Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
The Washington
Post
November 23, 2000, Thursday, Final Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A41; THE FEDERAL PAGE
LENGTH: 840 words
HEADLINE:
SPECIAL INTERESTS; AARP Executive Director to Retire in 2002
BYLINE: Judy Sarasohn
BODY:
Horace B. Deets, the longtime executive director of AARP, is to
retire from the influential advocacy group for baby boomers and older Americans,
effective Jan. 1, 2002.
AARP, which changed its name from the American
Association of Retired Persons two years ago to better reflect its 30
million-plus membership, more than a third of whom continue to work, actively
lobbies on such issues as Social Security, Medicare and other health care
matters.
Deets, 62, joined the organization 25 years ago and has been
executive director since 1988. Before signing up with AARP (rhymes with "harp"),
he worked at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and at Washington
Hospital Center's Project for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
Although he
announced his retirement plans to the AARP board in late summer, the
organization recently contracted with Korn/Ferry International, the executive
search company, to help in the search for a new executive director. Nancy
Thompson, a spokeswoman for AARP, said the organization did not not reveal them
earlier because of the long lead time before his official retirement. She said
the organization hopes to have a new executive director in place before Deets's
scheduled retirement date to allow for "an orderly transition."
About 25
years ago, Deets said, AARP membership stood at 7 million, while it now has more
than 34 million. And the group's clout has also grown.
AARP has topped
Fortune magazine's Power 25 survey as one of the most influential organizations
for three consecutive years, beating out the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee, the National Rifle Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of
America and other heavy hitters. A survey this summer by The Washington Post,
the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University asking voters to
identify which groups are helping to improve the nation's health care system
reported that AARP headed the list of health care heroes.
"The
organization is in great shape. The staff is great. We're financially strong. I
thought this is a good time to pass the baton," Deets said in an interview
yesterday.
He said he doesn't have specific future career plans, though
he would like to do some teaching, consulting and executive coaching.
Former CBS Executive to Join NAB
John S. Orlando, who's been a
consultant since leaving CBS's Washington office earlier this year, is signing
on with the National Association of Broadcasters, where he will be senior vice
president for external relations. He begins first as a consultant and then
begins full time Jan. 1.
Orlando earlier was a vice president at the
lobby shop of Timmons and Co., where his clients included, among others, ABC and
Cox Communications. He also worked on Capitol Hill for 14 years, including a
stint as chief of staff to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and an aide
to Michigan Democrat Rep. John D. Dingell. Orlando had headed CBS's government
relations efforts here, but Viacom Inc.'s acquisition of CBS Corp. shook up the
Washington office.
In his new job at the NAB, Orlando will be a part of
the trade association's government relation's team and will oversee its outreach
efforts to other communications industry organizations and public interest
groups.
"We are excited to be adding John Orlando to the NAB team," NAB
chief executive Edward O. Fritts said in a news release. "He is well respected
and well known as one of the best in Washington." Fritts has close ties to
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.).
Sen. Roth's Ex-Aide to Head
Drug Group
The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA), the result of
a merger this year of two generic drug groups, has named its first president and
chief executive--William Nixon, formerly a top aide to Sen. William V. Roth Jr.
(R-Del.).
Nixon said his decision to move to the trade group "was in
motion long before" Roth was upset in his bid for reelection. Nixon was coauthor
with Roth of "The Power to Destroy," a book about problems at the IRS.
Big issues coming up on the Hill for the trade association: updating the
Hatch-Waxman Act to ensure public access to generic
pharmaceuticals and making sure that generics are at the table when Congress
works on Medicare prescription drug legislation.
Dutko Foundation
Fundraiser Set
Friends and family of Dan Dutko, the Dutko Group Cos.
founder and Democratic National Committee member who died last year in a
bicycling accident, have set up the Dan Dutko Memorial Foundation to fund
"bipartisan public policy management" fellowships. The foundation kicks off its
fundraising with a reception Monday night at the Palm Restaurant with Washington
heavy and not-so-heavy hitters, including, they hope, President Clinton.
Mark Irion, president of the Dutko Group, said the fellows may work,
perhaps, at the national political parties, the congressional campaign
committees and think tanks.
"We recognize that politics drives policy,"
Irion said. "Dan wanted to use politics to drive good public policy."
LOAD-DATE: November 23, 2000 
