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Regulators for Hire
With increasing frequency
senior government officials who retire from, or otherwise leave, regulatory
agencies are going to work for the very industry they once regulated.
Advancing industry points of view while cloaked in the imprimatur implied
by former Federal service has become a multi-million dollar business. Once
called a "revolving door," it is now more of a "sucking sound" from industry
regulator to industry lobbyist, consultant or litigation defense witness.
Life after life as a federal regulator is too lucrative to return to government
service.
"Security of Nonpublic Information,"
a confidential NHTSA study conducted in 1996, obtained by Ralph Hoar &
Associates, reveals concern that "the agency's vulnerability to unauthorized
disclosure of deliberative process information by retirees may be greater
with senior-level officials since, by virtue of their former positions,
they were privy to more sensitive deliberative process information, and
are more likely to be contacted by litigants, the regulated industry, or
other parties seeking their services."
In 1998, Ralph Hoar & Associates published the first "Hoar List" of officials employed by the
auto or trucking industries after holding senior political or career positions
at NHTSA during the Reagan and Bush administrations.
In 2001, "The Hoar List"
expands to include government regulators of all types of public health
and service at the Federal and State levels who leave their posts to cater
to the whims of the industry they once regulated.
A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: We
invite public nominations for additions to "The Hoar List." Nominations should include dates of government
service, government positions, areas or issues of responsibility, subsequent
non-government employer, position and areas or issues of involvement.
Supporting documentation is required and should be sent to:
SafetyForum
Nominations - The Hoar List
1711 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 201
Washington, DC 20009
Steven Akey
Steven Akey, a spinmeister
for former transportation secretary Rodney E. Slater, after doing a stint
as flack for the Federal Highway Administration, is stepping into a newly
created Washington, DC office being opened by Bridgestone/Firestone. Akey
made a brief stop at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide as director of
their "transportation policy group" where, he insists, he did not handle
the Bridgestone/Firestone account during the late and on-going unpleasantness.
Nasrin Anderson
Anderson worked for the
Los Angeles Department of Health Services in 1987. In 1995, she accepted
a position as Corporate Director of Quality Assurance for Sun Mar Healthcare,
a California Nursing Home Chain.
Sue Bailey
Sue Bailey, acting NHTSA
administrator during the final months of the Clinton Administration, was
the government's most visible official during congressional hearings and
the controversy that swirled around defective Firestone Wilderness tires
and the role of the Ford Explorer in more than 200 American deaths. While
questions remained about the safety of the Explorer, Bailey became a consultant
to Ford. Ford wanted Bailey on-board because "this is a public health
issue, and she is an expert on public health issues," according to Ford
spokesman Jason Vines.
Dana Bass
Dana Bass worked for the
State of California, Department of Health Services, Licensing and Certification
for 7 years as a nursing home inspector. He left that position and became
Director of Nursing of Magnolia Gardens Care Center in Burlingame, California.
Donald Bishoff
Bishoff was NHTSA executive
director. Within weeks of leaving NHTSA, Bishoff was reportedly consulting
for the newly formed Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
Marion Blakey
Blakey was administrator
of NHTSA from 1992-1993. After leaving NHTSA, she started a public relations
consulting firm, Blakey and Associates, in Washington, D.C. It is
believed that she represents auto industry interests.
William Boehly
Boehly joined NHTSA in 1969
and left in January 1997. He ran the agency's center for statistics and
analysis, worked in NHTSA's office of vehicle rulemaking, and served as
Associate Administrator for Enforcement and Associate Administrator for
Research and Development. Shortly after leaving NHTSA, he began testifying
as an expert witness on behalf of auto makers. He was hired in November
of 1998 to be chief executive officer and president of the Automotive Occupant
Restraints Council, an organization of airbag and seatbelt manufacturers.
In March 1999, Boehly was appointed vice president of vehicle safety with
the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, Inc
Andrew Card
Card was U.S. Secretary
of Transportation during George Bush's Administration from February 1992
to January 1993. Card left DOT to become president and CEO of the
American Automobile Manufacturers Association representing General Motors,
Ford and Chrysler. When automakers recreated their association as "The
Alliance," Card went to work for General Motors. He is now chief
of staff to president George W. Bush.
Mary Ann Chan
Mary Ann Chan worked for
the State of California, Department of Health Services, Licensing and Certification
as a surveyor from 1976 to 1985. She left that position and accepted a
position as the Director of Nurses at Woodland Lafayette, a nursing home.
Loretta M. Costa
Costa worked for the State
of California, Department of Health Services, Licensing and Certification.
She left that position and went to work as the Director of the California
Association of Health Facilities, and nursing home PAC in California.
Gen. Jerry Ralph Curry
Curry was administrator
of NHTSA from 1989-1992. Upon leaving NHTSA, he became a consultant for
Traffic Safety Now (now defunct) which was funded by the Motor Vehicle
Manufacturers Association, the National Automobile Dealers Association,
as well as various Japanese manufacturers. He owns the consulting firm,
J.R.Curry and Associates, from which he provides expert testimony for automobile
manufacturers in litigation.
Ron DeFore
DeFore was formerly NHTSA's
Director of Public Affairs and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public
Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He is currently a partner
in Strat@Comm providing public relations support for the Coalition for
Vehicle Choice, auto manufacturers and their associations.
Roger Fairchild
Fairchild was formerly in
the Office of Chief Counsel at NHTSA from 1976-1984. He currently works
for Shutler and Low, a law firm that represents a number of Japanese manufacturers.
Barry Felrice
Felrice worked at NHTSA
for 20 years. He held the position of Associate Administrator for Plans
and Programs from 1978-1984 and was Associate Administrator for Rulemaking
from 1984-1996. Shortly after retiring in 1996, he became the Director
of Regulatory Affairs at the American Automobile Manufacturers Association.
He now handles federal regulatory affairs for DaimlerChrysler.
Michael Finkelstein
Finkelstein joined NHTSA
in 1976 and was named Associate Administrator of Research and Development
in 1981. After retiring from NHTSA on January 25, 1991, he opened his own
consulting business, Michael Finkelstein and Associates, which represents
automotive manufacturers and their suppliers. It is believed he has represented
Takata, Mazda and other Japanese manufacturers.
Charles Gauthier
Gauthier worked for the
U.S. Department of Transportation for 20 years. The last position Gauthier
held at NHTSA was Director of the Office of Defects Investigation. Since
leaving NHTSA, Gauthier became a consultant and testified for manufacturers
in products liability litigation. He is the executive director for the
National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services,
which consists of school bus manufacturers and state school transportation
directors.
Jacqueline Glassman
Prior to being named Chief
Counsel at NHTSA in March 2002 by President Bush, Jacqueline Glassman was
with the Office of General Counsel at DaimlerChrysler. She was a member
of Chrysler Corporation's defense team in a 1996 lawsuit over California's
"lemon law" in which Chrysler was charged with reselling 119 defective
cars and trucks that had been returned by consumers. Despite repeated inquiries
from the media in February, NHTSA officials denied the imminent appointment
until consumer safety advocates, including Safetyforum.com, coerced an
announcement from the regulatory agency. During her tenure at Chrysler
and its successor DaimlerChrysler, Glassman was an unrepentant defender
of the auto maker's ongoing lemon laundering woes.
Jim Hall
Jim Hall becomes the first
member of the Clinton Administration to be added to The Hoar List. Hall,
appointed by Clinton to the National Transportation Safety Board in 1993,
served as chairman from June 1994 until he resigned in January 2001. He
will run the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of Dillon, Hall and
Lungershausen. Where he will represent DaimlerChrysler, which he showered
with an unprecedented NTSB award and lavished with praise while he was
chairman, and other transportation interests, including Colonial Pipeline,
all of which enjoyed his oversight as safety poohbah for nine years.
Robert Hellmuth
Hellmuth was NHTSA's Chief
of Defects Evaluation for the Office of Defects Investigation from 1968-1987
and was the director of the Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance from 1987-1995.
Hellmuth left NHTSA to take the position of vice president for technical
and legislative affairs with the Specialty Equipment Market Association.
He is currently providing consulting services to the automotive industry
on regulatory safety and environmental issues.
Ralph J. Hitchcock
Hitchcock began working
at NHTSA in the late 1960's. He did extensive work on the agency's air
bag program. When he retired he was director of NHTSA's Office of Crashworthiness.
He now works for Honda.
Erika Jones
Jones was formerly chief
counsel at NHTSA from March 1981 to April 1989. She is a partner at Mayer,
Platt and Brown, a law firm representing automakers in regulatory matters
and in lawsuits brought by the government. She has represented Nissan,
Ford, and the American Automobile Manufacturers Association. Paul Jackson
Rice - Rice was selected as NHTSA's Chief Counsel by General Curry in June
1990 and served in that position until January 1993. Rice currently works
for the law firm Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin and Kahn, which represents
a number of vehicle manufacturers.
William Leasure
In 1978, Leasure went to
work for NHTSA, where for 10 years he directed NHTSA's heavy truck safety
research program. In 1988, he was appointed director of the Office of Crash
Avoidance Research. After his retirement in July of 1995, he became executive
director of the Truck Manufacturers Association.
Barry McCahill
In 1979 McCahill was appointed
Deputy Director of NHTSA's Office of Public and Consumer Affairs and before
leaving the agency served as Acting Director of the same office. He currently
works at Strat@Comm as a senior public affairs counselor. He provides public
relations support for the Coalition for Vehicle Choice, auto manufacturers
and their associations.
Lord Melchett
The former executive director
for Greenpeace who led environmental activists in a campaign to stamp out
genetically modified crops and was once charged with criminal damage following
an attack on a field of genetically modified maize, Melchett has joined
Burson-Marsteller, the PR firm whose clients include controversial genetic
food giant Monsanto. His responsibilities will include "advising" Burson-Marsteller's
Corporate Social Responsibility unit on environmental issues.
Jessie Mendivil
Mendivil worked as a surveyor
with the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, Licensing and Certification
in 1994. In 1996, she accepted a positions with Sun Mar Healthcare as the
Corporate Nurse Consultant.
Jeffrey Miller
Miller began working for
NHTSA in 1985 as chief counsel and moved into the position of deputy administrator
in 1989. He left the agency in February of 1991. By May of 1991, he became
a self-employed transportation consultant for auto manufacturers and their
suppliers. His clients have included Mazda, Takata, Ford and Suzuki.
He also has also worked for the Coalition for Vehicle Choice.
George Parker
Parker was the Associate
Administrator for Enforcement and for Research and Development at NHTSA.
He left NHTSA in 1995 to become vice president of engineering affairs at
the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers.
Sandra Remell
Remell worked for the State
of California, Department of Health Services, Licensing and Certification
in the early 1990's. She left that positions and became the Director of
Nurses at Manor Care.
Paul Jackson Rice
Rice was NHTSA's Chief Counsel
from 1990 to 1991. Upon leaving the agency, he went to work for Arent,
Fox, Kintner, Plotkin and Kahn. This law firm represents a number
of vehicle manufacturers including Ford.
Veronica J. Russo
Russo worked for the State
of California, Department of Health Services, Licensing and Certification
as a Nurse Evaluator surveying nursing facilities to ensure they met State
and Federal regulations from 1987 to 1990. At present, she is working for
Quality Long Term Care of Nevada in Las Vegas.
Guy Roland Seaton
Seaton worked for the State
of California, Department of Health Services, Licensing and Certification.
He left that position and accepted a job with St. Lukes Subacute Hospital
and Nursing Centre Inc., a nursing home in San Leandro. St. Lukes was indicted
on May 8, 2001, by a Federal grand jury in San Francisco of defrauding
Medicare of $1.5 million.
Diane Steed
Steed was administrator
of NHTSA from 1983-1989. Steed has testified for manufacturers in numerous
lawsuits. She is currently a partner in Strat@Comm, a Washington, D.C.
public relations and lobbying firm. From Strat@Comm, she and other former
NHTSA officials run the Coalition for Vehicle Choice, which has received
more than $10 million from the auto industry to influence fuel effeciency
legislation.
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