Wealthy Business Leaders Raise $$$ for Delegate Comstock

A who's who of  leading McLean Republican business people will gather this evening at a posh Langley home to raise campaign dollars for Del. Barbara Comstock, the Republican incumbent running for re-election.

Former Virginia Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Davis headlines the event at the home of real estate entrepreneur Dan Clemente, who has a reported net worth of more than $400 million.

This is the second time in less than a year that a coterie of elite Republicans have gathered to raise money for Comstock, who is well-connected in Republican circles. She worked on the staff of former Attorney General John Ashcroft and U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, (R-10th).

Gov. Robert McDonell headlined a similar fundraising gathering at the $2.8 million mansion of George and Angela Shafran on Ballantrae Farm Drive in September 2010. George Shafran is a financial consultant.

Comstock, who was elected to the 34th District* seat in 2009, faces Democrat Pam Danner in the November election.

Meanwhile over on Crest Lane, one of the toniest addresses in McLean, Marie Ridder, of the Knight-Ridder newspaper family, is hosting a meet and greet for Danner. Danner also lives on Crest Lane.

What: The Comstock fundraiser is billed as: A Reception for Business Leaders. Price of the tickets: Benefactor Hosts: $2,500. Co-Hosts: $1,000. Individual Tickets: $500.

Where: At the $2.6 million home of Julie and Dan Clemente, 6908 Benjamin St. Comstock lives nearby. Dan Clemente, chairman and CEO of Vienna-based Clemente Development Co., is a longtime player in commercial real estate in metropolitan Washington, and now runs a private equity firm, according to Virginia Business.

The home contains four bedrooms, four baths, five fireplaces, according to Fairfax County land records.

Who: The sponsors include some of McLean's most successful business leaders as described by Virginia Business.

H. Hollister Cantus. H. Hollister Cantus founded The ILEX Group in 1985 to provide clients with strategic and tactical advice on marketing to governments (federal, state and local) and to assist in finding market opportunities in the commercial sector with emphasis on the national defense, national security, energy, transportation, and aerospace industries. He had previously served as the senior executive in Washington for two $6-billion dollar groups (United Technologies Building Sector and Lockheed Missiles and Space Group) and a $1-billion dollar corporation (ICF Kaiser). Cantus has also served on the Board of Directors of numerous trade associations, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and industry advisory committees.

In public service, as a Naval Flight Officer (captain, USNR-ret.) and as a senior civilian official, he has served in the executive branch under eight presidents, including appointments as deputy assistant secretary of defense and associate administrator of NASA, among others.

Dan Clemente . McLean. The chairman and CEO of Vienna-based Clemente Development Co., a longtime player in commercial real estate in metropolitan Washington, announced the formation of a new private equity fund in April. The CDC Real Estate Opportunity Fund I is designed to take advantage of investment opportunities in commercial real estate created by recent turmoil in the global financial markets. Clemente said in a statement that he hoped to leverage the fund to $2 billion by 2009 when he believes asset values will be lower. “Our funds intend to capitalize on the results of this ‘Perfect Storm’ as commercial real estate begins to trade at prices based on net operating income instead of prices based on unrealistic projections of future rental rates and income,” he said when announcing the fund.
Net worth: $410 million, according to Virginia Business

Kevin Fay, who has served on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board as the Dranesville District representative since January 2003. President of Alcalde & Fay, a leading government and public affairs firm, considered one of the largest independent lobbying and communications firms in the Washington area.

Ed Gillespie. the onetime lobbyist and Bush White House counselor who has joined with Karl Rove, Mary Cheney and others "for an ambitious new political machine that would marshal the resources of disparate business, nonprofit and interest groups to bring Republicans back to power" in the 2010 election, according to The New York Times.

Lori Jenkins, McLean Attorney co-chaired McLean Orchestra gala, one of the trustees of the orchestra

Lilian Jorgenson. Well-known, long-time McLean Realtor.

G. L. ( Jerry) Kohlenberger is president and managing director of Ilium Ventures LLC, a small private equity firm in McLean, investing in and advising small start-up companies. He retired from ExxonMobil Corporation after serving nearly 34 years in various senior downstream and corporate capacities. He serves as chairman of the board of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and is a board member of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Don Rainey is a general partner at Grotech Ventures. He joined the firm on Sept. 4, 2007, and is based in the Northern Virginia office. Rainey focuses on information technology investment opportunities. He has had a long history in the technology industry. Rainey is a former entrepreneur with a track record of several successful exits for businesses. He is a George Mason University alumnus.

George Swygert, regional president of retail banking for Greater Washington, is the local face of Wachovia and Wells Fargo. He arrived here last year from Los Angeles, though he spent more than a decade with Wachovia in this area before moving away several years ago. Swygert has a degree in marketing, and it shows. He’s an animated talker and likes to wave his hands around a lot to make his points, according to Washington Business Journal.

Company Sponsors include: Altria, Apartment and Office Building Association, Capital One, Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, Virginia CableTelecommunications Association, Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

*The 34th District now runs from the Arlington County line through McLean and Great Falls, Wolf Trap then follows Route 7  into Loudoun County.