November 20th, 2004
Coca-Cola Lobbyist Leaves PTA Board
By Rhea R. Borja
Education Week
Critics of commercialism in schools are calling the resignation of a senior
Coca-Cola Co. executive from the National PTA’s board of directors a step
in the right direction.
The Chicago-based association—which has 6.5 million members, who are mostly
parents and educators—has been the target of criticism for its partnership
with Coca-Cola.
John H. Downs Sr.—the senior vice president of public affairs and the
chief lobbyist for the Atlanta-based beverage giant—quietly resigned in
May, more than a year before his two-year term was set to expire in June 2005,
said Laura Battle, a PTA spokeswoman.
Mr. Downs sent a resignation letter to PTA President Linda Hodge saying that
“increased responsibilities precluded him from serving his full two-year
term,” said Laura Asman, a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.,
the marketing, production, and distribution arm of Coca-Cola.
His PTA board tenure had sparked sharp criticism from some parents, educators
and anti-commercialism activists. They said it was a conflict of interest for
an organization that prides its role as an advocate for children’s education
and health to have on its board the chief lobbyist of a company that markets
sugary drinks to children, especially in an era of rising concern about childhood
obesity.
“The alliance between Coke and the PTA was a tremendous black eye for
both organizations,” said Gary Ruskin, the executive director of Commercial
Alert, a Portland, Ore.- based watchdog group, which learned this month of Mr.
Downs’ resignation. “There was a lot of media attention, so they cut
their losses.”
But Ms. Asman denied that such criticism was a factor in Mr. Downs’ departure.
“He just wasn’t able to fulfill his obligations,” she said.
“It’s as simple as that.”
Though Mr. Downs has stepped down, Coca-Cola remains a sponsor of a National
PTA program to improve parent involvement in schools.
About 4 percent of the PTA’s $12 million annual budget comes from corporate
sponsorships.