Arthur Rothkopf to Retire as Leader of U.S. Chamber's Education/Workforce Initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Arthur Rothkopf, senior vice president and counselor to the president, has announced that he is retiring from the Chamber at the end of July 2010. Mr. Rothkopf leads the Chamber's Education and Workforce initiative, including the non-profit Institute for a Competitive Workforce. In addition, he supervises the Business Civic Leadership Center, a non-profit affiliate of the Chamber dedicated to improved business and society relations.

"Throughout his career, Arthur has been a major force in education reform in both the public and private sectors," said Thomas J. Donohue, the Chamber's President and CEO. "He understands that education is the key to job growth and keeping America competitive in a world-wide economy. When he came to the Chamber, he created an education initiative that was all about substance and accountability at both the state and federal levels. Arthur's leadership on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind) legislation and the Chamber's groundbreaking studies of state education performance, Leaders and Laggards, are just two examples of a legacy that extends well beyond the Chamber. He has made a real difference in the lives of our nation's students."

Prior to joining the Chamber in July 2005, Rothkopf served 12 years as president of Lafayette College. Prior to becoming Lafayette president in July 1993, he was deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation and also served as general counsel for the department. Upon receiving his law degree from Harvard University, Mr. Rothkopf began his career as a lawyer for the Treasury Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and he was a senior partner in the Washington-based law firm of Hogan and Hartson.

Mr. Rothkopf was recently appointed by the House of Representatives as a member of the Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity for a six year term. He will continue to serve as a trustee of American University and the Educational Testing Service and as a director of Verisk Analytics, a NASDAQ-listed company. He plans to continue working in the education reform arena.

Margaret Spellings, former Secretary of Education under George W. Bush and currently Senior Vice President for the Chamber's National Chamber Foundation, will oversee the Chamber's education programs.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

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