Judges for the Miss District of Columbia Competition

Lisa Charles

Lisa Charles is a highly accomplished global business development and program management professional with a career spanning the globe from Latin America, Africa, Middle East, and Europe.  A passionate volunteer, she lends her time out of gratitude, love, and abundance to uplift others, and support women & girls to live the life they wish to live. She has called the metropolitan DC area home since 2014. 
Lisa volunteers and supports non-profits ranging from: National Council of Negro Women • UNCF• Camp Joy/WRBG •Former Board Member for Annunciation 
Catholic School • St Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families • Wounded Warriors • Order of Malta• Malta House Volunteer • HU Bison Catholics• Lector & Eucharistic Minister at Annunciation Parish • Oblates of Providence• Sisters of the Holy Family of New Orleans.

Betsy Jordan

Betsy Jordan is a multifaceted powerhouse, excelling as a producer, writer, actress, philanthropist, activist and creator.  With her global impact on CEO's, entrepreneurs, politicians, artists, and public figures, Betsy has become a force to be reckoned with in various industries.  Since 2001, she has been a best-selling author, Executive Producer, and esteemed experiential and transformational coach.  As the founder of Direct Creativity and BullsEye Coach, Betsy dedicates her expertise to helping others reach their full potential.  Her impressive film industry career includes acting, writing, producing, and publishing the Bullseye! book series for film professionals.   She is Executive Producer of The Devil's Stomping Ground, a 
horror film premiered at the Cucalorus Film Festival in 2022. Betsy's coach achievements include senior (ASC) status accreditation with the IAPC&M, placing her in the top 1% of coaches worldwide.  Her unique approach blends spiritual awakening, pattern interruption and self-discovery, visioning, and activation to drive rapid transformation for clients across diverse fields. Betsy co-founded the event company Jordan McColl & Associates and founded The Creative Connection, Inc., a full-service marketing firm.  As an author and thought leader, Betsy is passionate about promoting love, acceptance, authenticity, passion, purpose and freedom in every aspect of life.

Paul Michael Wihbey ​

Paul Michael Wihbey is an internationally recognized authority on the geopolitics of energy and environmental issues such as unconventional fuels and critical minerals supply chains.  Based in Washington, DC and Las Vegas, NV, he is a respected strategic planner of energy-related projects endorsed by the US Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory; the Province of Alberta, Canada; and the governments of China and Nigeria. Over the years, he has been featured as a keynote speaker for numerous conferences in the Persian Gulf, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, West Africa, Canada, the US , Turkey, and  
Europe. Currently, he serves as Executive Director of the Institute on the Geopolitics of Energy & Strategic Resources and is a Visiting Professor & Fellow, Emerald Energy Institute of Petroleum Economics, Policy and Strategic Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. His 2009 groundbreaking book, 'The Rise of the New Oil Order’, published in Geneva Switzerland, in both French and English editions, foresaw the emergence of unconventional crude oil and gas, and the rise of North America as the new energy superpower.

Aaron Manaigo

Aaron Manaigo is managing partner of Global Political Solutions located near the White House and has over 20 years' experience managing projects in the public and private sector.  As a business leader, he has provided professional services to a variety of entities that include Allstate Insurance Co., Quixotic Solutions, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Embassies of Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa, Uganda, Trinidad & Tobago, and Grenada, Aaron has worked with many elected officials including U.S. House of Representative members Charles B. Rangel and the Congressional Black Caucus as well as former Republican House Conference Chairman, J.C. Watts, respectively on the 
passage and implementation of The Community Renewal Act, and The U.S. Empowerment Zone Initiatives, to support under-served communities across America.  Aaron was instrumental in lobbying for the passage of the Africa Growth & Opportunity Act 2000. On a national level, Mr. Manaigo has worked as a political strategist for Republican Party candidates including President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain and Herman Cain.  He is past chairman of the National Council of Black Republicans, an organization created to recruit, mobilize, and represent the interests of African Americans within the Republican Party.  

Elizabeth Smiroldo

Elizabeth Smiroldo is a native Washingtonian who grew up in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland.  For most of her career, she traveled the world as a nuclear engineer for the federal government, focusing on nuclear safety, security, and weapons nonproliferation.  Nowadays, she still consults as an engineer, but devotes the bulk of her time to the brilliant work of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the United States.    
In addition to her work in the STEM and philanthropy spaces, Elizabeth also has a creative streak.  Solstice Publishing released her debut novel, the spy thriller, The Silent Count, in 2022.  Her book won first place in the political thriller categories of the 2023 Firebird novel contest and The BookFest’s 2022 

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​competition, among many other accolades.  Besides writing novels, Elizabeth has also been nominated for a Washington Area Music Award as Best Female Vocalist – Alternative Rock Category, optioned her original screenplay treatment after placing in the international Screenwriter’s Dig competition, and was even a finalist in The Washington Post’s esteemed Peeps Diorama Contest.
The daughter of immigrants, Elizabeth’s generation wasn’t just the first in her family to go to college, they were the first to be fully literate.  She earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Maryland, an MBA from Mount Saint Mary’s University, and an MA in International Security Studies from Trinity Washington University.  Go Terps, Mountaineers, and Tigers!

Chris Zhu

Chris Zhu is an accomplished locally based businesswoman and restauranteur, who came to the DC area from China in 1999.  Zhu is the founder of Pacific Culture International and served as their Executive Director of the First & Second Washington Metropolitan Miss Chinese American Pageant in 2008 & 2010.  It changed to the Pacific Miss Asian American Pageant in 2013, and Zhu has been the Executive Director ever since. In addition, from 2008-2016, Zhu has been the co-Executive Director of United Stated Chinese Association of Commerce.  In 2023, she was selected as the Vice President of the United States Chinese Association of Commerce.   
In 2010, she received an award citation from the Office of the Governor of Maryland for providing opportunities for young Chinese American women in the State of Maryland through her activities as executive director of PCI.  In 2015, Zhu entered the restaurant business, purchasing the original China Garden, located in Arlington, VA, which specialized in authentic and refined Cantonese cuisine since its opening in 1973.  In 2019, Zhu opened a new location of China Garden in Rockville, MD.  In September 2020, Zhu opened the first location of Han Palace located in Tysons Corner, followed by two other locations in the Woodley Park neighborhood of DC and on Barracks Row in Capitol Hill.  Most recently in Fall 2020, Zhu opened Ginza BBQ Lounge and Karaoke Spot, also on Barracks Row, followed by Live-K in December 2022, which also specializes in Japanese BBQ and Karaoke, located on the Wharf in SW DC.