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McCurry Champions Cyber Activism
Former White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry is taking the reins as CEO of Internet political Web site Grassroots.com, where he hopes to sell the power of the Internet to facilitate communication between activists and public policy makers. Previously, McCurry had been an adviser to Grassroots.com, as well as a co-director of the Markle Foundation's Web, White & Blue presidential cyber-debate. McCurry said he believes that the Internet helped to boost turnout during the election and cited massive e-mail efforts by both presidential campaigns, as one reason that voter turnout didn't fall below 50 percent as had been projected by election experts. "The extensive use of e-mail by both presidential campaigns and the 17,000 candidates that posted information on Grassroots.com all adds up to a more hopeful beginning than the press indicated" for the Internet's election impact, McCurrysaid. While Grassroots.com had started out as a provider of political content, the Web site's operators found it difficult to draw eyeballs and make money. McCurry said the San Francisco-based company began transforming earlier this year into a political tools provider and last week announced an alliance with Washington, DC-based Issue Dynamics to sell a suite of online advocacy products. "People are going to have to work very hard to get their viewpoints to policy makers" especially in a divided Congress, McCurry said. McCurry will also remain as a principal at Public Strategies, a DC public relations firm.
Meanwhile, the current White House press staff has warmed up to the Internet press over the past year. Mark Kitchens, White House director for the Internet press, participated in an online chat last week on Web site PlanetGov.com to answer questions from subscribers. Kitchens said he got his job when former White House spokesman Joe Lockhart had asked him to find out whether the Internet press could be another outlet for getting across the administration's message. "The misperception about the Internet press only cares about high-tech issues, when in fact most of their questions are mainstream," said Kitchens when asked the difference between Internet and mainstream press. "The Internet press is now viewed as a vital tool, especially as studies show that more Americans get their news information from the Internet than any other media outlet during business hours," Kitchens said. He also said the Internet enables a more-informed electorate. "It makes information available to campaigns and candidates and now Americans have tools to learn more information, which means a better educated electorate," he said.
Jefferson Government Relations has hired Luke Rose as its new director of government affairs in its e-commerce and information technology practice. Rose leaves his post as legislative director for Rep. Heather Wilson, R-NM, where he handled House Commerce Committee issues, including the congresswoman's legislation to bar unsolicited e-mail, or spam. In the 106th Congress, Jefferson represented Oracle, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, AllAdvantage.com, SGSonSite, Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, The Forum for Trust in Online Trade, The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail, ehealthinsurance.com, and iMotors.com.
The Heritage Foundation's Alex Walker Fellow in Economic Studies Adam Thierer will leave his nine-year post as a senior policy analyst at the conservative think tank and move down Massachusetts Avenue to the Cato Institute. Thierer will head Cato's telecommunication studies program and offer additional services as director of information studies — a position formerly held by Solveig Singleton who recently left for the Competitive Enterprise Institute — until the position is permanently filled. At Heritage, Thierer focused on how regulations affect U.S. competition with a focus on communications, the Internet, antitrust, electricity deregulation and environmental risk regulation.
Federal Election Commission general counsel Lawrence Noble will take over as executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, replacing Larry Makinson in January 2001. Makinson, who has served as executive director since 1998, is moving into a new position at CRP as senior fellow. Noble is a 23-year veteran of the FEC and has served as the FEC's general counsel since 1987. He started at the FEC in 1977 as a litigation attorney and served as assistant general counsel for litigation and deputy general counsel before becoming the FEC's chief legal officer. "Nothing is more important than ensuring that the public has full access to information on how democracy really works and the ability to see the connections between election funding and government relations," Noble said in a statement.
The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) has appointed Joseph Kraemer as a senior fellow to focus on telecommunications and e-commerce issues. Kraemer is currently director at LECG, a Washington, DC-based consulting firm specializing in capital intensive industries undergoing structural change. He also serves on the faculties of the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and American University's Kogod Business School where he teaches e-commerce courses. As a consultant, Kraemer has worked with senior management at communications and high-tech companies in Asia, Europe and the Americas. He has testified before legislative bodies and served as an expert witness before courts, arbitration panels, mediators and regulatory commissions. PFF is holding a conference on the Federal Communications Commission and telecommunications reform in Washington on Dec. 8.
After three-and-a-half years of handling advocacy efforts for People For the American Way (PFAW), Will Heyniger has taken a media relations position at Mclean, VA-based public relations firm SheaHedges Group. At PFAW, Heyniger was involved in a number of e-mail campaigns including ItsYourCourt.com, a Web site created to highlight potential changes in the U.S. Supreme Court based on the outcome of the presidential election. SheaHedge's clients are mostly in the high-tech industry, Heyniger said. "I love PFAW dearly, but it was time to try something new," he said in an e-mail to colleagues.
Jim Wilkinson, marketing and communications director at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), will leave the House GOP's fundraising arm to pursue other interests. Wilkinson said he hopes to find a job either in a George W. Bush administration, or pursue a job in the high-tech industry. "I've made no decisions yet, but I would be honored to work in a Bush administration," Wilkinson said. "If not, my first choice would be to go into the high-tech world. Government affairs in the high-tech arena would be exciting." Prior to joining the NRCC, Wilkinson spent several years on the staff of House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-TX, as press secretary, political director, deputy floor assistant, assistant for member relations, campaign manager, and legislative assistant. Wilkinson currently serves as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserves and received his undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington and his master's degree from Johns Hopkins University.
In other NRCC news, Committee Chairman Tom Davis of Virginia appointed John Hishta as the panel's new executive director. Hishta replaces Deputy Chairman Dan Mattoon, who is returning to BellSouth Dec. 1 after a year-long sabbatical. Hishta directed the NRCC's "Battleground 2000" fundraising effort. Prior to joining the NRCC, Hishta served as executive director of Campaign America, as well as in several positions on Davis' staff. Hishta also served as campaign manager to Sen. John Warner, R-VA, and chief of staff and finance director for former Rep. Donald Lukens, R-OH. Mattoon returns to BellSouth as vice president of congressional affairs.
New co-chairmen of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue for 2001 (TABD) were named at the group's annual meeting Saturday. Effective Jan. 1, they are James Schiro, CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Michael Treschow, president and CEO of Sweden's Electrolux. Sweden also will take over the European Union presidency for six months starting in January. The TABD is a group of business leaders working to increase trans-Atlantic trade and investment by removing unnecessary regulation between the United States and European Union.
Law firm Cooley Godward named Bill Galliani as a patent partner in the firm's Palo Alto, CA, office. At Cooley, Galliani's practice will focus on strategic patent counseling, patent procurement and technical support for patent litigation. Notable clients with whom Galliani has worked include Cooley clients Altera, DoDots, Seagate Software and the University of California at Berkeley.
The Immigration and Naturalization's new acting commissioner is Mary Ann Wyrsch. She takes over for outgoing Commissioner Doris Meissner. Wyrsch was appointed INS deputy commissioner in March 1998 and has been responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of INS operations and its more than 30,000 employees.
 | - by Bara Vaida |
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