For Immediate Release
February 27, 2006

The White House Announces Regional Finalists for the 2006-2007 White House Fellowships

White House News

WASHINGTON, February 27, 2006 - The White House today announced that 106 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, state government, engineering, law, non-profit, and technology. Additionally, four branches of the military are represented among the Regional Finalists. A complete list of the Regional Finalists is attached below.

During March and April 2006, Regional Finalists will participate in a rigorous interview process before citizen panels across the country. 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 2006. Based on these interviews, the Commission then will recommend between eleven and nineteen 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. 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 40 year history, the program has fostered leaders in many fields including Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, United Nations Foundation President and Former U.S. Senator Timothy Wirth, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, and U.S. Senator Samuel Brownback.

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

2006-2007 White House Fellows Regional Finalists and Home Towns

Mr. Gerald Moses Abdalla, Jr.; President-Croft Institute/Attorney; Jackson, MS

Ms. Sarah Afshar; Management & Technology Consulting; Mound, MN

Lt Col Alee Rizwan Ali; US Air Force Officer; East Brunswick, NJ

Mr. Mazda K. Antia; Attorney; Orland Park, IL

Mr. Shawn Allen Bailey; Attorney; Louisville, KY

Ms. Kavita Bali; Doctoral Candidate; Lompoc, CA

Mr. Carlos Manuel Benitez; Private Banker; Washington, DC

Mr. Samuel Saunders Blackman; Electrical Engineer; Portland, OR

Mr. Reuben Earl Brigety, II; University Professor; Jacksonville, FL

Ms. Kathleen Elizabeth Burke; Non profit management; Burke, VA

Mr. Christian Caballero; State Government; Miami, FL

Dr. Kenneth Robert Carson; Physician; Orange, CA

Ms. Marlene Nadina Carvajal; Research Analyst; Miami, FL

LCDR Anthony John Ceraolo; US Coast Guard Officer; Nesconset, NY

Dr. Bowen Chung; Physician; Elmhurst, IL

LCDR Christopher John Conley; US Coast Guard Officer; Camarillo, CA

Mr. Ryan Daniel Costella; Student; Carson City, NV

Mr. Jason Scott Dean; State Government; Jackson, MS

Mr. Alexander Owrang-zib Dehgan; Scientist & Attorney; Washington, DC

CPT Scott Michael Dellinger; US Army Officer; Houston, TX

LCDR John Christian Dettleff; US Coast Guard Officer; Shoreham, NY

Mr. Duncan Neal DeVille; Attorney; Grand Prairie, LA

Mr. Marc Ronald DeVore; Ph.D. Candidate; Mission Viejo, CA

Maj Thomas Gene Drape; US Air Force Officer; Glendale, AZ

Mr. Kenneth Wayne Edwards; Prosecutor/Attorney; Houston, TX

LCDR Jeffrey William Eggers; US Navy Officer; Exeter, NH

Mr. Eric Michael Eisenstein; Professor; Ithaca, NY

Ms. Stacy Noel Glass; Economic Development Consultant; Golden Valley, MN

LTC Lynda Marie Granfield; US Army Officer; Lincoln, NE

Dr. Melva Isadora Green; Psychiatrist; Rock Hill, SC

Ms. Alycia Michelle Guichard; Attorney; New York, NY

Ms. Fatema Zahir Gunja; Graduate student; East Brunswick, NJ

Mr. Darryll Raymond Harrison, Jr.; Public Relations Manager; San Jose, CA

Mr. Clinton Daniel Hermes; Attorney; Birmingham, AL

Mr. Michael Joseph Hillyard; University President; Cincinnati, OH

Ms. Stephanie Sue Holden; Business; Baton Rouge, LA

LTC Miguel Damian Howe; US Army Officer; Severn, MD

Mr. Eugene J. Huang; State Government; Beverly Hills, CA

Dr. Steven James Hudson; Ophthalmologist; Dubois, PA

Ms. Gerceida Eloise Jones; College Professor; Caruthersville, MO

CDR Morgan Blaine Jones; US Navy Officer; Osceola, AR

Mr. Bedouin Leclerc Joseph; Attorney; Elizabeth, NJ

CDR Frederick William Kacher; US Navy Officer; Oaktown, VA

Mr. Neel Tushar Kashkari; Investment Banker; Stow, OH

Mr. Michael Tevriz Kezirian; Engineer/Aerospace Industry; Houston, TX

Ms. Natasha Giselle Kohne; Attorney; Stanton, CA

Lt Col James Raymond Kriesel; US Air Force Officer; Seattle, WA

Dr. John Thomas Langell; Physician; Manhattan Beach, CA

Mr. Andrew Jones Lee; Health Insurance; Hartford, CT

Mr. Keith Lindsay Lieberthal; Attorney; Ann Arbor, MI

Dr. Robert Leon Mabry; Physician; Moore, OK

Mr. Brett Stuart Mason; Systems Engineer; Norwalk, OH

Mr. Sean McFate; Graduate Student; Ridgefield, CT

Mr. Irwin Arthur Mendelssohn; Business Process Analyst; Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Mr. Robert Lohne Metcalf; Business Manager; Richmond, VA

Mr. Matthew Stephen Meyer; Attorney; Wilmington, DE

Ms. Yesenia Vallejo Monsour; Consultant; Arcadia, CA

Mr. Westley Watende Moore; Investment Banker; Pasadena, MD

Mr. Jeffrey Emmett Muench; Marketing; Kings Mountain, NC

Mr. Jon Michael Newhard; Regional Sales Director; Allentown, PA

LT Frank George Nolan, III; US Coast Guard; Danvers, MA

Capt Jay Allen Orson; US Air Force Officer; Fargo, ND

Mr. Koushik Shiek Pal; Attorney; Muncie, IN

MAJ Gabriella Marie Pasek; US Army Soldier; Victor, NY

Mr. Eric Dean Patterson; Professor, Political Scientist; Fallbrook, CA

Mr. Everette Burdette Penn; University Professor; Houston, TX

Ms. Jocelyn Jones Pickford; High School Teacher; Arlington, VA

Ms. Johanna Marie Ramos; Aerospace Engineer; Temple Hills, MD

Mr. Marc Andrew Ricks; Senior Policy Advisor; New York, NY

MAJ Kendric Henry Robbins; US Army Officer; Albion, ME

Dr. George Ruiz; Physician; Passaic, NJ

MAJ Luisa Santiago; US Army Officer; New York, NY

LCDR Ronald K. Schuster; US Coast Guard Officer; Edison, NJ

Mr. Mel Andrew Schwing; Attorney; Binghamton, NY

Ms. Lena Sene; Investment Representative; New York, NY

Ms. Julianne Carol Smith; Senior Fellow - Researcher; Farmington, MI

Maj Mark DuBois Smith; US Air Force Officer; Washington, DC

Mr. Jason Todd Snyder; Attorney; Palos Verdes, CA

LTC Bruce Vernon Sones; US Army Officer; Lorton, VA

Mr. Jeffrey Daniel Stern; Emergency Services Manager; Cabin John Park, MD

Mr. Matthew H. Stremlau; Graduate Student; Brookline, MA

Ms. Joanne Chrystal Stringer; Banker; Winnetka, IL

Dr. Italo Ramachandra Subbarao; Emergency Medicine Physician; Hollidaysburg, PA

Mr. Awais Sufi; Attorney; Topeka, KS

LCDR Scott Anthony Suozzi; US Navy Officer; Pleasantville, NY

Mr. Akram N. Syed; Entrepreneur/Venture Capitalist; Dallas, TX

Ms. Tulasi Gabbard Tamayo; Non-profit Manager; Ewa Beach, HI

Mr. Christopher Timothy Taylor; Homeland Security Services Consultant; South Buffalo, NY

Maj John Ernest Teichert, III; US Air Force Officer; Port Angeles, WA

MAJ Kurt Travis Thompson; US Army Officer; Bakersfield, CA

Mr. Douglas Lyle Timpe; Software Engineer/Law Student; Wenatchee, WA

Mr. Wayne Hadfield Turner; School Administration/Fundraising; Westport, MA

Maj Jean Elizabeth Twomey; US Air Force Reserve Officer; Minneapolis, MN

Mr. Samuel Phineas Upham; Academic; Claremont, NH

Maj William Mark Valentine; US Air Force Officer; Crofton, MD

LCDR Ann Marie Vallandingham; US Navy Judge Advocate; Edgewater, MD

Mr. Gregory Alan VandenBosch; Private Equity Investor; Flushing, MI

CDR Karin A. Vernazza; US Navy Officer; Bridgeport, CT

Maj Paul D. Villagran; US Air Force Officer; Sutherlin, OR

Mr. Mark Vincent Vlasic; Attorney; Thousand Oaks, CA

Mr. Christopher Bradley Vynalek; Attorney; Phoenix, AZ

Maj John William Wagner; US Air Force Officer; Battle Creek, MI

Mr. Thomas Patrick Watts; School Administrator; Liverpool, NY

Ms. Linda Maria Wayner; Attorney; Brooklyn, NY

Ms. Julia Taliaferro Woodbury; Consultant; Atlanta, GA

Dr. Scott Edward Wunsch; Physicist; Circleville, OH

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