Gary B. Pruitt (born c. 1957) is the President and CEO of the Associated Press and was the CEO, president, and chairman of the board of the McClatchy Company.

Pruitt was born in Virginia and grew up in Satellite Beach, Florida. and received a B.A. from the University of Florida and received his masters in public policy from University of California, Berkeley and law degree from the UC Berkeley School of Law.

Pruitt was counsel for McClatchy from 1984 to 1987, corporate Secretary and General Counsel from 1987 to 1998, publisher for the Fresno Bee from 1991 to 1994, general counsel from 1987 to 1991, and Vice President, Operations and Technology from 1991 to 1994.He was Chief Operating Officer from 1995 to 1996. He became President starting in 1995, Chief Executive Officer in 1996, and Chairman in 2001.

In April 2012 it was announced he was going to become CEO of the Associated Press. Kevin McClatchy assumed his chairman of the board role and Patrick J.Talamantes assumed the CEO role.

Public Service

He is a former chairman of the Newspaper Association of America and James Irvine Foundation and a former vice chairman of the Associated Press Board of Directors. He serves on the Advisory Board of the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy.

The  Globe Social Network survey polled 124 adults between March 9-18 and had a margin of error of 3  percentage points.

* Public opinion polls must generally be read with caution. Any one opinion poll might be inaccurate for a variety of reasons. Moreover, even accurately measured public opinion is often based on limited or inaccurate information and people are prone to change their minds. Survey research, however, when conducted properly, provides an accurate portrait of the attitudes, beliefs, opinions and preferences of the people. Public opinion and opinion polling are, for better or worse, critical components of American  life that are here to stay.

SANTA ANA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MSC Software Corporation, the leader in multidiscipline simulation solutions that accelerate product innovation, today announced that NASA astronaut and engineer Dr. Gregory Chamitoff will deliver the keynote speech at the company’s 2013 Americas user conference and 50th anniversary celebration.

“It’s a particular honor to have Dr. Chamitoff as our keynote speaker because of NASA’s place in MSC Software’s history”

The conference, “A New Era Begins,” will be held on May 7-8 in Irvine, California. It kicks off a worldwide series of user group conferences in 20 countries through the spring and summer.

Chamitoff has been with NASA since 1995 and contributed to space projects before that as a graduate student at MIT. He has logged more than 198 days in space on NASA missions.

While working on his doctoral degree, Chamitoff performed stability analysis for the Hubble Space Telescope deployment, designed flight control upgrades for the Space Shuttle and developed attitude control system software for the Space Station. After joining NASA, Chamitoff led the development of software for spacecraft attitude control monitoring, prediction, analysis and maneuvering.

In 2008, Chamitoff served as the flight engineer and science officer for a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. In 2011, Chamitoff served as a mission specialist on the last flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour and also performed the final spacewalk of the Space Shuttle program.

NASA helped launch MSC’s 50 years of success in the software industry. The company was founded in 1963. In 1965, MSC was one of the primary developers of NASTRAN simulation software for the Apollo space program. MSC then developed the first commercial version of NASTRAN (MSC Nastran), which established it as a leading simulation and analysis software company.

“It’s a particular honor to have Dr. Chamitoff as our keynote speaker because of NASA’s place in MSC Software’s history,” said MSC President and CEO Dominic Gallello. In addition to Chamitoff’s keynote, “A New Era Begins” will include an opening-day address from Gallello recounting the company’s 50-year history of innovation and describing its vision for the future. The general session will include a video of MSC’s history, from the NASA era to the present, and the scientific accomplishments its products have supported through the years.

The Americas user conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit http://pages.mscsoftware.com/50Years-HomeUSA.html. The conference agenda includes deep technical expertise from speakers presenting on behalf of BMW, Boeing, Baker Hughes, Caterpillar, China Aerospace, Ford, Graham Packaging, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, Scripps and many more. To view a full listing of speakers and abstracts to be presented at the Americas Conference, visit http://pages.mscsoftware.com/50Years-AbstractsUSA.html.

International user group events will be held in the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions in May, June and September. EMEA events will be held in: Sweden May 13-14; Germany May 14-15; UK May 15-16; France May 16-17; Russia May 21-22; Italy May 22-23; and Turkey May 27. Asia-Pacific events will be held in: Japan, May 30; Korea, June 5; China, June 6-7; and India, Sept. 5-6. For more information on international events, please visit http://www.mscsoftware.com/50years/.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott today announced the 20 schools selected for the new Software Engineering Pilot program to begin at the start of the next school year. The schools will receive comprehensive computer science and software engineering curriculum for the 1,000 students expected to participate this fall. By 2016, the program will grow to 3,500 students. Mayor Bloomberg first announced the Software Engineering Pilot in his State of the City address earlier this month, and the program is a part of the City’s work to prepare students for college and careers in the technology sector. The Mayor and Chancellor Walcott made the announcement at the High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Brooklyn, one of the 20 schools selected for the Software Engineering Pilot, and were joined by Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel, AppNexus Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer Mike Nolet and Principal Philip Weinberg.

“We know it’s vital to prepare our children to succeed in an increasingly technology-centered economy and the Software Engineering Pilot will help us do just that,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “This groundbreaking program will ensure that more students receive computer science and software engineering instruction so that they can compete for the tech jobs that are increasingly becoming a part of our city’s economy. We’re creating the home-grown workforce our city needs and teaching our students skills that will open up new doors for them and their future.”

“The tech industry in New York City continues to expand significantly under Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership, and our public schools are rising to meet the challenge,” said Chancellor Walcott. “The Software Engineering Pilot will provide students with the foundational skills they need to compete for high-paying, career track jobs in a variety of professional fields. I would like to thank the educators at our 20 pilot schools who are working hard to make this wonderful opportunity a reality for their students.”

“The Software Engineering Pilot is the latest component of our comprehensive strategy to position New York City to outperform in the knowledge economy of the future,” said Deputy Mayor Steel. “From our work with the tech industry, we know that these companies need skilled employees at every level of their organization. The training we’re providing through this program, the Academy for Software Engineering in Manhattan and the Applied Sciences NYC initiative will prepare our students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

“Hiring programmers and engineers is one of the biggest challenges facing AppNexus today and is critical to our success and growth,” said Mike Nolet, Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer. “We applaud Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership in preparing students for the jobs of the future. These students will surely benefit from learning computer science, and we will be hiring them as soon as possible!”

“New York’s future will be defined by the steps we take today to shape our diverse students into the programmers, engineers and designers that will fill 21^st century tech jobs of tomorrow,” said Reshma Saujani, founder of the nonprofit Girls Who Code. “The SEP Program is an innovative step forward in making that future brighter, and Girls Who Code is excited to partner with them to close the skills gap to give more minorities and young women opportunities they are currently being denied.”

“Giving students an opportunity for a bright future is the goal of every educator, and opportunity is what students will get when exposed to rigorous and engaging computer science education,” said Cameron Wilson, Director of Public Policy for the Association for Computing Machinery. “The question we face is whether students will have access to this critical discipline because far too often they do not. New York City’s Software Engineering Pilot’s strategy to expand student access to high-quality computer science curriculum coupled with professional development for teachers, will give students knowledge and skills they can use to create new computing technologies and exposure to a field driving high-demand, high-paying jobs across numerous industries.”

In September, the Software Engineering Pilot will launch in 20 middle and high schools, bringing computer science and software engineering classes to students in grades 6 through 12. In the first year, the core topics to be taught include computer programming, embedded electronics, web design and programming, e-textiles, robotics and mobile computing. The Pilot will also offer elective classes, including digital fabrication, 3-D printing and animation.

The 20 schools were selected through a competitive application process that evaluated the schools’ current technology offerings and how the program could help grow and sustain the programming. They include:

• High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology
• Brooklyn Technical High School
• The Bronx Compass High School
• The Renaissance Charter High School for Innovation
• Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology
• Queens Vocational & Technical High School
• Cambria Heights Academy
• Ralph McKee High School
• New Dorp High School
• Ditmas Intermediate School 62
• I.S. 30 Mary White Ovington
• Mark Twain I.S. 239 for the Gifted and Talented
• Bronx Park Middle School
• M.S. 223 The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology
• Tompkins Square Middle School
• Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School 74
• J.H.S. 185 Edward Bleeker
• Pathways College Preparatory School
• J.H.S. 157 Stephen A. Halsey
• Eagle Academy for Young Men

The Software Engineering Pilot will also provide teacher training for the instructors leading the classes. Schools will use rigorous academic curriculum and have access to technology resources to support program instruction. Participating high schools will also receive support in applying for New York State Education Department approval, which can award a Career and Technical Education endorsement to graduating students who complete the program.

The Software Engineering Pilot aligns to Common Core Learning Standards by developing students’ higher order thinking skills through the incorporation of industry-informed learning experiences. By emphasizing the analysis of complex text and mathematical modeling, participating students will extend their preparation in English Language Arts & Literacy and Mathematics while leveraging cutting-edge technology and curricula to develop the academic and personal behaviors that are a benchmark of college and career readiness.

The program also builds on the Applied Sciences NYC initiative that the Bloomberg Administration launched to capitalize on the considerable growth in the city’s science, technology and research fields. In the technology sector, employment in New York grew by nearly 30 percent between 2005 and 2010, with total employment now at nearly 120,000. The City has established three partnerships expected to create more than 48,000 jobs and 1,000 new companies and will be led by: Cornell and the Technion, which is developing a campus on Roosevelt Island; the NYU-led consortium, which will build the Center for Urban Science and Progress in Downtown Brooklyn; and Columbia University, which will establish the new Institute for Data Sciences and Engineering, to be located at Columbia’s Morningside Heights and Washington Heights campuses.

By Lori Lovely

Several years ago I wrote an article for a local newspaper about an animal rights issue and was bombarded with brutal attacks from readers deriding me as a “card-carrying PETA member,” as if that designation qualified me as someone not to be trusted or believed … or even heard.

Puzzled by the McCarthey-esque appendage, I checked my wallet to verify. Yes, there it was: my PETA membership card. That surprising fact confirmed, I attempted to figure out why we PETA members are so routinely condemned out of hand.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) remains one of the most successful animal rights organizations in the world. With more than 2 million members and supporters, it is the world’s largest, but also one of the most controversial — with probably the biggest target on its back. Just the mention of its name can elicit derogatory comments and create silent enemies. So why am I a member and why is it so controversial?

I’m a member because PETA is the most successful animal rights organization in the world and I believe in what they do. Through public education, undercover investigations, research, animal rescue, lobbying for legislation, protests and other campaigns, they seek to improve the lives of animals — all animals. They seek to educate people by changing minds about animals and how we humans treat (and mistreat) them. That is a noble ambition and a worthwhile cause.

They are controversial, I believe, in part because people confuse them with more radical groups such as the Animal Liberation Front, and partly because of their deliberately provocative ad campaigns designed to attract attention and make people rethink their habits and actions.

I tend to ignore the marketing hype — as I do with most things — and focus on the goals and purpose of the organization. Titillating nearly-naked celebrity ads promoting vegetarianism neither convinced me nor dissuaded me from choosing a meatless lifestyle.

In the beginning: 1980

Often, a significant event causes a person to make a drastic change in lifestyle. The same year that Ingrid Newkirk founded PETA, I was a teenager who gave birth to my only child. Having always been an animal lover, my role as parent and protector of this innocent life suddenly changed my perspective on the lives around me. As I drove around the rural Midwest, I noticed four-legged mothers with their babies. It seemed to me those mothers loved their babies every bit as much as I loved mine. It was enough to inspire me to become a vegetarian.

But it wasn’t until years later that PETA began seeping into my vocabulary, and even longer before I became a member. It wasn’t until I moved away from my very small hometown and began to experience a broader world that I realized the actions of a single person could have an impact.

I started sending a small annual amount of money to PETA and a few other organizations, such as the APSCA, HSUS and WWF. I began buying products that weren’t tested on animals. Eventually, I stopped wearing leather — which wasn’t as difficult a transition as I had expected. I adopted animals from shelters and rescues instead of purchasing them from pet stores.

But I remained secretive and almost apologetic about my PETA affiliation, embarrassed by the backlash, the questions and the criticism.

Guilt by association

Conversely, the more I read, saw and experienced, the more committed to PETA I became. When business was good, I increased the size of my donation. When I suffered the loss of a companion animal, I made an extra contribution as a memorial. When business was bad, I eliminated donations to other causes in order to continue being able to afford contributing to PETA. I even became bold enough to put a PETA sticker on my truck window, for all the world to see.

But the only time I attended a PETA protest was as a journalist. I was horrified by the verbal barbs slung at these peaceful protestors. I agreed with everything they stood for that day and was impressed by their cheerful demeanor in the face of verbal assaults.

That doesn’t mean I blindly follow PETA’s dictates, as I have been accused of doing. I don’t agree with every tenet. I challenge all PETA detractors to honestly evaluate their chosen religion, political party or any other organization they support or group they belong to: few outside of the founders will agree with every single line item. And yet, there is enough basic agreement that people continue to support causes and affiliations.

Already a loyal PETA member, it wasn’t until I met Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder and CEO, that my real commitment began. Our initial relationship was professional: an interview in which I asked her the questions that were so frequently hurled at me: why did she kill so many abandoned pets? did she support ALF? was this truly a non-violent organization? Satisfied with her responses, I listened to her talk about animals.

As we became friends, she shared with me some of the horrors of animal abuse and neglect she regularly encountered on her travels and in her investigations.  I heard the sorrow and compassion in her voice. When we spent time together, I watched her politely interact with people and gently persuade them to be kinder to animals. This woman didn’t just talk the talk, she walked the walk. Every day and every encounter was an opportunity to change minds, to make life better for all animals.

A question of ethics

I continued learning from Ingrid by reading her books, my favorite of which is Making Kind Choices, an eye-opening guide to easy alternatives for everyday products that don’t involve animal cruelty.

Another simple lesson I learned was to use different language when discussing animals. It makes a difference. I no longer call myself a pet owner; I am an animal guardian, an animal caretaker. A subtle shift like this changes one’s outlook.

Animals have an inherent worth completely independent of their “usefulness” to humans. We have no intrinsic superiority that grants us authority to harm them for our benefit. Instead, we have a moral obligation to protect them.

Legally, the animals who live with me are still considered my property, but by viewing them as living, thinking, feeling beings with unique personalities and individual lives to lead, I treat them differently — and I believe others would treat the animals in their lives differently if they looked at them this way.

A voice for animals

PETA has been enormously influential in introducing such revolutionary, yet basic, ideas to the world. Their credo is simple: animals are not ours to eat, to wear, to experiment on, to use for entertainment or to abuse in any way. Animals have a right to live free from pain and suffering.

People often ask why animals should have rights, using exaggerated arguments against animal rights by bringing up ridiculous notions of animals voting or humans marrying animals. According to Peter Singer in his ground-breaking book Animal Liberation, the basic principle of equality doesn’t require identical (equal) treatment; it requires equal consideration. Animals have the same ability to suffer as humans do. They feel pain, fear, loneliness, happiness and love, just as we do. We have no right to inflict pain or neglect their needs.

No longer afraid of the reaction to my support of PETA, I now distribute their Vegetarian Starter Kits and express my opinion, publicly and privately but always politely, about hunting, fishing, circuses and zoos, laboratory testing, hoarding in the name of rescue and animal rights as well as animal welfare. In the end, my rebuttal to all those who question my PETA affiliation is: what do you have against treating animals ethically?

Attorneys Dorn “Bo” McGrath, David Hickey, Will Jack, and senior public policy advisor Joseph Corrigan have joined the firm from Greenberg Traurig LLP’s Washington, D.C., office. “We are really excited to welcome Bo, David, Will, and Joe to our Washington, D.C., office,” said Karen McGee, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s D.C. office. “Their arrival is the latest sign of our continued commitment to grow this office by adding seasoned laterals across strategic areas of focus.”

McGrath noted that he and his colleagues were drawn to Barnes & Thornburg because of the firm’s efficient and sophisticated methods of offering services to clients who seek greater control over their outside legal costs. He also said that he and his peers are excited about the move as it provides the opportunity to offer additional services of interest to clients in the defense and homeland security industries.

“Their extensive experience and skill sets are a great complement to the many key services we offer clients, including through our litigation, corporate, intellectual property, and labor and employment practices,” said Alan A. Levin, Barnes & Thornburg’s managing partner.

McGrath and Hickey are partners, and Will Jack is of counsel in Barnes & Thornburg’s Corporate Department; Corrigan is a member of the firm’s Governmental Services & Finance Department and Federal Relations Group.

About the Attorneys

Bo McGrath has more than 30 years of experience representing contractors, subcontractors, owners, and engineering firms involved in projects throughout the United States and the Middle East. He focuses his practice primarily on federal, state, and local government contracts and construction contracts, including bid protests, claims, litigation, arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution. He also has extensive experience in government contract accounting, contract compliance, ethics programs, and matters involving fraud investigations and suspension or debarment.

McGrath is a member of the American Bar Association’s Public Contract Law Section, the District of Columbia Bar and the Virginia State Bar. He earned his law degree from the George Washington University Law School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College.

David Hickey has more than 15 years of experience as a government contracts attorney and government affairs professional representing clients on a wide spectrum of legal and legislative matters related to federal contracts and defense and national security issues. Hickey, a former U.S. Army infantry officer, has years of experience advising clients on procurement and compliance issues, including conducting internal investigations and defending clients facing government inquiries, audits, or investigations. He represents clients on contract disputes, and drafts and negotiates teaming agreements, compliance agreements, contracts, and subcontracts. He also advises contractors on due diligence matters related to the purchase or sale of a government contractor, including small business contracting issues.

Prior to his private law firm practice, Hickey served as a staff investigator for the U.S. Senate Committee on governmental affairs and special investigations. He also was a manager in the U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, where he implemented ethics responsibilities under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, Ethics in Government Act, House Gift and Travel Rules and the Federal Election Campaign Act. He also has served as an in-house counsel for General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.

Hickey earned his law degree from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Military Institute.

Will Jack has represented contractors at the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and Boards of Contract Appeals. He has also conducted internal investigations on contractor compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation, performed risk assessments for product liability issues associated with government-funded technologies, counseled contractors on intellectual property issues, and assisted clients on the government contract aspects of mergers and acquisitions. In addition, he prepared policies and procedures for ethics and compliance programs; drafted subcontracts, teaming agreements, and technology transfer control plans; and represented contractors in qui tam suits and government investigations.

Will Jack earned his law degree cum laude from the American University Washington College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University.

Senior Public Policy Advisor Joseph Corrigan has a deep understanding of the U.S. defense market, with a special emphasis on military hardware and equipment, federal procurement of goods and services, policy issues associated with defense depots, and in the construction and engineering services markets. He also assists clients with permits from the Army Corps of Engineers as well as represents municipalities or companies with an interest in Corps of Engineers civil works projects or programs.

He interacts with numerous parts of the federal government, including the Department of Defense, Congressional Defense Committees, and the Army Corps of Engineers, where he previously served for many years. Earlier in his career he served as a legislative liaison for the Secretary of the Army. For three years, he was the Army’s key point person on Capitol Hill for Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), land conveyances, and Army leasing programs.

Corrigan earned his master’s degree from Purdue University and his bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from its offices in Atlanta, Delaware, Chicago, Indiana, Los Angeles, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com.

As part of the winter campaign, Henson also appeared in a videothat encourages people to sponsor PETA doghouses for dogs in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina—where some dogs have no shelter at all—and sat down for an exclusive interview, in which she opened up about her costar in the campaign, her beloved dog, Uncle Willie. “I never thought that I could be so in love with an animal until I had Willie,” she says. “He’s our family. … He’s just the best companion. Dogs to me are like children … they’re the closest thing to God. They’re so pure in their love, and all they do is aim to please.” Henson also discusses her rewarding experiences volunteering at animal shelters with her son.

Dogs who spend their lives at the end of a chain ache for companionship and have to endure all weather extremes, including frightening thunderstorms, bitter cold, and blistering summer heat. They are also often deprived of basic veterinary care. Chaining dogs poses a safety risk as well: Chained dogs become aggressively protective of their tiny territories, and hundreds of people—mostly children—have been mauled and even killed after wandering within reach of chained dogs or encountering dogs who had broken free from chains.

This is Henson’s second campaign with PETA. She first posed nude in the organization’s famed “Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign to protest the cruel fur trade.

For more information or to view the ad, please visit PETA.org.