Guests of the First Lady

Mrs. Laura Bush

Mrs. Richard B. Cheney

Chairman of the Afghan Interim Authority Hamid Karzai
A lifelong Afghan nationalist, Hamid Karzai, came to prominence in Afghanistan during the struggle against the Soviets in the 1980’s and most recently against the Taliban. Karzai now heads a 30-member interim government that will serve for six months until a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) meets to select a Transitional Authority that will rule for two years. Karzai was born in Kandahar in 1957. The fourth of seven sons, he attended secondary school in Kabul and studied political science in Simla, India, where he became a scholar on independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.

Ms. Sima Samar, Women’s Ministry, Afghanistan
A medical doctor, she oversaw a women’s health organization near the Pakistani city of Quetta, where she has lived in exile since 1984, and ran medical training programs inside Afghanistan.

Afghan Interim Authority Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah
Dr. Abdullah, an ethnic Tajik in his early 40’s, has retained his position as foreign minister in the interim administration, and is heavily involved in discussions on Afghanistan’s future government. In 1999, Abdullah was appointed as the Northern Alliance’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and became foreign minister shortly afterwards.

Dr. Abdullah was educated in Afghanistan, spent several years in Pakistan, and traveled extensively in the West representing the Afghan opposition. He speaks several languages – including fluent English and French – and is a qualified doctor.

Ms. Hermis Moutardier, Miami, FL
Flight Attendant from AA Flt. 63 en route from Paris to Miami. Ms. Moutardier is originally from Ica, Peru. She has two sons ages 10 and 26 years. Hermis has worked for American Airlines since July of 1992. She is the flight attendant who prevented shoe-bomber Richard Reed’s attempt to detonate an explosive aboard the flight.

Ms. Christina Jones, Tampa, FL
Flight Attendant from AA Flt. 63 en route from Paris to Miami. Christina has been with American Airlines since December of 1985. She has a seven-year-old son.

Mr. Conrad Rodriguez, Norwood, MA
A Big Brother in the Big Brother/Big Sister program. He has participated in the program for four years mentoring the same child.

Conrad was a Corporal in the U.S. Marines from 1984-1988. He was stationed at Camp Pendelton, California and Yuma, Arizona.

Originally from Simi Valley, California, he now resides in Norwood, Massachusetts. Conrad is an Account Representative for ADT Security.

Ms. Sarah Sandoval, Baltimore, MD
Involved in the Teach For America program, Sarah teaches 7th grade at Robert Poole Middle School in Baltimore, MD. She is a graduate of Stanford University where she was a student leader on Hispanics issues.

Mrs. Sadoozai Panah, Herndon, VA
Sadoozai left Afghanistan six months ago and has been living in exile in the U.S. She is the Managing Director for Women’s Development for Afghanistan, where she coordinates offices throughout Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the U.S. She works with eight refugee camps to help women develop income-generating skills, provide girls access to educational opportunities, and improve public health. Ms. Panah is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Afghan Development Organization, Afghan Women Welfare Development, and the Afghan Health Development Services. In addition, Mrs. Panah serves on the Board of Directors for the Afghan NGO Coordination Bureau, which oversees 113 NGOs.

Mrs. Shannon Spann, Manassas VA
Shannon Spann is the wife of Johnny Michael "Mike" Spann, the 32-year-old Central Intelligence Agency officer who was killed in a prison uprising at the Mazar-e Sharif fortress in Afghanistan. Spann joined the Agency in 1999, after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was the first American to be killed in combat in Afghanistan.

Shannon and Mike had been married for two years. She is raising their three children, an infant son, Jack - 7 months, and two young daughters, Emily - 4 years and Alison - 9 years.

Mr. James Hoffa, Washington, DC
General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Mr. W. Mitt Romney, Salt Lake City, UT
Mr. Romney was appointed President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in February 1999.

Mr. James Edmund Shea, Lake Placid, NY, Birthplace: Hartford, CT
A third generation national champion, James Shea will now be a third generation Olympian. Jimmy Shea finished second at the World Cup in Lake Placid in December to qualify for 2002 Olympic Winter Games. A Skeleton competitor, he will be entering the Olympics ranked third in the world. His grandfather captured a gold medal in speedskating in 1932 Olympic Winter Games. He was killed by a drunk driver in a car accident less than two weeks ago. Jimmy’s father was a Nordic skier in the 1964 Olympic Winter Games. When he is not training, he is a volunteer fireman.

Mr. William Best, Jr., Manassas, VA
A firefighter in the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, William was deployed with the Virginia Task Force One Urban and Search and Rescue team to the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

William is a member of the Firefighters and Paramedics, Local 268 and works at Station 14.

Mr. Daniel Cabrera, Tampa, FL
A Biology teacher at Jefferson Junior High School, Washington, D.C., Daniel participates in the New Teacher Project.

Daniel attended MIT University at Cambridge, MA where he earned his Bachelors of Science in May 2001 Biology.

Mr. Nick Calio, Washington, D.C.
Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs

Mrs. Jenna Welch, Midland, TX
Mrs. Bush’s mother

Mrs. Jan O’Neill, Midland, TX
Friend of President and Mrs. Bush

Mr. Joe O’Neill, Midland, TX
Friend of President and Mrs. Bush

Mrs. Renae Chapman, Puyallup, WA
Wife of Sergeant First Class Nathan Chapman, who was the first military casualty in Afghanistan. She has a two-year old daughter and a one-year old son. SFC Chapman’s hometown is San Antonio, Texas. He was a dedicated professional who served in combat missions during Operations Just Cause, Desert Storm, and Haiti. His Special Forces Commander, Colonel David Fridovich, described him as a “stellar example of the Special Forces ethos.” Born at Andrews Air Force Base, he comes from a military family. His father was an Air Force officer, and his grandfather saw military service during the Berlin Airlift. When asked what she wanted Sergeant Chapman’s legacy to be, Mrs. Chapman said, “I want them to remember him as a quiet professional who just wanted to change the world.” She said her husband, “Nate loved being in the Army, and he loved serving people. He believed what he was doing was right. He believed in this mission.” At SFC Chapman’s funeral, their young son was dressed in the uniform of a Special Forces soldier, including the Green Beret.

Sergeant First Class Ronnie Raikes, Chesterfield, VA
Wounded in an explosion as his Army Special Forces unit infiltrated deep behind enemy lines to work with militia leader Hamid Karzai and his forces as they advanced toward the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.

Sergeant First Class Michael S. McElhiney, Kansas City, MO
Lost his right arm and suffered serious damage to his left as his Army Special Forces detachment infiltrated deep behind enemy lines to work with militia leader Hamid Karzai and his forces as they advanced toward the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. SFC McElhiney and SFC Raikes were both wounded in the same mission.

Specialist Angela M. Ortega, Brooklyn, NY
Specialist Ortega of the District of Washington Engineer Company helped to shore up the timbers and structure of the Pentagon immediately after the September 11th attack, so that rescue personnel could retrieve the wounded and deceased from the building as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. She is part of a task force of engineering missions should there be similar events in the future within Washington, D.C.

Mayor Anthony Williams, Washington, D.C.
Anthony A. Williams began serving as the fourth Mayor of the District of Columbia on January 4, 1999, 25 years after the city was granted Home Rule in 1974.

Bishop Wilton Gregory, Belleville, IL
Bishop Gregory is the first African-American President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and is the seventh Bishop to lead the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois. The Diocese of Belleville encompasses 28 counties in Southern Illinois of which 12% is Catholic. Bishop Gregory was elected to his three-year term as President of the USCCB in November.

The USCCB operates through a number of committees made up exclusively of bishops.

Mrs. Rhoda Reeves, Cape Girardeau, MO
Rhoda is President, Founder, and Production Manager of Horizon Screen Printing. An entrepreneur, she has a family owned business employing 25 people. Rhoda founded her business printing t-shirts for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. From 1981-1984 she worked out of her basement with no advertising. She now has commercial space.