25-year Club member Jonah Gitlitz, ex-CEO of Direct Marketing Assn., dies at 92

Jonah Gitlitz, an award-winning former journalist and president and CEO of the Direct Marketing Association of Washington, died July 29 at the age of 92.  He was a 25-year member of the National Press Club and a long-time resident of Washington, D.C.

Gitlitz grew up in the Bronx, N.Y., where his father owned a kosher delicatessen.  But Jonah said he preferred writing to taking over his father's store.   After serving in the Army in Osaka, Japan, during the Korean War, he earned a BS degree in business in 1955 from American University.  An AU professor helped him land a job as a reporter with Broadcast & Cable News magazine.

He worked as editor of Television Digest and the National Association of Broadcasters before joining the America Advertising Federation (AAF) where he was executive vice president for 12 years.  At AAF he helped develop the National Advertising Review Board, a self-regulating program for advertisers.

The Direct Marketing Association recruited Gitlitz in 1985 to run its Washington office and within three years he became its president and CEO, a position he held for a dozen years, retiring in 1996.   Under his leadership the association grew membership from 1,800 to more than 3,000 companies and annual revenues more than doubled to nearly $23 million.  He expanded the role of the Washington office and broadened ethics and consumer affairs programs.  The Association gave him its distinguished achievement award in 2005 and inducted him its hall of fame.

While at DMA, Gitlitz got to know Lillian Vernon, who recruited him to join the board of her catalogue marketing corporation.  He served as president of the company for two years, retiring in 2002.

Gitlitz was appointed to the National Advisory Council of the U. S. Small Business Administration and he served on the boards of for-profit and non-profit organizations, including President of Temple Micah.  He was a former president of the AU alumni association, mentored graduate students and organized several of his class reunions.

As noted by his wife, Sallie Forman, "Jonah was known as a 'jolly good fellow' by friends who comment on his constant smile, upbeat personality.  They could never escape his repeated and cherished stories about growing up in the Bronx , attending DeWitt Clinton High School and his parents’ Gitlitz’s deli."   A fitness advocate, Gitlitz ran five of the annual Marine Corps Marathons.

Gitlitz was a 17-year member of National Press Club American Legion Post 20 and a frequent attendee at Post meetings and events.  "We'll greatly miss Jonah's friendly comradeship," said Post Commander Jim Noone.  "He was always cheerful and delighted to spend time with fellow Legionnaires."

Survivors include his wife, daughter Beth Dattaro and son David Gitlitz, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Contributions in his memory may be made to American University’s Kogod School of Business or the Rabbi’s discretionary fund at Temple Michal, both located in Washington D.C