GMA Augments Public Affairs, Regulatory Leadership Teams
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has tapped two executives, Roberta Wagner and Spencer Pederson, to bolster its leadership team as the trade group gears up to rebrand as the Consumer Brands Association in January 2020.
Wagner will become GMA’s VP of regulatory and technical affairs effective Dec. 2. Wagner has spent 33 years in public service, most recently as the assistant administrator of the Office of Policy and Program Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the agency’s lead policy position. Before that, she was the deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Field Operations at FSIS, in which capacity she oversaw a workforce of 7,800 inspection program personnel, among them consumer safety officers and inspectors, public health veterinarians and food inspectors. Wagner spent 20 years with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, holding such roles as analytical chemist and associate director for Food Safety Modernization Act operations.
Pederson is now VP of federal affairs at GMA, having come to the association from the American Chemistry Council (ACC). While at ACC, Pederson was the director of federal affairs, in which role he managed a broad portfolio of issues, including running the organization’s Rail Customer Coalition. Earlier, he spent 12 years on Capitol Hill, most recently working for Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as senior policy adviser for Scott’s work on the Senate’s Energy and National Resources and Finance committees.
“I’m thrilled to have Roberta and Spencer join our team at this pivotal time for the organization,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based GMA, which represents the world’s leading consumer packaged goods companies. “As we gear up to relaunch as the Consumer Brands Association, Roberta and Spencer will play integral roles in growing our advocacy efforts. Their respective agency and Hill experience will be an invaluable resource to our members.”
