Jerry Climer
Encyclopedia
Jerome Francis Climer, known as Jerry Climer (born 1941), is the founder of two Washington, D.C.
-based "think tanks", the Congressional Institute
and the Public Governance Institute, which were established in 1987 and 2001, respectively. His field of expertise is public administration
-- a branch of political science
-- as well as public policy and issues development.
native, Climer graduated from the University of Arkansas
at Fayetteville
with a Bachelor of Science
degree in public administration. He came to Washington in 1967 to join the staff of newly-elected Republican
U.S. Representative John Paul Hammerschmidt
of Harrison
. Later, he was an assistant to the United States Secretary of Agriculture
. From 1979-1985, he was chief of staff to then U.S. Representative Edwin R. Bethune of White County
, only the second Arkansas Republican to have been elected to Congress since Reconstruction.
Late in 1970, Governor
Winthrop Rockefeller
, shortly before he left the office, appointed Climer to fill a vacancy as the clerk of Pulaski County, which includes the capital city
of Little Rock
.
incumbent
Kelly Bryant
. In his campaign, Climer alleged that Bryant's office was "full of political hacks", a situation which, he maintained, caused the legitimate employees to be "overworked". Climer further accused Bryant of (1) showing favoritism for certain printing firms in the awarding of state contracts, (2) the failure to preserve vital state records, and (3) the mishandling of petitions filed with the office. Climer was sufficiently regarded that he won the endorsement of the Pine Bluff Commercial newspaper
in Jefferson County
. Bryant, however, was so confident of success, considering the Democratic hegemony of Arkansas, that he could ignore the upstart challenge from Climer.
As he fully expected, Bryant emerged victorious with 366,079 votes (59.4 percent) to Climer's 250,532 (40.6 percent). Climer led in Pulaski County, where he had been clerk, with 62.4 percent, carried traditionally Republican Searcy County, and received more than 48 percent of the ballots in Washington County
, which includes the University of Arkansas.
All the Arkansas Republican statewide candidates were defeated that year, including the gubernatorial nominee Len E. Blaylock
of Perry County, Ken Coon
for lieutenant governor
, Ed Bethune for attorney general
, and the veterinarian
Wayne H. Babbitt
for the United States Senate
against the incumbent John L. McClellan
. Nevertheless, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon became the first member of his party since U.S. Grant to win the electoral votes of traditionally Democratic Arkansas.
After Bethune left Congress, Climer served from 1985-1990, as a member of the House Republican leadership staff. In the late 1970s, he began the study of the process of managing organizational change with Daryl Conner, the founder and chief executive officer of Conner Partners. Connor and Climer are coauthors of Leading Public-Sector Change, a textbook in public administration.
After retiring and relocating in 2007 to Edenton
in Chowan County
in eastern North Carolina
, Climer established Policy Implementation Consultants, LLC and provides consulting services to public officials. He was appointed in 2009 by North Carolina Governor
Beverly Purdue, a Democrat, to the Edenton Historical Commission, on which he serves as chairman and as a member of the executive committee.
based in Alexandria
, Virginia, ranks among the top sponsors of congressional travel between January 2000 and June 2005, spending more than $830,000 on almost 1,000 trips.
The group primarily funds travel for Republican lawmakers and their staff members. Its sister organization, the Public Governance Institute, holds bipartisan retreats primarily for House members; in the period covered by the Center's analysis, it spent more than $135,000 on about 120 congressional trips.
The Congressional Institute organizes at least one retreat for congressional Republican leaders each year, and another for all Senate and House Republicans at places such as the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia
. Since 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush
has been the usual keynote speaker for another retreat called "Congress for Tomorrow". By bringing members together to discuss policy and governance issues, the group helps lawmakers to do their work more effectively, said Climer. But the institute does not specifically advocate potential solutions to public problems, Climer added.
The institute is financed by such corporation
s, such as Lockheed Martin
, Merck
, Verizon, and Altria, each of which contributes $25,000 annually. Thirteen of the fifteen members of the board of directors are registered D.C. lobbyists. Board members include Gary Andres of Dutko Worldwide, one of Washington's largest lobbying firms; Barbara Morris, a lobbyist for Verizon; and Daniel Meyer of the Duberstein
Group, which has among its lobbying clients General Motors
, Time Warner
and Comcast
— all donors to the Congressional Institute.
At the Public Governance Institute, Climer was named by the majority leader of the United States Senate
to a 21-member federal government panel, “Helping Enhance the Livelihood of People”, known by the acronym HELP. The Commission focused on developing strategies to maximize the efficiency of United States foreign aid and filed its report with the President and the Congress in December 2007
In 2007, Climer announced his retirement from the Congressional Institute. He was succeeded by Mark Strand, who had been the chief of staff to former U.S. Senator James M. Talent
, a Missouri
Republican who was defeated for a full term on November 7, 2006. Climer continued as an advisor through 2008. Together with the Institute's Chairman, Mike Johnson, and his successor, Mark Strand, Climer coauthored Surviving Inside Congress: A guide for prospective, new and not-so-new Congressional staff - and a guided tour for those who just want to learn how it all works.
Climer and his wife, Mary Ann Climer (born 1940), have a daughter, Greta (born 1969), son-in-law Kevin Kennedy, and granddaughters Lucy and Violet, all of who reside in Seattle
, Washington. Their son, Matthew A. Climer (born 1971), lives in Woodbridge
in Prince William County
, Virginia.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based "think tanks", the Congressional Institute
Congressional Institute
Founded in 1987, the Congressional Institute is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping Members of Congress better serve their constituents and helping their constituents better understand the operations of the national legislature. The Institute sponsors major conferences as well as a...
and the Public Governance Institute, which were established in 1987 and 2001, respectively. His field of expertise is public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
-- a branch of political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
-- as well as public policy and issues development.
Early years, education, politics
An ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
native, Climer graduated from the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
at Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in public administration. He came to Washington in 1967 to join the staff of newly-elected Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Representative John Paul Hammerschmidt
John Paul Hammerschmidt
John Paul Hammerschmidt is an American politician from the U.S. state of Arkansas. A Republican, Hammerschmidt served for thirteen terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from the northwestern Arkansas district before he retired in 1993...
of Harrison
Harrison, Arkansas
Harrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is the county seat. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,108. Boone County was organized in 1869, during reconstruction after the civil war. Harrison was platted and made the county seat. It is...
. Later, he was an assistant to the United States Secretary of Agriculture
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
. From 1979-1985, he was chief of staff to then U.S. Representative Edwin R. Bethune of White County
White County, Arkansas
White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 77,076. The county seat is Searcy. White County is Arkansas's 31st county, formed on October 23, 1835, from portions of Independence, Jackson, and Pulaski counties and named for Hugh Lawson White, a...
, only the second Arkansas Republican to have been elected to Congress since Reconstruction.
Late in 1970, Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Winthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller was a politician and philanthropist who served as the first Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He was a third-generation member of the Rockefeller family.-Early life:...
, shortly before he left the office, appointed Climer to fill a vacancy as the clerk of Pulaski County, which includes the capital city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
.
Running for secretary of state, 1972
In 1972, Climer, at thirty-one, was the Republican candidate for Arkansas Secretary of State. He was defeated by the popular DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Kelly Bryant
Kelly Bryant
Kelly Bryant served as the Democratic secretary of state of the U.S. state of Arkansas from 1963 until his death nearly thirteen years later. He was one of three statewide politicians born in Hope, the seat of Hempstead County, in southern Arkansas. The others are former Governor and U.S...
. In his campaign, Climer alleged that Bryant's office was "full of political hacks", a situation which, he maintained, caused the legitimate employees to be "overworked". Climer further accused Bryant of (1) showing favoritism for certain printing firms in the awarding of state contracts, (2) the failure to preserve vital state records, and (3) the mishandling of petitions filed with the office. Climer was sufficiently regarded that he won the endorsement of the Pine Bluff Commercial newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Arkansas
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its population was 77,435 at the 2010 United States Census. It is included in the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area. Jefferson County's county seat and largest city is Pine Bluff...
. Bryant, however, was so confident of success, considering the Democratic hegemony of Arkansas, that he could ignore the upstart challenge from Climer.
As he fully expected, Bryant emerged victorious with 366,079 votes (59.4 percent) to Climer's 250,532 (40.6 percent). Climer led in Pulaski County, where he had been clerk, with 62.4 percent, carried traditionally Republican Searcy County, and received more than 48 percent of the ballots in Washington County
Washington County, Arkansas
Washington County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 203,065. The county seat is Fayetteville. Washington County is Arkansas's 17th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for George Washington, the first President of the...
, which includes the University of Arkansas.
All the Arkansas Republican statewide candidates were defeated that year, including the gubernatorial nominee Len E. Blaylock
Len E. Blaylock
Len Everette Blaylock, Sr. , is a retired farmer, educator, small businessman, and Republican politician from tiny Nimrod in Perry County in northwestern Arkansas. He was state welfare commissioner under Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, the GOP gubernatorial nominee , the U.S...
of Perry County, Ken Coon
Ken Coon
Kenneth Lloyd "Ken" Coon, Sr. , is a Little Rock educator, professional psychologist, and counselor who was also a pioneer in the development of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Arkansas. He was the GOP state chairman from 1988—1990...
for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
, Ed Bethune for attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, and the veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
Wayne H. Babbitt
Wayne H. Babbitt
Wayne H. Babbitt was a Republican politician in the U.S. state of Arkansas, who in 1972 became the only member of his party ever to oppose the reelection of entrenched Democratic U.S. Senator John L. McClellan.-Family:...
for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
against the incumbent John L. McClellan
John McClellan
John McClellan may refer to:*John McClellan , chemist and industrialist in Widnes, England*John Little McClellan, politician from Arkansas, USA...
. Nevertheless, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon became the first member of his party since U.S. Grant to win the electoral votes of traditionally Democratic Arkansas.
Policy and information expert
Climer is considered a policy and information expert and is enlisted by governmental, media, and private-sector organizations. He frequently briefs legislators and public-policy researchers on policy options, consensus building, and leadership.After Bethune left Congress, Climer served from 1985-1990, as a member of the House Republican leadership staff. In the late 1970s, he began the study of the process of managing organizational change with Daryl Conner, the founder and chief executive officer of Conner Partners. Connor and Climer are coauthors of Leading Public-Sector Change, a textbook in public administration.
After retiring and relocating in 2007 to Edenton
Edenton, North Carolina
Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for...
in Chowan County
Chowan County, North Carolina
- Law and government :Chowan County is a member of the Albemarle Commission regional council of government-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 14,793 people, 5,580 households, and 4,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There...
in eastern North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Climer established Policy Implementation Consultants, LLC and provides consulting services to public officials. He was appointed in 2009 by North Carolina Governor
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
Beverly Purdue, a Democrat, to the Edenton Historical Commission, on which he serves as chairman and as a member of the executive committee.
Two Congressional Institutes
The Congressional Institute, a nonprofit organizationNonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Virginia, ranks among the top sponsors of congressional travel between January 2000 and June 2005, spending more than $830,000 on almost 1,000 trips.
The group primarily funds travel for Republican lawmakers and their staff members. Its sister organization, the Public Governance Institute, holds bipartisan retreats primarily for House members; in the period covered by the Center's analysis, it spent more than $135,000 on about 120 congressional trips.
The Congressional Institute organizes at least one retreat for congressional Republican leaders each year, and another for all Senate and House Republicans at places such as the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Since 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
has been the usual keynote speaker for another retreat called "Congress for Tomorrow". By bringing members together to discuss policy and governance issues, the group helps lawmakers to do their work more effectively, said Climer. But the institute does not specifically advocate potential solutions to public problems, Climer added.
The institute is financed by such corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s, such as Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, Merck
Merck & Co.
Merck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...
, Verizon, and Altria, each of which contributes $25,000 annually. Thirteen of the fifteen members of the board of directors are registered D.C. lobbyists. Board members include Gary Andres of Dutko Worldwide, one of Washington's largest lobbying firms; Barbara Morris, a lobbyist for Verizon; and Daniel Meyer of the Duberstein
Kenneth Duberstein
Kenneth M. Duberstein served as U.S. President Ronald Reagan's White House Chief of Staff from 1988 to 1989.A native of Brooklyn, New York, he graduated from Franklin and Marshall College and American University . He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Franklin and Marshall in 1989...
Group, which has among its lobbying clients General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
and Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
— all donors to the Congressional Institute.
At the Public Governance Institute, Climer was named by the majority leader of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
to a 21-member federal government panel, “Helping Enhance the Livelihood of People”, known by the acronym HELP. The Commission focused on developing strategies to maximize the efficiency of United States foreign aid and filed its report with the President and the Congress in December 2007
In 2007, Climer announced his retirement from the Congressional Institute. He was succeeded by Mark Strand, who had been the chief of staff to former U.S. Senator James M. Talent
Jim Talent
James Matthes "Jim" Talent is an American politician and former senator from Missouri. He is a Republican and resided in the St. Louis area while serving in elected office. He identifies with the conservative wing of the Republican party, being particularly outspoken on judicial appointments,...
, a Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
Republican who was defeated for a full term on November 7, 2006. Climer continued as an advisor through 2008. Together with the Institute's Chairman, Mike Johnson, and his successor, Mark Strand, Climer coauthored Surviving Inside Congress: A guide for prospective, new and not-so-new Congressional staff - and a guided tour for those who just want to learn how it all works.
Climer and his wife, Mary Ann Climer (born 1940), have a daughter, Greta (born 1969), son-in-law Kevin Kennedy, and granddaughters Lucy and Violet, all of who reside in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington. Their son, Matthew A. Climer (born 1971), lives in Woodbridge
Woodbridge, Virginia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
in Prince William County
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
, Virginia.