Cal Dooley Selected To Lead ACC

The American Chemistry Council has selected former Democratic congressman Calvin M. (Cal) Dooley to succeed Jack N. Gerard as president and chief executive officer. Dooley is currently president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), a trade group representing food manufacturers. He will take over the leadership of ACC, which represents major U.S. chemical manufacturers, on Sept. 8.

"Cal's knowledge of industry, his excellent bipartisan reputation on Capitol Hill, his savvy business sense, and his political acumen make him a great choice to lead our association," says Robert L. Wood, chairman of the ACC board and chairman of Chemtura.

Dooley, who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1991 to 2004, representing the San Joaquin Valley area of California, has led GMA since it merged with the Food Products Association in January 2007. He was president of FPA for two years before the merger.

While in Congress, Dooley's voting record was considered moderate. In 1997, he was one of the founders of the New Democrat Coalition, an ideologically centrist, pro-business faction within the Democratic Party.

Dooley says he approaches advocacy with a business perspective and looks forward to building broad-based coalitions with industry partners and stakeholders. "There is a great deal of commonality in the issues being addressed at ACC and those in which I am currently involved," he notes.

Gerard departs on Sept. 1 to head up the American Petroleum Institute, which lobbies on behalf of the oil and natural gas industry. Thomas J. Gibson, ACC's senior vice president of advocacy, will leave on the same day to immediately become president of the American Iron & Steel Institute, the steel industry's main trade association.