As a resident of Alexandria, Eddie T. Arnold has been a “regular” in Old Town for over twenty-five years. Much like you and me, he feels an affinity for the area. You may have passed him on King Street, or seen him on his bicycle. I, however, was lucky enough to share a meal with him at Landini Brothers, his favorite eating venue. It was one of the most intriguing conversations I have ever had. Leaving our “lunch date”, I was impacted by our discussion. Eddie is a cultured and knowledgeable gentleman and the interview was thought-provoking. Not that I am unappreciative of the education I earned in college, but I may have learned more in two hours from our meeting than I did in four years at James Madison. (Hopefully my professors are not reading this!)
As a nationally recognized Strategic Communications Executive, Eddie has contributed to diversity in the advertising and television industries. His involvement as a frequent speaker, lecturer, moderator, and panelist at industry gatherings has benefited television and advertising as a whole. And this is just the start of this Alexandrian’s curriculum vitae…
Eddie was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and grew up in Chicago, Illinois during a time in which minorities lived a separate, but equal, lifestyle. He experienced all that Chi Town has to offer. Even today, he is a lover of Jazz, ballroom dancing, and a good cigar. He graduated from Chicago State University with a degree in Political Science. In 1983, Eddie was accredited by the Public Relations Society of America. He is an honored Vietnam War Veteran and the father of three; Thaddeus, Chloe and Maud. When we discussed his children, who live in New York and Los Angeles, his face lit up. He spoke with pride and excitement about his talented and well traveled offspring. Eddie credits their mother with much of the children’s motivation and enthusiasm, but after speaking with him I have to believe that he must have had something to do with it, too!
The personal and professional accomplishments of Eddie T. Arnold could fill up an entire monthly issue of the Old Town Crier! And although each of his achievements is noteworthy, I believe it is important that I share with our readership his remarkable undertakings that may directly affect you and yours. For example, Eddie was chosen as one of the newsmakers of the year for his skillful handling of the beverage industry’s campaign against the Bottle Bill Initiative in the District of Columbia. As consultant to the Glass Packaging Institute, he organized and put into practice DC‘s first citywide recycling initiative under the endorsement of the Environmental Protection Agency. As he mentioned, “his job was to win”; and that he did! While “going green” is a popular initiative now-a-days, we should be thankful that we had people like Eddie making strides behind the scenes when it was not such a priority to those in office!
As if the above wasn’t enough, Eddie takes pleasure in substitute teaching for high school students in the Arlington, Alexandria, and Northern Virginia area. He finds these experiences most interesting based on the notion that, “people with broad perspectives have a lot to offer our youth. We have an opportunity to provide an image to which the students, especially young boys, can identify.” Eddie has contributed his perspective and experiences to many students; he has served as a role model to many teens that do not necessarily have someone to aspire to be. For this, we should be grateful.
And the list goes on… Eddie was Press Secretary to the Honorable Cardiss Collins, who is the longest serving African American woman in Congress, and Representative of the seventh Congressional District of Illinois. Under Collins, he managed the minority committee’s public affairs and media relations. He was responsible for coordinating the hearings on Gangster Rap Music, Title IX, and the NCAA. Eddie has a lot of experience with reporters, as he was often quoted in New Yorker Magazine, New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune. (My interview must have been a breeze in comparison to those!)
His political insights, together with his professional experience and ties to the Hill, helped him to become the first Vice President of Government Affairs for Nielsen Media Research, the global leader in television audience measurement. In this position, Eddie administered Nielsen’s government affairs communication strategies.
As the above testifies, Eddie is highly respected in the television industry. His perceptive observations and efforts to create diversity in advertising and television have earned many awards; such as the esteemed Distinguished Service Award from the American Advertising Foundation and the Legacy in Communications Award for continued “expertise and perceptive efforts in the field of media and communications”. As he spoke of these honors, he was humble but proud at the same time – not many people can pull that off!
Added to his list of undertakings is film maker. Eddie has produced a number of documentaries, and in 2007, he spoke at The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on diversity in the motion picture industry. Some of the films he has produced are: The Hidden Community- a History of African Americans in Montgomery County (1776-1996); From Afro Sheen to Mars (brief history African American advertising agencies); and The Blue Water Anglers of Bermuda. Eddie plans to continue film making in the future, as well as working on several projects with his daughters!
Eddie continues to impact society even now that he is not tied to Nielson or politics. Prior to the 2008 Presidential Election, he traveled to small towns and churches in Virginia to encourage people “get out and vote”. He also spoke in support of our President-elect, Barack Obama. He made a comment to me in regard to the outcome of the recent election; “people looking for the world to change, must understand that the world has changed. It is changing right in front of their eyes.” His travels ranked as number one, because he was able to contribute to the realization of change and growth for America and all of its citizens. He believes that Obama will write his own history; much as Eddie has in my opinion!
There were several remarks made throughout our meeting that I will take with me. I have learned from Eddie that regardless of a person’s circumstance or situation, one must learn from the past in order for the future to be bright. “Everyday one must learn something, in order to make that day better than the one before it.” I will testify to this, as I learned a great deal from Eddie T. Arnold that day, and as a result, it was better than the day before!
