WASHINGTON – The powerful organization that lobbies on behalf of America's movie industry has selected as its new chief Dan Glickman (search), a former Kansas lawmaker and agriculture secretary under President Clinton, Washington lobbying-community figures said Thursday.
Glickman, 59, has lobbied on behalf of The Walt Disney Co. and his son is a producer. He replaces Jack Valenti (search), a one-time White House adviser who has been Hollywood's influential champion in Washington the past 38 years.
The Motion Picture Association of America (search) planned a news conference later Thursday in Washington.
Glickman's selection as its new chief was confirmed by two trade association officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to upstage the announcement.
The MPAA's choice of Glickman over several studio insiders reflects the industry's preference for a chief executive already known in the nation's capital. The MPAA oversees U.S. movie ratings and lobbies for Hollywood's top seven studios.
Valenti, 82, announced his retirement in March and always said he expected to leave the job during the summer.
Glickman is director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. His son, Jonathan Glickman, is a producer whose films include Shanghai Knights, Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2.
Glickman, a native of Wichita, represented Kansas from 1977 to 1995. He was principal author of the 1990 Farm Bill and headed the House Intelligence Committee during its investigation of the Aldrich Ames espionage case inside the CIA.
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