People

IN ACCORD. Tom Lawler has signed on as a principal with the Accord Group, a Washington-based government relations shop that specializes in energy and environment, infrastructure and science policy. From 2005-08, Lawler was a senior adviser to Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and he also handled work for him related to the Senate Environment and Public Works Clean Air Subcommittee. Lawler said he hopes to emulate Carper's pragmatism. Previously, he was a deputy director of state-federal relations for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican. The native of Dallas graduated from Baylor University. He moved to Washington in 1998 and started working at the American Forest & Paper Association. It was during that time that Lawler first met one of his new colleagues, the Accord Group's Robert Hurley, an ex-staff director of the Environment and Public Works Committee. "I kind of moved to D.C. without a job, and environment was kind of the arena that I found a job in. And I discovered that I really, really enjoyed the issues," Lawler says. Lawler most recently was director of public policy for Natsource, a buyer in the carbon markets. "To see firsthand how cap-and-trade is utilized by power plants and utilities, it really gave me a good sense of how all these different pieces work, and why so many people find cap-and-trade such a useful tool in addressing environmental issues," Lawler says. The Accord Group also includes former Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y.

SAYONARA. A Japanese Diet member who led an exchange program with Congress for more than 20 years made his final visit to Capitol Hill last week. Iwao Matsuda is retiring from public service in Japan after a long career as a trade minister and legislator. While serving in the Diet's House of Representatives in 1989, he helped establish the United States-Japan Legislative Exchange Program, which has held semiannual meetings linking lawmakers and academics in both countries. "He is an example to all of us in his leadership, commitment to democratic values, and understanding of the importance of maintaining alliances with friends in good times and bad," said Rep. Thomas Petri, R-Wis., who participated in many of the meetings. The exchange program is coordinated by the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

AFTER SCHOOL. Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, has announced his retirement. Tirozzi has served in that position since 1999; before that, he was assistant secretary of Education in the Clinton administration. He steps down July 1.

This article appears in the May 15, 2010, edition of National Journal Daily.

Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.