PERSON: Richard Goodstein

Mr. Goodstein served as Divisional Vice-President for Browing-Ferris Industries, one of the world’s leading environmental services companies. In that capacity he ran a large Washington government relations office; testified before Congress on a number of occasions; organized coalitions that found common ground between strange bedfellows (libertarians and environmentalists, for example); served as the liaison of BFI CEO William D. Ruckelshaus, former EPA Administrator, to the President’s Council on Sustainable Development, a blue ribbon panel appointed by President Clinton and Vice President Gore; and spoke frequently at national conferences and before industry analysts. President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore named Mr. Goodstein to serve on Builders for Peace, a high level organization with the mission of creating economic opportunity in the Middle East following the first Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement in September 1993. As a member of Builders for Peace, Mr. Goodstein was dispatched as a member of a formal delegation on behalf of the Clinton White House to serve as a witness to the signing of a subsequent peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians in 1994. He met with a wide range of Israeli and Palestinian leaders as a member of Builders for Peace. He was a Legislative Assistant to Senator Abe Ribicoff (D-CT), one of the most respected members of the Senate in his day, and worked for Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) on a wide range of issues, including campaign finance reform. He ran a statewide field operation in Connecticut, has advised most Democratic presidential campaigns since 1984, mastered delegate selection laws, helped with congressional outreach for several campaigns, ran outreach to environmental business leaders in the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, and has served as a spokesperson for Democratic presidential candidates on radio and television since 1996.