In 1978, Tony Coelho was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from California's Central Valley. He advanced quickly through the House Leadership ranks and served as Chairperson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 1981 through 1986. Later Coelho became the first-ever elected Majority Whip from 1987 to 1989. As Majority Whip, Coelho secured the votes needed to pass the Democratic legislative agenda.
Mr. Coelho authored the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) during his time in the House of Representatives. This legislation provides people with disabilities equal access to employment, public facilities, and transportation and makes it possible for them to become a full participating member of society. The ADA is considered the most important piece of civil rights legislation in the past 30 years. During his ten years in the House, Coelho also served on the Agriculture, Interior and Administration Committees.
In 1999, Mr. Coelho returned to politics when Vice President Al Gore asked him to join his campaign as the General Chairman. Mr. Coelho was instrumental in refocusing the campaign, including relocating its headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Coelho's leadership helped Vice President Gore get the Democratic nomination while winning every state primary and caucus. In June of 2000, Mr. Coelho resigned his position due to health concerns, but he continues to be a valuable advisor to the Vice President.
After leaving Congress in 1989, Mr. Coelho joined Wertheim Schroder & Company, Inc., an investment banking firm in New York. He served as Managing Director from 1989 to 1995, and from 1990 to 1995 he also served as President and CEO of Wertheim Schroder Investment Services. In 1995, Mr. Coelho formed ETC w/ TCI, an education and training technology company in Washington, DC, where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until it was sold in late 1997.
Mr. Coelho's former and current business affiliations include service on a number corporate boards. He served as chairman and a director of ICF Kaiser International, Inc., and a director of AutoLend Group; Kaleidoscope Network, Inc.; LoanNet, LLC; and Pinnacle Global Group, Inc. He currently serves on the boards of Cadiz, Inc.; Cyberonics Inc.; DeFrancesco & Sons, Inc.; Kistler Aerospace Corporation; Ripplewood Holdings, LLC; and Service Corporation International. He also serves on the International Advisory Board of Fleishman Hillard, Inc. Today, Coelho serves on the Business Advisory Board of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. (Bender Consulting ). Bender Consulting is a firm that provides technology consulting services to its customers, and competitive employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities who are trained in the technology, finance/accounting and general business fields.
In addition to his work in the private sector, Mr. Coelho continues to devote much of his time to public service. He has served as Chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities from 1994 -2000. In 1995, he was a member of the Presidential Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of the United States Intelligence Community. In 1998, he was appointed as Vice Chair to the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities and as Co-Chair to the U.S. Census Monitoring Board. Mr. Coelho was also the U.S. Commissioner General to the 1998 World Exposition in Lisbon, Portugal.
In January 2004, Tony Coelho was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists. ABRET is a not-for-profit credentialing board for EEG, EP and Neurophysiologic Intraoperative Monitoring Technologists, and has been serving the neurology community and patients for more than 40 years. In addition to epilepsy, EEG and EP Technologists provide test data on disorders and conditions such as stroke, head trauma, infections and congenital defects.
A native of California, Mr. Coelho earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1964 from Loyola Marymount University, where he served as Student Body President during his senior year. He began his career in 1965 as a Legislative Assistant to Congressman Bernie Sisk and served as Mr. Sisk's Chief of Staff from 1971 to 1977 before being elected to the House upon Mr. Sisk's retirement.
