FOR RELEASE: December 16, 2010
Contact: Richard T. Kaplar
The Media Institute
703-243-5700
Washington, Dec. 16, 2010 – Richard M. Bates of The Walt Disney Company was elected to the Board of Trustees of The Media Institute at the board’s annual meeting today in Washington. Bates is senior vice president of government relations for Disney.
Bates opened Disney’s Washington, D.C., government relations office in 1991. He is responsible for advocating company positions and monitoring issues important to all aspects of The Walt Disney Company. His areas of interest include tax, trade, copyright, retail, theme park, human resources, cruise line, and telecommunications.
Prior to his present position, Mr. Bates served as executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). At the DCCC, Bates supervised and managed a staff of 80. He is a native of Fairfax, Va.
“We welcome Richard to the board. He brings a wealth of experience that will be a real asset to The Media Institute,” said Patrick Maines, president of the Institute.
The Media Institute’s Board of Trustees is comprised of representatives from the broadcasting, cable, satellite, online, telecom, consumer electronics, and print industries, as well as communications attorneys. The board is chaired by former FCC chairman Richard E. Wiley, senior partner of Wiley Rein in Washington, D.C. For more information about the Institute, visit www.mediainstitute.org.