Category Archives: Obama Biography

Patty Stonesifer Named President and CEO of Martha’s Table

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Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 30, 2013

The board of Marthas Table announced today, that Patty Stonesifer has been chosen as its next President and CEO. Marthas Table is a Washington, DC, non-profit organization that transforms lives by engaging the community in developing sustainable solutions to poverty.

Patty brings unprecedented potential to Marthas Table which is critical because the organization has never been more needed by the community, said board chair, Cathy Sulzberger. Patty has a demonstrated commitment to service, experience tackling complicated issues, and the ability to engage the community in creative problem solving.

I look forward to getting to work and we have a lot to do. One in three children in the District experiences hunger, and the past few years have left many families with great instability, said Stonesifer. Marthas Table is working to make sure our communitys children and families have access to the basics – food, clothing and education. The amazing network of staff, volunteers, donors, and partners are absolutely phenomenal; and together, we can make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors and our citys children.

Patty Stonesifer will begin her work as the President of Marthas Table on April 1, 2013. Previously, She was appointed in 2010 by President Obama to serve as the Chair of the White House Council for Community Solutions. In 2012, she completed her term as the Chair of the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents. In the ten years prior, she was the founding CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Stonesifer spent two decades working in technology, with her final role as Senior Vice President at Microsoft Corporation. Stonesifer also advises and serves on the boards of numerous non-profits, cultural institutions and corporations, including the Smithsonian Board of Regents, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Center for Global Development, and Amazon.com. She also serves on the Executive Committee of RaiseDC.

For Patty Stonesifers complete biography see: http://www.marthastable.org/patty_stonesifer.html.

Established in 1980, Marthas Table helps more than 1,100 people a day by addressing community needs and finding solutions to poverty in the short and long term. We meet the core needs of clients through food and clothing programs and break the cycle of poverty with education and family support services. For more information, please visit http://www.marthastable.org.







Rihanna Inspires Music Lovers to Learn English

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(PRWEB UK) 7 February 2013

Rihanna is the most popular musician for inspiring people to learn the English language, according to a new study.

Research by Kaplan International Colleges, a leading provider of English language courses, revealed that more people learn English to understand Rihanna than any other musician in the pop music industry.

Kaplan surveyed 1,213 people who speak English as a foreign language (EFL) and discovered that more than half (52%) learned the language to comprehend a celebrity.

From those EFL speakers who said they learned English to understand a celebrity, the Bajan beauty, who is famous for hit singles such as Diamonds and Rude Boi, was the most inspirational musician with 10% saying the singer inspired them to pick up the language.

Chloe Govan, author of Rihanna: Rebel Flower, said: “Music is the universal language, its beats and melodies reaching out to people no matter what their mother tongue. Non-native listeners strive to emulate Rihanna’s glamour and talents.

It’s only natural that they want to become more like her by sharing a language in common too. Whereas in days gone by, students were inspired by Shakespeare, Rihanna is the icon of the modern generation. If music is the language of love, play on!”

RiRi triumphed over chart rivals and fellow pop princesses Katy Perry and Beyonce who inspired 8% and 7% of EFL speakers respectively. Eminem was the top male musician with 7% claiming that they learned English to understand the controversial rapper.

Rodrigo Alencar, of RihannaDaily.com, said: Rihanna is one of the most successful singers worldwide these days, her songs are all over the charts, so it’s just natural that people who do not speak English want to understand what she’s singing.

Since 2005 she’s releasing new great music every year, so people just can’t “get away” from her. Also, the lyrics are usually super catchy and many fans relate to them.

Barack Obama was the most popular person for inspiring others to learn English. The study found that 22% of EFL speakers who said they learned English to understand a celebrity did so to follow what the US President was saying.

Kaplan has created the Is English the Language of Love? Infographic to showcase the results of their survey.

About Kaplan International Colleges

Kaplan International Colleges is part of Kaplan, Inc., an international education services provider offering higher education, professional training, and test preparation. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO). http://www.kaplaninternational.com

About Chloe Govan

Chloe Govan is the author of Rihanna: Rebel Flower, an in-depth biography about the life of the international pop star. Chloe has also written biographies on other pop singers such as Jessie J and Katy Perry. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chloe-Govan/e/B0053YAO4K

About RihannaDaily.com

Rihanna Daily is the official and most popular Rihanna fansite. It was established in 2005 in partnership with DefJam Recordings and Roc Nation. http://rihannadaily.com/







Mini BIO – Barack Obama

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Watch a short biography video on President Barack Obama, including his early life, his time at Harvard, his marriage to Michelle, his 2008 Campaign, and his time as President. Learn more about Barack Obama: bit.ly Watch more Barack Obama videos: bit.ly Learn more about the 2012 candidates: bit.ly Born in Honolulu, Barack Obama went on to become President of the Harvard Law Review. In 2008, he was elected President of the United States, becoming the first African-American commander-in-chief.

Russ Widdall to Portray Robert F. Kennedy in Philadelphia Premiere Play this Fall

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Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) June 29, 2012

New City Stage Company is thrilled to present the Philadelphia premiere of RFK by Jack Holmes this fall, October 18 – November 4, 2012 on Avenue of the Arts. Just in time for election season! This play is a historically accurate solo performance which biographies the last 4 years of politician Robert F. Kennedys life, from 1964 to 1968, and features music, film and footage from the era. The show is being directed by producing artistic director Ginger Dayle, who is also making her directing debut. This is the first show of New Citys 2012-13 season. Ticket information is available at http://www.NewCityStage.org and by calling 215-563-7500.

The show begins in 1964 when President Johnson decided not to ask Senator Kennedy to be his running mate up until RFKs untimely assassination during the 1968 presidential election. It also includes background information on his personal life as well as his relationships with brother President John F. Kennedy, sister-in-law Jacqueline Kennedy and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Russ Widdall had been performing professionally in Philadelphia and nationally for over 20 years and has been Co-Artistic Director at New City Stage Company for 3 years. He has performed in television, film and theatre, featuring several productions at the Walnut Street Theatre and the regular role of Ron Lowenthal on HBOs The Wire. RFK will be his third one-man show. He performed Sam Shepards poetry monologues Savage/Love and Tongues for New City Stage during the 2011 Philadelphia Fringe and Live Arts Festival and it was revived for 5 performances in the spring of this year. The show has also been invited to participate in the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Mr. Widdalls ability as a solo performer has contributed greatly to its success. He also has recent experience working in an educational context and mentoring college students, having been hired several times by the University of the Arts to participate in productions and staged readings.

The show will be performed for 3 weeks from October 18 until November 4, 2012 with possibility of an extension. The show will be performed at New City Stages new rehearsal and office space on Avenue of the Arts. The performance space is site specific and the seating will be extremely limited. The production will also feature dramaturgy on Kennedys life, including television and radio footage of his political career.

Individual tickets go on sale on August 15. Subscriptions for New Citys 2012-12 season go on sale August 1. Tickets can be purchased by visiting our web site.

Student groups, particularly university and high school students studying political science, are given priority when purchasing tickets. Reservations can be made now by contacting the Educational Artistic Associate Kevin Rodden at (215) 563-7500 ext. 5 or via email at Kevin(dot)Rodden(at)NewCityStage(dot)org.

Teachers and professors bringing student groups of 8 or more will receive the discounted student rate for tickets, as well as 1 complimentary chaperone ticket per 10 student tickets purchased. New City has a study guide that will be available as of September 1st that all ticket holders are entitled to. Please inquire in advance to have copies printed or emailed to your group.

New City Stages overall objective for this project is to create a dialogue about politics amongst college students who are voting for the first time. As Educational Artistic Associate Kevin Rodden has noted, there are many parallels between the Obama administration and the Kennedy era. RFK’s impassioned pleas for social justice speak to a rare breed of political animal: a man willing to break with his party on conviction; a man for whom great intelligence is a cross to bear, and a gift to share; a man who shared a dream with the Man who had a Dream.

This educational theatre production is being generously funded by the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts Project Stream, the Samuel S. Fels Fund, Bank of America, and the Wyncote Foundation.