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![10 April 24, 2009
The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People
By Jonathan Hemmerdinger
Some of the top industry advocates named
by CEO Update in last year’s Top Lobbyists
Special Report say their work since then has
become more frenzied than ever, the result of a
new administration eager to enact an agenda.
“The pace has been frenetic,” said Michael
Aitken, director of government affairs for the
Society for Human Resource Management.
“I have talked to other colleagues who … re-
member the times when you had breaks,
down time.”
Aitken said he’s been especially busy be-
cause the administration and Congress have
been more active than they have been in 20
or 25 years on workplace issues, like the Em-
ployee Free Choice Act, the Family and Med-
ical Leave Act, health care reform and
immigration law.
Scott Talbott, senior vice president for gov-
ernment affairs for The Financial Services
Roundtable, said this year can’t begin to com-
pare to last. “It was and has been a hyper-
drive, no-holds blitzkrieg since the government
took over Freddie [Mac],” he said.
Days passed like minutes, and legislation
that might have once taken years, passed in
weeks, he added.
Jay Timmons, executive vice president of
the National Association of Manufacturers,
said his group wasn’t surprised by the in-
crease in pace.
“It was not something that we didn’t antic-
ipate, whoever the president would be,” Tim-
mons said. “We anticipate it will step up
more in the next six months.”
Regina Hopper, executive vice president of
USTelecom, a group representing the broad-
band industry, said the lobbying pace is blis-
tering because broadband can facilitate
reforms in specific industries that are in
Congress’ crosshairs, like health care and ed-
ucation.
Meeting and tweeting
Hopper said that since the Obama victory,
networking has evolved to mean not just in-
person meetings, but also connecting with
members through social networking sites.
Now, she said, breaks are few, even during
congressional recesses.
“Twitter doesn’t stop. Facebook doesn’t
stop. The use of video for advocacy doesn’t
stop just because there was a recess,” Hopper
said. “This Easter recess I’ve been as busy or
busier than I have ever been.”
Jade West of the National Association of
Wholesaler-Distributors said although an in-
crease in the lobbying pace is common every
time the administration changes, it is crip-
pling this time around.
“The downtime you had [in the past] to
take a deep breath, you don’t have [any-
more],” she said.
West said that’s because lawmakers are
working on so much at once.
“Kennedy is doing stuff on health care and
Baucus is doing work on health care, but not
the same stuff,” West said. “I need a clone.”
“It’s the relentlessness of this pace that is
driving everyone batty,” she added.
Aitken agreed things are moving at a
manic speed. “The thing that is different is
that it’s truly continuous,” he said.
Lobbyists say it’s unlikely to slow.
“[Congress] will be on a breakneck pace
until Memorial Day,” Aitken said. “After
that, there will be three weeks of rapid activ-
ity until the July recess. Then rapid activity
into August.”
Some lobbyists wonder how long Congress
and the administration can maintain such a
grueling schedule.
“You [have to] wonder when it wears him
[Obama] out,” West said.
Revisiting 2008 Top Lobbyists: More hustle on the Hill
Lawmakers and the new administration’s efforts to implement several Democratic agenda items have many association lobbyists working overtime
Michael Aitken
Society for Human
Resource Management
Regina Hopper
USTelecom
Scott Talbott
The Financial
Services Roundtable
Jay Timmons
National Association
of Manufacturers
Jade West
National Association
of Wholesaler-
Distributors
“Twitter doesn’t stop. Facebook doesn’t stop. The use of video for
advocacy doesn’t stop just because there was a recess.”
—Regina Hopper, executive vice president,
USTelecom](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/7068c971-d0f1-49fb-830c-b8adf5c14552-170209215442/85/CEOUpdateTopLobbyistsReport-10-320.jpg)
![16 April 24, 2009
The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People
Departures
Lawyers group loses Haber as CEO
Jon Haber, CEO of the trial
lawyers’ group The American
Association for Justice, will
leave in early May for other
opportunities, according to
an April 7 AAJ media release.
Haber, who joined the
group four years ago, said in an interview with
CEO Update that he leaves the AAJ, formerly
known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of
America, in a stronger position than it has
been in a generation. Haber said among his ac-
complishments are leading the group’s reloca-
tion to its new offices on 6th and H Street,
NW, in Washington, D.C. and assisting in the
improvement of the group’s communications
efforts with the creation of a rapid media re-
sponse “war room.”
Prior to joining the AAJ, Haber was as a sen-
ior executive at the public relations firm Fleish-
man-Hillard. Earlier, Haber served on the staffs
of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen.
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). He also worked on the
presidential election campaigns of Sen. Ted
Kennedy (D-Mass.), former Vice President
Walter Mondale, Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-
Mo.), President Bill Clinton, and former Ver-
mont Governor Howard Dean.
Haber, who holds a law degree from the Uni-
versity of San Francisco School of Law, will stay
with the group until the AAJ board meeting in
early May. An AAJ spokesperson said the search
for Haber’s successor will be led by the board of
directors.
Simpson leaves manufacturing tech
group; a successor expected soon
The Association for Manufacturing Tech-
nology, a McLean, Va.-based group represent-
ing providers of manufacturing machinery and
equipment, announced the resignation of Presi-
dent Robert K. Simpson, effective Feb. 24.
“He felt that his interest and skill set was
more in line with manufacturing operations
[than] nonprofit trade associations,” said Linda
Montfort, AMT’s vice president of finance and
human resources. “He’s been in manufacturing
his entire career.”
Simpson joined the group June 2008, but
did not assume the role of president until Oc-
tober, when former president John B. Byrd III
retired, according to a May 2008 AMT release.
Prior to joining AMT, Simpson, who has
more than 25 years of manufacturing opera-
tions experience, was corporate vice president
and president of global plastics machinery at
Milicron, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based plastics
processing firm. Earlier, he was president of
Siegel-Robert Automotive in St. Louis, Mo.,
and held executive positions at Providence,
R.I.-based holding company Textron.
Simpson graduated from Miami University
in Oxford, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in
manufacturing engineering and from Western
International University in Phoenix, Ariz., with
a master’s degree in business administration.
Montfort said that the AMT search commit-
tee is working with Wisconsin-based search firm
Koehler & Co. to find Simpson’s replacement.
She added that the group hopes to have a deci-
sion on a new leader in the next few weeks.
Tyneski leaves product design group
The Industrial Designers
Society of America, a group
that promotes the interests of
firms that create and develop
product designs, announced
that the group’s executive di-
rector, Frank Tyneski, is step-
ping down, effective April 23.
NEWS & SELECTIONS](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/7068c971-d0f1-49fb-830c-b8adf5c14552-170209215442/85/CEOUpdateTopLobbyistsReport-16-320.jpg)
![17April 24, 2009
Continued on page 18
In an interview with CEO Update, Tyneski
said he was happy to have worked at the IDSA
and was proud of his accomplishments at the
group, but was ready to return to a job that
more closely fits his passion—product design.
“Running a nonprofit was an opportunity to
give back,” Tyneski said. “[But I am] returning
to the wild and doing what I enjoy doing,
which is the process of design.”
Tyneski said while at the IDSA he helped the
group create strategic partnerships, design a
new web site and increase staff efficiency. In ad-
dition, Tyneski said he helped the group start a
program to provide health insurance to indus-
trial designers.
Tyneski, who has been with the group since
2007, is moving to San Diego, Calif.-based
Skinit, a developer and manufacturer of cus-
tomized consumer products, where Tyneski will
be vice president of design strategy and product
development. Tyneski said he was offered the
job after suggesting design ideas to company
representatives at a trade show.
Tyneski said he will remain on retainer as an
advisor to IDSA’s board of directors.
Arrivals
Strittmatter leads kids’ library group
The Association for Library
Service to Children, a divi-
sion of the American Library
Association, announced
April 6 that Aimee Strittmat-
ter will be the group’s new ex-
ecutive director. Marge
Loch-Wouters, a member of the search com-
mittee and an ALSC board member, made the
announcement in an email to members.
Strittmatter, who for the last four years was
the group’s deputy director, came to the ALSC
from the William P. Faust Public Library of
Westland, Mich., where from 2002 to 2005 she
was children’s services supervisor. From 2000 to
2002, she was children’s librarian at the Chicago
Public Library. Before that, Strittmatter was a
public library associate at the Loving Branch of
the Ann Arbor District Library.
She succeeds Diane Foote, who has left the
group for family reasons.
Strittmatter graduated in 2000 from the Uni-
versity of Michigan’s School of Information
with a concentration in library and information
science. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in
criminal justice from Michigan State University.
Former volunteer to join PKU group
The National PKU Alliance,
an coalition of regional
groups formed in 2008 to
support families and individ-
uals affected by the genetic
disorder phenylketonuria, an-
nounced April 7 that the
group’s first executive director will be Christine
Brown, a former volunteer at the organization
and a mother of two children with PKU.
Brown, who has 15 years experience leading
nonprofit organizations, comes to the group
from the Tomahawk Regional Chamber of
Commerce, in Tomahawk, Wis., where she was
executive director. Earlier, Brown was the direc-
tor of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Ver-
mont and she was the executive director at a
women’s resource center in Vermont called Um-
brella, Inc. In addition, Brown worked at the
Anne Arundel Country Domestic Violence Co-
ordinating Center in Maryland as coordinator.
“I spent my whole career in nonprofit organ-
izations on the local, state and regional level,”
said Brown in an interview with CEO Update,
“and I am excited to use my experience for a
cause that affects my family.”
Brown said her first goal is to increase the
number of regional and state members of
NPKUA. She plans to work with insurance
companies and federal and state agencies to im-
prove benefits to families struggling with the
high costs of the dietary formula required by
PKU patients.
“This is a very expensive disease to treat,”
Brown said.
Brown will also help create a Board of Scien-
tific Advisors to study PKU research.
Tucker to head military comptrollers
Alvin Tucker will replace
Robert Hale as the executive
director of the 17,000-mem-
ber American Society of
Military Comptrollers,
based in Alexandria, Va.
Tucker, who worked as a
Russian linguist in the U.S. Army, joined the
ASMC after 12 years as director in the defense
and intelligence practice of the accounting firm
Grant Thornton LLP. From 1990 to 1997,
Tucker worked at the Department of Defense
as deputy chief financial officer. He also spent
time at the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, the Office of the Secretary of
Defense, and the Army Audit Agency.
Tucker, who holds a bachelor’s degree in ac-
counting from the University of Maryland, said
he hopes to improve the group’s use of profes-
sional development and training programs. He
has already begun visiting some of the group’s
140 chapters.
“I want to learn about their issues and what
was can do to help,” Tucker said in an interview
with CEO Update.
Tucker replaces Hale, who left the group
when he was appointed by President Obama—
and confirmed by the Senate—as the under
secretary of defense (comptroller and chief fi-
nancial officer) at the Department of Defense.
Hale, who is a former Navy officer and was as-
sistant secretary of the Air Force (financial
management and comptroller) from 1994 to
2001, led the ASCM for four years.
Radford to steer Greenpeace USA
Greenpeace USA announced
that Phil Radford, the
group’s former grassroots di-
rector, will be the new execu-
tive director, effective April
27.
Radford, who has been ac-
tive in environmental causes since high school,
joined Greenpeace in 2003 to build the group’s
grassroots program, which uses student organ-
izing and online networking tools like MySpace
to mobilize members. In addition, Radford
helped launch Frontline, a grassroots member-
building program that helped double the
group’s revenue to $30 million.
In an interview with CEO Update, Radford
said his priority as the executive director is to
use scientific studies to convince lawmakers to
be more aggressive in the fight against global
warming. In addition, Radford hopes to make
Greenpeace a more influential political force—
the environment group equivalent of the Na-
tional Rifle Association.
Radford holds a bachelor’s degree from
Washington University in St. Louis and has a
certificate in nonprofit management from
Georgetown University.
John Passacantando, the group’s former ex-
ecutive director, is leaving Greenpeace after
eight years at the helm, during which time the
group has grown from a staff of 60 to more
than 500. Under Passacantando, Greenpeace
tackled issues including climate change and il-
legal logging in the Amazon, and charged
Exxon Mobil Corporation with funding groups
that misinformed the public on global warm-](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/7068c971-d0f1-49fb-830c-b8adf5c14552-170209215442/85/CEOUpdateTopLobbyistsReport-17-320.jpg)
CEOUpdateTopLobbyistsReport
- 1. Volume XIX, Number473, April 24, 2009 www.ceoupdate.com Copyright 2009, CEO Update. All Rights Reserved April 24, 2009 By Tavia Evans Gilchrist Lobbyists in Washington say the heart of their industry—the ability to petition the government—is under attack, as the administration issues more restrictions on their work and interaction with policy makers. It’s been a longstanding public relations battle for the lobbying industry—combating the perception of being hired guns with undue power and influence. But advocates who have shaped their careers pressing for constituent and member issues, say the administration now is violating their constitutional rights and also failing to get valuable information that industry lobbyists can provide. “We have over one million Realtors who see the marketplace every day and they should be looked upon as a resource,” said Jerry Giovaniello, chief lobbyist for the National Association of Realtors. “The mood in Washington is cutting off that path, because you need a lot of information to Continued on page 6 Top lobbyists overcome restrictions, run strategic defense for associations Despite hurdles, effective advocates say they work inside coalitions, use new media to make gains Associations sink roots in Washington Trade groups continue to seek a capital presence as D.C.’s influence in business interests expands Continued on page 11 Retail groups plan merger, Mullin retires National Retail Federation CEO Tracy Mullin will retire at year’s end as NRF combines with smaller retail association. 3 Lobby spending slows in first quarter Energy and environmental groups continue to ramp up lobbying activities, as large trade groups slow spending. 5 Who must register as a lobbyist? Professionals spending more than 20 percent of their time lobbying or talking to covered officials twice in six months should register under LDA Act. 9 Lobbyists play defense, work harder Top Lobbyists featured last year say political turnover and helping their industries recover is keeping them busy. 10 Relocating groups get bargain prices Associations find deals on office space in the region as vacancy rates near 12 percent and the price per square foot declines. 13 EXPERT OPINION Executive recruiter Adam Smith recommends a competitive compensation package to attract top-tier candidates. 14 Aircraft group launches media effort Advertising campaign featuring Harrison Ford targets Washington, D.C. officials. 15 News and Selections 16 New CEOs Senior staff announcements JOB LISTINGS CEO opportunities 21 Senior staff positions, DC 24 Senior staff positions, National 29 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Subscribers have password access to www.ceoupdate.com. Login for more jobs and updated news. Opening a Washington, D.C. office of an association has long been symbolic of an industry’s heft and power—a sign that its leaders want to maximize influence among lawmakers and protect their business interests. And indicative of Washington’s growing influence on all sectors, coalitions and professional groups continue to flock to the nation’s capital to ensure they have a role in the public policy decisions affecting them. “Washington is where the action is and it’s where accreditation happens, so it’s where we need to be,” said Jim Goss, interim director of the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation or COMTA. The organization moved to the Friendship Heights neighborhood in Washington, D.C., in August 2008 from Evanston, Ill. S P E C I A L R E P O R T
- 2. 2 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&PeopleThe Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People For details, see CEO Searches, beginning on page 21. Indicates searches for which the recruiter has communicated that they are no longer accepting new candidates. It does not necessarily mean a final candidate has been selected. NEW CLOSED Search firm CEO activity 1990 M Street NW, 8th Floor Washington, DC 20036-3435 Phone: 202-721-7656 Fax: 202-403-3654 www.ceoupdate.com Anita Sama Editor-in-Chief sama@ceoupdate.com Lynn M. McNutt Managing Editor lynn@ceoupdate.com Tavia Evans Gilchrist Associate Editor evans@ceoupdate.com Mark R. Graham Managing Director graham@ceoupdate.com John R. Countryman Associate Publisher countryman@ceoupdate.com Jonathan Hemmerdinger Intern hemmer@ceoupdate.com CEO Update is published on alternate Fridays, 24 times annually. Double issues in midsum- mer and winter. Job Listings: No charge to list positions in print or online. Listing must be for an active search in a trade or professional association, management company, or a nonprofit. Due to space limitations, not all will appear in the print edition; all appear online. Submit listings to: jobs@ceoupdate.com Display Advertising CEO Update has limited advertising opportunities for organizations offering services to associations, nonprofits and executives. Contact: Matt Jones jones@ceoupdate.com Individual Subscription Rates 3 months - $175 6 months - $215 12 months - $375 Call for multi-user rates, including outplacement firms and career libraries. Refund Policy: New subscribers only. Full refund issued if requested within 10 business days after first issue is mailed. Expected CEO searches Accuracy CEO Update is committed to accuracy.To report factual errors, please contact us promptly at accuracy@ceoupdate.com. Association Strategies • Morven Park • Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine CTPartners • North American Insulation Manufacturers Association Development Resources, inc. • National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Egmont Associates • Center for Media and Democracy • South Shore Housing Development Corporation • York County Community Foundation Explore Company • Gettysburg Foundation • Soil and Water Conservation Society Ford Webb Associates • Public Citizen Heidrick & Struggles • Greater Rochester Enterprise • Tech Council of Maryland • Women for Women International • Women’s Foodservice Forum Howe-Lewis International • Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey Isaacson, Miller • CancerCare • Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation JDG Associates • Forging Industry Association • National Association for Business Economics Korn/Ferry International • American Clean Skies Foundation • American College of Chest Physicians • Bowling Proprietors Association of America • Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association • Drug Information Association • Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce • International Facility Management Association • U.S. Bowling Congress Leadership Recruiters • Research for Action Management Resources Group • Food Processing Suppliers Association Nonprofit HR Solutions • Catholic Legal Immigration Network Phillips Oppenheim Group • National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association Positions Inc. • National Association of Enrolled Agents Quick Leonard Kieffer International • Illinois Hospital Association Robert Gariano Associates • Chicago Foundation for Education Russell Reynolds Associates • Consumer Bankers Association • Urban Land Institute Spencer Stuart • Sigma Phi Epsilon National Fraternity • United Jewish Communities Sterling Martin Associates • Gifts in Kind International Transition Management Consulting • Obesity Society TransitionGuides • America’s Edge • Landscape Architecture Foundation Waldron & Company • Seattle Foundation Witt/Kieffer • Jack Kent Cooke Foundation NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW CLOSED CLOSED • American Academy of Actuaries • American Association for Justice • American Geophysical Union • American Immigration Lawyers Association • Destination DC • Industrial Designers Society of America • International Game Developers Association • TechNet NEWNEW
- 3. 3April 24, 2009 ByTavia Evans Gilchrist On the heels of an in- dustry merger between the National Retail Fed- eration and Retail Indus- try Leaders Association, NRF CEO Tracy Mullin has also announced she will retire by the end of the year. The announcement and Mullin’s retirement are tied to her contract ending by the end of 2009, said Scott Krugman, NRF’s vice presi- dent of industry public relations. “She told leadership last year she would be considering retirement and given that the new entity is about to be established, it’s a given that we would be filling that leadership void with some new blood,” Krugman said. “After 30 years of service, she gets a well-de- served break.” The merger still faces approval from the full boards of both groups and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, because both associa- tions were chartered in the state. It’s not clear if the groups will change the name of the combined organization or if RILA’s CEO, Sandra Kennedy, will stay on with the trade group. But they plan to com- bine staffs, conferences and conventions. “It’s really the need, now more than ever, to be one single strong voice for the retail indus- try,” Krugman said. “There’s a lot of uncer- tainty in the economy and change on Capitol Hill and we believe this merger is in the best interest of our members and our industry.” He said they hope to finalize the merger by end of summer. Mullin’s announcement and the merger come as the industry landscape shifts and re- tailers struggle to survive a sharp drop in sales and consumer spending. The double-digit growth that has propelled the industry in the last decade is expected to end, as consumers weather an economic recession and tighten purse strings. Conservative estimates predict sales will decline 3 percent in the first half of 2009. NRF’s annual convention attendance was also down 10 percent this year. Mullin has led the NRF since 1993, follow- ing the merger of the National Retail Mer- chants Association and the American Retail Federation. She orchestrated the group’s move from New York City to Washington, D.C. She’s also credited with nearly tripling the asso- ciation’s budget—from $12 million to $35 mil- lion in recent years. Kennedy, a former executive with Accen- ture, has been CEO of RILA since 2002. She was also an executive at NRF under Mullin, running the group’s membership services and annual convention and managing revenue for the group. NRF, a $29 million revenue group based in Washington, D.C., has about 100 staff and serves as an umbrella group for several other retail trade associations. RILA, based in Alexandria, Va., is the smaller of the two groups, with $9 million in revenue and about 50 staff. Mullin announces retirement as industry groups merge Two retail trade groups are set to combine forces as members of both face steep declines in consumer spending and retail sales continue to flag Tracy Mullin YOU SAVED THE RECEIPT FOR THE PAN, RIGHT? MultiView makes an iffy time easy for associations. We’ve partnered with over 200 associations delivering online buyers guides, e-news briefs, and educational webinars that produce non-dues revenue and enhance your member benefits. 1-800-816-6710 multiview.com and,siefbrs-newe,guides oningerdelivtionsassocia200 edtnerparev’eW.tionsassocia timiffyanmakesiewultiVM ?AN, RIGHTFOR THE PPA VED THE RECEIPTOU SAAVY tionaleduca ersbuynline ervowithd orfeasyme multi1-800-816-6710 our member bee yand enhanc dunon-eoducprtthaebinarsw om.cwivie .nefits enueevrues
- 4. 4 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People
- 5. 5April 24, 2009 ByMark Graham After posting significant spending increases for the last several years, reported lobbying ex- penses have slowed or even reversed at many associations and nonprofit organizations, ac- cording to the latest lobbying disclosure docu- ments submitted to Congress by the April 20 first quarter deadline. Of the top 200 association/nonprofit lobby- ing spenders, 45 percent posted decreases in spending when compared to the first quarter of 2008, including the National Association of Manufacturers, down by 57 percent, Associated Builders and Contractors, down by 50 percent and AARP, down by 43 percent. In the banking industry, four of the five big banking associations spent less in the first quarter of 2009 compared to last year. Associ- ations representing credit unions, however, increased lobbying spending. The Credit Union National Association spent $1.25 mil- lion, up 40 percent, and National Association of Federal Credit Unions spent 63 percent more, reporting $462,968 in expenses for the first quarter. Continuing to top the list is the U.S. Cham- ber of Commerce and its affiliate, the Institute for Legal Reform, which together spent a total of $15.5 million in the first three months of 2009, up 6.7 percent from the same period in 2008. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufac- turers of America lobbying expenses jumped 91 percent, the biggest increase in the top 20, to $6.9 million. Renewable energy and environmental organ- izations also posted significant increases in lob- bying spending for the first quarter. The American Wind Energy Association spent $1.2 million towards their advocacy efforts in the first three months of 2009, about two and half times what it was a year ago. Natural Resources Defense Council went from $64,000 in 2008 to $148,500 in 2009. And Solar Energy Indus- tries Association almost tripled their lobbying outlay, spending $370,000. For SEIA, advocacy for the first three months of 2009 included efforts to guide the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, said Monique Hanis, director of communications for SEIA, which had a number of provisions designed to stimulate solar projects. And the solar industry has many more issues the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electric- ity, which emerged from lobbying obscurity in 2008 to spend a total of $9.9 million. The group ranked number 10 in CEO Update’s rank- ings that year. But from January to March 2009, the organization spent just $370,000 and posted the biggest decrease of any organization tracked by CEO Update, down 81 percent. Growth in lobbying expenditure slows in first quarter New lobbying disclosure documents filed with Congress show decreased spending at many top associations, while ‘green’ groups ramp up efforts FIRST QUARTER LOBBYING TOTALS Latest lobbying disclosures show many organizations decreased the amount spent on lobbying during the first three months of the year. The top 25 spenders: U.S. Chamber of Commerce $15,476,000 6.7% Chamber: $9,996,000 Institute for Legal Reform: $5,480,000 Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America $6,910,000 91.4% National Association of Realtors $5,727,000 82.4% American Medical Association $4,240,000 6.4% AARP $4,080,000 43.5% American Hospital Association $3,580,000 5.8% National Cable and Telecommunications Association $3,370,000 3.4% Association of American Railroads $2,759,545 27.4% National Association of Broadcasters $2,600,000 4.4% Edison Electric Institute $2,550,000 15.9% Financial Services Roundtable $2,260,000 9.6% America’s Health Insurance Plans $2,030,000 11.5% Biotechnology Industry Organization $1,920,000 no change American Bankers Association $1,890,000 14.9% American Council of Life Insurers $1,867,075 32.4% Recording Industry Association of America $1,810,000 17.5% American Petroleum Institute $1,810,000 42.5% Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association $1,800,000 8.4% CTIA - The Wireless Association $1,790,000 17.5% Investment Company Institute $1,359,917 12.5% Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association $1,350,000 0.7% Air Transport Association $1,340,000 21.8% National Association of Home Builders $1,320,000 0.8% Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers $1,264,400 14.6% Credit Union National Association $1,250,000 40.4% pending in 2009, including an upgrade of the electrical transmission grid, ensuring a climate change bill recognizes solar as a clean source of energy and lobbying for a federal renewable portfolio standard that would require a certain percentage of energy produced to be renewable. “There is a lot moving right now,” Hanis said. At the other end of the energy spectrum is
- 6. 6 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People make good decisions.” Despite the hurdles—there are no more free coffees or lunches for staffers—some of the most successful lobbyists in Washington say they are still finding ways to get their message heard on Capitol Hill and educate lawmakers. And they’ve learned to pivot with Washington’s ever-shifting terrain—turnover in Congress, a switch in the administration and churning political ideologies. “The best lobbyists speak with full knowledge of the subject matter, they are completely trustworthy, and they know how and when to keep confidences,” said Jay Timmons, executive vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers. “They’re able to work with both sides of the aisle and they understand that while some elected officials are not in agreement with your association’s point on certain issues, they may be on others.” In recent weeks, CEO Update has turned to top trade association leaders and lobbying groups for their recommendations on the most effective lobbyists from that sector in Washington. Suggestions often came from chief executives who spotlighted the gains of someone on their own staff. Nominations also came from government relations and association professionals who recognized the best practices of colleagues in other industries. From their input, we’ve identified 13 advocates who have spent their careers shaping policy in Washington, who are skilled at “moving the ball” for their industries and effective at selling their story to targeted audiences. They include senior staffers who have had previous careers in state government. One has clerked for a federal judge. Another went back to school to get an MBA to advocate for business interests, instead of relying on the more common law degree. The majority have served on Capitol Hill, where they had access to the nation’s top leaders, learned how legislation is made, and had a hand in crafting public policy. Those early years provided an invaluable training ground for some of the top industry advocates in Washington. The inside track The staffing churn in Washington—from Capitol Hill and government agencies to K Street—has created a cottage industry of lobbying experts, consultants and government relations professionals with knowledge of the inner-workings of Congress, and access to the leaders who make legislation move. It’s become a career path with currency in the nation’s capitol. “In trade associations, it’s a knowledge of the issues that’s important, the ability to advocate for them, and your access,” said Chris Jones, managing partner with CapitolWorks, an executive recruiting firm in Washington, D.C. “Did you work on Capitol Hill and did you work on our industry issues? Can you ramp up quickly on these issues? That’s what our clients want to know.” In Washington, it’s a profile as common as a public policy degree and law school. Take, for example, Missy Jenkins. She’s a senior vice president with the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, where she’s worked for six years. After college, she worked on Capitol Hill—first for Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), a former minority whip, and then for Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), with whom she spent six years. And while she didn’t have a large role in health care policy on the Hill, Jenkins said she learned strategy and how to move Top lobbyists overcome hurdles (Continued from page 1) David C. Bauer Senior Vice President of Government Affairs American Road and Transportation Builders Association Career highlights Personal Staff Sen. Mark O. Hatfield (R-Ore.) Associate Staff Member Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Michael Dean Vice President, Gov- ernment Relations National Cable Telecommunications Association Career highlights Government Relations Manager PAC Manager CTIA-The Wireless Association Executive Staff Assistant to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) Brent Del Monte Vice President, Federal Government Relations Biotechnology Industry Organization Career highlights Counsel Washington Council, Ernst & Young Counsel House Energy and Commerce Committee Legislative Director Rep. Tom Bliley (R-Va.) Clerk to U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton “The best lobbyists speak with full knowledge of the subject matter, they are completely trustworthy, and they know how and when to keep confidences.” —Jay Timmons, executive vice president, National Association of Manufacturers
- 7. 7April 24, 2009 legislationforward from Gingrich, the former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. “Working with Newt, you learn Newtonian strategy—how to move the ball down the field,” said Jenkins, who announced this week she is leaving PCMA to become a private consultant. “A lot of associations and consultants give lip service and pass along information but at PCMA, we try to affect policy by changing the landscape.” Dave Bauer came to Washington in 1990 after college and worked for his hometown congressman, Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Ore.), who was the ranking Republican and former chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its transportation subcommittee. “I learned the substance of issues associated with all modes of transportation policy,” said Bauer, who is senior vice president of government relations for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. “In that type of environment, you basically learn how to effectively interact in this arena, from how to deal with other congressional staff and peers, the outside community, lobbyists and constituents.” And many former Hill staffers say the best lobbyists they met were known as credible sources who knew all sides of an issue and had a solid reputation with lawmakers. “You had to be entirely honest and candid, and recognize that there might be a different point of view,” said Brent Del Monte, former counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee under Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.). “The folks who could give me a full picture are the ones I respected most.” Del Monte is now vice president of federal government relations for Biotechnology Industry Organization. Several also attribute their Capitol Hill training with knowing how to build consensus among members in a trade association, how to frame policy that represents all members and how to build relationships throughout an industry. “You learn quickly how compromise is made,” said Steve Judge, vice president of government affairs for the Private Equity Council and a former deputy staff director for the House Financial Services Committee. “I think that the experience of working on the committee staff, where you have to generate consensus among several members of Congress who are trying to produce a result, teaches you how to develop consensus. It’s the same in associations.” Combining policy forces One of the most common strategies among effective lobbyists today is work inside coalitions—combining talent, access and policy initiatives of several trade groups to effect change. And the best advocates go further, stepping into a leadership role within the coalition, said Stephen Gold, an executive vice president with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. “It’s hard to be successful alone over the long haul. In my opinion, the best lobbyists have solid contacts, the ability to network and work well with other interests in Washington.” Brian Pallasch, a lobbyist for the American Society of Civil Engineers, worked in coalitions to heighten the profile of infrastructure building and construction in the stimulus package. ASCE, a professional society, worked with several other lobbies to raise the profile and role that infrastructure Continued on page 8 Susan M. Eckerly Senior Vice President, Federal Public Policy National Federation of Independent Business Career highlights Deputy Director of Economic Policy Studies The Heritage Foundation Legislative Director Sen. Bob Kasten (R-Wisc.) Legislative Director Senate Republican Policy Committee Geoff Freeman Senior Vice President of Public Affairs U.S. Travel Association Career highlights Executive Director Discover America Partnership Vice President APCO Worldwide Director of Strategic Initiatives American Association of Health Plans Gerard N. “Jerry” Giovaniello Senior Vice President of Government Af- fairs & Chief Lobbyist National Association of Realtors Career highlights Chief of Staff Rep. Jerry Pettis (R-Calif.) Rep. Jim Lloyd (D-Calif.) Policy analyst and writer National Journal “Did you work on Capitol Hill and did you work on our industry issues? Can you ramp up quickly on these issues? That’s what our clients want to know.” —Chris Jones, Managing Partner, CapitolWorks
- 8. 8 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People building could have in getting the U.S. economy back on track. The result—$100 billion was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 designated for infrastructure projects. “We were able to have a role in educating members of Congress on what the needs were for the country,” Pallasch said. “It significantly boosted what’s already being spent on infrastructure projects. It’s a victory for the entire industry and the nation.” In the health care reform debate, Divided We Fail has become the trademark slogan and coalition for business groups working together to shape policy. At the National Federation of Independent Business, Susan Eckerly, senior vice president, federal public policy, is the point person for the coalition, working alongside the Service Employees International Union, Business Roundtable and AARP. “We’re focused on trying to find affordable insurance for our members who want to offer it,” Eckerly said. “Discussions are heating up now.” New media lobbying Shoe-leather lobbying may be taking a back seat to new media strategies with real-time responses. Martinis with Hill staffers are no longer an option under new gift rules, but seasoned lobbyists say they may no longer be necessary with new messaging campaigns changing the way lobbyists approach their work. At PCMA, CEO Mark Merritt speaks of lobbying as running a campaign. Twitter, blogs, and viral messaging are all part of the arsenal to aim your messaging to the public and policy makers. “In old-school lobbying, it was all about Top lobbyists overcome hurdles (Continued from page 7) access,” Merritt said. “Now it’s about strategy and running a full campaign that shows how issues play in members’ districts that involve media and messaging. In this Twitter age you need a fast-moving approach that takes everything into account,” he said. Mention Twitter and Michael Petricone will take credit for it. As the lobbyist for the Consumer Electronics Association, he’s using the technology made by his member companies to heighten his industry’s policy issues. “There was a lot of criticism about members of Congress tweeting during the president’s State of the Union address,” Petricone said. “The fact that the policy makers are using it can help them develop an appreciation for why broadband deployment is critical and why we need to add additional spectrum.” New media strategies are more comprehensive and require lobbyists to shift at a moment’s notice and respond to polling, blogs and media reaction, said Geoff Freeman, lobbyist with the U.S. Travel Association. “It engages grassroots, uses research and a campaign manager style of approach that is brought to each issue. It requires you to adapt quickly.” And while the new strategies seem to be making inroads in many shops in Washington, other advocates say they’ll never supplant the most important tools: credibility, honesty and a solid reputation with lawmakers. “Building relationships with policymakers and their staff will always be important, making people feel like they are not going to get burned by you and you’re going to help them succeed,” said Jenkins with PCMA. “At the end of the day, your reputation is all that you have.” “In old-school lobbying, it was all about access. Now it’s about strategy and running a full campaign that shows how issues play in members’ districts that involve media and messaging. In this Twitter age you need a fast-moving approach that takes everything into account.” —Mark Merritt, CEO, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association Missy Jenkins Senior Vice Presi- dent, Federal Affairs Pharmaceutical Care Management Association Career highlights Health Policy Advisor to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) Government affairs senior staff Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ike Jones Vice President and Senior Legislative Counsel Independent Community Bankers of America Career highlights Senior Lobbyist National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Legislative Counsel Federal Deposit Insurance Corporatoin Assistant Attorney General State of Louisiana Steve Judge Vice President of Government Affairs Private Equity Council Career highlights Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Securities Industry Association Deputy Staff Director House Financial Services Committee
- 9. 9April 24, 2009 Underthe Lobbying Disclosure Act, an individual must register as a lobbyist if he or she is “employed or retained by a client for financial or other compensation (2) whose services include more than one lobbying contact; and (3) whose lobbying activities constitute 20 percent or more of his or her services’ time on behalf of that client during any three-month period.” That’s the LDA definition, not plain or simple. Defining lobbying What is considered a lobbying contact? What constitutes a lobbying activity? The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have published an exhaustive 14 pages online to help define who must register as a lobbyist. But authors of the LDA definitions might have been better off using a simpler approach. If someone pays you to lobby, you might be a lobbyist. If, as part of your job, you communicated at least twice to a covered official (members of Congress, their staff, committee staff, and some executive branch officials) in six months by mail, fax, email, phone or in person, you might be a lobbyist. If you spend 20 percent of your time thinking, planning, researching or talking about legislation or to a covered official with the goal of influencing covered officials, you might be a lobbyist. If all of the above apply, you are a lobbyist. But wait, there’s more. Additional exemptions and details prevail. For instance, if the expenses associated with an in-house lobbyist are below $24,500 in a six-month period, the person may be a lobbyist, but does not have to register as one. If a person’s phone call to a congressman is interrupted and the person has to call back to finish the conversation, that is considered more than one contact with a covered official and the person is a lobbyist if the two other conditions are met. Jeff Altman, partner with McKenna, Long & Aldridge says the question of when an individual meets the definition of a lobbyist to trigger registration by the organization is a common error. “I think the whole scheme is confusing to organizations and people unless they spend time to study it. We typically encounter inadvertent mistakes when we are asked to conduct a compliance review,” Altman said. The LDA definitions go to great lengths to ensure nearly every possible scenario is covered in the explanation of who must register, even imposing fines of up to $50,000 for knowingly failing to comply. And while mainstream media often enumerates the slate of registered federal lobbyists as upwards of 30,000, the actual number of registered lobbyists hovers around 15,000, according to the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. —Mark Graham WHO MUST REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST?Aric Newhouse Senior Vice President for Policy and Gov- ernment Relations National Association of Manufacturers Career highlights Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, Legislative Assistant Sen. George V. Voinvich (R-Ohio) Brian T. Pallasch Managing Director of Government Rela- tions and Infrastruc- ture Initiatives American Society of Civil Engineers Career highlights President, American League of Lobbyists, 2007-2008 Director of Government Relations, ASAE Michael Petricone Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Consumer Electronics Association Career highlights Vice President, Technology Policy Consumer Electronics Association Campaign work on state races and the first Bill Clinton campaign Rachel Robinson Vice President of Gov- ernment Relations American Interna- tional Automobile Dealers Association Career highlights Vice President, Government Affairs Securities Industry Association Director of Speaker Operations to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.)
- 10. 10 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People By Jonathan Hemmerdinger Some of the top industry advocates named by CEO Update in last year’s Top Lobbyists Special Report say their work since then has become more frenzied than ever, the result of a new administration eager to enact an agenda. “The pace has been frenetic,” said Michael Aitken, director of government affairs for the Society for Human Resource Management. “I have talked to other colleagues who … re- member the times when you had breaks, down time.” Aitken said he’s been especially busy be- cause the administration and Congress have been more active than they have been in 20 or 25 years on workplace issues, like the Em- ployee Free Choice Act, the Family and Med- ical Leave Act, health care reform and immigration law. Scott Talbott, senior vice president for gov- ernment affairs for The Financial Services Roundtable, said this year can’t begin to com- pare to last. “It was and has been a hyper- drive, no-holds blitzkrieg since the government took over Freddie [Mac],” he said. Days passed like minutes, and legislation that might have once taken years, passed in weeks, he added. Jay Timmons, executive vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers, said his group wasn’t surprised by the in- crease in pace. “It was not something that we didn’t antic- ipate, whoever the president would be,” Tim- mons said. “We anticipate it will step up more in the next six months.” Regina Hopper, executive vice president of USTelecom, a group representing the broad- band industry, said the lobbying pace is blis- tering because broadband can facilitate reforms in specific industries that are in Congress’ crosshairs, like health care and ed- ucation. Meeting and tweeting Hopper said that since the Obama victory, networking has evolved to mean not just in- person meetings, but also connecting with members through social networking sites. Now, she said, breaks are few, even during congressional recesses. “Twitter doesn’t stop. Facebook doesn’t stop. The use of video for advocacy doesn’t stop just because there was a recess,” Hopper said. “This Easter recess I’ve been as busy or busier than I have ever been.” Jade West of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors said although an in- crease in the lobbying pace is common every time the administration changes, it is crip- pling this time around. “The downtime you had [in the past] to take a deep breath, you don’t have [any- more],” she said. West said that’s because lawmakers are working on so much at once. “Kennedy is doing stuff on health care and Baucus is doing work on health care, but not the same stuff,” West said. “I need a clone.” “It’s the relentlessness of this pace that is driving everyone batty,” she added. Aitken agreed things are moving at a manic speed. “The thing that is different is that it’s truly continuous,” he said. Lobbyists say it’s unlikely to slow. “[Congress] will be on a breakneck pace until Memorial Day,” Aitken said. “After that, there will be three weeks of rapid activ- ity until the July recess. Then rapid activity into August.” Some lobbyists wonder how long Congress and the administration can maintain such a grueling schedule. “You [have to] wonder when it wears him [Obama] out,” West said. Revisiting 2008 Top Lobbyists: More hustle on the Hill Lawmakers and the new administration’s efforts to implement several Democratic agenda items have many association lobbyists working overtime Michael Aitken Society for Human Resource Management Regina Hopper USTelecom Scott Talbott The Financial Services Roundtable Jay Timmons National Association of Manufacturers Jade West National Association of Wholesaler- Distributors “Twitter doesn’t stop. Facebook doesn’t stop. The use of video for advocacy doesn’t stop just because there was a recess.” —Regina Hopper, executive vice president, USTelecom
- 11. 11April 24, 2009 Butopening an office in the capital region is not without logistical and staffing challenges. Putting down roots in the city—establishing relationships with officials and regulatory agencies—can take years, and several administrations, to develop. And it can take months, and expensive recruiters, to find staffers equipped with the logistical skills to get an office on its feet, and access to lawmakers who can propel an industry’s agenda forward. “The single biggest challenge is rebuilding a new team from scratch and making it transparent to members and policy makers,” said Andy Carter, CEO of the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, which moved its base of operations to the District from Boston in January 2008. Only two staffers out of 19 agreed to make the move with the organization. “We saw that health care reform was on the horizon,” Carter said, “and to be anywhere other than Washington reduces the chances of being at the table.” Finding the right talent For many associations, relocating to Washington or establishing a permanent satellite office there is made easier by drawing on the region’s exceptional talent base. Many groups have relied on well-connected leaders and professionals in the area, with years of public policy and association experience, to lead their transition teams. In November 2008, the Online Publishers Association hired its first vice president of government affairs, Michael Drobac, to anchor its new office in Washington. Drobac had been a legislative aide to two influential leaders on the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas). Two years ago, COMTA hired interim director Jim Goss to spearhead the group’s move to Washington from Evanston, Ill., a Chicago suburb. Goss had worked in several associations as a transition leader and spent more than a decade in Washington. This week, COMTA selected Kate Ivane Henrioulle, dean of education at the International Professional School of Bodywork in San Diego, as their permanent director. And at the National Retail Federation, CEO Tracy Mullin was already onboard in 1993 when the industry group decided to relocate its headquarters from the heart of the fashion and retail world in Manhattan to Washington, D.C. It was also familiar turf for Mullin, a Washington native, who had served as senior legislative assistant and assistant press secretary to former Sen. Hugh Scott (R-Penn.). For Mullin, the real work lay in rebuilding the rest of the organization to serve its members. “The retail focus and outward-facing functions had to be rebuilt and all the research and training and the experts who came out of retail and were interfacing with the membership,” she said. “We needed to rebuild the expertise in marketing and merchandising for the entire industry.” Coping with false starts Seasoned executives also recall the hiccups and missteps in getting an industry group off the ground and working in Washington. At the NRF, the transition from New York City meant selling a building there, figuring out which essential staff members would move with the organization and using stay bonuses to keep staff aboard until the move. “It was cumbersome for the first year as we leased space in Washington that was not large enough to accommodate the whole operation, so we had staffers going back and forth between two offices every day,” Mullin said. Even for the most equipped and well- connected staffers, setbacks are to be expected in launching a new enterprise. Valerie Carter had 15 years of experience lobbying federal and state governments on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry before she signed on in 2005 to open a Washington hub for Project Management Institute, a membership group of project management professionals. She was forced to work out of her home office for the first five months while office space, and furniture, was purchased. Four years later, she’s still the only staffer in the Washington office. And she toggles once a month between the region and PMI’s offices in Newtown Square, Penn., a suburb of Philadelphia. “You have to make an extra effort to keep communications open with the home office so that they make sure you exist and reinforce the importance of the efforts you’re making,” Carter said. As the lobbying sector has ballooned within the nation’s capital, so have the stakes for industries that want to influence legislation to meet their interests. For example, in a study by the University of Kansas, private companies lobbying for a one- time tax break, passed by Congress in 2004, got a 22,000 percent rate of return—or $220 for every dollar spent lobbying on the issue. That single tax break, which was part of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, gave companies a tax holiday on profits made overseas and saved them an estimated $100 billion. The study found more than 800 companies took advantage of the break. Corporate members of industry associations and professional membership groups are aiming for the same kind of impact from their Washington emissaries. “Washington has become more of a centerpiece in public policy and it’s more critical to business every day,” Mullin said. “As members understand the bottom-line impact policy can have, they understand the need to have a voice in the city.” —T.E. Gilchrist Associations sink roots in D.C. (Continued from page 1)
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- 13. 13April 24, 2009 bargainsin the Washington metro area and other cities. Vacancy rates rise According to a recent report by CoStar Group Inc., a provider of commercial real es- tate information, the office vacancy rate in the Washington area was near 12 percent at the end of 2008, up from around 10 percent a year earlier. Prices quoted by brokers and prop- erty owners ranged from $50 per square foot for space in downtown Washington to around $23 per square foot in some suburbs. The area’s average quoted rates, which often differ from final, negotiated rents, were down only 0.2 percent from the previous quarter. “This market is very attractive to tenants. A lot of space is coming on-line in the coming months. Landlords are very aggressive,” said Jef- frey Marsh, vice president and chief financial of- ficer for the Association of American Railroads, which in March signed a lease for nearly 34,000 square feet of space in the Capitol View build- ing, a half mile from the Capitol in Southwest Washington. The group’s 70 staffers are sched- uled to move in September from offices a half mile north of the Capitol, where they have been for 23 years. Marsh said although the new space costs about the same as the group pays now, it has a wide open feel and the building is energy effi- cient. Also, the AAR is able to influence the de- sign of the space’s interior. Manny Fitzgerald, who works with nonprofits for the real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis, said landlords are hungry for tenants. “Existing buildings are sitting substantially vacant and landlords are offering tremendous deals,” he said. Fitzgerald said there’s a glut of space in Washington, particularly in NoMa—the real estate designation for the area north of Massa- chusetts Avenue and the Capitol—and near Nationals Park in the Capitol Riverfront area, southeast of downtown. Fitzgerald, whose firm is forecasting even higher vacancy rates, said associations can find deals in other cities, too, and they don’t even need to relocate. One of his clients in Chicago, for instance, is negotiating for an 18 percent cut in their lease rate, a savings of $7 to $8 per square foot. Such deals are available, said Fitzgerald, because landlords want to keep tenants and are willing to cut rates in exchange for an extended term. But if you do have to move, don’t underesti- mate the effort. The first thing you need to do is analyze the market, a process that Marsh said took the AAR and his broker, Grubb & Ellis Company, six months. Marsh studied 20 different locations in Wash- ington, analyzing factors such as traffic conges- tion, transportation options, restaurants, growth rates, crime statistics and distance to Capitol Hill. He even used ZIP codes to analyze his em- ployee’s commutes. Marsh said he looked at space in the Central Business District—the area that surrounds the National Mall, the White House and the Capi- tol—but it was too expensive. Eventually, he signed a 15-year lease at Capi- tol View. Marsh said employees’ reactions have largely been positive, especially after they see the location. Belmont of the SNA said her staff’s reaction is largely positive, too. “Once they see it they get excited,” she said. “You have so many hotels and restaurants. It’s a wonderful place when you are bringing members into town.” Groups relocating find landlords are willing to bargain With office vacancy rates near 12 percent and decreased demand for office space, associations looking to relocate are reporting good tenancy deals The Capitol View building, located a half mile south of Capitol Hill, will be the new headquarters of the Association of American Railroads when the group moves next fall. By Jonathan Hemmerdinger When Barbara Belmont, executive director of the Alexandria, Va.-based School Nutrition As- sociation, started searching for new office space for her group’s 50 employees two years ago, time was on her side. “The longer we did nothing,” said Belmont, “the better the deals got.” A few weeks ago, Belmont finally signed lease papers on some 15,000 square feet of space for less money than the group is paying now. The SNA will move to National Harbor, a massive development project with hotels and restaurants on the Potomac River in Maryland, seven miles south of the District of Columbia. “It is a new area and not many people thought of it as a place for associations,” said Belmont. “I thought, this is perfect.” Other association leaders and commercial real estate experts say Belmont’s experience isn’t unique. Rising office vacancy rates and de- pressed real estate demand mean office space
- 14. 14 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People E X P E R T O P I N I O N Using compensation creatively to recruit top leaders Boards should benchmark executive pay packages beyond similar nonprofits and leverage variable pay and other innovative approaches tion vies for talent extends well beyond this population. At the executive level, nonprofits compete with associations and corporations nationwide. Since two of the goals of a competitive execu- tive compensation structure are retention and the ability to recruit talented senior executives, boards must know what other nonprofit and private sector employers pay their CEOs and senior staff in order to compete in the same labor market. The new IRS Form 990 and ac- companying schedule J will require greater dis- closure than ever before, but the transparency should not dissuade nonprofits from using cre- ative approaches like variable pay as an impor- tant part of total compensation. This is an important part of evaluating compensation more strategically in retaining, recruiting and rewarding key senior executive talent. In many cases, nonprofit boards are inter- ested in leadership with expertise in an industry sector and also typically seek the private sector fiscal discipline and entrepreneurial drive that these environments tend to nurture. Advocating a more flexible approach Employers across the spectrum have been moving toward a greater use of variable pay as part of a total rewards package. Variable pay goes beyond a fixed base pay or salary to align with the organization’s compensation philoso- phy, bylaws, strategic plan, and predefined op- erational and performance goals. The variable pay arrangement can be tailored to the organi- zation and linked to specific objectives and will serve to attract, retain and motivate top talent and also promote a high performance culture across the organization—particularly among senior executive staff. Just as each organization’s mission, culture and work environment are unique, so too is the blend of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics that each executive offers as a candidate. The compensation package to re- cruit top talent in the nonprofit world must be similarly unique, tailored not merely to align with other groups of similar budget and staff size or target the median in executive pay. Boards must be creative in planning the total compensation package. The challenge is to for- malize a compensation strategy to include variable pay that aligns with the organiza- tion’s values, mission, strategy and perform- ance objectives. In order to secure leadership that can move nonprofits forward in these turbulent times, benchmarking against the broader market- place, evaluating private-sector models of compensation and thinking more strategi- cally about compensation and talent acquisi- tion will mean the difference between having the best human capital available in senior ex- ecutive roles, versus having to turn, reluc- tantly, to B-List candidates. Adam Smith has worked in retained execu- tive search for 20 years. He is currently the managing director of Adam Smith Executive Search Consulting, founded in 1996, specializ- ing in senior-level search assignments for clients in nonprofit, biotechnology, agribusiness and manufacturing. Smith also performs work in compensation, competency modeling, organizational develop- ment and succession planning. By Adam Smith Successfully recruiting senior executives for professional, trade and philanthropic non- profit organizations involves expanding the scope of traditional search parameters beyond similar entities, and identifying and analyzing complex compensation elements to attract top tier candidates. First, nonprofits must recognize they are competing with the broader marketplace for talent, and must take into consideration all nonprofit and for-profit industry sectors and markets. These critical hires, after all, will be entrusted with developing a sustaining vision, defining strategic and operational objectives and driving the evolution and growth of your organization. Second, nonprofits must continue to evalu- ate and integrate progressive, private sector compensation elements into their compensa- tion programs, preferably reviewing and up- dating them through established independent compensation committees with defined roles and procedures. Frequently, a key challenge is structuring a new, competitive compensation package while preserving the integrity of the existing pay structure within the organization. While benchmarking compensation against similar organizations is helpful, boards and search committees must consider the broader mar- ketplace and perform careful analyses of both direct and indirect compensation/benefits in order to compete effectively in the executive labor market. Christina L. Greathouse, a partner with Strategic Performance Group in Vienna, Va., is a compensation consultant who works ex- tensively with nonprofits. She says a common error made by boards and search committees is to gather executive compensation data only from highly similar nonprofits that serve the same industry or constituents. For example, a large medical society may choose to bench- mark only against other large medical soci- eties. Greathouse cautions that it is important not to limit benchmark data to these groups alone since the market in which an organiza- Adam Smith
- 15. 15April 24, 2009 ByJonathan Hemmerdinger With $1.5 million in seed money, the 415,000-member Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is funding the first phase of an ad- vertising campaign aimed at countering what they fear is the public’s negative perception of general aviation and to increase awareness of the industry’s impact on the broader U.S. economy. The campaign, which launched April 20 and in- cludes print, online and broadcast elements—many featuring actor and AOPA member Harrison Ford—is initially targeted to policy makers in the Washington, D.C. area, said AOPA spokesperson Chris Dancy. Dancy said the campaign comes partly in response to ambiguous language in Presi- dent Obama’s $3.6 trillion 2010 budget which could change the way the FAA is funded. AOPA fears those changes may result in higher fees for gen- eral aviation—an industry that AOPA says ac- counts for almost 1.3 million jobs and $150 billion in economic activity. The campaign is also an effort to improve the industry’s public image, which Dancy said degenerated after the Big Three auto chiefs arrived in Washing- ton for congressional hearings on private jets. “General aviation is tagged as the rich boys or fat cat CEOs,” said Dancy. The association is also using the campaign to protest proposed increases in security standards for some private aircraft—measures Dancy said will be paid by aircraft owners. In addition to the initial funding from AOPA, the campaign is seeking donations from mem- bers on its web site, www.gaservesamerica.com. “We anticipate it will be a multi-million dol- lar campaign,” Dancy said. In the coming months, the group plans to expand the campaign nationally with no end date set. “We are prepared to have this campaign run as long as need be,” Dancy added. General aviation’s new advertising campaign takes flight Pilots’ group launches broad media effort in D.C. area to improve public perception, increase awareness and avert possible increases in FAA user fees AOPA print ads are part of a $1.5 million advertising effort by the group to influence aviation policy and improve public perception. Some feature actor and AOPA member Harrison Ford, who volunteered for the effort.
- 16. 16 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People Departures Lawyers group loses Haber as CEO Jon Haber, CEO of the trial lawyers’ group The American Association for Justice, will leave in early May for other opportunities, according to an April 7 AAJ media release. Haber, who joined the group four years ago, said in an interview with CEO Update that he leaves the AAJ, formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, in a stronger position than it has been in a generation. Haber said among his ac- complishments are leading the group’s reloca- tion to its new offices on 6th and H Street, NW, in Washington, D.C. and assisting in the improvement of the group’s communications efforts with the creation of a rapid media re- sponse “war room.” Prior to joining the AAJ, Haber was as a sen- ior executive at the public relations firm Fleish- man-Hillard. Earlier, Haber served on the staffs of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). He also worked on the presidential election campaigns of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), former Vice President Walter Mondale, Rep. Dick Gephardt (D- Mo.), President Bill Clinton, and former Ver- mont Governor Howard Dean. Haber, who holds a law degree from the Uni- versity of San Francisco School of Law, will stay with the group until the AAJ board meeting in early May. An AAJ spokesperson said the search for Haber’s successor will be led by the board of directors. Simpson leaves manufacturing tech group; a successor expected soon The Association for Manufacturing Tech- nology, a McLean, Va.-based group represent- ing providers of manufacturing machinery and equipment, announced the resignation of Presi- dent Robert K. Simpson, effective Feb. 24. “He felt that his interest and skill set was more in line with manufacturing operations [than] nonprofit trade associations,” said Linda Montfort, AMT’s vice president of finance and human resources. “He’s been in manufacturing his entire career.” Simpson joined the group June 2008, but did not assume the role of president until Oc- tober, when former president John B. Byrd III retired, according to a May 2008 AMT release. Prior to joining AMT, Simpson, who has more than 25 years of manufacturing opera- tions experience, was corporate vice president and president of global plastics machinery at Milicron, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based plastics processing firm. Earlier, he was president of Siegel-Robert Automotive in St. Louis, Mo., and held executive positions at Providence, R.I.-based holding company Textron. Simpson graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering and from Western International University in Phoenix, Ariz., with a master’s degree in business administration. Montfort said that the AMT search commit- tee is working with Wisconsin-based search firm Koehler & Co. to find Simpson’s replacement. She added that the group hopes to have a deci- sion on a new leader in the next few weeks. Tyneski leaves product design group The Industrial Designers Society of America, a group that promotes the interests of firms that create and develop product designs, announced that the group’s executive di- rector, Frank Tyneski, is step- ping down, effective April 23. NEWS & SELECTIONS
- 17. 17April 24, 2009 Continuedon page 18 In an interview with CEO Update, Tyneski said he was happy to have worked at the IDSA and was proud of his accomplishments at the group, but was ready to return to a job that more closely fits his passion—product design. “Running a nonprofit was an opportunity to give back,” Tyneski said. “[But I am] returning to the wild and doing what I enjoy doing, which is the process of design.” Tyneski said while at the IDSA he helped the group create strategic partnerships, design a new web site and increase staff efficiency. In ad- dition, Tyneski said he helped the group start a program to provide health insurance to indus- trial designers. Tyneski, who has been with the group since 2007, is moving to San Diego, Calif.-based Skinit, a developer and manufacturer of cus- tomized consumer products, where Tyneski will be vice president of design strategy and product development. Tyneski said he was offered the job after suggesting design ideas to company representatives at a trade show. Tyneski said he will remain on retainer as an advisor to IDSA’s board of directors. Arrivals Strittmatter leads kids’ library group The Association for Library Service to Children, a divi- sion of the American Library Association, announced April 6 that Aimee Strittmat- ter will be the group’s new ex- ecutive director. Marge Loch-Wouters, a member of the search com- mittee and an ALSC board member, made the announcement in an email to members. Strittmatter, who for the last four years was the group’s deputy director, came to the ALSC from the William P. Faust Public Library of Westland, Mich., where from 2002 to 2005 she was children’s services supervisor. From 2000 to 2002, she was children’s librarian at the Chicago Public Library. Before that, Strittmatter was a public library associate at the Loving Branch of the Ann Arbor District Library. She succeeds Diane Foote, who has left the group for family reasons. Strittmatter graduated in 2000 from the Uni- versity of Michigan’s School of Information with a concentration in library and information science. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University. Former volunteer to join PKU group The National PKU Alliance, an coalition of regional groups formed in 2008 to support families and individ- uals affected by the genetic disorder phenylketonuria, an- nounced April 7 that the group’s first executive director will be Christine Brown, a former volunteer at the organization and a mother of two children with PKU. Brown, who has 15 years experience leading nonprofit organizations, comes to the group from the Tomahawk Regional Chamber of Commerce, in Tomahawk, Wis., where she was executive director. Earlier, Brown was the direc- tor of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Ver- mont and she was the executive director at a women’s resource center in Vermont called Um- brella, Inc. In addition, Brown worked at the Anne Arundel Country Domestic Violence Co- ordinating Center in Maryland as coordinator. “I spent my whole career in nonprofit organ- izations on the local, state and regional level,” said Brown in an interview with CEO Update, “and I am excited to use my experience for a cause that affects my family.” Brown said her first goal is to increase the number of regional and state members of NPKUA. She plans to work with insurance companies and federal and state agencies to im- prove benefits to families struggling with the high costs of the dietary formula required by PKU patients. “This is a very expensive disease to treat,” Brown said. Brown will also help create a Board of Scien- tific Advisors to study PKU research. Tucker to head military comptrollers Alvin Tucker will replace Robert Hale as the executive director of the 17,000-mem- ber American Society of Military Comptrollers, based in Alexandria, Va. Tucker, who worked as a Russian linguist in the U.S. Army, joined the ASMC after 12 years as director in the defense and intelligence practice of the accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP. From 1990 to 1997, Tucker worked at the Department of Defense as deputy chief financial officer. He also spent time at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Army Audit Agency. Tucker, who holds a bachelor’s degree in ac- counting from the University of Maryland, said he hopes to improve the group’s use of profes- sional development and training programs. He has already begun visiting some of the group’s 140 chapters. “I want to learn about their issues and what was can do to help,” Tucker said in an interview with CEO Update. Tucker replaces Hale, who left the group when he was appointed by President Obama— and confirmed by the Senate—as the under secretary of defense (comptroller and chief fi- nancial officer) at the Department of Defense. Hale, who is a former Navy officer and was as- sistant secretary of the Air Force (financial management and comptroller) from 1994 to 2001, led the ASCM for four years. Radford to steer Greenpeace USA Greenpeace USA announced that Phil Radford, the group’s former grassroots di- rector, will be the new execu- tive director, effective April 27. Radford, who has been ac- tive in environmental causes since high school, joined Greenpeace in 2003 to build the group’s grassroots program, which uses student organ- izing and online networking tools like MySpace to mobilize members. In addition, Radford helped launch Frontline, a grassroots member- building program that helped double the group’s revenue to $30 million. In an interview with CEO Update, Radford said his priority as the executive director is to use scientific studies to convince lawmakers to be more aggressive in the fight against global warming. In addition, Radford hopes to make Greenpeace a more influential political force— the environment group equivalent of the Na- tional Rifle Association. Radford holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and has a certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University. John Passacantando, the group’s former ex- ecutive director, is leaving Greenpeace after eight years at the helm, during which time the group has grown from a staff of 60 to more than 500. Under Passacantando, Greenpeace tackled issues including climate change and il- legal logging in the Amazon, and charged Exxon Mobil Corporation with funding groups that misinformed the public on global warm-
- 18. 18 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People ing, said Radford in an email to CEO Update. Passacantando was also behind Greenpeace’s Solutions program, which works with corpora- tions to implement environmentally friendly technology. Prior to his work with Greenpeace, Pas- sacantando co-founded Ozone Action, a group that coordinated the efforts of scien- tists, students, business leaders and politicians to raise climate change awareness. Ozone Ac- tion, which was founded in 1992, merged with Greenpeace in 2000. Footwear group taps textile veteran Matt Priest has been named the new presi- dent of the Footwear Distributors and Retail- ers of America, a group that represents footwear manufacturers, retailers and buyers. He assumed the position Feb. 17. Priest has years of experience in the textile in- dustry. Prior to joining the FDRA, Priest worked at the Department of Commerce as deputy assis- tant secretary for textiles and apparel and senior advisor to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutier- rez. Earlier, Priest advised on textile and trade is- sues as a senior advisor to the assistant secretary for import administration in the Commerce De- partment. He also advised on textile, trade and economic development issues as legislative direc- tor for Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.). Priest replaces former president Peter Man- gione, who retired from the FDRA on April 15 after 25 years at the group. Miller succeeds Luers at U.N. group Thomas J. Miller has been appointed the new president of the United Nations Associ- ation of the United States of America, succeeding William H. Luers, who is leaving the group after 11 years. Miller, whose appointment is effective May 11, most recently was chief executive of Plan International, an agency that works in devel- oping countries to improve child welfare, where he coordinated and managed the group’s opera- tions in 49 countries. Miller also has 29 years of experience as a diplomat in the U. S. Foreign Service, includ- ing time in the Balkans, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where he worked on the Israeli- Palestinian peace process in the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1999, Miller was named ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, spending two years in Sarajevo working on political and economic re- construction and refugee and humanitarian matters. From 2001 to 2004, Miller was the U.S. Ambassador to Greece. In addition to working for the Foreign Serv- ice, Miller has taught diplomacy and interna- tional relations courses at George Mason University, and serves on the board of the anti- drug organization D.A.R.E. He holds bache- lor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in political science and a master’s degree in Asian studies from the University of Michigan. The search for Miller began when Luers, who previously worked in the Foreign Service and was president of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, announced his retirement in the fall. CLF taps Kassel as next president John B. Kassel has been named the new president of the Conservation Law Founda- tion, a New England-based nonprofit environ- mental and conservation group, effective May 1, according to an April 15 CLF media release. Kassel comes to the CLF with more than 20 years of legal experience, most recently as co- managing partner and co-founder of the Burlington, Vt., law firm Shems Dunkiel Kas- sel & Saunders, where he counseled nonprofits and businesses on renewable energy projects. Earlier, Kassel was the general counsel, and later the secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The search for Kassel was conducted over five months by CLF’s search committee. Kassel is a graduate of Middlebury College in Ver- mont and Cornell University. New leaders at broadcasters groups Both the Radio and Television News Direc- tors Association and its educational arm, the Radio and Television News Directors Foun- dation, have announced the appointment of new executive directors. In an April 15 media release, the organizations said Jane Nassiri will head the association and Kathleen Graham will lead the foundation, both effective when current RTNDA and RTNDF president, Bar- bara Cochran, retires June 25. Graham, who joined RTNDF in 1996, was named vice president for foundation pro- grams in 2005, a position from which she oversaw major projects, including those on leadership, ethics, high school broadcast jour- nalism, terrorism and diversity. In addition, Graham managed programming for the group’s annual convention. Since 2005, Nassiri has been the vice presi- dent of finance and administration for the or- ganization. In addition, Nassiri, who first joined RTNDA in 1998, managed the group’s annual convention and membership services. Schneider to head mentoring group MENTOR, an advocacy group for mentor- ing, announced that Daniel C. Schneider will be the group’s new chief executive officer. Schneider comes to the group from the Ad- ministration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Serv- ices, where he was acting assistant secretary. In that position, Schneider directed a program that matched children of prisoners with adult mentors, and established the National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play, part of an effort to reduce childhood obesity. He also created the Office of Disaster Prepared- ness and Response, which provides social serv- ices following large-scale disasters. From 2003 to 2004, Schneider was deputy associate director at the White House. He has also worked as general counsel for the National Endowment for the Humanities, White House liaison for the U.S. Department of Labor, chief of staff for Rep. James R. Ryun (R- Kan.) and an as attaché for the Kansas Depart- ment of Commerce. Massage school dean to lead COMTA The Commission on Mas- sage Therapy Accreditation announced that Kate Henri- oulle will be the group’s new executive director, effective June 1. Henrioulle comes to the group from the International Professional School of Bodywork, a massage school in San Diego, Calif., where she was dean of education. In that position, Henrioulle directed a staff of 80 faculty members and more than 200 students, and oversaw the school’s COMTA accreditation programs. Henrioulle also was a massage instruc- tor and a clinic supervisor at the IPSB. In an interview with CEO Update, Henri- oulle said she heard about the position from COMTA’s interim director, whom Henrioulle met two years ago at an education conference. Henrioulle has a bachelor’s degree in geol- ogy from Colorado College and massage ther- apy accreditations from the IPSB, the Natural Healing Institute, the Society of Ortho-Bion- omy International and the California Naturo- pathic College. NEWS & SELECTIONS Continued from page 17
- 19. 19April 24, 2009 GovernmentAffairs Douglas Wiley, executive vice president of government relations for the National Associa- tion of Broadcasters, is no longer with the trade group. Published reports say that Wiley’s position was eliminated last month. Laurie Knight, who has worked as the leg- islative director for Rep. Jim Turner, (D- Texas), now leads the government relations staff, Before joining NAB, she spent more than five years with the National Beer Wholesalers Association, where NAB’s CEO David Rehr had also been leader. Before joining NAB, Wiley served as a lob- byist in a number of trade associations and in the private sector, chiefly in the telecommuni- cations industry. He worked as a senior vice president of government relations for the Elec- tronic Industries Alliance, as a vice president at the Telecommunications Industry Associa- tion, and director of legislative affairs for the Competitive Telecommunications Associa- tion. He was also director of government rela- tions for Alcatel, a telecom firm that later merged with Lucent Technologies. Wiley had also been a senior legislative assis- tant to the former chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rep. Thomas Bliley, (R-Va.). The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has named Jason Matthews, a former chief of staff to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), as a director in its congressional and public affairs division, with a focus on financial issues. Prior to the Chamber, Matthews was deputy issues director of Landrieu’s 1996 Senate cam- paign and continued to serve in her Capitol Hill office. Matthews joins Scott Eckart, who has also been named a director in the division. He will focus on trade issues. Eckart is a former vice president of federal affairs at the Democratic Leadership Council, where he was a liaison between the organization and members of Congress. He also worked at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and on a House re-election campaign for then-Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn). Jonathan Kurrle is the new vice president of government affairs and public policy for the Society of the Plastics Industry. Kurrle comes to the trade group from The Association for Manufacturing Technology, where he served as government relations director since 2001. Prior to that position, he was a government re- lations representative for Reed Smith LLP, an international law firm, where he directed lob- bying programs for a wide array of service and manufacturing sector clients. He also has served as a legislative assistant to former Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), where he was an advisor to the congressman and repre- sented the office on commerce issues and in- dustrial competitiveness. Kurrle earned a bachelor’s degree in government from The Col- lege of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. Jennifer Warren has been named federal policy director at Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a nonprofit, anti-crime policy group based in Washington, D.C. Larry Slesinger with Slesinger Management Services, an exec- utive search firm based in Bethesda, Md., completed the search. Warren joins the group from Capitol Hill, where she most recently served as a legislative di- rector for Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.). She has also served as legislative assistant for Rep. Char- lie Bass (R-N.H.), and staff assistant for Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.). Before her work on Capitol Hill, Warren was a farm policy project manager at Environmental Defense Fund. Warren received her bachelor’s degree in biol- ogy from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in psychology from Emory Uni- versity, and a master’s degree in government ad- ministration from the Fels Institute of Government at University of Pennsylvania. Michael Fratantoni, a former senior staffer at the Mortgage Bankers Association, returns to the trade association as vice president of single-family re- search and policy develop- ment. Fratantoni joins MBA from Washington Mutual, where he was the economic strategist in the Enterprise Risk Management Group, and was responsible for assessing housing market trends that impacted the company’s risk exposure and business prospects. Prior to that, he served as MBA’s senior director of single-family research and economics and was a senior staff member for MBA’s Council to Shape Change, an effort that brought together executives from across the in- dustry to examine and report on the trends that would impact the future of mortgage markets. Fratantoni has also served as director of eco- nomic and policy research at Fannie Mae where he managed the production of policy studies by leading academics and served as a technical ex- pert within the Regulatory Policy group. He was also a senior economist in Fannie Mae’s Credit Pricing group. Fratantoni received a doctoral degree in eco- nomics from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from The Col- lege of William and Mary. He has also served as adjunct professor at the University of Washing- ton, Johns Hopkins, The George Washington University and Georgetown University. After a nationwide search, the Association of American Medical Colleges has ap- pointed Atul Grover as its chief advocacy officer. Grover had been an internal candi- date for the position—he has served as AAMC director for government rela- tions and health care affairs prior to the ap- pointment. He succeeds Richard Knapp, who retired from the AAMC in 2008 after 40 years with the association. As the health care reform debate returns to the top list of priorities with the Obama administra- tion, Grover will serve as the main architect and strategist of AAMC’s advocacy agenda. Grover joined the AAMC as associate direc- tor for the Center for Workforce Studies in 2005, where he managed research activity and directed externally funded workforce studies. He became a director of government relations and health care affairs in 2007, where he coor- dinated advocacy related to clinical care, train- ing, financing, and directed legislative efforts related to Medicaid and Medicare. Prior to joining the AAMC, Grover was a senior consultant in health care finance and ap- plied economics for The Lewin Group, Inc. He also served with the U.S. Public Health Service, Health Resources and Services Administration. Grover has also worked as a chief medical of- ficer for HRSA’s National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, and as a medical officer for the children’s hospital graduate medical educa- tion program. Trained as a general internist, he practices medicine and holds faculty appoint- ments at the George Washington University School of Medicine, and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he obtained his doctorate in health and public policy. He received his medical degree from GWU School of Medicine in 1995, and Continued on page 20
- 20. 20 April 24,2009 The Source OnAssociationAndNonprofitExecutiveCareers&People completed his residency in internal medicine and primary care at the University of California at San Francisco. Administration After serving for 13 years in the private sector as a financial advisor, Stacey Breslin will join the American Chamber of Commerce Execu- tives as director, benefits services. In the new role, Breslin will work for the ACCE Benefits Trust and with Fringe Benefits, Inc. in directing, planning and growing all of the benefit plans. Prior to ACCE, Breslin was vice president, senior institutional advisor for TD Banknorth in Burlington, Mass. Breslin earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Florida. The Chicago-based Society of Women En- gineers recently added three new staffers: Mar- cia Lampela as director of operations, Randy Freedman as outreach manager and Jennifer Scott as fund development manager. As director of operations, Lampela will be re- sponsible for managing SWE’s critical vendor relationships, strategic analysis and programs that support organizational growth and expan- sion. Most recently, she worked at BorgWarner, Inc. where she held a variety of positions in product engineering and program management. Lampela holds a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineer- ing from Michigan State University. As outreach manager, Freedman will oversee SWE’s national K-12 outreach programs and re- lationships. He joins the society from Sallie Mae, Inc., where he served as the K-12 solutions di- rector for its Upromise fundraiser program that helps parents save for their children’s education. Freedman began his career as an elementary school teacher teaching all subjects to cultur- ally, racially and linguistically diverse students. Scott will serve in a fund development man- ager role, with responsibility for the society’s fundraising activities related to private founda- tions and national government agencies. Before joining SWE, she worked as an independent consultant for associations, where she led strategic plan development and campaign im- plementation and management. America’s Promise Alliance has named Chicago Public Schools’ staffer Carmita P. Vaughan as chief strategy of- ficer for the organization. Vaughan, who served as chief of staff of the Chicago Office of High Schools and High School Pro- grams will spearhead the alliance’s efforts to combat high school dropout and prepare stu- dents for college. The organization, founded by former Secre- tary of State Colin Powell, partners with more than 270 groups and is dedicated to improving the lives of America’s children. Specifically, Vaughan will oversee the Alliance’s efforts in five key programs: Caring Adults, Safe Places, a Healthy Start, an Effective Education, and Op- portunities to Help Others. Vaughan began her tenure with the Chicago public school system through the Broad Resi- dency in Urban Education, a two-year, national program that seeks to provide a pipeline of tal- ent to build leadership in urban public school districts. Her previous experience includes posi- tions with the Danaher Corporation, PepsiCo Beverages and Food, and Procter & Gamble. John K. Davis, II has joined the American Board of Inter- nal Medicine as a senior vice president and chief informa- tion officer, effective April 13. In this newly created position, Davis will work with senior management and ABIM’s board of directors to provide the vision, strategic direction, and oper- ational oversight for the development and imple- mentation of information technology initiatives. Davis joins ABIM from Omnicare Clinical Research, where he served as executive vice president and chief information officer and helped launch the Clinical Research Organiza- tion, which operates in 30 countries and pro- vides clinical trials and data analysis for pharmaceutical manufacturers and other biotechnology companies. He also served as senior vice president and chief information of- ficer for Trans Financial Bankcorp a financial services holding company located in Kentucky. NAVA, the Association for Insured Re- tirement Solutions, has hired Lee Coving- ton as senior vice president and general counsel. The group also promoted Deborah Tucker to vice president of membership, marketing and standards. Covington will lead NAVA’s legal, legislative, and regulatory strategy at the federal and state level, including all efforts before the new ad- ministration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and state insurance and securities departments. He will also direct the association’s work on various regulatory restructuring proposals, in- cluding advocating for more simplified tem- plates for annuity model disclosure and prospectus forms. Prior to joining NAVA, Covington served as a co-leader for the national insurance practice at the law firm Squire Sanders & Dempsey. He was also director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, where he was also a member of the National Association of Insurance Commis- sioners Executive Committee and was one of the lead negotiators for NAIC before Congress on the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Tucker has been with NAVA since 2000. Since then, she’s launched a branding campaign for annuities. Under her leadership, the associa- tion created the NAVA STP Standards for com- pliant sales automation and formed the National Retirement Planning Coalition to educate consumers on the importance of man- aging their retirement assets. Tucker also di- rected a public relations program aimed at improving the perception of annuity products. Meetings, education and programs Robert Glowinski, a 31-year veteran of the forest products industry, has been named group vice president for forestry and wood products at American Forest and Paper Association. For the past 16 years, Glowinski has led AF&PA’s American Wood Council, the techni- cal arm of the industry that advances the use of wood products in construction. He has also served as the trade association’s manager of fire technology, technical research counsel, and as- sistant vice president of the Building Codes and Engineering Division. Glowinski previously worked for a Wash- ington law firm and the District of Columbia Fire Department, and served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland and University of the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Forest Products Soci- ety, American Society of Testing and Materi- als, and the Construction Law Forum of the American Bar Association. NEWS & SELECTIONS Continued from page 19