Filipinos in White House circle of power
JENNIE L. ILUSTRE,
President George W. Bush with Susan Bonzon Ralston
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Susan Bonzon Ralston is a major player among the top four Filipino Americans at the White House. As Executive Assistant to Karl C. Rove, the most powerful senior advisor to President George W. Bush, she’s so close to the orbit of power that it’s amazing she’s warm and accessible.
Susan assists Rove in “overseeing the strategic planning, political affairs, public liaison, and intergovernmental affairs efforts of the White House.” That’s actually four major offices.
But surprise: She answers her own phone. She promptly replies to email messages, that 21st-century daily activity which is both a blessing and a curse.
Last Friday became even busier for her after President Bush, his job approval rating hovering in the 70s, launched his reelection campaign. But the unflappable Susan told Philippine News to “call me back at 1:15 this afternoon.”
Other top officials at the White House are Noel Francisco, special assistant to the President, Office of Counsel to the President, and Cesar Conda, assistant to the Vice President for Domestic Policy.
Patrick Bumatay is a staff assistant in the Office of Counsel to the President. He serves as an aide to Counsel to the President Alberto R. Gonzales.
But Susan’s proximity to Rove puts her at the center of the President’s domestic agenda. Rove masterminded the Republicans’ historic victory at last November’s midterm elections. With a staff of 60, he will run the President’s campaign from the White House.
OVAL OFFICE
Francisco said, “Susan is a wonderful person, incredibly smart and articulate, and she does a great job of representing the President.”
Susan said she does not meet with President Bush every day, “but I see him quite frequently.” One occasion was a thank-you, photo-op session at the Oval Office the day after last November elections. In the photo, Susan is shown beaming at the appreciative President.
She recalled: “We had worked very, very hard on a long, long night of the elections. The President knew this. He called the staff of the political affairs office the next day and told us, ‘Thank you so much for all your hard work.’”
Indeed for her it has been one “amazing experience” after another. On that fateful day on September 11, when terrorists hijacked planes that they used as bombs on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Rove was with the President.
Susan was in constant touch with her boss, who was relaying her information to Bush. “New York Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudy Giuliani were trying to reach the President, and they called me. They knew our office was an important link to the President.”
Susan is used to working in jobs that create order out of chaos. Before entering public service, she served as the assistant director of governmental affairs at Greenberg Traurig, and also worked for the lobbying firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, LLP. Before moving to the nation’s capital, she was an office administrator for M&J Wilkow, Ltd., a commercial real estate firm in Chicago, Illinois.
She earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Loyola in Chicago and has an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She and her husband Troy live in Woodbridge in the nearby state of Virginia.
CONDA
Cesar is assistant to the Vice President for Domestic Policy. He’s Vice President Dick Cheney’s principal advisor on domestic and economic policy issues. He supervises Cheney’s six-person domestic policy staff.
Cesar told Philippine News he doesn’t work closely with other Filipino Americans in the White House on a day-to-day basis. “Our roles are vastly different,” he said. “But from what I hear from their peers, they are the best at what they do.”
Before joining the White House, Cesar worked for over a decade in various positions in the U.S. Senate. He was administrative assistant and legislative director for Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-MI). He also served as Republican staff director of the Senate Small Business Committee, and legislative assistant for Sen. Robert W. Kasten, Jr. (R-WI).
In 1999, he received the “Congressional Staffer of the Year Award” from the Information Technology Industry Council, in recognition of his work for Senator Abraham on high technology issues.
Roll Call, a top Capitol Hill publication, included him among its “Fabulous Fifty” list of influential congressional staffers for three consecutive years, starting in 1997. National Journal profiled him in 1995 as one of the “Best and Brightest” among promising young conservatives in this capital.
Cesar has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William and Mary. He and his wife, Dr. Janice G. Sadaya-Conda, have four children.
BUMATAY
Before landing his White House job, Patrick served as Northern Virginia field director for Mark Earley’s gubernatorial campaign. He was field director for Bush-Cheney 2000 in Delaware and as a Victory 2000 organizational director in Connecticut. He was a staff member for the 2001 Presidential inaugural committee. He also worked in the Iowa and Florida recount teams.
Patrick has a bachelor’s degree with honors from Yale University. His dad Joseph and mom Cristina are both doctors, and so is his sister, Dr. Christine Bumatay. He himself has charted a political course.
Filipino Americans have held top positions in previous administrations.
During President Clinton’s time, his personal physician was Dr. Connie Mariano. Maria Mabilangan Haley served as Director of White House Personnel. Irene Bueno was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff.
Mona Pasquil served in the White House political office, as a special assistant to the President. Virginia Rustique was a special assistant in the Office of Legislative Affairs. Maria is still active in this capital as a lobbyist. Irene is currently principal of the Nueva Vista Group LLC, a policy and political consulting firm. She’s also the executive director of the Asian American Action Fund, an advocacy group.----#
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Susan Bonzon Ralston is a major player among the top four Filipino Americans at the White House. As Executive Assistant to Karl C. Rove, the most powerful senior advisor to President George W. Bush, she’s so close to the orbit of power that it’s amazing she’s warm and accessible.
Susan assists Rove in “overseeing the strategic planning, political affairs, public liaison, and intergovernmental affairs efforts of the White House.” That’s actually four major offices.
But surprise: She answers her own phone. She promptly replies to email messages, that 21st-century daily activity which is both a blessing and a curse.
Last Friday became even busier for her after President Bush, his job approval rating hovering in the 70s, launched his reelection campaign. But the unflappable Susan told Philippine News to “call me back at 1:15 this afternoon.”
Other top officials at the White House are Noel Francisco, special assistant to the President, Office of Counsel to the President, and Cesar Conda, assistant to the Vice President for Domestic Policy.
Patrick Bumatay is a staff assistant in the Office of Counsel to the President. He serves as an aide to Counsel to the President Alberto R. Gonzales.
But Susan’s proximity to Rove puts her at the center of the President’s domestic agenda. Rove masterminded the Republicans’ historic victory at last November’s midterm elections. With a staff of 60, he will run the President’s campaign from the White House.
OVAL OFFICE
Francisco said, “Susan is a wonderful person, incredibly smart and articulate, and she does a great job of representing the President.”
Susan said she does not meet with President Bush every day, “but I see him quite frequently.” One occasion was a thank-you, photo-op session at the Oval Office the day after last November elections. In the photo, Susan is shown beaming at the appreciative President.
She recalled: “We had worked very, very hard on a long, long night of the elections. The President knew this. He called the staff of the political affairs office the next day and told us, ‘Thank you so much for all your hard work.’”
Indeed for her it has been one “amazing experience” after another. On that fateful day on September 11, when terrorists hijacked planes that they used as bombs on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Rove was with the President.
Susan was in constant touch with her boss, who was relaying her information to Bush. “New York Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudy Giuliani were trying to reach the President, and they called me. They knew our office was an important link to the President.”
Susan is used to working in jobs that create order out of chaos. Before entering public service, she served as the assistant director of governmental affairs at Greenberg Traurig, and also worked for the lobbying firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, LLP. Before moving to the nation’s capital, she was an office administrator for M&J Wilkow, Ltd., a commercial real estate firm in Chicago, Illinois.
She earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Loyola in Chicago and has an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She and her husband Troy live in Woodbridge in the nearby state of Virginia.
CONDA
Cesar is assistant to the Vice President for Domestic Policy. He’s Vice President Dick Cheney’s principal advisor on domestic and economic policy issues. He supervises Cheney’s six-person domestic policy staff.
Cesar told Philippine News he doesn’t work closely with other Filipino Americans in the White House on a day-to-day basis. “Our roles are vastly different,” he said. “But from what I hear from their peers, they are the best at what they do.”
Before joining the White House, Cesar worked for over a decade in various positions in the U.S. Senate. He was administrative assistant and legislative director for Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-MI). He also served as Republican staff director of the Senate Small Business Committee, and legislative assistant for Sen. Robert W. Kasten, Jr. (R-WI).
In 1999, he received the “Congressional Staffer of the Year Award” from the Information Technology Industry Council, in recognition of his work for Senator Abraham on high technology issues.
Roll Call, a top Capitol Hill publication, included him among its “Fabulous Fifty” list of influential congressional staffers for three consecutive years, starting in 1997. National Journal profiled him in 1995 as one of the “Best and Brightest” among promising young conservatives in this capital.
Cesar has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William and Mary. He and his wife, Dr. Janice G. Sadaya-Conda, have four children.
BUMATAY
Before landing his White House job, Patrick served as Northern Virginia field director for Mark Earley’s gubernatorial campaign. He was field director for Bush-Cheney 2000 in Delaware and as a Victory 2000 organizational director in Connecticut. He was a staff member for the 2001 Presidential inaugural committee. He also worked in the Iowa and Florida recount teams.
Patrick has a bachelor’s degree with honors from Yale University. His dad Joseph and mom Cristina are both doctors, and so is his sister, Dr. Christine Bumatay. He himself has charted a political course.
Filipino Americans have held top positions in previous administrations.
During President Clinton’s time, his personal physician was Dr. Connie Mariano. Maria Mabilangan Haley served as Director of White House Personnel. Irene Bueno was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff.
Mona Pasquil served in the White House political office, as a special assistant to the President. Virginia Rustique was a special assistant in the Office of Legislative Affairs. Maria is still active in this capital as a lobbyist. Irene is currently principal of the Nueva Vista Group LLC, a policy and political consulting firm. She’s also the executive director of the Asian American Action Fund, an advocacy group.----#
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