NAMA Participates In White House Meetings At Public Policy Conference

WASHINGTON -- The National Automatic Merchandising Association said its board of directors met with several White House offices on Oct. 7 during its Advocacy in Action public policy conference here.

A meeting with the executive director of the First Lady's Office on its Let's Move! initiative highlighted vending industry-led efforts on nutrition and informed choices, including work with the Partnership for a Healthier America, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Smart Snacks in School.

Participants also met with the White House Domestic Policy Council to discuss how issues related to proposed regulations on refrigeration could place a burden on the industry. NAMA's board members also expressed 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 NAMA senior vice-president of government affairs Eric Dell.

"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," added NAMA chairman Howard Chapman, Royal Cup Coffee (Birmingham, AL).

Additional 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. These meetings took place with officials from the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Mint and Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

PHOTO:NAMA chief executive Carla Balakgie (center in black dress) gathers NAMA board members for a picture on grounds of Eisenhower Executive Office Building.