(CHICAGO) October 9, 2015 – NAMA’s Board of Directors met with multiple White House offices Wednesday, October 7 during Advocacy in Action 2015, the association’s Public Policy Conference (PPC) in Washington, D.C.
Building on the success of NAMA’s inaugural Fly-In, this year’s PPC delivered targeted, outcome-oriented advocacy on behalf of NAMA and the industry on priority policy issues pending before Congress and federal agencies, as well as proactive outreach.
A meeting with the executive director of the First Lady’s Office on its Let’s Move! initiative highlighted industry-led efforts on nutrition and informed choice, including work with the Partnership for a Healthier America, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Smart Snacks in School. Attendees also met with the White House Domestic Policy Council on issues related to proposed regulations on refrigeration to discuss how they could create a tremendous burden on the industry. NAMA's board members also relayed concern regarding recently proposed U.S. Department of Labor regulations on overtime pay and the President's executive order on sick leave. Representatives from the White House Office of Public Engagement were in attendance at both meetings.
“We had very productive meetings with the White House and are already following up on opportunities to work together in areas of agreement. We are very appreciative of how open White House staff were to listening to the industry's concerns as well as proposing opportunities to work together,” said Eric Dell, NAMA SVP of Government Affairs. “This outreach takes our advocacy efforts to the highest level in government, ensuring that our footprint in Washington extends to all key decision makers, helping them understand the impact of our industry and its business owners, employees and consumers.”
“The White House meetings were a tremendous opportunity for our industry to connect with high-level DC insiders, and really added to our overall goal of diving deeper on our issues in targeted meetings,” said Howard Chapman, NAMA Chair. “The meetings opened a productive dialogue for our industry and were a unique experience for attendees. I think it’s safe to say the 2015 PPC is one of the best yet,” he concluded.
Additional PPC meetings with federal agencies covered all channels of the refreshment services industry and addressed pending regulations related to nutrition disclosure, informed consumer choice, coin and currency and small business. Meetings included: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
Founded in 1936, NAMA is the association representing the $25 billion U.S. vending and refreshment service industry. With more than 1250 member companies – including many of the world’s most recognized brands – NAMA provides advocacy, education and research for its membership. Visit NAMA on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
