Arnie Fielkow

Arnie Fielkow is currently the President & CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA).[1] Fielkow was formerly a Democratic politician in New Orleans. In November 2006, he won a seat on the New Orleans City Council as a Member at Large, and served as City Council President.[2] He was reelected in 2010.[3] In fall 2011, he announced his resignation.

Fielkow in 2010

Early career

Arnie Fielkow received his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin School of Law in 1981.[4] Fielkow spent most of his career is sports administration.[5] He served as Executive Vice President of the New Orleans Saints for six years during which he presided over all administrative/business departments, including marketing, sales, regional development, governmental affairs, community relations, business media relations and youth programs.[4] Fielkow was fired by Saints owner Tom Benson when he refused to resign and sign a confidentiality agreement presumably because of Fielkow's outspoken concern for the residents of the Gulf Coast. Fielkow had been vocal in opposing the concept of having the Saints play in San Antonio.[6] Fielkow won the gratitude of many in the Greater New Orleans area for his role in keeping the Saints in New Orleans, helping him in his political career.[5]

Political career

Following his firing, Fielkow was elected as one of New Orleans's two at-large council positions on May 20, 2006. Since then Fielkow has chaired a number of committees including both the city's Economic Development Committee and the Council’s Youth and Recreation Committee. He has also spearheaded the Fleur-de-lis Ambassadorship program and been a vocal supporter of public education including the growing number of charter schools.[4]

In May 2009, as the New Orleans e-mail controversies reached a feverish pitch, Fielkow decided to publish up to 70 thousand of his e-mail messages online:

I am eager to get these posted online as soon as possible so we can move on to attending to the important issues facing New Orleans.[7]

Fielkow is a staunch antagonist of New Orleans' use of crime cameras. On 2009 June 4 he said:

If they're not [working] . . , get rid of them and let's use the money for something else that can help us keep the city safe.[8]

Fielkow considered running to succeed Ray Nagin as Mayor of New Orleans in the 2010 Mayoral election, but he chose to seek reelection instead.[9] Fielkow was easily reelected to his position on the city council,[3] with Mitch Landrieu ultimately winning the Mayor's race.

On 22 August 2011, Fielkow announced his resignation from the Council effective 1 October. He will be taking a more lucrative job as CEO of the National Basketball Association Retired Players Association.

Election history

Councilmember(s) at Large (2), 2006

Threshold > 25%

First Ballot, April 22, 2006

Candidate Affiliation Support Outcome
Oliver Thomas Democratic 66,374 (39%) Elected
Jackie Clarkson Democratic 36,839 (22%) Runoff
Arnie Fielkow Democratic 31,092 (18%) Runoff
Others n.a. 35,060 (21%) Defeated

Second Ballot, May 20, 2006

Candidate Affiliation Support Outcome
Arnie Fielkow Democratic 61,420 (56%) Elected
Jackie Clarkson Democratic 47,324 (44%) Defeated

Councilmember(s) at Large (2), 2010

Threshold > 25%

First Ballot, February 6, 2010 [10]

Candidate Affiliation Support Outcome
Arnie Fielkow Democratic 51,310 (35%) Elected
Jackie Clarkson Democratic 38,904 (26.5%) Elected
Cynthia Willard-Lewis Democratic 37,362 (25.5%) Defeated
Nolan Marshall Democratic 13,411 (9%) Defeated
Others n.a. 5,415 (4%) Defeated

Footnotes

  1. ↑ http://www.insidehoops.com/fielkow-retired-players-082311.shtml
  2. ↑ http://www.newsweek.com/id/233654
  3. 1 2 http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/arnie_fielkow_jackie_clarkson.html
  4. 1 2 3 New Orleans City Council, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  5. 1 2 http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c41_a17860/News/Short_Takes.html[]
  6. ↑ Saints Exec. Fielkow let go by Benson, WWL News, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-01-09. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  7. ↑ Michelle Krupa, "Surge of N.O. e-mail may flow online soon: It's 2.5 million pages of files, attorney says" in Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 2009 May 20, Saint Tammany Edition, pp. A1, A9. See also Stacy Head.
  8. ↑ Fielkow quoted by Michelle Krupa, "Ex-tech chief says he refused to steer deals" in Times-Picayune, 2009 June 5, p. B3 (web version = "Refused to steer contracts, former N.O. tech chief says").
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
  10. ↑ http://staticresults.sos.louisiana.gov/262010_36.html[]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arnie Fielkow.

New Orleans City Council Webpage
Arnie Fielkow's City Council Webpage

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