PART ONE

LIST OF POWERFUL MOTHERS.

These women are brazen They are tough, independent and smart. They waited for
no one. Someone needed to compile a list of
POWERFUL MOTHERS. The time has come.

There are many more mothers to be added.

The list keeps getting longer, so it will be divided into parts.

Susan Sarandon
American actress, mother of three children, partner is Tim Robbins. As co-presenters of
the Academy Awards in 1993, Susan and her partner, Tim Robbins seized a chance to
bring public attention to the plight of a few hundred Haitians with Aids who had been
interned in Guantanamo Bay. Is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

Laura Bush
First Lady. Wife of the forty-third President of the US, George W. Bush. Mother of two
children. Laura established the annual National Book Festival in 2001 and encouraging
education on a worldwide scale. She has also advanced the causes of women through
The Heart Truth and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Angela Bassett
American actress. Emmy Award, and Academy Award nominated, Golden Globe
winning African American actress and wife of Courtney B. Vance. Other of two children.
particularly known for biographical film roles portraying women in American culture. She
is currently a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States.

Adrienne Shelly
American actress, director, screenwriter. (1966-2006). Other of one child, and married to
Andrew Ostroy, the chairman and CEO of the marketing firm Belardi/Ostroy ALC. Was
murdered in her apartment. Following his wife's death, Ostroy established the Adrienne
Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization that will award film school scholarships and
grants to female filmmakers.
Ali Hewson

Irish wife of super rock mogul Bono, mother of four children, social crusader,
environmental activist, friend of supermodels and fashion plate. One of the founders of
the Chernobyl Children’s project

With the help of Bono and designer Rogan Gregory, Ali launched EDUN Apparel, a
clothing line of high-end organically made clothing. Edun apparel is available at select
department stores such as Selfridges, Barneys, and Saks. Their garments are
manufactured in ethically run factories in developing countries.

Kate Allen

An Australian –Austrian Triathlete. Gold medalist in the Women’s Triathlon at the 2004
Summer Olympics in Athens. Mother of one child , and wife of Marcel Diechtler. In 2004
she was voted Austrian Sports Personality of the Year and also received the European
Sports Award.
Cate Blanchett

Australian Actress, Academy Award winning actress and stage director. Mother of three
children , and married to Screenwriter Andrew Upton.
Two SAG Awards, Two Golden Globe Awards, and Two BAFTA awards as well as many
more. Blanchett received two Academy Award nominations including Best Actress
for Elizabeth: the Golden Age and Best Supporting Actress for I'm Not There, becoming
only the eleventh actor to ever receive two acting nominations in the same year and the
first female actor to receive another nomination for the reprisal of a role In 2007,
Blanchett was named as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People In The
World and also one of the most successful actresses by Forbes magazine.

Barbara Bush

First Lady. Wife of 41st US President George H. W. Bush, and mother of six children.
She serves on the Boards of AmeriCares and the Mayo Clinic, and heads the Barbara
Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Mother of US President George W. Bush, and
former Governor Jeb Bush.
Betsy Rich

Co-founder of Blue Horse digital, mother of two children and married. Betsy had MS
before starting her first company, so she had already experienced balancing work and
family with a debilitating disease. Betsy began her career in the London Bureau of ABC
News working with Peter Jennings on the production of World News Tonight. She then
transferred to ABC’s New York office where she continued to write, produce and direct
features for both World News Tonight and 20/20. She has been honored by Women in
Communications and received Emmy and Monitor awards. As both a producer and
writer, Rich has won nearly every award given for television news and corporate video
production.

Diana, Princess of Wales

Was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. (1961-1997), mother to two children.
Her death has been speculated a murder.
She was one of the first very high profile people to be pictured touching those afflicted
with AIDS this had a significant impact in changing people’s opinions and attitudes to the
disease it was certainly a charity not following the protocol and tradition of the Royal
family. Her personal support is said to have been a significant factor in encouraging
Britain and then other countries to support the Ottawa Treaty which sought to introduce
a ban on the use of anti – personnel landmines. The Fund supports young people in
prisoners’ families – an invisible group stigmatized by society and judged guilty for a
crime they did not themselves commit. Palliative Care, is a group enabling people to die
with dignity and with the least possible amount of pain. For this reason it has launched a
£5 million initiative on Palliative Care.

Blythe Katharine Danner

American Emmy and Tony Winning Actress. Mother of two childen. She was married to
actor Bruce Paltrow.

She has been active with INFORM INC., is on the Board of Environmental Activists and
the Board of Directors of the Environmental Media Association, and won the 2002 EMA
Board of Directors Ongoing Commitment Award. She was instrumental in implementing
curbside recycling in Santa Monica and in retaining the New York City recycling program
despite threatened budget cuts in 1991, has driven an electric car since the first General
Motors EV1 was available, and has installed solar panels at her house. In 2002 Danner,
her husband Bruce Paltrow, and her daughter Gwyneth Paltrow worked together on a
series of public service announcements encouraging use of alternative energy sources
and alternative fuel vehicles. After the passing of her husband Bruce Paltrow to oral
cancer, she became involved with the Oral Cancer Foundation, a national 501(c)3 non
profit charity.
Caroline Kennedy

An American author and attorney. Mother of three children and married to exhibit
designer Edwin Schlossberg . She is the daughter and only surviving child of U.S.
President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. An editor, and
writer, Caroline is a member of the New York and Washington, D.C. bars. She is one of
the founders of the Profiles in Courage Award, given annually to a person who
exemplifies the type of courage examined in her father's Pulitzer Prize-winning book of
the same name. Kennedy is currently President of the Kennedy Library Foundation, a
director of both the Commission on Presidential Debates and the NAACP Legal Defense
and Educational Fund, and Honorary Chairman of the American Ballet Theatre. She is
also an adviser to the Harvard Institute of Politics, a living memorial to her father.

Celine Dion

Canadian pop singer, and occasional songwriter and actor. Mother of one child and
married to her manager, René Angélil. After releasing and promoting thirteen albums
during the 1990s, Dion stated that she needed to settle down, and announced on her
latest album All the Way… A Decade of Song, that she needed to take a step back from
the spotlight and enjoy life. Dion is often regarded as one of pop music's most influential
voices and according to some sources, she possesses a five-octave vocal range. In a
countdown of the "22 Greatest Voices in Music" by Blender Magazine and MTV, she
placed ninth (sixth for a female), and she was also placed fourth in Cove magazine's list
of "The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists"
She has promoted the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982 and
became the foundation's National Celebrity Patron in 1993. Dion has also been a major
supporter of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund,
and many health and education campaigns. She also donated $1 million to the victims of
Hurricane Katrina, and held a fund-raising event for the victims of the 2004 Asian
Tsunami, raising more than $1 millionAfter the earthquake in Sichuan Province, China in
May 2008, Celine Dion donated $100,000 to China Children & Teenagers' Fund and
sent a letter to show her consolation and support. In 2007, Celine was ranked by Forbes
Magazine as the 5th richest woman in entertainment. She also received France's highest
award, the Légion d'honneur, in May 2008. In August 2008, she received an honorary
doctorate in music from the Université Laval in Quebec City. She has her own magazine,
Celine Dion Magazine. Has a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for selling the
most French-language album of all time for "D'eux" ("The French Album"), with over 6.4
million copies sold. The album also went to #1 in England.

Christina Aguilera

American pop/R&B singer and songwriter. Mother of one child and married to marketing
executive Jordan Bratman.Aside from being known for her vocal ability, music
videos and ever-changing image, musically, she includes themes of dealing with public
scrutiny, her childhood, and female empowerment in her music. Apart from her work in
music, she has also dedicated much of her time as a philanthropist for charities, human
rights and world issues. Aguilera's work has earned her numerous awards, including
five Grammy Awards amongst eighteen nominations. She has become one of the most
successful recording artists of the decade, selling more than 37 million worldwide.
Aguilera contributes in the fight against AIDS, by participating in AIDS Project Los
Angeles' Artists Against AIDS "What's Going On?" cover project. In November 2005, all
of her wedding gifts were submitted to various charities around the nation in support
of Hurricane Katrina victims. That year she also performed at "Unite of the Stars"
concert in aid of Unite Against Hunger in Johannesburg, South Africa and at the Nelson
Mandela Children's Fund at the Coca-Cola Dome. In 2000, Aguilera was the face for
make-up line Fetish where she worked in choosing colors and packaging for the line.
She released her third fragrance, Inspire, accompanied with a body care collection, on
September 1, 2008. In late 2007 Aguilera became the spokesperson for "Rock the Vote"
where she urged young people to vote in the 2008 presidential election. In March 2007
Aguilera took part in a charity album (remaking Lennon's "Mother"), proceeds
benefit Amnesty International's efforts to end genocide in Darfur.
Cindy Crawford

American supermodel and actress. She is the mother to two children and married to
Rande Gerber. She was ranked number 5 on Playboy's list of the 100 Sexiest Stars of
the 20th century. A 1997Shape magazine survey of 4,000 picked her as the second
(after Demi Moore) most beautiful woman in the world. In 2002, Crawford was named
one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People magazine. She continues to
provide celebrity endorsement for a variety of projects and was featured as #26 in the
2006 Hot 100 issue of Maxim magazine. In 2007, Cindy became an official supporter of
the Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called
the Friends of RMHC.

Dana Torres

American swimmer. Mother to one child, and married to fertility doctor David Hoffman.
She is the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympics: 1984, 1988,
1992, 2000, and 2008. She competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in the 50 meter
freestyle, 4×100 medley relay, and 4×100 freestyle relay and won the silver medal in all
three of these events. Torres has won twelve Olympic medals (four gold, four silver, four
bronze), five of which she won in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Dayanara Torres

Puerto Rican actress, singer, model and former Miss Universe. Ex wife of Singer
sensation, Marc Anthony and mother to two of his children. She returned to Puerto
Rico in 1998 and released her first and only album called Antifaz. It reached the top
of Billboard charts in Latin America and the Philippines. She also starred in several
theater productions on the island. That same year, a "Dayanara" doll was released and
sold out on the island and in the Philippines.
Torres currently stars in Watch Over Me, a MyNetworkTV primetime drama. In 2008,
Torres was included in People's Most Beautiful People List. In the celebration ceremony,
Torres noted that she authored "Married to Me" when she failed to find a selfhelp book in
the libraries visited.

Debbie Phelps

Mother of Olympic gold medalist son, Michael Phelps is officially the “greatest Olympian
of all time.” Michael’s mother, Debbie, has an impressive title of her own. Johnson’s
Baby has named Debbie their “Mom of the Olympic Games.” The company will donate
money in her name to various children’s causes. She’s also filming a commercial
for Johnson’s on Wednesday. The award came as a surprise to the middle school
principal who raised Michael on her own.

Demi Moore

American actress. Mother of three children and married to Ashton Kutcher. In August
1991, Moore appeared nude on the cover of Vanity Fair under the title More Demi
Moore. Annie Leibovitz shot the picture while Moore was seven months pregnant with
her daughter Scout LaRue, intending to portray "anti-Hollywood, anti-glitz" attitude.
Owns a production company: "Moving Pictures".

Diana Ross
 American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar-nominated singer, record producer and
actress, whose musical repertoire spans R&B,soul, pop, disco and jazz. Mother to five
children. The Supremes once co-hosted "The Mike Douglas Show" (1961). In January
1967 The Supremes was voted #1 by the readers of Playboy Magazine. Made her first
solo TV appearance with Lucille Ball and Dinah Shore. On November 8, 1969, she
announced that she was leaving The Supremes in order to pursue a solo career, but the
last Supremes concert with Ross was played on January 14, 1970, at the Frontier Hotel
in Las Vegas, Nevada. Was honoured by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1993
as the most successful female singer of all time. Received the Lifetime Achievement
Award from MIDEM in 1994. Performed the half-time show on Super Bowl in 1996.
Received the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Walk of Fame Award on October 23,
1999. Received a 2000 Heroes Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and
Sciences (NARAS). The award was the highest distinction bestowed by the New York
Chapter. 10 days after the terrorist attack (9-11), she sang, "God Bless America", at
Shea Stadium in New York City, New York. Sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl
in 1982. Billboard Magazine named her Female Entertainer of The Century.

Elizabeth Edwards

An American attorney and the wife of John Edwards, a former U.S. Senator from North
Carolina who was the 2004 United States Democratic vice-presidential nominee, and a
former candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. Mother of four
children. Wade was killed in April 1996 when he lost control of his Jeep while driving
from his Raleigh home to the family's beach house near Wilmington. She began her
career as a law clerk for a federal judge, then moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1978 to
become an associate at the law firm of Harwell Barr Martin & Sloan. In 1981, she and
her husband moved their family to Raleigh where she worked for the Attorney General's
office and then at the law firm Merriman, Nicholls, and Crampton.
On November 3, 2004, the day Kerry conceded defeat in the 2004 U.S. Presidential
Election, Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer. She later revealed that
she discovered a lump in her breast while on a campaign stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin a
few weeks earlier, in the midst of the campaign. Edwards was treated and has remained
an activist for women's health and cancer patients.
Gabrielle Reece

American professional volleyball player, sports announcer, and fashion model.

Mother of two children, and married to big wave surfer Liard Hamilton. Reece co-wrote a
book with Karen Karbo about her life as a pro athlete entitled "Big Girl in the Middle,"
published by Crown (1997). She also wrote a column for Conde Nast's magazine
Women's Sports & Fitness, and has been a contributing editor at ELLE magazine.
Reece can be seen featured on TV every year as a hostess on ESPN and NBC's
"Gravity Games," where she participated in the daredevil sports of road-luging, white
water kayaking, drag racing, surfing, sky diving, and more on "MTV Sports" (1993-95),
and "The Extremists with Gabrielle Reece" (1995-96). She was also a commentator at
the 1998 Goodwill Games. Reece recently reunited with Nike as a spokeswoman, and
she is a new expert and writer for Yahoo-Health. Reece is also a producer of a health &
fitness product; "The Primal System" with fitness expert Paul Chek and can be seen
hosting a show for Fit Tv/Discovery, ‘Insider Training' where she profiles professional
athletes about their training & conditioning regimens. In 2008, she released "Gabrielle
Reece: Fit & Healthy Prenatal Workouts" with exercise guru Mike Monroe to bring
expectant moms a safe and effective workout regimen for the first 6 months of
pregnancy.
For 2008, Reece is the spokeswoman for Simply Nutrilite, a line developed by Quixtar.
Kathy Lee Gifford
American television hostess, singer, actress. Mother of two children, married to sports
commentator, Frank Gifford. Kathie Lee is a celebrity ambassador for the non-profit
organization Childhelp. She regularly makes appearances at fund raisers and events for
the child abuse prevention and treatment organization and is an ardent supporter.
Kathie Lee and her husband raised the money to build and continue to financially
support two shelters in New York City for babies born with HIV or a congenital crack
cocaine addiction. These shelters were named in honor of her children, Cody and
Cassidy. It was announced on 31st March 2008, that Kathie Lee was joining NBC on its
top-rated morning show, Today, as co-host of the fourth hour, alongside Hoda Kotb. This
marked her return to morning television and was significant because in many markets
she now airs directly after her old show, now called "Live with Regis and Kelly."
On April 16, 2007, Gifford was a guest presenter at the Washington, DC Helen Hayes
Award Ceremony, honoring contributions and professional accomplishments in theatre.
Hillary Rodham Clinton

An American junior United States Senator from New York, and was a candidate for
the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election. She is married to Bill
Clinton—the 42nd President of the United States—and was the First Lady of the United
States from 1993 to 2001. When she was First Lady of the United States, her major
initiative, the Clinton health care plan, failed to gain approval from the U.S. Congress in
1994. In 1997 and 1999, Clinton played a role in advocating for the establishment of
the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and
the Foster Care Independence Act. Her history and achievements are so long and so
many there is not enough space to put it here.

Jane Seymour

English actress. Mother of four children and married to James Keach. Seymour has had
a long acting career in both film and television, beginning in 1969. Seymour continued to
take numerous roles in TV movies and series, most notably as Dr. Michaela "Mike"
Quinn in the TV series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and its TV-movie sequels (1993–
2001), through which she met her fourth husband, actor-director James Keach. Seymour
also currently the face of an advertising campaign for the Scottish furniture chain Reid
Furniture in the UK. Now, in 2008- is the new face of CC aka Country Casuals- formerly
Selina Scott.

Kelly Ripa
American Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress, television personality and talk
show host. Mother of three children, and married to co-star on All My Children, Mark
Consuelos. Since February 2001, she has served as the co-host of Live with Regis and
Kelly, along with Regis Philbin. Earlier in her career, Ripa played Hayley Vaughan
Santos on All My Children; she also played Faith Fairfield on Hope & Faith. Both are
television series on ABC.

Jennifer Garner
An American Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe- and SAG Award-
winning American actress. Mother to one child, and another one due in and around Nov
2008. Married to actor Ben Affleck. After the initial success of Alias, Garner returned to
her film career with a small role in the Steven Spielberg film Catch Me if You Can, and
starred alongside Ben Affleck as Elektra Natchios in the action movie Daredevil, an
adaptation of the comic book. Garner entered the Forbes' "Power 100" list of celebrities
in 2005 at 70th place. From June 2004 to June 2005, she earned an estimated US $14
million. Her Broadway debut Cyrano de Bergerac, originally set to run until December
23, 2007, was extended through January 6, 2008 due to the Broadway stagehand strike
in late 2007. For this role Garner won the 9th Annual broadway.com Audience Award for
Favorite Actress in a Play.

Bobbi Miller-Moro
American columnist, actress and filmmaker. Mother of five children and married to
Cuban American Producer Luis Moro. Luis and Bobbi became the 'First American
Filmmakers To Break The Embargo on Cuba, and film a feature length film there', NBC
Miami4. This was her first co-producing effort, coupled with her role as Alberto's wife.
She also was pregnant with her fourth child with her husband Luis while filming in Cuba.
She is a writer for Immigrant Magazine. Her articles are related to women's topics,
including family and children and the environment. She has hosted and interviewed
other actors, politicians, and film events for environmental projects. She is a direct
descendent of the signer of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton. She is
writing a book on mothers empowering mothers, on the ideology that you can have it all
and be a powerful mother. She is the great-great niece of the famous Hollywood
journalist Hedda Hopper. Bobbi and Luis own a film production company Luis Moro
Productions.
Jessica Alba
American television and film actress. Mother of one child and married to producer Cash
Warren. Alba appears frequently on the "Hot 100" section of Maxim and was
voted AskMen.com's number one on their list of "99 Most Desirable Women" in 2006, as
well as "Sexiest Woman in the World" by FHM in 2007. Alba has been well-received in
popular culture. She received the Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress and Saturn
Award for Best Actress (TV) for her role in Dark Angel. She has frequently appeared on
Maxim's Hot 100 list. In 2006, Alba received an MTV Movie Award for "Sexiest
Performance" for Sin City. Alba said she wants to be taken seriously as an actress but
believes she needs to do movies that she would otherwise not be interested in to build
her career, stating that eventually she hopes to be more selective in her film projects.
Alba's charity work includes participation with Clothes Off Our Back, Habitat for
Humanity, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Project HOME, RADD,
Revlon Run/Walk for Women, SOS Children Villages, Soles4Souls, and Step up. Alba
endorsed Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama during the 2008 primary
season.
Joan Lunden
American broadcaster, most recently the host of the CBS reality series Wickedly Perfect,
and was a popular co-host of ABC's Good Morning America . Mother of seven children
and married to Jeff Konigsberg . In April 1991, Lunden was honored by New York
Women in Communications with a Matrix Award for her "outstanding contributions to the
broadcasting field." Lunden also hosted ABC's broadcast of the Tournament of Roses
Parade in Pasadena, California, from 1989 to 1991. She hosted the Walt Disney World
Easter Parade with Regis Philbin until the mid-90s.
She has received numerous honors including the Spirit of Achievement Award from
Albert Einstein College of Yeshiva University, YWCA Outstanding Woman's Award
Speaker, National Women's Political Caucus Award, New Jersey Division on Civil Rights
Award and Baylor University Outstanding Woman of the Year. The National Mother's
Day Committee selected her as the Outstanding Mother of the Year in 1982-83 for her
dedication to motherhood. She has been a national spokesperson for MADD (Mothers
Against Drunk Driving). Lunden has a healthy living book, Growing Up Healthy.
Joy Philbin
American Host and co-host. Mother of two children and married to Host and performer
Regis Philbin since 1970. She hosted the HGTV television show At Home With..., and
the syndicated home show Haven. She occasionally co-hosts with her husband on his
show Live with Regis and Kelly when Kelly Ripa has the day off. She has also guest-
starred on Kelly's show, Hope & Faith with her husband.

Julia Roberts
American - Academy Award winning film actress and former fashion model. Mother of
three children and married to Danny Moder. She became well known during the early
1990s after starring in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman opposite Richard Gere, which
grossed US $463 million worldwide. She won the Best Actress Academy Award in 2000
for her critically acclaimed turn as the title character in Erin Brockovich and earned
Oscar nominations as Best Supporting Actress for Steel Magnolias (1989) and Best
Actress for Pretty Woman(1990). Her films, which also include romantic comedies such
as My Best Friend's Wedding, Mystic Pizza, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, and crime films
such as The Pelican Brief and Ocean's Eleven, have collectively earned box office
receipts of over US$2 billion, making her the most successful actress in terms of box
office receipts. Julia Roberts has brought to life some of the books from American Girl as
movies and serves as Executive Producer, along with her sister Lisa. As of February
2007, Roberts's films have grossed $2,204,631,930 at the American box office making
her the biggest female movie star in history and achieving this feat with only 31 films to
her name. Roberts has given her time and resources to UNICEF as well as to other
charitable organizations. In 2000, Roberts narrated Silent Angels, a documentary
about Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder, which was shot in Los Angeles,
Baltimore and New York. The documentary was designed to help raise public awareness
about the disease. In July 2006, Earth Biofuels announced Roberts as a spokeswoman
for the company and as chair of the company's newly formed Advisory Board promoting
the use of renewable fuels.

Kate Winslet

Five-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-nominated, Emmy Award-

nominated, BAFTA, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning English actress.
Mother of two children and married to Sam Mendes. At the age of 22, she broke the
record for the youngest person to receive two Oscar nominations, and each of her
subsequent nominations has broken a further record: the youngest person to receive
three, four, and five nominations. The rest of her nominations and awards are too
numerous to mention here.
Kathy Najimy
American actress. Mother of one child and married to comedic actor and singer Dan
Finnerty.
From film, Najimy expanded into television roles, including a dramatic recurring role
on Chicago Hope. Najimy was part of the cast of Veronica's Closet from 1997 to 2000.
She co-created and starred in the hit off-broadway show and HBO specials "Kathy & Mo,
with friend and actress Mo Gaffney. She garnered rave reviews for her performance
as Mae West in the Broadway hit Dirty Blonde. She currently portrays the pushy Dr.
Mildred Finch on NUMB3RS. Najimy is a outspoken feminist and is also noted as an
activist for human rights and gay rights. Najimy is also very vocal about issues regarding
weight and body imaging among females. In August 2006 Najimy voiced her opinions
over a remark made by Heidi Klum on the television series Project Runway after Klum
said one model's outfit, saying it made her look plus sized. In 2005, she was chosen
by Ms. Magazine as Woman of the Year. She signed the "We Had Abortions" petition
which appears in the October 2006 issue of the magazine. The petition contains
signatures of over 5,000 women declaring that they had had an abortion and were
"unashamed of the choice they made". Najimy, determining that she was not in a
position to be an adequate parent, had her procedure when she was 18 and discovered
she was pregnant after she had broken up with the father. Najimy still remains
actively pro-choice.
Katie Couric
American journalist. Mother of two children and widow to Jay Monahan.
She became well-known as co-host of NBC's Today. In 2006, she made a highly
publicized move from NBC to CBS, and on September 5, 2006she became the first solo
female anchor of the weekday evening news on one of the three
traditional U.S. broadcast networks. She currently serves as the anchor and managing
editor of the CBS Evening News, having replaced Bob Schieffer on September 5, 2006.
Schieffer served as the interim anchor following the departure of long time anchor and
managing editor Dan Rather on March 9, 2005. Jay Monahan died of colon cancer in
1998 at the age of 42; as a result, Couric is a prominent spokeswoman for colon cancer
awareness. She also was very active in the National Hockey League's Hockey Fights
Cancer campaign, appearing in some public service announcements and doing voice-
overs for several others. Couric is currently a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the
United States. On October 7, 2005, Couric broadcast her own mammogram on
the Today show, in the hopes of recreating the "Couric Effect" around the issue of breast
cancer. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Leslie Haywood
American Inventor. Mother of two children and married to Mr. Haywood. Invented Grill
Charms™. They size of a dime with a decorative head and a stem that is textured so as
not to fall out of the food while grilling. They are made of food grade solid stainless steel,
and sit flush on the food so they do not interfere with the grill when being moved or
flipped. Diagnosed with breast cancer at 34 years old, she was right in the middle of
launching her company. Two months later she had a bilateral mastectomy in August of
2006 and two reconstructive procedures later she has fully recuperated. She raises
awareness with The Pink Collection of her popular grilling accessory and gift item Grill
Charms™.

Liv Tyler
American actress and model. Mother of one child and separated from father,
British musician Royston Langdon. She is the daughter of Aerosmith's frontman, Steven
Tyler and model, singer Bebe Buell. Tyler began a career in modeling at the age of
fourteen, but quickly decided to focus on acting. Her first notable role was appearing
alongside Alicia Silverstone in the music video for Aerosmith's song "Crazy" in 1993.
Tyler was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the
World in 1997. She was also voted the 6th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian
Empire Magazine in September 2002, and #2 in The Age.com's "Top 100: Natural
Beauties of all time" in 2004.
Marcia Cross
Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American actress. Mother of two children and
married to stock broker Tom Mahoney. She is perhaps best known for her role as Dr.
Kimberly Shaw on the hit soap opera Melrose Place, and in recent years has come to be
known for her lead role as Bree Van De Kamp Hodge on the hit TV show Desperate
Housewives.

Mariska Hargitay
Golden Globe- and Emmy Award- winning American actress. Mother of one child and
married to actor Peter Hermann. Best known for her role as Det. Olivia Benson on Law
& Order: Special Victims Unit. Upon winning her Emmy on August 27, 2006, Hargitay
made a point of thanking her father for everything he had done for her in her life. Just 17
days later, on September 14, 2006, her father died from multiple myeloma in Los
Angeles, California, aged 80. She has since been a honorary board member of
the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Hargitay co-founded the Joyful Heart
Foundation, an organization that provides support to women who have been sexually
assaulted. The Foundation is a proponent of the idea that swimming
with dolphins promotes healing after major psychological traumas such as rape. Hargitay
also has worked with the Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention program;
NBC's “The More You Know” campaign; Safe Horizon; Santa Monica Rape Crisis
Treatment Center; Project ALS; Girl Scouts of the USA; and the James Redford Institute
for Transplant Awareness. She appeared with her baby, August, in a Got Milk? ad in
January 2007.

Mary Steenburgen
Academy Award-winning American actress. Mother of two children and is married to
actor Ted Danson. In September 2005, she and Danson provided a guest lecture for
students at the Clinton School of Public Service where they discussed their roles in
public service as well as the foundations and causes in which they are involved.[5] In
2006, Steenburgen received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Lyon
College in Batesville, Arkansas.
She is a close personal friend of former First Lady, current New York Senator Hillary
Clinton, and supported Clinton's 2008 Presidential campaign along with her husband.
Michelle Obama
American Lawyer. Mother of two children and married to 2008 Democratic Presidential
nominee Senator Barack Obama.
Following law school, she was an associate at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley
Austin, where she first met her husband. At the firm, she worked
on marketing and intellectual property. Subsequently, she held public sector positions in
the Chicago city government as an Assistant to the Mayor, and as Assistant
Commissioner of Planning and Development. In 1993, she became Executive Director
for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization encouraging young
people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. She
worked there nearly four years and set fundraising records for the organization that still
stood a dozen years after she left. In 1996, Obama served as the Associate Dean of
Student Services at the University of Chicago, where she developed the University's
Community Service Center.] In 2002, she began working for the University of Chicago
Hospitals, first as executive director for community affairs and, beginning May, 2005, as
Vice President for Community and External Affairs. She still holds the position, though
she is working part time in order to devote more time to being a mother.
With the ascent of her husband as a prominent national politician, she has become a
part of pop culture. In May 2006, Essence magazine listed her among "25 of the World's
Most Inspiring Women." In July 2007, Vanity Fair magazine listed her among "10 of the
World's Best Dressed People." In September 2007, 02138 magazine listed her 58th of
"The Harvard 100," a list of the prior year's most influential Harvard alumni. Her husband
was ranked fourth. In July 2008, she made a repeat appearance on the Vanity
Fair international best dressed list. She also appeared on the 2008 People list of best-
dressed women and was praised by the magazine for her "classic and confident"
look. Some sources compare her to Jacqueline Kennedy due to her sleek but not
overdone style, and other sources such as the New York Times compare her to Barbara
Bush as well not only for her fashion sense, but also for her demeanor. Obama's
package of attributes is anticipated to be well-suited for the role of First Lady by some.
Brooke Burke
American actress, model with four children, married to David Charvet. Most recently
dancer contestant on Dancing With The Stars.
Brooke started a company called Baboosh Baby, which offers wraps for pregnant
women.

Tracy Lynn Moland

Tracy Lyn is the cover editor, book reviewer and columnist for Mom Writers Literary
magazine, online magazine. Mother of two children and married to an Ironman.

Tracy Lyn is a featured balance expert for CTV's Balance TV and Canadian Living.com.
Tracy Lyn Moland, the best selling author of Mom Management, Managing Mom
Before Everybody Else, is a popular media guest with over 300 media interviews
including a 10 week series on Canadian national TV, and the expert on Mom-Tasking
and the Mom Market. From being spokesperson for a multi-national company, to working
with other companies in learning to reach the Mom market, to helping entrepreneurs
achieve incredible success, Tracy Lyn's expertise is highly sought after. Through her
popular presentations, her consulting and coaching programs and her books; Tracy Lyn
Moland provides her clients with the practical and applicable tools to create success in
their homes and their businesses.
Rachel Weize

Academy Award-winning English actress. Mother of one child and engaged to Darren
Aronofsky. She became well-known after her role as Evelyn "Evy" Carnahan-O'Connell
in the Hollywood films The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, and has since continued
appearing in major film roles. 1998: Named as one of European films' Shooting Stars by
the European Film Promotion Board. She was awarded the 1994 London Critics Circle
Theatre Award (Drama Theatre) for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in
Design for Living. Educated at the prestigious St Paul's Girls School in London. Was in
the same class as actress Emily Mortimer. Ranked #30 in Stuff magazine's 102 Sexiest
Women in the World (2002).
Maria Shriver
Award-winning American journalist, a prolific author and First Lady of California, and is a
member of the Kennedy family. Mother of four children and married to California
Governor Arnold Schwarznegger.
After her journalism career began with KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she co-
anchored the CBS Morning News with Forrest Sawyer from 1985 until 1987, co-
anchored Sunday Today and weekend editions of NBC Nightly News from 1987 until
1989, and was a contributing anchor on Dateline NBC from 1989 until 2004. In August
2003, Shriver took an unpaid leave of absence from NBC News when her husband
became a candidate in the 2003 California recall. Upon her husband's inauguration as
the 38th Governor of California, she became the First Lady of California on November
17, 2003. She then returned to reporting, making two more appearances for Dateline
NBC. On February 3, 2004, Shriver was told by NBC she was to be "relieved of duties at
NBC News," citing the conflict of interest between her role as a journalist and her status
as the First Lady of California and her increasing role as an advocate of her husband's
administration.
Reese Witherspoon

American actress and film producer. Mother of two children and dating Jake Gyllenhaal.
Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the movie The Man in the
Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable
movie Wildflower. In 1996, Witherspoon's performance in Freeway established her as a
rising star and led to roles in three major 1998 movies:Overnight Delivery, Pleasantville,
and Twilight. The following year, Witherspoon appeared in the critically
acclaimed Election, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. 2001 marked her
career's turning point with the breakout role as Elle Woods in the box office hit Legally
Blonde, and in 2002 she starred in Sweet Home Alabama, which became her biggest
commercial film success to date. 2003 saw her return as lead actress and executive
producer of Legally Blonde 2. In 2005, Witherspoon received worldwide attention and
praise for her portrayal ofJune Carter Cash in Walk the Line, which earned her
an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for
Best Actress.
Witherspoon owns a production company named Type A Films. She is actively involved
in children's and women's advocacy organizations. She serves on the board of
the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), and was named Global Ambassador of Avon
Products in 2007, serving as honorary chairman of the charitable Avon Foundation.
Named one of E! 2002 "Entertainers of the Year".