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Environmentalists Honor Retiring Science Chair
by Heather Greenfield
Retiring House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert already is being missed by environmental groups, 18 of which held a goodbye party for him at the Capitol last week. More than a dozen other moderate Republicans came to celebrate his 24 years of service.
"Representative Sherry Boehlert's retirement marks the passing of an era," said Will Callaway, legislative director for Physicians for Social Responsibility. "He truly is a representative of the people and has a long record of working to protect the environment and public health. Physicians for Social Responsibility wishes him all the best in his retirement and certainly regrets his departure at a time when real leadership is lacking in the House of Representatives."
The League of Conservation Voters helped organize the reception at the Capitol, and Director Gene Kapiniski said of Boehlert, "He's not just a consistent supporter of a whole range of environmental issues, but he's been a champion."
Bill Meadows of the Wilderness Society presented the chairman, who is a baseball fan, with a bat signed by leaders of national environmental groups. Meadows thanked Boehlert for hitting singles, doubles, triples and grand slams for the environment during his years of service.
No one wants to speculate who will replace Boehlert as chairman, in part because the House could shift to Democrats after the November election.
Boehlert, meanwhile, praised President Bush for nominating former Boehlert staffer Sharon Hays to be the associate director for science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She currently is the chief of staff at OSTP.
"One of my first actions as chairman of the Science Committee was to promote Dr. Hays to be the staff director of the Research Subcommittee," Boehlert said. "Everything she did in that post confirmed the wisdom of my decision. I'm pleased that OSTP will continue to benefit from Sharon's thoughtful, sensible and thorough approach to science."
First Black At FCC Honored At Reception
A civil rights pioneer and the first black federal communications commissioner also recently returned to Washington for a ceremony to honor his achievements.
Benjamin Lawson Hooks, 81, was appointed to the FCC by President Richard Nixon in 1972 and finished his term in 1977. Employees who served with him and past and president members of Congress attended the reception organized by the FCC's chapter of Blacks in Government.
The group's president, Wesley Jarmon, said that his chapter is named after Hooks and that it was an honor to finally meet him after several telephone calls to Hooks, who now lives in Memphis. "It was very uplifting for people to see him and hear him speak," Jarmon said. "I was very pleased with the outpouring of support."
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., spoke at the reception, and former FCC Chairman James Quello, 92, also came to show his support for Hooks. Jarmon helped present Hooks with a plaque to honor his efforts in civil rights and many years in public service.
Hooks was the executive director of the NAACP and also a judge, professor, attorney and ordained minister.
Top Press Aide Leaves Homeland Security
The top press person at the Homeland Security Department is leaving for the State Department.
Brian Besanceney will leave as the assistant secretary for public affairs at Homeland Security effective July 28 to join the staff of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as State's deputy chief of staff for planning.
"I am grateful for Brian's service to our country during his tenure at the department, and for his work on homeland security and incident communications issues in his previous capacity as deputy White House communications director," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. "I congratulate him on this new opportunity and I am confident that he will be an invaluable member of Secretary Rice's team."
Telecom Veteran Lands At Consulting Firm
A telecommunications industry veteran who helped lobby for the 1996 Telecommunications Act will be helping GAGE Business Consulting lobby for new changes to the law. GAGE has hired Richard Fruchterman to handle the company's high-tech and telecom business as its senior vice president of government relations.
Fruchterman most recently served as vice president of government affairs for MCI WorldCom and managed its federal legislative affairs organization. Before the acquisition of MCI, he was responsible for managing WorldCom's relationships with the FCC and Congress. He began his career as a staff assistant in the White House under former President Jimmy Carter.
"Rich Fruchterman's industry expertise and high-level management experience at top telecommunications companies will bring to our firm a unique perspective and higher level of intelligence in the entire high-tech sector," GAGE CEO Leo Giacometto said. "Rich's business sense, lobbying prowess and political instincts will be a dynamic addition to the strategic and solution-focused approach that we take with all of our clients as we help them to achieve the best for their businesses."
"I am looking forward to joining such a talented team at GAGE and am excited to get started on advancing solutions that will uniquely benefit each of our clients as they face business challenges in an increasingly political world," Fruchterman said.
Senior Changes At Technology Daily
Technology Daily Senior Writer Sarah Lai Stirland is moving to San Francisco to join her husband Steve Mitra, who has taken a job there as a litigation attorney.
Stirland has covered intellectual property, privacy and litigation cases for Tech Daily for two-plus years. Some of the highlights have included the debate in Congress over renewal of the anti-terrorism law known as the USA PATRIOT Act, the legality of domestic eavesdropping without warrants by the National Security Agency, the patent reform movement both in Congress and at the Supreme Court, and patent battle over the Blackberry handheld device.
One of the many aspects of working at Technology Daily that she said she will miss most is receiving fan mail from the Congressional Budget Office.
"After covering the Internet bubble at Red Herring, freelancing and covering tech policy for more than six years, I'm taking a break and going to San Francisco, where I'll probably be surrounded by even more technology policy," Stirland said.
Meanwhile, Andrew Noyes, previously the associate managing editor of Washington Internet Daily, has joined Technology Daily as a senior writer.
"My move to Tech Daily is an exciting change for me, and I look forward to joining such a dynamic team," Noyes said. "The good news is that my relationship with many high-tech and intellectual property policy movers and shakers won't change. My new beat includes IP policy, litigation, privacy and civil-liberties issues, which are among my favorite topics to cover."
Quote Of The Week
"It is too important not to do. Close isn't good enough. Rounding the right way isn't good enough."
-- Rep. Tim Cole, R-Okla., speaking about his bill, H.R. 550, to require paper trails for e-voting machines. Cole was chief of staff at the Republican National Committee during the contested 2000 presidential election.
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