The National Automatic Merchandising Association recently announced the appointment of W. Eric Dell to the position of senior vice president of government affairs. Dell will join the association as of Jan. 2, 2013 and will be based in Washington, D.C.
In his new role, Dell is charged with leading NAMA’s government affairs program, including all federal and state legislative relations, public affairs and coalition-building.
Most recently, Dell was Chief of Staff for Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC). In this role, he led a staff of 16 people and advised the Congressman on wide-ranging political and policy decisions.
“Eric’s strong background in government affairs as well as his experience in developing and advocating for critical public policy positions as a chief of staff for Congressman Wilson will enable NAMA to make measurable progress on many fronts including nutrition, taxation issues and healthcare. His talent and ability to get things done in and around our nation’s capital will be an enormous strategic asset to our organization and I am delighted to have him on our team,” said NAMA President and CEO Carla Balakgie, in a prepared statement.
Dell comes to NAMA after 12 years of serving in government and government affairs positions at the state and federal level.
“Finding the right person with the right talent and capabilities for this role took time for our association. We are confident that our thorough search has paid off and we look forward to having Dell’s leadership as our industry faces ongoing challenges in a fiercely competitive environment,” she continued.
Dell holds a bachelor’s degree from University of South Carolina-Columbia; a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and is completing an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University – Carey Business School.
