Board of Directors

Mr. Bynum is the president of PNC Bank in Greater Washington - the chief executive officer in the region accountable for the growth of the bank’s core businesses.  Additionally, he is responsible for driving PNC’s culture of teamwork across all business lines, advocating on behalf of his clients to always improve PNC’s commitment to customer service and leading the talent management effort to grow a cadre of strong, successful bankers in market.  Lastly, he is the face of PNC in the region advancing its brand through corporate sponsorships, the PNC foundation’s early childhood education initiative, local marketing efforts and other charitable works.   

Formerly President of Riggs National Corporation and CEO of Riggs Investment Advisors, Inc. which managed assets of over $1 billion, Coughlin currently manages business development activities and is a member of Edgemoor’s Investment Selection Committee. He is Chairman of WETA Public Television and Radio and a Trustee of the Washington National Cathedral.

Under de Picciotto’s leadership, Octagon is regarded as a leader in talent representation, property ownership, event management and corporate marketing. He may be best known for building the brands and overseeing the careers of many of the world’s most recognizable athletes and celebrities, ranging from Super Bowl champions to Olympic gold medalists to royalty to network broadcasters.

Terri leads United Airlines' federal, state and local government engagement and is based in Washington, D.C. Before joining United, she served as vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation’s Washington, D.C. office and led the company’s federal and state government affairs operation. In her 16-year tenure at Exxon Mobil, Terri advised the company’s senior leadership on key issues before Congress, the Executive Branch and state governments.

As the founder of Phone2Action, Dr. Hartsock has worked to develop software platforms that make civic engagement easier and more efficient. She was named a 2017 Washington D.C. Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine, and made the Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 list in 2016 and 2017.

Since September of 2014, Joyce has led Danaher’s $18B global, multi-industry portfolio of businesses. With Danaher’s 67,000 associates world-wide, he has strengthened Danaher’s focus as a leading science and technology company through the strategic acquisition of more than two dozen companies.

Formerly, special assistant to President Clinton and staff director for White House Legislative Affairs, Keating leads Boeing’s public policy efforts and Global Engagement organization. He also is a member of the company's Executive Council. Keating is an active board member with several industry and nonprofit organizations.

Formerly the President and CEO of National Public Radio from 2011 to 2013, Mr. Knell currently oversees the National Geographic Partners' vast nonprofit activities globally. Mr. Knell’s career in media spans more than three decades, including 22 years at Sesame Workshop, where he served as President and CEO for 12 years.

Ms. Lea is responsible for setting public policy strategy and leading the worldwide government relations team at Viacom, home to premier global media brands that reach nearly 4.3 billion cumulative television subscribers. Currently, she serves on the Board of the Washington Hospital Center and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. 

A surgeon for 30+ years, Dr. Newman guided the creation of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation to make children’s surgery less painful and invasive. He advocates for greater mental health access for children and influences national pediatric health through his board work with Children’s Hospital Association and Safe Kids Worldwide.

Mr. Pelletier has served as a trusted advisor at the highest executive levels of Congress, the White House, and the private sector. In 2000, he was tapped by President Bush to be the Associate Director of Legislative Affairs for the White House Office of Management and Budget. He currently leads the Alibaba team and manages all government and regulatory affairs activity in the US, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia outside of China at the national, regional, state and local levels. 

Peter Scher is the firm’s senior executive in the Washington, DC region. He also serves as Head of Corporate Responsibility, overseeing Global Government Relations and Public Policy, Sustainable Finance, Nonprofit Engagement, and Global Philanthropy.  He also Chairs the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, which focuses on improving economic opportunity and has led cutting-edge programs, including the Global Cities Initiative, New Skills at Work, and Invested in Detroit.

A leader on topics including innovation, technology’s impact on business, and inclusion and diversity, Julie serves on the Board of Directors of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. and Catalyst.  She is also a member of the TechNet Executive Council, the Lincoln Center Business Advisory Council and the Business Roundtable (BRT), previously serving on the BRT Board of Directors and as chair of the Technology Committee. In 2018, she was named to FORTUNE’s list of “Most Powerful Women” for the third consecutive year.

Ms. Vorwerk was most recently Cargill’s leader in corporate branding, communications, corporate responsibility and government relations efforts. Ms. Vorwerk is Chair of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba and formerly co-chair of the U.S. Business Coalition for the Transpacific Partnership.