Washington, DC, November 13, 2020 — To meet the demands, challenges, and opportunities for both federal and state advocacy, the PCA is making several strategic shifts to bolster overall government affairs effectiveness. These changes have gradually begun early this year through new program development and budget reprioritization. As we approach 2021, PCA is also making some personnel changes and additions to align with the restructuring.
Joshua Habursky will now oversee all government relations operations as the new the Head of Government Affairs. In addition, Glynn Loope, former executive director of the Cigar Rights of America, will be assisting PCA as an advisor for state government affairs.
“Glynn brings a wealth of industry experience and has been working closely with Josh and me developing state and regional training models. It will be a huge help to have his advice and insights as we work through some unprecedented challenges in the states,” said PCA Executive Director Scott Pearce.
In addition to Loope, the PCA has enlisted the services of graduate intern Ryan Parada, a current graduate student at Johns Hopkins University. Parada will be a research assistant and work on projects to help provide quality information to assist in tax and smoking ban legislation.
Patrick Anderson of Proventure Consultants will re-engage with PCA as a general consultant on both federal and state affairs as we head into the new year. PCA will evaluate additional consultants and programs on a case by case basis and will look to attack key threats in states that present credible threats to the premium cigar industry. The team of in-house lobbyists and consultants will also work with PCA marketing and communications to build new member content, podcasts, interviews, and virtual/live events.
“It is important that we build a team that can tackle that variety of issues that we will face at the federal and state levels. We feel confident that the experience, demonstrated success, and aggressive approach will serve our member well and protect the industry from retailers to manufacturers to consumers,” said Pearce. “It is imperative that the PCA is poised and ready to not only fight back, but to be proactive in making continuous progress for the industry.”