KKR’s Mehlman named PEGCC chairman

Ken Mehlman, global head of public affairs at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, has been elected chairman of the Private Equity Growth Capital Council.

Mehlman will continue in his role as global head of public affairs at KKR, where he oversees all of the firm’s external affairs and assesses policy risks. Mehlman joined KKR in 2008 after working as a partner at law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he focused on bipartisan practice in legislative and regulatory counseling. He was also the 62nd chairman of the Republican National Committee and campaign manager for President George Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign.

At PEGCC, Mehlman will help expand the council’s outreach and education efforts, according to a statement.

“I have enormous respect for the PEGCC’s important work engaging with public policy makers to encourage more economic growth and retirement security for millions of Americans,” Mehlman said in the statement. “I also share the PEGCC’s goal of building a community of investors who seek superior returns while also emphasizing active, responsible governance, long term investment and measuring success in years not quarters.”

Mehlman succeeds Mark Tresnowski, managing director and general counsel at Chicago-based Madison Dearborn Partners, as chairman of PEGCC. The PEGCC board elects chairmen for one-year terms, though chairmen may be re-elected. Tresnowski was elected in 2010 and served for four years.

Washington-based PEGCC is an advocacy, communications and research member organization led by president and chief executive officer Steve Judge. The organization was founded in 2007, with KKR as one of the four founding members.

The PEGCC declined to comment.