a portion of the memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the bombing of pan am flight. >> this week on "q&a," the former ceo of the bill and melinda gates foundation patty stonesifer discusses her new career. familyngton dc based services charity. ceo ofy stonesifer, martha's table. what is it? a wonderful community- based organization that was founded 33 years ago with the idea that everybody deserves dignity and opportunity. we provide food support and

clothing support but also childhood care and afterschool care to ensure opportunity for those in our community and washington, d.c. what area do you serve? >> all over the city. we want to meet people where they are. hunger is everywhere. we go into the public schools. we know food stamps and families' bills are challenging. food, we are everywhere. 14 different locations. in terms of childcare and afterschool, we are at the corner of 14th. >> you came from a diverse career. how long did you serve microsoft in the state of washington? >> i was in the tech field for 20 years and 10 of those at microsoft. the other washington. >>how did you get into tech?

i was also fascinated by journalism and the written word. i was a letter writer. i loved to write in my family encourage my writing. , putting out of school a husband through school and having two children and got off of journalism track. the tech world was booming. the combination of being great at math and technology and writing and communicating brought me the opportunity to move into this new era of micro computing early on. andst gravitated toward it the opportunities were so great. >> how do somebody who is one of nine children, indianapolis, get into writing? who spurred it on? >> my parents were very good at keeping us busy. in addition to school activities and social service at tiffany's,

i was always writing relatives. my mother encouraged that it greatly. relatives would write back. beautiful letters. cousins across the country. i just got to where that was something i was encouraged. i was always a chatty child. they called me chatty patty. putting that chattiness into writing and encouraged and reinforced through the ongoing communication i had. >> how about those eight siblings? where are they? >> my family is all over the country. they are tied together by one thing -- my family is roman catholic. everybody took something different from that experience. justice, ourocial family was very tied to that. i have two brothers that are lawyers and a brother that is a

physician's assistant. a lot doing teaching and academia. a sister to social services. a whole range of ways that each of them found to return to society some of the benefits and they have been given. >> word did the idea -- where did the idea come from? >> a came out of my parents's faith. we live a few blocks from the local church. it was part of what we did. we do not think of as volunteerism would went to the soup kitchen and did the dishes why -- while the adults did the cooking. we did not end of as social services when my dad what's been a few hours after working two jobs driving the bus to pick up the deaf children for sunday mass. this was part of what they perceived. they passed that on to us.

i was probably in college before i even thought about this in a more abstract way. being a citizen and returning back to society. we saw it as you took care of your siblings and family and neighbors. and you took care of the broader community. >> you were the six of nine? in the sauce.say we did not like to use that phrase. >> mom and dad did what? a salesperson. my mother was trained as a physical therapist. there were nine a buzz at home. she did stop working for a few years. -- there were nine of us at home. somewhere -- a soup kitchen named after your father? in partood pantry is

named after my father because he was a very, very active a volunteer for that he helped turn around what had been a series of churches doing a great into a the back door grocery style pantry after seeing one in seattle and realizing it provided more dignity and choice and opportunity for better self- respect. instead of heading -- handing folks a bag they could come in a shop. thousands of dollars a month are beingly at the pantry able to shop into the same ways that martha's table enshrined to achieve here in washington, d.c. >> knocked down anything you want to say. i would assume your father never made a lot of money? >> he often worked two jobs to

make enough money to keep those nine children in school. he never made a lot of money. we never really thought we had enough but there was never asked her. >> did you go to butler? you dropped out and went to indiana university? >> that is right. i went to butler. it was a few blocks away from where my parents were staying on a journalism scholarship. sportswriter -- it was in his name. when i dropped out and got married, i returned to school after my first child was born. he would go to the daycare acted the -- at the iu purdue. >> the reason i asked, there were nine kids and foster kids, all of a sudden patty stonesifer

made a lot of money with microsoft. what happened to your head when it happened? >> it was a great surprise. i went to microsoft and moved my family to seattle because i thought it was a beautiful place to raise children. and also theeattle opportunity to experience the outdoors in a new way. i saw microsoft as a way really committed and passionate about what the two values i hold dearest. social justice and increasing knowledge. as a student who did not get to a computerhis idea on every desk and every home. access to theving encyclopedia and taking away the data from the main frame and put you on the desktop of everyone was extremely exciting to me. i was working at a book publisher when microsoft went working for grown-ups. mid to late 1980's,

they were realizing they were going to be a very large organization in a short time. i was a 30-year-old with a great track record. as a cambric routing and i thought it was an opportunity -- they were recruiting and i thought it was a great opportunity. and moved to an environment i thought would be wonderful to raise children. >> what was your first job there? >> the editor of microsoft press. i only did that for maybe a year before moving to microsoft canada to become the general manager. and he did that for another year and moved back to worldwide technical support and ended in my last job which was senior vice president of interactive media. i like to say i was in charge of development, research and

development and marketing for a whole range of products. using have a good time microsoft, that was probably one of the mind. if you were getting a lot of work done, that belonged to office. i had everything in that group and the joystick to encarta small business product. all that wonderful multimedia and the internet. the timeroduct over you were there at microsoft would we know about and the average person know about, what would it be? , the encyclopedia that change the dynamics and wikipedia came and changed once again. at the time i joined microsoft, and cardinal was an idea on a white board. the idea you could get a encyclopedia on a pc and it could be accessible to everybody

was a crazy idea. we see something even bolder and braver and more ubiquitous and wikipedia. one product i am very proud of is because it is having such an was in this slate idea from michael finley -- michael kinsley who became my husband and sold the idea to steve ballmer and the rest of the interview loop that there was an opportunity for those interested in politics and culture, but would have more availability on the internet would improve the economics and improve the numbers of people engaged in these ideas. >> we have a video of your husband and for those -- most of us will know is michael kinsley. here he is. [video clip] slate, the founding editor.

what did you like best about your job? >> right now, i am writing a column. i like that because you can read something in the paper and instead of calling c-span, you can write it up. >> you have a megaphone? >> yes. editing which i miss a little idea, -- if you get an you can assign a them all. >> what is the back story on this relationship? how did you get together? >> i got divorced after 20 years of a great relationship that started in my early college days. microsoft was really entering this new world of full-time peoplelooking for talented at content. michael wrote a letter to his old friend steve ballmer saying

hey, i hear you're looking for journalists, i am thinking about a new idea. steve encouraged him to come out. i met mike when he came out and was literally going door-to-door doing an interview loop. he had all the stuff interviewers. process wast rhetorically demanding. asking the tough questions and trying to narrow in. id. afterthis special the end -- idea after the end called as appropriate person. that person is not your schedule when you start interviewing. if everybody loves you, they said and somebody who turns on the charm and talks about how wonderful if you came to microsoft and were to move across the country. i was mike's as appropriate. beingdoing my job abide

the charming person versus all the people when bennett tough. that beget -- versus all the people who had been tough. -- that began the relationship. headdition to his writing, is a marvelous man. the opportunity to spend time with him in seattle and eventually we never did and have been married for the past 11 years. >> he had a rough time with parkinson's. much better in 2012. how is he doing? developmentted from in the pharmaceutical industry and also medical devices. six years ago now, he had deep brain stimulation surgery which is not used, only what frick will lead to address other and y- which is not used commonl but used freakily to address -- to address

neurological problems. he is the first person on the bike and in the gym to maintain his health and keep his energy high. we're really lucky. years diagnosed over 20 ago. his story is one of great success. he is writing some the best stuff he's ever written. republic,""the new he would say he got lucky in that he was diagnosed with isidore at a time that medical improvements was rapidly increasing. >> you were his boss? of time.brief period he likes to joke that he ran off a lot of bosses. i left about six months after "slate" was launched. i had been there for a long time. i knew that that the job had run

its course. i was eager to see what the next single was. i had two teenagers and was eager to spend more time with them. >> are you melinda french's boss? ismelinda french gates probably the best manager who ever worked for me. she ran a wide range of products including expedia publisher, en carta, a range of great products and was the general manager that was in my division. she had come right out of college. she got her masters and undergraduate work at duke. she likes to tease she was the one in the family with two degrees. evil one.ever got he has gotten a couple of honorary. they dated during the time. --ability never even got

bill never even got one. she quit when her first child in part because of bill's leadership and they were beginning to realize -- between raising the children and dealing with the business -- busy life and being part of the microsoft juggernaut at started on philanthropy. >> do you remember the publicity that bill gates was getting that criticized him for not giving his money away? i that have an impact on him? >> the first time i heard him talk about philanthropy was years before we started the foundation. before his father started the william gates trust which was the predecessor. i started the library foundation in 1996. his father started back in 1994 or 1995.

the first time i heard bill talk about philanthropy was at a retreat in his cabin in the state of washington. a lot of the senior executives were there talking about the and we would hang out late at night. that evening, it was clear the .tock was increasing we got into a conversation about how much was enough. the bill was the first to say you can only have so many stocks and shirts at a certain point you have to take the access and return it to society in the smartest way possible. we had extended discussion about how much was enough. at what point do you return to that number bill, was low. that was when he was still getting lots of feedback about why he was not more generous. he was still in his 30's. to takeht he wanted

philanthropy very seriously and do it right. that would be something he would do later in his career. when i quit microsoft and windows senior was doing all -- of bill senior was doing all of this great work, a both a bill and melinda became aware that it can start a lot earlier and got engaged on these issues. the big issue that drives their philanthropy and now. it on how long were you there? i am still very committed to the issues and they are pursuing. i was there from the very beginning -- i left microsoft at the end of 1996. 1997 and two when a bill left in 2008. >> how much money did you have when you started? to bill andd spoke

melinda about the ideas they had we could connect every library in the country to the internet. it could cost $100 million. if you want to do a lot of international work, you are ready and if you need more you can come back. it started with a large amount of money at that time. $200 million to ensure every library was connected with the hardware and software and the hardware and software and knowledge and training to ensure everyone in the country that wanted access to the knowledge of the internet could get it. thewon access to the tools personal computer could provide it. >> every library in the country? what did you spend the money on? >> personal computers. every library ordered a series of computers depending on their population.

we started off training. we trained tens of thousands of librarians. libraries have their hands up saying this about what we stand for. that about the idea knowledge and access is important for all citizens. there was a large group of citizens that were being locked out because of the cost of computer andd the the complexity. we had a younger group of internet peace corps that went out across the country whether in alabama or idaho or new york city and connected computers to the internet and trained librarians to ensure their public libraries became part of increasing knowledge. >> from the time you had $200 million to today, how much money now? over $35 billion. it is actually understated because we warren buffett has

committed his wealth which is an equal amount if not higher now gates work of the foundation. he transfers that what every year to the foundation and they spend in the following year. isir actual giving up our many billions of dollars. when i left, the philanthropy, went out in society and organizations, it was $3.5 billion a year. >> why did you leave? had a wonderful opportunity at the foundation to start with a blank sheet of paper and think of the big problems in the world and what we wanted to do. we ended on global health. whether vaccination or research and development on a malaria vaccine or reproductive health. states, u.s. education reform. i was very proud of the work.

i performed that job as a volunteer. i had been lucky enough to make more than i ever dreamed i would and was looking to return what i had to society and use the skills i built in the technology world. i had to skills to offer. i did understand the way technology was changing the world whether biotech or information and how we might be able to stand on the shoulders of all of the progress to see what could be done to address the needs of the poor in the world. that was one advantage. i knew how to run a business. the second is ahead of the trust of bill and melinda gates to the partnership that they needed. the same as a bill's data. and thisd help them early stage. i cannot have any experience of the letter three -- philanthropy at that scale. i did it while the children were

little and melinda could focus on the children and increasingly taking on a bigger role. the bill was able to focus on microsoft. and decision-mous making through e-mail. when i worked in the archive all wasa decision we made, he across the lake at microsoft and she was bouncing raising three young children and the work as a foundation. there came a moment when bill was ready to leave microsoft and the children were growing up. you can see the two of them were ready to be the daily presence, guiding force. best jobs inthe the world, there's a time when you say i am not as needed. tot was a good time for me pass the baton completely to them. >> when did you last get a salary? guess probably

microsoft was my last. >> what the year? >> 1996. i have been enriched beyond what i deserve not only by microsoft. when i announced i was leaving, one of the early calls was from a guy named jeff bezos. we are starting a board, would you like to join me and this organization called amazon? i joined the board of directors of this little company called amazon.com which was across the lake in seattle. i have been on that board for 17 years. i have been able to participate in the market-based growth based on technology and innovation. and thate of prosperity has allowed me to make decisions that other people might not be able to.

>> i want to turn to education. you graduated from a midwestern state school. bill gates did not graduate. did jeff bezos? >> no. >> steve jobs? >> i do not think he did. >> mr. zuckerberg did not graduate from college? >> not because they cannot get in because they got distracted. about the ivyear league schools being so important. you made the microsoft crowd and apple crowd and made a lot of money, given a lot of money away. you do not need a fancy degree. what good is a education degree? >> i would not underestimate how much of those fancy degrees and the people who went to cornell and harvard were part of the engine of microsoft. we were able to recruit on the best campuses and find people

like melinda french. those folks and their knowledge not only help society and how history has worked and technology can work, it really did feel the engine at apple and microsoft. that said, i do believe there are multiple ways of learning. i am still learning now. by nature i am someone who was too absorbed as much information as possible and try to problem --ve and understand proposal whether poverty and washington, d.c. are global health issues in bangladesh. those kind of puzzles are interesting. the same was true of steve jobs and bill gates. that kind of problem solving passion is what has fueled so much innovation in this country. i am lucky. >> let's go back to money.

what happened to you here as you began to be worth a lot of money? obviously, you're not taking a salary for a long time. what did you think about money? no question that people who made money rapidly like i did ok from ordinary backgrounds but extraordinary in many ways in terms of the family i was lucky enough to be born into and suddenly having extraordinary wealth, the wealth can either absorb you or you can look at it and say what one want to do with this? really looked at the idea idea to be super clear about what was my passion and i had the privilege of not having to worry about the resource

engine. when you see young journalists today and they have a passion and they worry about it there's a resource engine that will feel them sending their children to school. what about their grandchildren? i was lucky enough that it got because of the sudden rise of information technology stock and the idea that entered about the same time of technology companies were created that stocks should be shared with a range of employees. that was a relatively new phenomenon. i was lucky enough to the advantage of by both -- a fast rising and employees were naturelders by the very of the contribution they were making. i was able to look after the money so what did dispassionately as they happen if you'll my passion -- and say how can it fuel my passion?

to be careful about picking of the work that really advanced my passion. i thought i could be great. >> martha's table. when we you first motivated to take this job? >> i started on april 1 of this year. i had a couple of years from the time i stepped down as ceo of the gates foundation and i was active with the issues that they were funding but i was also working hard at the smithsonian institution where i accepted the role of chair. i realized i wanted to dive all the way in and get the full benefit of what amazing things go on every day at the smithsonian and supported them in their growth and change as they changed out leadership and other issues were going on that required my attention.

like alowed me -- it was plant that needed to be repotted. you put in a new pot and i grew even more. the process of that growth i look at what we come push at the gates found tatian. the good and bad decisions. struck me and bothered me was during the time, we've made enormous strides on childhood immunizations. great strides on aids treatment and prevention. we made some strides on u.s. education reform. the number of children living in poverty rose. did nott -- i understand. how could that happen? i knew parts was the recession and economic climate that we were in. i still thought how could this country, when i have been around the globe and seen the problems

and other countries and i was come back here and say, if not here, where can we address this issue? looking at the issues of poverty and thinking back to the support i sigh and the community i grew up in, i wanted to understand what closely what does it take for one family to change their life? for one mother and one child to break that cycle of poverty? to get the right education and get the access to the career that will be game changing for that family? i was a donor to martha's table like so many of your viewers. that andnd i would do annual consideration of the things we care about. they were important to us as we grew up. issues because they match our broader believes. also the players in our community we saw doing good work

stopped -- work. martha's table delivered hot food. square and i was see that event and i was see -- van and i'll see the lines of people and i knew it was volunteer 80 hard-working staff. they had eaten warm is influenced into the community that they were serving. a greater brand. why wouldn't i join that organization? see if i could put my skills to work and see if i can understand better why do we have this issue. why do we have so many children that are not graduating high school? going on to college and attaching to careers that i was able to? >> the one thing it seems to me that is never talked about and i am sure i am wrong, no one ever

homes in on the fact that 70% of the children in the black community are born out of wedlock. the national average is 40% and we talk about -- i get the background. it comes down to the kids do not come home and find to parents or even one. how do you deal -- what happened to us? that was not in the way it was when i was growing up. >> i do not pretend to understand why so many younger toen are making the choice have their families alone. i do know for martha's table that even though single women have to assemble the kind of support that i had to assemble to be the working mother, i was lucky i had a spouse who was very passionate about the children. thee at martha's table grandmothers and sisters and often times the brothers or own and often times

we have the custodial fathers. it takes far more than one person to successfully raise a child. whether you are patty stonesifer or a wonderful parent at martha's table. the critical need is for them to assemble the same kind and supportive network we had in our traditional family structures for a wide range of reasons, they do not see the same value in the persistent family structure that we did. >> where do you think from watching the world and in the last 30 or 40 years, where does it come from? the numbers keep going up and up very fast. people born out of wedlock. >> i am not sure i know the answer. and lack that poverty of education changes outlooks

for everyone. i certainly in choosing a spouse was thinking about the life we could build together. and seeing his potential both as a partner and as a parent and i am guessing, there is something in the proposition that is not working for people. either not for the young man and we know the young man raised in poverty are having a lot of issues especially minority young men attaching to college in large numbers and successful careers and i am glad to see some the foundations and social services try to address the needs of minority young man -- men to ensure they are in a path of success. it is also parenthood. figuring that out attorney that cycle around his par of what realizations -- figuring that out and that cycle is part of organizations like mark the tables.

there is fight -- work for us to be doing. -- mike martha's table. martha's table. -- there is work for us to be doing. >> where does the name martha, from -- come from. >> two sisters in the bible. on the past when jesus was doing was theching, martha one who stayed in the kitchen making dinner while mary sat with the apostles. martha made the mistake of complaining to jesus. he conveyed that was where the highest of value was. the socialo when worker and just what priest came priest camejesuit

together, they chose the name to designate the dignity and being one who serves. but how many people work? >> 80 of us. there are 10,000 volunteers. some of them in grade school making sandwiches and for clock, and 4:00, we have drivers children from the local grade school who come into the reading buddies with the children in the childcare system. we have thrift stores that serve people. we have people in their hanging up things and bringing in clothing. we rely on the whole community to make martha's table work. only eight of us, and every day. >> how many people do you serve every day? >> about 2000. we expanded recently. our grocery program. many people think of us as a

soup kitchen. know that mostwe hunger and poverty is actually in the home. the empty cupboard after the end of the month. the mother who was cutting back her own food to ensure the child has enough to eat. and in these recent snap benefits make that even a worse with many of the same families we serve receiving five percent, stampscent less food than they received at first. we distributed groceries. at 11 different school locations and to ensure low income families with children in school and have the groceries and the cabin and they need to ensure the child's development. >> is her taxpayer money at martha's table? yes, the early childhood which is extremely important.

we have learned about the importance of even prenatal through age eight and how development through that time is so important. we have a successful early childhood program that is supported in large part by d.c. vouchers. we see the subsidy growing across the country. is undercut by many of the cut that's indifferent state -- cutbacks in different states. children aged00 12 weeks to 4 years, eating meals and most importantly, working on all of the kinds of developmental issues that children need to have to be ready to compete at age 4 when they enter the formal school system. thee subsidies provide

basis and philanthropy helps us take it to a new level. know, almost a 50% graduation rate out of college for people who live here. you have statistics -- how many are in poverty? >> in the children in the district, it is half. we have a storage or distribution and washington, -- a barbell. those who have returned a wealth and exceptional amount and another big population that have really struggled. that is not dissimilar to the greater communities around the country. i read half of u.s. jobs or less than 34,000 dollars a year. we are seeing more and more of the families we serve our working families. they have one jobs and sometimes too and they cannot make ends meet because of housing has

risen because quality food prices are not what is gone down. we see a great reduction in food costs for processed food but to buy produce and protein is expensive. working families in many cases where there is not enough food at the end of the month. 30,000 children and washington, possibilityconstant of hunger. 30,000 children in our nation's capital. if we could count them, we can address this. we also need to make sure that food safety net is complete. >> you ever been on the government payroll? >> and no. i had the privilege of sharing onncil for president obama community solutions. that is part of what drew me to martha's table to see how communities more than the federal government were starting to learn how to solve their own problems at home and how the

solutions close to the communities they serve seem to be the most impactful. is what ison i ask your sense after watching -- are people more motivated when they do something when they are volunteering and giving money or more motivated when they get the money from the taxpayer? --other words among i know words, i know you think there's a combination of the government and people. more motivated when they have to do it themselves? you were critical of the whereion of snap program the monthly stipend to people for food. , is importantts for people who share our believes that no one should really be hungry in this

country. certainly no child should be hungry. there are developmental cost that are beside moral costs. premise, youhat have to remember that snap the benefits are 20 times the size of the entire charitable food network. it takes a bold. you do not want the government will rome to overreach. the safety net provided by the private sector to help with surrounding at the end of the month with the supplement is important. if we see real cuts to the formal food benefit program, 40 million -- more than 40 million americans access snap benefits and this year. some for only a few weeks or months as the circumstance change. if we see really deep cuts to privategram, the network will not be able to hold

the need in this country and people will go hungry even more than they do today. to your question about the motivation, there is no question that all of us like to get out and serve. that's is a wonderful part of being a citizen this abstract idea of being a taxpayer and supporting the government programs and using our voice the way we should when things like foodstuffs are threatened and other programs that are means tested and only go to those in the greatest need. when they are cut, we have to use our voice. sometimes we feel our voices are small and being able to make that sandwich or delivered that hotmail or chop the vegetables -- hot meal or chop those vegetables. a mix of those two seem the right way to serve your beliefs. last we watch this and the

10 years or so, we have spent trillions of dollars overseas in a war. this area is very rich, as you know. house values never went down very much. how can -- with all the money in this area, how can people in washington, d.c. let 30,000 be in poverty at the star and had difficulty getting food every day? how is it possible? >> bill gates used to say this about malaria. if they lived next door, you would not allow it. if we do not go down to martha's table or go to the food distribution, we are able to .orget that need exist that is one of the positive outcomes of volunteering and serving. you remember that this need exists in your community. while i know volunteering serves

organizations, it serves us as citizens to remember where we are versus where we could be. veteran whout the comes to us every month looking for food at the and of the month. mean shet snap cuts does her laundry two times a month and maybe she should do it once. to make things last a bit longer . i cannot imagine what the deborah's life would be like if the deeper cuts are made next year as budget conversations continue and in knowing the deborah and seeing her situation and knowing that she cert our country, it would change -- and knowing that she cert our country thomas in which i -- served our country, which is almost everybody's opinion. >> we can spend money on a baseball stadium.

three of the members of the council are in prison or had to leave because they were ripping off the community. on the a judgment call part of the city council to spend money for people who do not have food versus baseball or $600,000 spent on greet the mayor day? >> i do not know about the individual choices. being from seattle, i was well aware of the challenges of the politics of d.c. government and i was delighted to learn that d.c. believes that people who , itregistered for snap leads to breakfast in school which is essential for child development and learning. it leads the way on free and reduced lunches and in this council is proactive in thinking about how to keep the more people from being dropped from the snap rolls.

they are proactive in thinking about early childhood and how do we get more access to the oneidies that would allow of the custodial parent i was talking about who has two jobs as a bus boy and bring his young son and stays for an hour every morning to learn what he should be doing as a parent. how do we ensure that every eric has access to a subsidy? council ist this struggling with. the key for us is to keep the voices heard of eric and deborah and people like you and me to make that trade-off between another entertainment stadium and more of the support that working families need to be successful and make the trade- offs clear. >> also with the highest truancy rates in the schools here. why is that? >> for children to be successful

in school, they have to be there. there often and not at home -- at school because the situations andhe family and illness transportation. we have to wriggle away at all of these issues. we know that having breakfast and lunch at schools reduces truancy. to family sees as a benefit make sure that child is fed and taken care of. continuing to make school relevant to the young people and make sure the additional and the of nutrition right kind of stimulus and physical activity are present will help us with the truancy rates. we have seen that across the country where breakfast has been introduced in truancy rates have improved. >> what is the budget for martha's table a year? >> last year we spend $4.5 million in cash. education and for

buying the food and supporting our programs. that $4.5 million is supplemented by people giving their clothing and donating food and, kind of donations that help. >> personal questions now. not policy questions. your high point that you would point to as different organizations, when you were at microsoft, what was your high point? small childa sitting on encyclopedia was to use encarta. the idea this child was finding a way to increase her knowledge through exciting as full ration on the pc meant this idea of access to knowledge and personal computing was a reality. >> your high point when you were on the cbs board?

>> wow, a very good question. i would have to say multiple conversations that we got into about how mtv could use its reach and power to influence things like dropout rates and things like voting and the ways that the rock the vote and other programs with the reach of media empires to help with the idea of being better citizens was a powerful part. >> highpoint on amazon board? >> nothing like being of the amazon board but currently providing high points. i would have to say the idea ist the candle -- kindle allowing everyone to have dozens of books and ideas going at all times whether you are waiting at the dmv or sitting at home on

the sofa, you can explore what ever idea you had a today. it is very exciting and takes the early experience to a new level. quick high point of the gates foundation? are you still on the point -- are you still on the board? >> i was never on the board. i was a staff leader. it is a very small group with a lot of influence. no question the high point for me was meeting a grandmother when i was out on a polio vaccine drive with a local rotary club. this grandmother had a younger girl on her hip fascia, a long way to ensure that child. the polio shots. she was disfigured. -- a long way to ensure that child got polio shots. she knew nothing about the idea of polio eradication of probably smallpox.

she wanted nothing more that to ensure that the grandchild did not suffer as she did. passion and that ability to bring technology and humanity to gather was like nothing else. >> highpoint on the smithsonian board? how long were you there and how long were you chair? >> i am on the board for a nether few days. it runs out at the end of december. the term was 12 years. the senate and the house have to approve and the president signs off on. there were a hundred wings that were high points -- things that were highpoint. one is i will continue on and i am still a board member for the new national museum for african american history and culture. n theis a very large hole i ground.

artifacts and heritage and storytelling that is going on. the groundbreaking for that means down on the mall in the shadow of the washington monument that often had slave labor to build many of the buildings in this town with the president obama, our first african-american president, and to know this beautiful museum will tell all of america's story and be part of making the decision to help him build the institution. >> when will it open? for 2015.atural we have a lot to build and collect. >> how much money has been collected and how much is needed? >> $400 million. half will come from the u.s. government and 200 million from private donors. we are over $100 million. we have a long way to go and we

need worse -- and resources from every body. it is important to realize it is not for african-americans but for all americans to understand our history better. that is why is right across from the american history building and right under the shadow of the washington monument. >> what is a highpoint for martha's table? that onestion for me of the things i have been able to do their its move from our monthly distribution of critical towth to people in an alley partner with a local nonprofit called the latin american youth and turn it into a market style and see the change in people when they go from getting groceries in a bag in a line to have a wonderful shopping experience where they picked the produce they want and proteins and they want. they bring their cards along

like at a grocery. the increase in dignity and opportunity for everyone has been very gratifying. and those kind opportunities are will do as i work to understand better what we need to do as a nation and community. >> how old are your two children? >> a son is 32 married to a wonderful woman looked up and a daughter -- woman. -- in a dot or who is 29. my son is a detective. is 29.ghter who i have two beautiful grandchildren. >> a mom and dad, are they alive? >> my mom in indianapolis and probably watching this show. she's very proud of her nine children. my dad passed 11 years ago.

pointant to know the high of growing up in a family of nine. when you would bring in foster children, what was the most in the home? >> we had a family of four that had a tragedy losing their mother and their father being incarcerated. a family of four moved in. in terms of looking back, i have to think one of the highlights was i thought was one of the most embarrassing thing ever is that we took our summer vacation in an old school bus my father had converted. he wallpapered the inside and remove half of the seats and we went from state park to state park across indiana. the girls was sleep inside on blowup mattresses and the boys in the tent. for all ofade meals

us on a little stove. i can only imagine how challenging it was. it was a lot of fun. what is the ask high point of being married to michael kinsley. at breakfast.ng the conversations we have. it is just a greater delight. he helps me be wiser and smarter every day. >> patty stonesifer has been our guest. she is the ceo of martha's table. we thank her very much. >> thank you. : >> all this week we will bring

of encore presentations stockman on avid deformation" great 7:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. tonight the final question time prime year with british minister david cameron followed by a memorial service for the anniversary of pan-am flight andanatlantic patty sto kwrety stonesifer. >> we are telling about your year in review series.