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Ira Lechner - Board of Directors
Mr. Lechner also is involved with national security and nuclear proliferation issues as a member of the Board of the Center for National Policy in Washington, D.C. Mr. Lechner is Chair of the Board of Directors of his family foundation, "Project High Hopes," which has initiated sustainable development projects in South Africa.
Mr. Lechner currently represents federal employees in multi-plaintiff, class action cases
Mr. Lechner is currently a sole practitioner, and as Of Counsel to the firm of Katz & Ranzman, P.C., 4530 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Ste 250, Washington, D.C., 20016.
Mr. Lechner served as Counsel to the Employment and Productivity Subcommittee of the United States Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, as a member of the staff of former United States Senator Paul Simon. Mr. Lechner previously served as Counsel to the National Association of Police Officers (NAPO); as Associate General Counsel, UFCW & Retail Clerks, AFL-CIO; and litigated in the United States Courts of Appeals as an attorney in the Appellate Division of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Mr. Lechner was elected to the Virginia State Legislature from Arlington/Alexandria, 1973-77. Thereafter, he was a Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor of Virginia, and was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the Tenth Congressional District of Virginia in 1982 vs. Incumbent Frank Wolf.
Mr. Lechner served as Virginia Chair of Senator Eugene McCarthy's Presidential campaign, and later, as a key organizer for Senator Hubert Humphrey. Mr. Lechner also served as Virginia State Chair of Senator Ed Muskie's Presidential campaign; as Virginia Finance Chair of Senator Ted Kennedy's Presidential campaign; as National Labor Coordinator of Senator Paul Simon's campaign for President; and as National Law Enforcement Coordinator of Governor Michael Dukakis' campaign for President. While residing in Virginia, Mr. Lechner was involved in leadership roles in Democratic Party politics on the national, state, and local level from 1960 to 1998.
In San Diego, California, Mr. Lechner served as Chair in San Diego County for Phil Angelides for Governor; as Chair of Francine Busby For Congress, 50th Congressional District; and as San Diego County Chair of Governor Howard Dean's campaign for President, as well as a grass-roots organizer and fundraiser in San Diego County of Senator John Kerry's Presidential campaign in 2004.
Mr. Lechner was the original organizer of the Barack Obama for President field campaign in San Diego County beginning in January 2007, and convened the first mass meeting of over 400 volunteers for Barack Obama in that part of Southern California. Mr. Lechner later served as a fundraiser for the Obama For President campaign.
Mr. Lechner was Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in La Jolla, California from September, 2001 until June 30, 2004, and as a member of its Board of Trustees for six years. The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center is a cutting-edge, independent cancer research institution with an annual budget in excess of $20 Million and more than 200 employees specializing in proteomics, genomics, cell biology, vascular targeting, and immunology. He also served as Chair of the Board of Deliatroph Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (now publicly traded as Halozyme Pharmaceuticals Inc.), and as Chair of GenWay Biotechnology, Inc.
Mr. Lechner was elected in a national referendum of America's colleges and universities to the National Board of the Council On Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). He served as its Treasurer as well as on its Executive Committee. Mr. Lechner served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Randolph-Macon College, as Chair of its Development Committee, and as Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.
Mr. Lechner graduated with a B.A. in History from Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia; and with a J.D. from Yale Law School. He served as an enlisted man in the United States Army at Fort Dix, and then as an officer in the Defense Appellate Division of the United States Army (JAG) at the Pentagon.
Mr. Lechner is married to Eileen Haag. He has a son, Jack, a daughter, Eve, and two grandchildren, Maude and Ashley.
