Stephen Herbits
Encyclopedia
Stephen E. Herbits is an American
businessman, former consultant to several Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of Defense, personal friend and advisor to the Bronfman family
, former Executive Vice President of the Seagram Company, former advisor to the President’s
Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets, and former Secretary General of the World Jewish Congress
.
He was the youngest person (27) to be appointed commissioner on the Gates Commission (All-Volunteer
Armed Force) alongside Milton Friedman
, Alan Greenspan
, Roy Wilkins
and other notable figures.
, Massachusetts
. Stephen E. Herbits earned his AB from Tufts
in 1964 and his JD degree from Georgetown University Law Center
in 1972.
(Massachusetts, 1966). In 1967, Herbits was hired as a Congressional staffer
in Washington. It was there that Herbits developed his work on addressing the inequities of the military draft. His work on Capitol Hill led to the publication of “How to End the Draft – The Case for an All-Volunteer Army”. The book received national as well as international attention and subsequently, Herbits was appointed to the President’s Commission on An All-Volunteer Armed Force (Gates Commission). Herbits was the youngest Commissioner to receive the appointment, being only 27 years of age. He served alongside noted economists Milton Friedman
and Alan Greenspan
. During Herbits’ second year of law school he was called by the Assistant Secretary of Defense of Manpower and Reserve Affairs to help utilize research related to ending the Volunteer Army. Subsequently hired as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense of Manpower and Reserve Affairs in the Department of Defense
, he helped implement the transition to an All-Volunteer Armed Force at the senior level. He also conducted the study which gave the acting Secretary of Defense the information used to reverse Army decisions in opposition of the All-Volunteer Force.
In 1974, following his work as Special Assistant at the Department of Defense, Herbits was hired by
Donald H. Rumsfeld, then Chief of Staff
to President Gerald Ford
. Following this position, he moved to Geneva
as Counsel to the US Delegation to the Multilateral Trade Negotiations (GATT) in the Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations. In 1976 he moved back to the Pentagon
as the Special Assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries of Defense. During this time period (1976) Herbits was considered the top civilian aide at the Department of Defense.
, Vice President of Seagram Europe, President of Browne Vintners and President of Seagram Wine Company.
In 1983, Herbits was promoted to Vice President of Corporate Development and then promoted again
in 1986 as a Corporate Officer of Seagram with the added role of External Affairs. During this period, Herbits, in the additional role of chef de cabinet
to Seagram Chairman Edgar M. Bronfman, Sr. helped prepare for and travelled to meetings with world leaders. “He [Herbits] sat at the intersection of Mr. Bronfman’s corporate, World Jewish Congress and other philanthropic roles.” Herbits’ final promotion led him to serve as Executive Vice President of Corporate Policy and External Affairs from 1989 to his retirement from Seagram in 1997. Herbits formed The Herbits Group as a business consulting entity after his retirement from Seagram.
raised on liquor. Seagram officials anticipated the potential negative effect the tax would have on
Seagram’s product sales. In response, Herbits led a campaign known as “Equivalence” (also known as
the “Equivalence Campaign”) to educate consumers that a 12oz can of beer
, 5oz glass of wine
and a 1 ¼ oz shot of spirits
all contain the same amount of alcohol. This campaign received national and international media attention and was considered very successful by industry experts.
In 1981 he served as an unpaid consultant to Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger and then again in 1989 to Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney
. He led defense transitions, including personnel searches for senior positions.
In January 2001, Herbits went back to Washington
to help conduct the Defense Department transition for Rumsfeld’s second tour as Secretary. Among other duties, Herbits developed job requirements and objectives for key Department of Defense Presidential Appointments, helped recruit key personnel, created a system of civilian review and succession planning for senior military officers, and oversaw the transition of the immediate office of the Secretary. He held this position until its completion in May 2001.
Rumsfeld brought Stephen Herbits back to the Department of Defense immediately following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 to work on, among other tasks, special projects regarding internal mission development and organizational change as a result of the attacks.
After leaving the Department, Herbits became a vocal proponent of Hillary Clinton and donated to
her campaign. He was selected to serve on Clinton’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Task Force, a steering committee that recruited many of the most powerful LGBT
citizens in the nation.
by then President of the World Jewish Congress, Edgar Bronfman Sr. because of public
allegations that there were financial irregularities within the organization. Herbits was charged with the responsibility of “fixing [the] entity”, as he had done for Bronfman in other areas in the past. Shortly after Herbits arrived, the New York State Attorney General
’s office opened up its own investigation into the financial irregularities. Herbits spent three years as the Secretary General of the WJC, its most senior staff position, working on the investigation, rebuilding the governance structure and financial controls of the organization, and strengthening the mission programs and operations of the World Jewish Congress. Following the retirement of Edgar Bronfman, Sr. after 25 years as President, Herbits agreed to stay on for several months to assist in the transition of the incoming president as Secretary General of the WJC.
(known as GMHC) during its inception, the foremost
AIDS
service organization in America. He then served as treasurer and was subsequently asked to take over as President of the Board of AIDS Action Council. Herbits also served in a number of different capacities for several national, New York
and Miami AIDS organizations, such as the National Task Force on AIDS (1986).
Stephen Herbits was one of the original members of GLAAD in 1986-1987 and worked with organizations such as Save DADE (1999–2002) and a founding Board member and treasurer of Youth Expressions, Inc. (2000–2006).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman, former consultant to several Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of Defense, personal friend and advisor to the Bronfman family
Bronfman family
The Bronfman family is a Canadian Jewish family. It owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman , who made a fortune in the alcoholic distilled beverage business during the 20th century through the family's Seagram Company. The family is of Russian Jewish and Romanian Jewish ancestry...
, former Executive Vice President of the Seagram Company, former advisor to the President’s
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets, and former Secretary General of the World Jewish Congress
World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations...
.
He was the youngest person (27) to be appointed commissioner on the Gates Commission (All-Volunteer
Armed Force) alongside Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, academic, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades...
, Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan is an American economist who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. He currently works as a private advisor and provides consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC...
, Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins was a prominent civil rights activist in the United States from the 1930s to the 1970s. Wilkins' most notable role was in his leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ....
and other notable figures.
Background
Son of Nathaniel and Esther Herbits of PittsfieldPittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Stephen E. Herbits earned his AB from Tufts
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
in 1964 and his JD degree from Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
in 1972.
Early political career (1967–1977)
Stephen Herbits’ first job out of college (prior to starting law school) was working as research assistant for Edward BrookeEdward Brooke
Edward William Brooke, III is an American politician and was elected to the United States Senate as a Republican from Massachusetts in 1966, defeating his Democratic opponent, Endicott Peabody, 60.7%–38.7%...
(Massachusetts, 1966). In 1967, Herbits was hired as a Congressional staffer
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in Washington. It was there that Herbits developed his work on addressing the inequities of the military draft. His work on Capitol Hill led to the publication of “How to End the Draft – The Case for an All-Volunteer Army”. The book received national as well as international attention and subsequently, Herbits was appointed to the President’s Commission on An All-Volunteer Armed Force (Gates Commission). Herbits was the youngest Commissioner to receive the appointment, being only 27 years of age. He served alongside noted economists Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, academic, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades...
and Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan is an American economist who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. He currently works as a private advisor and provides consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC...
. During Herbits’ second year of law school he was called by the Assistant Secretary of Defense of Manpower and Reserve Affairs to help utilize research related to ending the Volunteer Army. Subsequently hired as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense of Manpower and Reserve Affairs in the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, he helped implement the transition to an All-Volunteer Armed Force at the senior level. He also conducted the study which gave the acting Secretary of Defense the information used to reverse Army decisions in opposition of the All-Volunteer Force.
In 1974, following his work as Special Assistant at the Department of Defense, Herbits was hired by
Donald H. Rumsfeld, then Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
to President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
. Following this position, he moved to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
as Counsel to the US Delegation to the Multilateral Trade Negotiations (GATT) in the Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations. In 1976 he moved back to the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
as the Special Assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries of Defense. During this time period (1976) Herbits was considered the top civilian aide at the Department of Defense.
Corporate career (1977–present)
In 1977, Herbits was hired by the liquor and wine company, Seagram Company Ltd. He was tasked with developing and implementing strategies for various subsidiaries. Between 1977 and 1983, Herbits held many positions in the company, including Vice President of Seagram Overseas in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Vice President of Seagram Europe, President of Browne Vintners and President of Seagram Wine Company.
In 1983, Herbits was promoted to Vice President of Corporate Development and then promoted again
in 1986 as a Corporate Officer of Seagram with the added role of External Affairs. During this period, Herbits, in the additional role of chef de cabinet
Chef de Cabinet
Chef de Cabinet is the head of an office in the United Nations Secretariat, appointed by the Secretary-General, or in the European Commission, appointed by an individual European Commissioner for his personal cabinet. The position's rank and responsibilities are equivalent to a chief of staff....
to Seagram Chairman Edgar M. Bronfman, Sr. helped prepare for and travelled to meetings with world leaders. “He [Herbits] sat at the intersection of Mr. Bronfman’s corporate, World Jewish Congress and other philanthropic roles.” Herbits’ final promotion led him to serve as Executive Vice President of Corporate Policy and External Affairs from 1989 to his retirement from Seagram in 1997. Herbits formed The Herbits Group as a business consulting entity after his retirement from Seagram.
Equivalence Campaign
In 1985, while Herbits was Vice President of Corporate Development at Seagram, a hefty tax wasraised on liquor. Seagram officials anticipated the potential negative effect the tax would have on
Seagram’s product sales. In response, Herbits led a campaign known as “Equivalence” (also known as
the “Equivalence Campaign”) to educate consumers that a 12oz can of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, 5oz glass of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and a 1 ¼ oz shot of spirits
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
all contain the same amount of alcohol. This campaign received national and international media attention and was considered very successful by industry experts.
Political career (1981–present)
While employed by the Seagram Company Ltd., Herbits was called back to public service several times.In 1981 he served as an unpaid consultant to Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger and then again in 1989 to Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
. He led defense transitions, including personnel searches for senior positions.
In January 2001, Herbits went back to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to help conduct the Defense Department transition for Rumsfeld’s second tour as Secretary. Among other duties, Herbits developed job requirements and objectives for key Department of Defense Presidential Appointments, helped recruit key personnel, created a system of civilian review and succession planning for senior military officers, and oversaw the transition of the immediate office of the Secretary. He held this position until its completion in May 2001.
Rumsfeld brought Stephen Herbits back to the Department of Defense immediately following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 to work on, among other tasks, special projects regarding internal mission development and organizational change as a result of the attacks.
After leaving the Department, Herbits became a vocal proponent of Hillary Clinton and donated to
her campaign. He was selected to serve on Clinton’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Task Force, a steering committee that recruited many of the most powerful LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
citizens in the nation.
World Jewish Congress
Following his departure from the Defense Department in 2004, Herbits was brought into the World Jewish CongressWorld Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations...
by then President of the World Jewish Congress, Edgar Bronfman Sr. because of public
allegations that there were financial irregularities within the organization. Herbits was charged with the responsibility of “fixing [the] entity”, as he had done for Bronfman in other areas in the past. Shortly after Herbits arrived, the New York State Attorney General
New York State Attorney General
The New York State Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of New York. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.The current Attorney General is Eric Schneiderman...
’s office opened up its own investigation into the financial irregularities. Herbits spent three years as the Secretary General of the WJC, its most senior staff position, working on the investigation, rebuilding the governance structure and financial controls of the organization, and strengthening the mission programs and operations of the World Jewish Congress. Following the retirement of Edgar Bronfman, Sr. after 25 years as President, Herbits agreed to stay on for several months to assist in the transition of the incoming president as Secretary General of the WJC.
Philanthropy
Herbits volunteered for Gay Men's Health CrisisGay Men's Health Crisis
The Gay Men's Health Crisis is a New York City-based non-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based AIDS service organization that has led the United States in the fight against AIDS.-1980s:...
(known as GMHC) during its inception, the foremost
AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
service organization in America. He then served as treasurer and was subsequently asked to take over as President of the Board of AIDS Action Council. Herbits also served in a number of different capacities for several national, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Miami AIDS organizations, such as the National Task Force on AIDS (1986).
Stephen Herbits was one of the original members of GLAAD in 1986-1987 and worked with organizations such as Save DADE (1999–2002) and a founding Board member and treasurer of Youth Expressions, Inc. (2000–2006).