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First A New Job, Next A New Baby
by Ted Leventhal
Adam Goldman's decision to end his longtime tenure as an aide to George W. Bush for a job as senior director of government and corporate affairs at the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) was motivated in large part by his desire to become a parent. "My reasons for leaving were mainly financial," Goldman said. "My wife and I have started talking about having a family, and we needed a little more money for a baby."
Goldman has served Bush for nearly a decade, most recently as special assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, working with the business community on policy initiatives such as trade-negotiating authority for the president and tax cuts. In Texas, Goldman advised then-Gov. Bush on board and commission appointments. He later led Bush's political action committee and supervised functions for the 2000 presidential campaign.
Few in the administration have worked with the president for so long. Karl Rove, Bush's senior adviser, released a statement calling Goldman a "valuable and trusted" member of the administration and praising his "loyalty, good judgment and high energy."
In the newly created position at EIA, Goldman will represent the group in industry coalitions and promote its issues on Capitol Hill. EIA's member companies employ about 1.8 million Americans, Goldman said, and "the chances are good" that on a given issue at least one EIA employee resides in any federal lawmaker's district.
"The issues we deal with are very complicated," he said. "If we can put a face on the issues, that it means jobs in a member's district, then I think we can have a greater impact."
High Praise From The FCC's Powell
Susan Eid, a legal adviser to FCC Chairman Michael Powell, soon will leave her position at the FCC, the chairman announced Thursday at the agency's meeting.
Eid, who has not announced future plans, asked Powell not to make a fuss over her at the meeting, urging him not to mention her departure at all, but Powell said there was no way he was going to do that, because she is "the most phenomenal public servant I have ever, ever, ever met. I am in her undying debt."
Powell made one concession to her request, saying that he would not make her stand to be recognized. Instead, Powell gave Eid a standing ovation. Upon noticing the red-faced Eid, Powell quipped, "Good, she's embarrassed."
Eid took the position as Powell's legal adviser in 2000 and was principally responsible for mass media, cable television and selected high-speed Internet issues.
Another development on the communications front involves the Washington law firm Harris Wiltshire & Grannis, which has entered an affiliation agreement with Carlos Casasus, the first chairman of COFETEL, Mexico's equivalent of the FCC. Casasus will advise the firm's clients doing business in Mexico -- including Telecommunications and Interactive Education, the Mexico City firm that Casasus heads -- on U.S. telecom law.
The Treasury Department Staff Shuffle
President Bush has nominated Susan Schwab to be deputy Treasury secretary. Schwab, currently dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs, was Motorola's director of corporate business development until 1995. Her government experience includes stints as an assistant Commerce secretary to former President George Bush, the current president's father, and eight years in senior staff positions with former Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo.
In other Treasury Department news, Peter Fisher, the undersecretary for domestic finance, is returning to New Jersey for family reasons. Fisher helped shape administration policy on the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the fight against identity theft. He also supervised efforts to reopen the financial markets and stabilize the airline industry after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Kenneth Leet, managing director of Goldman Sachs' investment-banking division, has been nominated to be Fisher's replacement.
Charles Schott will become Treasury's deputy assistant secretary for trade and investment in the Office of International Affairs. Schott was vice president of Hearst New Media & Technology from 1993-1997 and in mid-1980s spent several years at the FCC and National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Elsewhere in the administration, Bush tapped David Eisner, America Online's former vice president for corporate relations, to be the new CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Since leaving AOL last month, Eisner has been a consultant with Network for Good, an Internet service connecting potential volunteers with community service organizations. He was senior vice president of the AOL Foundation from 1997 to 2001 and a senior vice president at Fleishman-Hillard from 1993 to 1997.
Orbitzing The World Of Travel Management
The online travel service Orbitz has named Christopher Hjelm as its new chief technology officer responsible for creating new travel-management features for the site.
Hjelm comes to Orbitz from eBay, where he was a senior vice president of technology with the online auction site. He also worked 14 years as senior vice president and chief information officer for Federal Express in Memphis, Tenn., and before that worked at ExciteAtHome.
In a statement, Orbitz touted Hjelm's history at companies with "outstanding IT capabilities and customer service," and noted his work re-engineering FedEx's global billing process and helping Excite set "the broadband industry benchmark for speed and reliability."
Still Entertaining Executive-Level Candidates
The search continues for senior lobbyists to lead the entertainment industry's top trade associations, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reports that RIAA is expected to name its new chief lobbyist any day. Former director Hilary Rosen ended her tenure in June, and there have been weeks of speculation over her possible successor. The leading candidate is John Buckley, a Republican with AOL Time Warner. The search firm Korn/Ferry International is expected to announce its selection after a final meeting with RIAA's search committee.
Meanwhile, Hollywood executives reportedly have narrowed their search for a successor to Jack Valenti, MPAA's longtime president. The short list reportedly includes Sen. John Breaux, D-La., House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman W.J. (Billy) Tauzin, R-La., and former Sen. Fred Thompson. An announcement is expected by the end of the year.
The 'Energizer Bunny' Of Tech Policy
Bruce Mehlman, the Commerce Department's assistant secretary for technology policy, has been dubbed the "Energizer Bunny" by colleagues for his relentless travel and speaking schedule.
"It's known around the building that he just never quits," spokeswoman Connie Correll said. "Every day it seems he's out speaking to the [tech] community in [the Washington, D.C., region] or around the country."
Rock stars would not want Mehlman's tour schedule. A glance at his calendar reveals a heavy load, even by Washington standards. From April 28 to June 12 he gave 17 keynote addresses or other speeches, participated in four roundtable discussions, and attended five meetings.
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