IR State Bureau - 08/21/07

The Policy Institute, a liberal political advocacy group, has hired former Lewis and Clark County Commissioner and longtime environmental activist Bob Decker as its new executive director.

The institute is a Helena-based nonprofit group that advocates for what it calls "progressive public policy."

"Decker brings a great mix of talents to The Policy Institute," said Ken Toole, a state public service commissioner who serves as the institute's board president. "He's managed a business, been elected to public office and directed a prominent Montana nonprofit organization.

"He's credible with people because he's a critical thinker and he communicates well. At the same time, he's a fighter. The Policy Institute isn't bashful about wanting more fairness, integrity and progressive courage in government, so he'll be a good fit."

Decker was a Lewis and Clark County commissioner from 1978 through 1986. He then worked for 16 years as an advocate for wilderness designation of Montana's roadless public lands, including 12 years as executive director of the Montana Wilderness Association.

In recent years, Decker has been a laborer for United Parcel Service, an environmental consultant and a producer of a news analysis program on community access television.

Decker, a Havre native, has a civil engineering degree from Montana State University and served in the Peace Corps in Brazil.

Established in 2001, the institute has a number of objectives, including fairness in taxation and budgets, increased corporate accountability, stronger emphasis on social and environmental implications of resource development and reduced influence of what it calls big money and economic elites in government.

The group helped organize the unsuccessful "Buy Back the Dams" ballot initiative in 2002 and the successful minimum wage increase initiative in 2006.

Decker succeeds Terry Kendrick, who resigned to pursue new career opportunities.