K-School Chooses Publicity Director

The Kennedy School of Government has selected a new director of external relations, continuing an effort to fill gaps caused by the departure of administrators and faculty earlier this year to work for Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, officials confirmed yesterday.

David Irons, a consultant to the Business School communications office, will take over the primarily public relations-oriented job in September, K-School Executive Dean Hale Champion said yesterday. Irons will replace Ira A. Jackson '70, who left the school to become Massachusetts Commissioner of Revenue.

Jackson is one of five K-School officials--including Dukakis himself--to move from Kennedy St. to the state government this year, opening up holes which the school is still in the midst of filling.

In addition to Jackson and Dukakis, who was a lecturer in the K-School's state and local program, Nicholas J. Mitropoulos, associate Director of the Institute of Politics, became Director of Personnel in January. Manuel Carballo, another lecturer in the state/local program, became director of Human Services at about the same time and Charles Kierker, director of the same program, now advises the governor.

Mitropoulos' position has yet to be filled, but Assistant Dean Peter B. Zimmerman said yesterday that the state/local program has hired one new staffer and several junior faculty have been hired.

Irons, who is on vacation and could not be reached for comment, has served with the Business School communications office for one year in an unusual capacity, writing press releases and articles for the News Office but not taking a title or a regular staff position, according to B-School communications director William Hokanson. He would not speculate on the reasons for the setup, which he said Irons requested.

Hokanson said Irons had turned down the position of associate communications director at the B-School, preferring "to run his own ship" at the K-School.

Irons' responsibilities will not be as broad as those of his predecessor, Jackson, who served as associate dean and was a close confidante of Dean Graham T. Allison '62. Irons will handle publications and public relations, but will not oversee construction of the new K-School wing or head the K-School's affirmative action program as Jackson did.

Spreading Out

Those responsibilities, as well as other special projects Jackson handled for Allison, will be spread around the existing staff--a move that has prompted some grumbling that the quickly growing K-School has begun to cut costs too much. Champion said yesterday that the K-School is trying to keep a lean operation with as few people as possible, but added that the school could absorb the growth without expanding its staff much.