Patty Stonesifer —The new chair of the Smithsonian regents is taking the helm during a trying time in the institution’s history.

Franklin Raines —The former Fannie Mae chief executive probably today wishes he’d never heard of the company.

Annette Nazareth —Talk about a well-timed hire: The former SEC commissioner said she was joining the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell just as the markets tanked.

George Parker —The head of the DC teachers union has a lot to say about how Michelle Rhee is doing turning around DC’s school system.

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin —The popular South Dakota congresswoman, who is expecting her first son in December, is one of the top “red state” Democrats.

Joe Persichini —So was Bruce Ivins responsible for the 2001 anthrax attacks? The head of the Washington FBI office knows more than he’s saying.

Mary Brown —The head of Life Pieces to Masterpieces, which focuses on at-risk youth, won an Exponent Award, one of the region’s top honors for nonprofits.

Stephen Ayers —The acting architect of the Capitol is the man behind the December opening of the long-overdue Capitol Visitors Center as well as one of the lead planners for January’s inauguration.

This article first appeared in the November 2008 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.