the Pentagon to meet with Ken Krieg, Special Assistant to Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, to discuss transformation of our military forces and to hear Michael Sullivan, Director of the Pentagon Renovation Project. In addition, the Fellows saw first-hand the remarkable efforts to rebuild the damaged section of the Pentagon. Attendees were privileged to hear the personal renewal story of survival burn victim Lieutenant Colonel Brian Birdwell, followed by a quiet and somber visit to a memorial in honor of those who perished or were injured on September 11th.

Under the leadership of meeting chair Will Webb ('96-87), many alumni helped schedule speakers, organize panels, and do the behind the scenes work that made this one of the most successful annual meetings ever! These alumni include Joan Abrahamson ('80-81), Bill Caldwell ('91-92), Rob Chess ('90-91), Gil Omenn ('73-74), Bob Edmonds ('95-96), Stuart Lemle ('77-78), Bud McFarlane ('71-72), Margaret McKeown ('80-81), David Moore ('96-97), Rick Stamberger ('84-84), and Judy Walter ('75-76).

This year's meeting marked the first time that the WHF Association offered on-line meeting registration. Despite a few early glitches, the system worked remarkably well, with more than 75% of the registrations processed electronically. Joan Klein again demonstrated that she has real staying power and is the strength behind the WHF Association.

- Kelly Kenneally