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Capping A Short Tenure At CapNet
by Randy Barrett
After barely a month on the job, CapNet Executive Director Jason Flanary has left to take the top lobbying post at the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce in Virginia.
People familiar with the situation said the ambitious, 26-year-old former Marine simply got an offer he could not refuse and left CapNet with an "honorable discharge" -- though the timing of his Aug. 30 departure was a bit awkward. CapNet finds itself without a leader again, as Tim Hugo left the organization in April. CapNet officials could not be reached for comment.
Flanary said he enjoyed working at CapNet for two years under Hugo, but the lure of lobbying for a larger group of companies proved too hard to resist. He is now the chamber's vice president of government affairs and oversees a staff of four.
"[It] is an incredible opportunity to be able to work at the state, local and federal level for more than 1,000 businesses associated with the Chamber of Commerce," Flanary said. "They are known as the foremost business advocacy organization in the commonwealth."
The Fairfax chamber was pleased to snag the much-heralded wunderkind, who, though briefly, was the youngest technology association leader in Washington.
"Jason Flanary is a rising star in Virginia politics," Fairfax chamber CEO William Lecos said in a statement. "The members of the Fairfax County chamber are truly fortunate to have a talented professional, with an accomplished and varied record on Capitol Hill and in Richmond, working on their behalf to protect the interests of business in northern Virginia."
Earlier in his short but meteoric career, Flanary worked for Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell as a campaign strategist and briefly as a legislative assistant to Reps. Randy Forbes, R-Va., and Bud Shuster, R-Pa.
CDT Names New Chief
The Center for Democracy and Technology has named Leslie Harris as its new executive director. Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, Harris will be responsible for guiding the organization in its long-term goals as well as daily activities.
"As someone deeply involved with these issues, I've long admired the organization for its nuanced understanding of the policy challenges posed by the Internet and for its pragmatic approach toward resolving those issues," she said in a statement.
Harris, who most recently headed her own Washington-based public policy firm, Leslie Harris & Associates, has served in senior positions at several national organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union.
Harris is replacing Jim Dempsey, "who remains a vital part of CDT," according to the group. He has moved to San Francisco, where he will serve as a full-time policy director for the organization.
Associate Director Ari Schwartz has been promoted to the position of deputy director.
New Handle In The Wings?
In a town chock-full of challenging acronyms, the Computer Systems Policy Project (CSPP) may not seem a top offender, but it could be due for a change, according to rumors among the capital city's technorati.
The association consists exclusively of heavy-hitting tech CEOs, including Intel's Craig Barrett, Bill Nuti of NCR, Dell's Kevin Rollins and Ed Zander of Motorola. It lobbies on export controls, anti-piracy technology policy, spectrum allocation and other issues.
But evidently it takes a gaggle of big kahunas like that some time to agree on things. "There is no decision yet" on a name change, CSPP Executive Director Bruce Mehlman said.
A Meet-and-greet For ACLU's Lobbying Chief
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will formally introduce its chief lobbyist, Caroline Fredrickson, to Washington political society during a Sept. 21 reception on Capitol Hill.
Fredrickson has been at the ACLU since mid-July. Before joining the group, she was legal director at the National Abortion Rights Action League. Earlier in her career, Fredrickson served as chief of staff to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and deputy chief of staff to former Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle, D-S.D.
"Caroline has established herself as a key player in Washington through her tireless work for social justice," Cantwell said in a statement. "She's as respected on the Hill as she is among her own staff, and she's poised to make this formidable organization even stronger."
Fredrickson holds a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a law degree from Columbia University.
The Ways And Means Of Trade Policy
Christin Tinsworth Baker has been hired by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as an assistant handling public and media affairs.
Before the new gig, she was communications director for the House Ways and Means Committee. Earlier in her work trajectory, Baker was spokeswoman for Rep. Anne Northup, R-Ky. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Vanderbilt University.
In other public relations news, John Randall has joined the National Republican Congressional Committee as deputy press secretary. He was formerly with the Edelman public relations firm.
Heroes Of Intellectual Property
Public Knowledge will present its IP3 awards Sept. 29 to three individuals who it feels have advanced the public interest in intellectual property, information policy and Internet protocol.
The winners are Victoria Hale, founder of One World Health, author Gregory Maguire, and computer scientist David Reed.
Reed is an Internet pioneer who advanced decentralization and invented a leading protocol for streaming media. He is an adjunct professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab and a member of Hewlett-Packard Laboratories.
Hale's company uses donated intellectual property to produce low-cost medicines for the developing world in order to combat visceral leishmaniasis, Malaria and diarrheal diseases. "Dr. Hale has demonstrated how there need not be a conflict between the commercial world and the nonprofit world, in an area where the approach to intellectual property can have life-and-death consequences for millions," Public Knowledge said in a statement.
Maguire is the author of the best-selling books "Wicked" and "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," which use characters from classic fables to spin new yarns. "Maguire's body of work is a perfect example of the value of the public domain, as he has built upon existing stories to create something new and novel," the group said.
People Power To Pick Next Music Sensation
Somewhere along the way, the music business forgot about listener taste and decided to dictate the next big thing to the masses. That model is beginning to break down and the Los Angeles Music Awards will drive another nail in the coffin.
The organizers are turning to the Internet to choose a previously unknown performer to play during the Nov. 9 ceremony in Hollywood. The public will be able to listen online to a group of new artists gathered by Mercora.com, a legal file-sharing network, and vote for their favorites.
"This online contest underscores the continued disintermediation of the music business and its middlemen," the company said in a statement. "It is an excellent example of how the Internet connects artists with listeners directly. Traditionally, the ability to break into the business or obtain such an opportunity has been extremely difficult."
Quote Of The Week
"Well, you could have at least looked surprised."
-- U.S. Archivist Allen Weinstein, after his audience displayed little reaction to the announcement that Lockheed Martin beat Harris Corp. for an e-archiving project.
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