The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an orderly fashion.^[1] When the group is not in session, the officer's duties often include acting as its head, its representative to the outside world and its spokesperson.

Terminology[link]

Other terms sometimes used for the office and its holder include presiding officer, president, moderator, chair, and convenor.^[2][3][4] The chairman of a parliamentary chamber is often called the speaker.^[5][6] Though chairwoman is sometimes used as a female counterpart to chairman, the terms chair and chairperson are sometimes used to avoid gendered titles altogether.^[7][8] The National Association of Parliamentarians does not approve using "chairperson".^[9] In the United States, the presiding officer of the "lower" house of a legislative body, such as the House of Representatives, is frequently titled the Speaker, while the "upper" house, such as the Senate, is commonly chaired by a President.

A vice-chairman (or deputy chairman), subordinate to the chairman, is sometimes chosen to assist the chairman^[10] and to serve as chairman in the absence of the chairman, or when a motion involving the chairman is being discussed.^[1] In the absence of the chairman and vice chairman, groups sometimes elect a chairman pro tempore to fill the role for a single meeting.^[1]

The word chair can refer to the place from which the holder of the office presides, whether on a chair, at a lectern, or elsewhere. During meetings, the person presiding is said to be “in the chair”, the person is also referred to as “the chair.” Parliamentary procedure requires that members address the “chair” rather than the “chairman,” or by using a person's name. This is one of many customs intended to maintain the presiding officer's impartiality and insuring an objective and impersonal approach.^[1]

Riddick's Rules of Procedure, among others, claim an etymology of chairman as derived from the Latin manus, or "hand", and use this to claim gender-neutrality for the word. Some etymologists consider this to be incorrect,^[11] and many dictionaries claim that the word is from "chair" (a seat or office of authority) and "man", a person.^[7][12][13]

Public corporations[link]

Among public corporations, there are generally two types of chairmen, executive and non-executive. The executive chairman also serves as an executive of the company, usually the chief executive officer (CEO), although it can exist as a separate position. The non-executive chairman holds no executive position with the company, and is usually an outsider with no other current or previous ties to it.

The non-executive Chairman's duties are typically limited to matters directly related to the board, such as:^[14]

• Chairing the meetings of the board.
• Organizing and coordinating the board's activities, such as by setting its annual agenda.
• Reviewing and evaluating the performance of the CEO and the other board members.

Many U.S. companies have an executive chairman, and this method of organization is sometimes called the American model. Having a non-executive chair is common in the United Kingdom and Canada, and is sometimes called the British model. Expert opinion is rather evenly divided over which is the preferable model overall.^[15]

Companies with both an executive chairman and a CEO include Ford,^[16] HSBC,^[17] Google,^[18] and HP.^[19]

See also[link]

Look up chair, chairman, chairwoman, chairperson, or preside in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Board of Directors
• European company law
• Executive director
• German company law
• Non-executive director
• Parliamentary procedure in the corporate world
• UK company law
• US corporate law

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Alice Sturgis; American Institute of Parliamentarians (2001). "19 Officers: The President ...". The standard code of parliamentary procedure (Fourth ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 162–165. ISBN 978-0-07-136513-0 

Blanche Lincoln
United States Senator from Arkansas
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Dale Bumpers
Succeeded by	John Boozman
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
In office September 9, 2009 – January 5, 2011
Preceded by	Tom Harkin
Succeeded by	Debbie Stabenow
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 1st district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	William Alexander, Jr.
Succeeded by	Marion Berry
Personal details
Born	(1960-09-30) September 30, 1960 (age 51) Helena, Arkansas
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Dr. Steve Lincoln
Residence	Little Rock, Arkansas
Alma mater	Randolph-Macon Woman's College (B.S.)
Profession	Politician
Religion	Episcopalian
Signature

Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln (born September 30, 1960) is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the Senate.^[1] She previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Arkansas's 1st congressional district from 1993 to 1997.

Lincoln was the first woman and the first Arkansan to serve as chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.^[1] She also served as the Chair of Rural Outreach for the Senate Democratic Caucus. In 2010 she ran for a third term, but lost by a 58%-37% margin to Rep. John Boozman, whose brother, Fay Boozman, she defeated in Arkansas's 1998 Senate election.^[2]

Early life, education and career[link]

A seventh-generation Arkansan, Blanche Lambert was born in Helena, Phillips County, to Martha (née Kelly) and Jordan Bennett Lambert.^[3][4] Her father was a rice and cotton farmer.^[3][5] Her older sister, Mary Lambert, is a film director.^[6] She received her early education at the local public schools in Helena, and was the student council president at Central High School from 1977 to 1978.^[3]

Lincoln attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.^[3] She graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1982, earning a Bachelor's degree in biology.^[7] She originally sought to go into nursing.^[8]

After graduating from college, Lincoln served as a staff assistant for U.S. Representative Bill Alexander, a Democrat from Arkansas's 1st congressional district.^[7] She remained in Alexander's office until 1984.^[3]

U.S. House of Representatives career[link]

In 1992, Lincoln defeated Alexander (who had become a major figure in the House banking scandal) in the Democratic primary, by a margin of 61 to 39 percent. She subsequently won the general election, beating Republican Terry Hayes with 70% of the vote. Her election to the House coincided with the election of fellow Arkansan, Bill Clinton, as President of the United States.

She calls herself a centrist Democrat and was among the minority of Democrats to support CAFTA. While in the House, she was one of only 17 Democrats to vote for the Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 which sought to change federal employment laws. The law was vetoed by President Bill Clinton. She has voted in favor restricting class action lawsuits and tightening rules on personal bankruptcy. Lincoln was also one of the few Democrats in Congress to vote in favor of Bush administration's tax cuts and she supports the permanent elimination of the estate tax.

On April 5, 1995 she was one of only 27 Democrats in the House to vote in favor of the Contract With America Tax Relief Act, which was approved by the House. Lincoln also co-sponsored and supported legisation to amend the constitution to require a balanced-budget amendment. In 1996 she championed the Freedom to Farm Act.

She was reelected to a second term under her married name, Blanche Lincoln, and served in the House of Representatives until 1997. Lincoln chose not to run for reelection in 1996; she was pregnant at that time.

U.S. Senate career[link]

Lincoln speaks during the second day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

In 1998, Lincoln returned to politics and ran for the Senate seat being vacated by incumbent Senator Dale Bumpers. She defeated her Republican opponent, Fay Boozman (1946–2005), a state senator and the brother of future U.S. Representative John Boozman, 385,878 (55.1 percent) to 295,870 (42.2 percent).

Lincoln served on the Senate Finance Committee; Special Committee on Aging; Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; Senate Social Security Task Force; Rural Health Caucus; Senate New Democrat Coalition and chair of the Rural Outreach for the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Lincoln made history again on September 9, 2009, when she was tapped as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. In the Committee’s 184-year history, she is the first Arkansan and the first woman to serve as Chairman.

Lincoln concentrated primarily on issues involving farmers and rural issues. She is one of the primary advocates of the Delta Regional Authority, which is designed to spur development in the lower Mississippi Delta region.

Lincoln holds a press conference with Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee regarding Medicare and the proposed changes to the system.

Lincoln served as Arkansas's Senior Senator since 2003, serving with fellow Arkansan Mark Pryor who defeated Senator Tim Hutchinson. In 2004, Lincoln was re-elected, beating Republican State Senator Jim Holt (R-Springdale) 56%-44%, even as President Bush carried the state with 54% of the vote.

In 2004, Lincoln co-founded the Senate Hunger Caucus. The caucus was established to provide a bi-partisan forum for Senators and staff to discuss, advance and engage the Senate's work on national and international hunger and food insecurity issues.^[9]

Lincoln called for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, claiming that the firing of eight federal prosecutors has created a "serious breach between the Justice Department and Congress, a breach that I'm not sure can be repaired with Mr. Gonzales at the helm." She and her Senate colleague, Mark Pryor, were particularly upset that Gonzales reneged on a promise to have a replacement for Bud Cummins, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, go through Senate confirmation. Gonzales ultimately did resign, in August 2007.

Senator Lincoln speaking in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on October 25, 2008.

In 2007, Lincoln played a key role in brokering the compromise that led to passage of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. Also known as the “farm bill,” this legislation provides resources for nutrition, conservation, rural development, and renewable energy. Lincoln led the charge against defeating an amendment to the pending Farm Bill which would have capped government Agricultural subsidy payments at $250,000 per year, per farm. According to Lincoln, it was unfair to some farmers in her state, notably cotton growers. Even though the amendment passed (56-43), Lincoln threatened a filibuster if any amendment did not get a 60-vote majority, so the amendment was withdrawn after passage.

Lincolon with other female Senators of the 110th Congress

Lincoln also helped form the Moderate Dems Working Group, a coalition of moderate Senate Democrats whose stated goal is to work with Senate leadership and the administration toward finding bipartisan solutions to controversial political issues. In addition, she co-founded and currently co-chairs Third Way, a moderate think-tank whose self-described goals are "an economic agenda that is focused on growth and middle class success; a culture of shared values; a national security approach that is both tough and smart; and a clean energy revolution." ^[10]

In September 2009, Lincoln pledged to filibuster any legislation containing a Public health insurance option, such as the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the House of Representatives' proposed health care reform bill.^[11] Lincoln voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Senate bill which eventually became the Barack Obama administration's health care reform bill. However, she voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, a package of amendments to the former bill passed by the reconciliation process in the Senate. She also spoke out in opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act, garnering her the praise of Americans for Tax Reform.^[12]

On December 9, 2010 Lincoln missed a critical vote to repeal Don't ask, don't tell after a dental appointment and missed voting by three minutes. A supporter of the bill, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), told reporters: "She was very frustrated and apologized to both of us." She claims she would have voted for repeal had she made the vote.^[13]

Lincoln opposes bringing Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the United States for trial.^[14]

Her older sister is film director Mary Lambert, who directed the documentary 14 Women, which includes Lincoln herself.

After Congress[link]

Lincoln remained in Washington after her loss, working as "Special Policy Advisor" at the firm of Alston & Bird.^[15]

In 2011 Lincoln became chair of Small Business for Sensible Regulations^[16], a project of the National Federation of Independent Business

Electoral history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Blanche Lincoln for U.S. Senate official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times

v t e United States Senators from Arkansas Class 2 Fulton Ashley Sebastian McDonald Clayton Garland Berry Davis Heiskell Kavanaugh Robinson Miller Spencer McClellan Hodges D. Pryor Hutchinson M. Pryor Class 3 Sevier Borland Johnson Mitchel Rice Dorsey Walker Jones Clarke Kirby T. Caraway H. Caraway Fulbright Bumpers Lincoln Boozman

Lynn Woolsey
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Barbara Boxer
Personal details
Born	(1937-11-03) November 3, 1937 (age 74) Seattle, Washington
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Petaluma, California
Alma mater	University of San Francisco
Occupation	Human resources manager, college professor
Religion	Presbyterian

Lynn C. Woolsey (born November 3, 1937) is the U.S. Representative for California's 6th congressional district, serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County. She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and as of 2010^[update] its co-chair. Woolsey, who described herself as "the first former welfare mother to serve in Congress,"^[1] is one of two members of the House to have been on welfare; the other is Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI).^[2]

On June 28, 2011, Woolsey announced that she would not run for re-election in the 2012 election.^[3]

Early life, education and career[link]

Woolsey was born in Seattle, Washington. She was educated at the University of Washington, where she became a member of Alpha Phi sorority, and at the University of San Francisco. She later became a human resources manager and personnel service owner, a teacher at the College of Marin and the Dominican University of California, and a member of the Petaluma, California, City Council before entering the House.

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Education the Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Subcommittee on Workforce Protections (Ranking Member)
• Committee on Science, Space and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Caucuses[link]

• Congressional Progressive Caucus (Co-Chair)

She was one of the 31 people who voted in the House not to count the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 preseidential election.^[4]

Political positions[link]

Iraq[link]

Woolsey was an outspoken opponent of the War in Iraq. On October 10, 2002, she was among 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq.^[5] She has taken an active role in calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from that country. She led 15 members of Congress in writing a letter to President George W. Bush dated January 12, 2005, calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq.^[6] She also was the first Member of Congress to call for a troop withdrawal, when she introduced H.Con. Res. 35 on January 26, 2005. Woolsey gave war protestor Cindy Sheehan a guest pass to attend Bush's 2006 State of the Union speech. Sheehan's attendance at the speech became noted when she was arrested for wearing a T-shirt with a political message.^[7]

Indian gaming[link]

Woolsey introduced the Graton Rancheria Restoration Act on August 6, 1998 (105th CONGRESS, 2d Session, H.R. 4434^[8]). It was signed by President Clinton as Title XIV of the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act (Public Law No. 106-568) in December 2000.

Testifying in support of H.R. 946 before the House Resources Committee May 16, 2000, Woolsey said:^[9]

This consensus bill restores Federal rights and privileges to the tribe and to its members. As is typical with restoration legislation, it reinstates political status and makes tribal members eligible for benefits such as Native American health, education, and housing services. A unique aspect of H.R. 946, however, is that it specifically contains a clause that restricts gaming, gaming on land that is taken into trust for the tribes. This non-gaming clause is at the express request of the tribe, and is the basis for the broad and bipartisan support that this bill enjoys throughout my Congressional District. It is also key to my support for the tribe's restoration.

Woolsey's original bill (H.R. 4434, later H.R. 946) would not have permitted the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria to have an Indian casino. Senator Barbara Boxer removed that prohibition when she included Woolsey's bill in the Omnibus Act.

Now the tribe and Station Casinos of Las Vegas, Nevada, propose to build large hotels and casino complex in Sonoma County, California, near Rohnert Park.

In response, Woolsey introduced H.R. 2656 (which never left the House Resources Committee) and appeared frequently at local town-hall meetings, saying that the Miwok Indians double-crossed her by seeking to legalize gambling on their reservation.^[10]

Scouting for All Act[link]

In September 2000 Woolsey sponsored H.R. 4892, the Scouting for All Act, to revoke the charter held by the Boy Scouts of America.^{[citation needed]}

Health care[link]

Woolsey introduced a bill to revive the public option on July 22, 2010.^[11] The Congressional Budget Office projected that the legislation would save $68 billion between 2014 and 2020.^[12]

She was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which prevents private health insurance plans from covering abortion if the plan is subsidized by tax breaks in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act.^[13]

Controversies[link]

Darfur protest arrest[link]

Woolsey was arrested April 27, 2009, outside the embassy of Sudan in Washington, D.C., during a protest against genocide in Darfur.^[14] Woolsey and four other U.S. lawmakers were protesting the blocking of aid to victims. They were arrested on a charge of trespass after they crossed a police line.

Other Democratic House members arrested were Jim McGovern, Donna Edwards, Keith Ellison and John Lewis.

Stewart Pearson letter[link]

On December 2, 2003, Woolsey wrote a letter on behalf of Stewart Pearson, the son of one of her senior aides, who had pleaded guilty to rape. In a letter written on her official congressional stationery, she asked the judge to consider mitigating circumstances and show leniency.^[15] The judge in the case was not swayed by the letter, and sentenced Pearson to eight years in prison, the maximum allowed under the plea bargain. Woolsey has apologized for writing the letter, saying she did not know all the facts; the victim did not accept her apology.^[16]

Political campaigns[link]

In 1992, five-term Congresswoman Barbara Boxer gave up her seat to make a successful run for the Senate. Woolsey entered a crowded nine-way Democratic primary--the real contest in this heavily Democratic district. Seven of her opponents lived in Marin County and split that county's vote, allowing Woolsey to win the nomination with only 26 percent of the vote. In the general election, she faced Republican Assemblyman Bill Filante, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and did not actively campaign. However, the district, then as now, was so heavily Democratic that Filante would have faced long odds in any case. Woolsey won with 66 percent of the vote; she was reelected eight times with no substantial opposition.

Electoral history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey official U.S. House site
• Lynn Woolsey for Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Profile at SourceWatch

Articles

• Out of Iraq: By Reps. Lynn Woolsey & Barbara Lee
• A Progressive State of the Union By Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey
• The Progressive Promise By Rep. Lynn Woolsey
• California Rep. Lynn Woolsey Receives Peace Award from Christian Quaker Lobby
• Metroactive: Lynn Woolsey and the American way
• American Prospect: Communication Breakdown by Rep. Lynn Woolsey
• Statement Opposing Military Action in Iraq Rep. Lynn Woolsey
• Woolsey's Tie to Indian Gaming (Marin IJ)
• Dry Creek Indian Gaming Coming to Petaluma?
• HR2656

Mary Kim Titla
Born	(1960-11-24) November 24, 1960 (age 51) San Carlos, Arizona
Ethnicity	San Carlos Apache Tribe
Education	University of Oklahoma & Arizona State University
Occupation	Publisher, NativeYouthMagazine.com
Notable credit(s)	KPNX TV reporter
Spouse	John Mosley
Children	Jordan, Micah and Bear

Mary Kim Titla (born November 24, 1960) is an American publisher, journalist, former TV reporter, and was a 2008 candidate for Arizona's First Congressional District. She is an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.^[1]

The Democratic primary for the 1st District seat was held on September 2, 2008. Titla lost to former Arizona state representative and prosecutor Ann Kirkpatrick, who received 47%. Titla placed second, garnering 33% of the vote. Others in the primary included: Ahwatukee attorney Howard Shanker, who received 14% and former Dennis Kucinich coordinator Jeffrey Brown, who received 6%.^[2][3]

Titla obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma and master's degree from Arizona State University.

See also[link]

• United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona, 2008
• KPNX

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Native Youth Magazine

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