Who We Are

Biography of Ralph Blackman

Mr. Ralph S. Blackman is currently the President and CEO for The Century Council. The Council, formed in 1991, has received nearly $120 million dollars from America's leading distillers to support its efforts to curb drunk driving and underage drinking.

Mr. Blackman began his tenure at the Council in 1996 as Vice President for Public Affairs. Currently, Mr. Blackman is responsible for strategic planning, Council operations, and management of more than 20 staff members.

In 1992, Blackman was appointed by President George Bush as the Assistant Administrator for Private Enterprise within the U.S. Agency for International Development. Blackman oversaw a staff of 100 professionals, a program budget of nearly $40 million, and a $220 million portfolio of U.S. government loans designed to stimulate growth in developing countries around the world. Mr. Blackman represented the agency on the President's Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee and at meetings of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

Prior to joining the Bush Administration, Mr. Blackman founded Public Access Inc., a corporate relations firm headquartered in Washington, DC. As President of the firm, Blackman and his constituents provided public affairs and international trade-related assistance to clients interested in business ventures abroad. Blackman and the firm were responsible for facilitating the creation of the first nationwide chain of franchised computer outlets in Hungary.

In 1986, Mr. Blackman was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to be Associate Director of the White House Conference on Small Business. In addition to organizing conferences held in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Blackman was responsible for liaison with congressional leaders and federal agencies, and supervised the preparation of the Final Report to the President.

In 1981, Blackman was Director of Business Programs at the Republican National Committee. Blackman also held the position of Regional Political Director and Local Elections Field Representative at the RNC.

In 1980, Blackman served as Legislative Assistant to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives with special responsibilities for economic and business development issues. Blackman is an alumnus of Leadership Washington, sat on the Faberge Arts Foundation Advisory Board, served as a member of the Department of Commerce's Industry Sector Advisory Committee for Small Business and Trade Policy, and served on the "Competing in the Global Marketplace" council of the National Policy Forum.

An Illinois native, Blackman graduated in 1975 with a B.A. degree in Political Science from Western Illinois University. In 1976, he completed his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Illinois-Springfield