Free Republic

A. Barry Rand, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Howard University and a nationally recognized agent for social change, has been tapped as AARP’s new chief executive officer, it was announced Thursday. Rand, 64, a former top executive at Xerox and Avis Rent A Car, will succeed Bill Novelli when he takes over the association’s top post on April 6. He will become AARP’s first African American CEO. According to an AARP press release, Rand is “a catalyst for social change and inclusion in the workplace.” He was selected to lead AARP after a national search that lasted nearly...

By AP Wire Services Published: 3/21/2009 2:27 AM Last Modified: 3/21/2009 2:27 AM LAS VEGAS (AP) — The AARP has long been seen as the domain of the aged. But its new CEO says the group's central issue of health-care reform makes it an advocate for every age group. "This is an issue about the American dream," said Barry Rand, who will take over the 40-million-member AARP on April 6. "We either reinforce the American dream for all, or we redefine it." The more-inclusive approach being championed by Rand gained momentum under outgoing CEO Bill Novelli, whose "Divided We Fail"...