Former Rep. Dan Glickman (D-Kan.) formally stepped down Friday as CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America after six years atop the powerful trade association.

The one-time secretary of Agriculture will become the president of Refugees International on April 1. Glickman’s official departure has been expected for months. He is being replaced temporarily by MPAA President Bob Pisano.

An affable Kansan who served nine terms in the House before joining the Clinton administration, Glickman’s MPAA tenure was marred over his perceived inability to give lawmakers the hard sell on the group’s legislative priorities such as last year’s stimulus plan. More than likely, however, his reign was often compared to that of his predecessor, Jack Valenti, a legendary K Street force who created a lobbying presence for Hollywood’s interests downtown.

“As I look forward to returning to public service and joining Refugees International, I am proud to look back at what the MPAA has accomplished since I took this job in 2004,— Glickman, whose son Jonathan is a movie producer, said in a statement. “For me, perhaps the best thing about the job was the movies. I love movies. And as far as I am concerned, we make the best movies in the world.—