Young Foreign Policy Professionals Cut Loose At 5th Annual 'Affairs Of State Gala'!

NORTHWEST -- Despite the tumultuous headlines of the day, the global challenges plaguing Washington’s current crop of young professionals took a backseat to a good time on Friday evening, as the Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) hosted its largest party of the year inside The Madison hotel’s recently renovated upstairs ballrooms.

As the non-profit’s signature fundraising event for 2012, the fifth annual ‘Affairs of State Gala’ drew a large and diverse crowd despite the gloomy weather, for a summer kickoff celebration that boasted good company, good music, and, um, not-so-good dancing.

In honor of the recent Memorial Day holiday, active duty military service members and veterans were granted complimentary admission to the festivities, and, as a result, the party sparkled with the sheen emanating from the medals and polished dress uniforms in attendance.

Unlike last year’s gala, the 2012 event did away with a live band in favor of a more versatile DJ dance mix (although the change certainly didn’t hinder guests’ penchant for wild dance moves).

YPFP President Gary Barnabo addresses guests.
Founded as a community designed to cultivate the next generation of foreign policy leaders and culling from a multitalented membership well versed in everything from international security to health to energy to economics to technology, YPFP pursues its mission by continuously providing an array of educational and social opportunities designed to better prepare young people for the international challenges ahead.

A gala well-suited indeed to Washington’s burgeoning populace!