Thank you for supporting the 23rd Spirit of Mount Vernon
On behalf of the Regent and Vice Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, thank you to our sponsors and guests who attended and supported the 23rd Spirit of Mount Vernon on October 3, 2024. We entered the event with the most raised in sponsorships to-date, and thanks to the auction, we reached $1 million for Mount Vernon’s mission by the end of the night. Huzzah! This incredibly meaningful generosity supports our mission of education, historic preservation, and the legacy of George Washington. We are grateful to have such wonderful ambassadors for Mount Vernon. We hope you will mark your calendar and please remember to include this event and important institution in your 2025 budget.
Please Save the Date:
Thursday, October 9, 2025
24th Spirit of Mount Vernon Sunset Reception and Dinner
A special thanks goes out to the event’s incredible 2024 Co-Chair team: Chip Davis, President & CEO, Healthcare Distribution Alliance; Matt Haller, President & CEO, International Franchise Association; Katherine Lugar, Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Hilton; and Peter Rowan, Vice President U.S. Public Relations, Mars Inc. Mount Vernon appreciates their extraordinary leadership! We are also grateful for Ford Motor Company’s steadfast support as our presenting sponsor for the evening, and the ongoing commitment of past co-chairs who continue to be ambassadors for this event and estate.
Please view the event’s program to see all of the 2024 event sponsors and supporters, as well as photos from the evening.
Looking at 2026 and America 250
As you look at your budgets, please consider not only 2025, but also 2026 for possible increased support as we celebrate the 250th birthday of America, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Spirit of Mount Vernon. George Washington and Mount Vernon will be central to the year’s celebrations and commemorations, and we hope all our past sponsors will return for a very special night.
Celebrate America250 and SMV25 at Mount Vernon
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Please join us in celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Spirit of Mount Vernon and the 250th Birthday of America on Thursday, October 8, 2026. This special gala supports George Washington’s Mount Vernon’s mission of education, historic preservation, and the legacy of George Washington.
In this very special year, we will be celebrating two milestones with a jubilant, patriotic evening on the East Lawn of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. As the country celebrates the birth of our nation, Mount Vernon will be elevating this event to celebrate 25-years of this incredible evening and the impact of George Washington leadership on the formation of our country and our nation’s independence. Mount Vernon will be unveiling two critical projects in 2026 – the revitalization of the estate’s Mansion and the reopening of the revitalize education center.
We expect the 2026 event to be sold out early. This evening offers an especially meaningful night to entertain executives, clients, members, partners and staff in this milestone year, while philanthropically supporting Mount Vernon’s mission and George Washington’s legacy. The evening welcomes guests from the government affairs, association, corporate, and consulting communities, along with policy makers. Highlights include a sunset reception on the east lawn over-looking the Potomac River, a whiskey tasting bar, a patriotic moment with fireworks, an elegant seated dinner, and live auction.
We hope you will mark your calendars and join us in this extraordinary year as we commemorate America250 and SMV25!
This event complies with Congressional and Administration ethics rules.
The Spirit of Mount Vernon
Photographer: Dan Chung
America250 and Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon stands as a symbol of the origins of our free and democratic country by living the principles of our foremost founding father, George Washington – the Indispensable Man for America’s independence. Washington and our founding fathers built the foundation for a nation whose citizens would be free, working toward a more perfect union that has endured for 250 years. In 2026, Mount Vernon and the country will proudly celebrate the 250th birthday of America’s independence and Washington’s leadership. The 2026 Spirit of Mount Vernon will also celebrate an important milestone, the event’s 25th anniversary. Please consider budgeting for increased sponsorship support in this historic, celebratory year! We hope all our past sponsors and many new sponsors will join us in 2026 for a very special night!
America250/SMV25 Leadership Committee
Steve Anderson, National Association of Chain Drug Stores/Co-Chair 2019
Kevin Burke, Airports Council International – North America/Co-Chair 2023
Steve Caldeira, Household & Commercial Products Association/Co-Chair 2023
Suzanne Clark, U.S. Chamber of Commerce/Co-Chair 2025
John Courtney, American Society for Nutrition/Co-Chair 2026
Chester “Chip” Davis, Healthcare Distribution Alliance/Co-Chair 2024
Matt DiLoreto, PhRMA/Co-Chair 2025
Michael Dykes, International Dairy Foods Association/Co-Chair 2021
Daniel Eubanks, Intuit/Co-Chair 2020
Greg Ferrara, National Grocers Association/Co-Chair 2025
Ed Gillespie/AT&T/Co-Chair 2022
Matt Haller/International Franchise Association/Co-Chair 2024
Ben Jenkins, LSG/Co-Chair 2025
Mike Johnson, American Coatings Association/Co-Chair 2022
Michelle Korsmo, National Restaurant Association/Co-Chair 2020
Katherine Lugar, Hilton/Co-Chair 2024
Andrew Lundquist, ConocoPhillips/Co-Chair 2021
Shannon McGahn, National Association of Realtors/Co-Chair 2021
Shannon Meade, Littler Mendelson P.C./Co-Chair 2023
Scott Melville/Consumer Healthcare Products Association/Co-Chair 2022
Gareth Moore, Virginia Distillery Co./Co-Chair 2021
Susan Neely/Co-Chair 2018
Mike Parrish, Bayer/Co-Chair 2025
Matt Shay, National Retail Federation/Co-Chair 2017
Jeff Shockey, Boeing/Co-Chair 2022
Mike Skahill, DTB Agri-Trade/Co-Chair 2023
Mike Sommers, American Petroleum Institute/Co-Chair 2020
Chris Swonger, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States/partner 2021-2024
Pete Rowen, Mars Inc./Co-Chair 2024
David Whitestone, Holland & Knight/Co-Chair 2021
History of the Event
In late September of 2001, the association community, with the leadership of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, came together to begin an annual event, the Spirit of Mount Vernon, in support of Mount Vernon’s education and historic preservation mission. Notably, the inaugural event was held just days after the events of 9-11 and in the aftermath of one of the most challenging times in the history of our great nation.
As we celebrate this annual event, we reflect on the challenges our country has faced with an eye to the importance of Mount Vernon’s civics and educational mission. Thanks to the support of the government affairs community, the Spirit of Mount Vernon has become one of the most popular evenings on the Washington, D.C. social and charitable calendar and has become Mount Vernon’s single largest fundraiser.
Sponsor Benefits
Sponsor benefits include event participation and recognition, as well as estate benefits that can be utilized throughout the year.
Spirit of Mount Vernon Proceeds
The proceeds from the Spirit of Mount Vernon supports our mission to preserve, restore, and manage the estate of George Washington to the highest standards and to educate visitors and people throughout the world about the life and legacies of George Washington so that his example of character and leadership will continue to inform and inspire future generations.
Presenting Sponsor
Special Guest
The Honorable French Hill
2025 Co-Chair Leadership
United States Chamber of Commerce
Suzanne Clark, President & CEO
PhRMA
Matt DiLoreto, Vice President of Advocacy & Strategic Alliances
National Grocers Association
Greg Ferrara, President & CEO
LSG
Ben Jenkins, Partner
Bayer
Mike Parrish, Vice President Pubic Affairs, Science & Sustainability
Platinum Sponsors
Anniversary Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association has owned and maintained George Washington’s Mount Vernon for more than 160 years.
Regent
Anne Neal Petri
Regent
Wisconsin
Vice Regents
Maribeth Armstrong Borthwick
Vice Regent for California
Ann Haunschild Bookout
Vice Regent for Texas
Virginia Dawson Lane
Vice Regent for South Carolina
Laura Peebles Rutherford
Vice Regent for Alabama
Susan Marshall Townsend
Vice Regent for Delaware
Liz Rollins Mauran
Vice Regent for Rhode Island
Ann Cady Scott
Vice Regent for Missouri
Sarah Miller Coulson
Vice Regent for Pennsylvania
Andrea Notman Sahin
Vice Regent for Massachusetts
Catherine Hamilton Mayton
Vice Regent for Arkansas
Margaret Hartman Nichols
Vice Regent for Maine
Helen Herboth Laughery
Vice Regent for Wyoming
Catherine Marlette Waddell
Vice Regent for Illinois
Lucia Bosqui Henderson
Vice Regent for Virginia
Mary Lang Bishop
Vice Regent for Oregon
Elizabeth Medlin Hale
Vice Regent for Georgia
Ann Sherrill Pyne
Vice Regent for New York
Hilary Carter West
Vice Regent for the District of Columbia
Karen McCabe Kirby
Vice Regent for New Jersey
Adrian MacLean Jay
Vice Regent for Tennessee
Sarah Seaman Alijani
Vice Regent for Colorado
Susan Brewster McCarthy
Vice Regent for Minnesota
Carolyn Sherrill Fuller
Vice Regent for North Carolina
Questions?
Please contact us at spiritofmv@mountvernon.org.
George Washington's Mount Vernon
George Washington’s skill as a general helped secure our independence. His leadership as our first president shaped this new nation. His enduring legacy continues to inspire us.
After falling into disrepair following his death in 1799, this historic property was rescued by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. They opened it to the public in 1860. It is now the most visited historic home in America.
As a private non-profit organization, Mount Vernon does not accept government funds. On-site sales and donations allow us to pursue our mission to teach the world about George Washington and preserve his beloved home for future generations.
