EXHIBIT 99.2
Press Release dated March 21, 2001, of Darden Restaurants, Inc.
FORMER SEN. CONNIE MACK ELECTED TO
DARDEN RESTAURANTS BOARD
ORLANDO, FL - Darden Restaurants, Inc. has elected former U.S. Senator
Connie Mack, III to its Board of Directors. Darden owns and operates the
Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones restaurant
companies.
"We are extremely honored and excited to welcome Connie to our board," said Joe
R. Lee, Darden's chairman and chief executive officer. "His years of experience
in the political arena and banking industry and his proven leadership skills as
someone who is highly respected and well liked, will be a tremendous asset to
our company as we continue to build Darden into the best casual dining
restaurant company, now and for generations."
"Darden is a growing, progressive and very civic-minded company with strong
corporate ethics and a solid reputation for integrity and diversity
sensitivity," said Mack. "I'm excited to be joining the company's board and look
forward to helping them continue to build their brands and solidify their
leadership position in the casual dining industry."
After 16 years as a community banker in Lee County, FL, Mack was elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, where he served three terms. He was
elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988 and in 1994 became the first Florida
Republican in state history to be reelected to the Senate.
During his second term in the Senate, Mack was the third-ranking Republican and
chaired the Joint Economic Committee and the Republic Conference, and was
considered a top choice to run as Vice President with then Senator Bob Dole in
Dole's bid for the White House.
Throughout his time on the Hill, Mack - who retired from public office when his
Senate term expired in January -- had a reputation for being true to his
convictions, but also for being fair-minded and a consensus-builder. As Florida
pollster Jim Kane said, Mack will be remembered for "his compassion, his
intelligent response to issues and not so much by his partisan beliefs."
One of the issues Mack continues to champion is cancer research, including his
work with the American Cancer Society and his efforts to improve preventive
health care and increase federal spending on medical research. He also recently
became Chairman of the Board of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL.
It's an issue that hits very close to home for Mack - both of his parents
battled the disease, his younger brother died from it, his wife, Priscilla, was
diagnosed with breast cancer, his daughter is also a cancer survivor, and he
himself has had skin cancer.
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Named for his grandfather, Connie Mack, Sr. (shortened from Cornelius
McGillicuddy), the legendary manager-owner of the old Philadelphia A's
professional baseball team, Mack, III was instrumental in helping bring the
first major league baseball teams to Florida.
Born in Philadelphia (his family moved to Ft. Myers when he was 11 years old),
Mack earned a degree in Marketing from the University of Florida.
Mack joins Darden's other directors: Brad Blum,, President, Olive Garden; Dan
Burke, President Emeritus/Director, Capital Cities/ABC, Inc.; Odie Donald,
President, DirectTV; Julius Erving, Executive Vice President RDV Sports and Vice
President, Orlando Magic; Joe Lee; Dick Rivera, President, Red Lobster; Michael
Rose, Chairman, Midaro Investments, Inc.; Dr. Hector de J. Ruiz, Ph.D.,
President and COO, Advanced Micro Devices; Maria Sastre, Vice President, Total
Guest Satisfaction Services, Royal Caribbean International; Jack Smith, Past
Chairman of the Board, The Sports Authority; Blaine Sweatt, President Darden New
Business Development; and Rita Wilson, President, Allstate Indemnity Company.
Darden Restaurants, with headquarters in Orlando, Florida, is the world's
largest casual dining company, with more than 1,140 restaurants operating under
the Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones brands, over
119,000 employees and annual sales of over $3.7 billion.
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