WASHINGTON – After a long search, National Beer Wholesalers Association president David
K. Rehr (right) has been selected the new president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters.
Rehr, 46, was signed to a multi-year agreement and will assume the NAB leadership post on December 5, the association announced today.
His selection comes after eight months of searching, when current NAB president and CEO Eddie Fritts announced plans to step down. Fritts will remain a consultant to NAB through April 2008.
Eighty potential candidates were considered in the search for Fritts’ successor. Rehr’s selection comes with the endorsement of an NAB presidential search committee chaired by Philip Lombardo, CEO of Citadel Communications, and David Kennedy, president and CEO, Susquehanna Media Co.
"We conducted an exhaustive search to locate the absolute best person we could find to retain NAB’s leadership as one of the preeminent trade associations in Washington," said Lombardo in the press release. "David Rehr fits that description in every way."
"David’s track record of success is well-documented, and we are confident that he has the talent to represent over-the-air broadcasting inside the Beltway and around the world with distinction," said Kennedy. "Just as the search committee rallied around this selection, I’m convinced that all of our industry colleagues will also find David Rehr the right person to lead NAB."
Bruce Reese, president and CEO of Bonneville International and NAB joint board chairman, called Rehr "a highly skilled advocate with a passion for policy and a deep understanding of how Washington works. I am delighted that we have identified someone I truly believe will be an outstanding advocate for broadcasters for many, many years."
The most important thing, though, is that keen Beltway understanding and Rehr has worked there for more than 20 years.
"It is an honor to be selected to serve as president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters,” said Rehr. “I know that I have big shoes to fill, and I am anxious to hit the ground running. I look forward to continuing the great work of radio and television broadcasters on Capitol Hill and in the public arena."
During his tenure leading the brewing lobby, “Rehr became one of the most recognized advocates for his industry and small businesses in the United States,” says the NAB release.
Under Rehr’s leadership, NBWA won many legislative battles on behalf of small business enterprises and climbed into the top ten of Fortune Magazine’s Power Rankings of the 25 most influential lobbying groups in Washington, DC. The NBWA Political Action Committee (NBWA PAC) has grown from a PAC that raised and spent a little more than $400,000 each election cycle, to nearly $3 million – catapulting it into the top ten disbursing PACs since 2003.
Rehr has been named a "Top Association Lobbyist" by The Hill multiple times, and has been featured in Beachum’s Guide to Key Lobbyists. Rehr has also been featured in numerous major U.S. media outlets, including the Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Times and ABC World News Tonight.
