Arnie Fielkow

Arnie Fielkow is currently the President & CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA). Fielkow was formerly a Democratic politician in New Orleans. In November 2006, he won a seat on the New Orleans City Council as a Member at Large, and served as City Council President. He was reelected in 2010. In fall 2011, he announced his resignation. [1]

Arnie Fielkow received his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin School of Law in 1981. Fielkow spent most of his career is sports administration. He served as Executive Vice President of the New Orleans Saints for six years during which he presided over all administrative/business departments, including marketing, sales, regional development, governmental affairs, community relations, business media relations and youth programs. Fielkow was fired by Saints owner Tom Benson when he refused to resign and sign a confidentiality agreement presumably because of Fielkow's outspoken concern for the residents of the Gulf Coast. Fielkow had been vocal in opposing the concept of having the Saints play in San Antonio. Fielkow won the gratitude of many in the Greater New Orleans area for his role in keeping the Saints in New Orleans, helping him in his political career.

Following his firing, Fielkow was elected as one of New Orleans's two at-large council positions on May 20, 2006. Since then Fielkow has chaired a number of committees including both the city's Economic Development Committee and the Council’s Youth and Recreation Committee. He has also spearheaded the Fleur-de-lis Ambassadorship program and been a vocal supporter of public education including the growing number of charter schools.

In May 2009, as the New Orleans e-mail controversies reached a feverish pitch, Fielkow decided to publish up to 70 thousand of his e-mail messages online:

Fielkow is a staunch antagonist of New Orleans' use of crime cameras. On 2009 June 4 he said:

Fielkow considered running to succeed Ray Nagin as Mayor of New Orleans in the 2010 Mayoral election, but he chose to seek reelection instead. Fielkow was easily reelected to his position on the city council, with Mitch Landrieu ultimately winning the Mayor's race.

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