Douglas M. Goodyear

Douglas M. Goodyear is CEO of the Washington, DC-based lobbying and PR firm DCI Group, where he "directs large-scale Public Affairs campaigns on behalf of Fortune 50 clients." Prior to co-founding DCI Group, Goodyear served as Vice President at Walt Klein and Associates in North Carolina. In 1993, Goodyear was instrumental in the creation of Ramhurst, an organization that received money from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to combines "grassroots" lobbying with inside-the-Beltway influence-peddling.

Background
The DCI website states that Goodyear has been with the firm for a decade and that "over the past three years, Mr. Goodyear has led DCI Group through a size doubling while dramatically expanding its list of client service offerings. Under his leadership, DCI Group has garnered national recognition for the thoroughness of its public policy campaigns and the prestige of its client list."

"Before co-founding DCI Group in 1996, Mr. Goodyear served as vice president of Walt Klein and Associates in North Carolina, catering to corporate and political clients. He was also active in campaign politics in Colorado in the 1980s, serving as political director for the state GOP. In 1988 he managed Pete Dawkins' campaign for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey. An avid baseball fan, Mr. Goodyear was a leader in the campaign that brought major league baseball to Denver in 1990, as well as the campaign to build Denver's new international airport. Mr. Goodyear is a co-founder of Goodsijn I, LP, an equity fund making investments in real estate and start-up companies. Mr. Goodyear is a graduate of Tufts University and is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization in Phoenix, Arizona. He currently lives in Phoenix with his wife Carla, son Cole and daughter Kendall."

Resignation and 2008 Republican Convention Co-ordinator
In May 2008, Michael Isikoff from Newsweek reported that the campaign of Republican presidential aspirant, John McCain, had selected Goodyear to manage the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul, Minnesota. McCain press secretary Jill Hazelbaker told Isikoff that Goodyear was selected because of his "management experience and expertise."

"But some allies worry that Goodyear's selection could fuel perceptions that McCain—who has portrayed himself as a crusader against special interests—is surrounded by lobbyists. Goodyear is CEO of DCI Group, a consulting firm that earned $3 million last year lobbying for ExxonMobil, General Motors and other clients. Potentially more problematic: the firm was paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent Burma's military junta, which had been strongly condemned by the State Department for its human-rights record and remains in power today. Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to 'begin a dialogue of political reconciliation' with the regime. It also led a PR campaign to burnish the junta's image, drafting releases praising Burma's efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing 'falsehoods' by the Bush administration that the regime engaged in rape and other abuses," Isikoff reported.

"It was our only foreign representation, it was for a short tenure, and it was six years ago," Goodyear stated.

Shortly after the story broke, the RNC issued a media release stating that it "accepted the resignation of convention coordinator Doug Goodyear" and that Goodyear had stated "Today I offered the convention my resignation so as not to become a distraction in this campaign. I continue to strongly support John McCain for president, and wish him the best of luck in this campaign."

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